Name this tool

[J.P. Rap]

First a bit of history. My father owned this tool for as long as I can remember. I believe it belonged to his father. When I was young, I asked what it was and he told me but Im not sure if what he told me was the actuall use for this tool or just what he thought it was.
Therefor my answer may be wrong.
Go ahead and take a guess and Name this tool.
J.P.

[Brian in Dawson Creek]

Did your father or your grandfather have anything to do with garage doors?

Brian

[Martin in Fonthill]

J.P. It looks like it would be used to pound rope (cordage ,oakum, I dont know)into the gaps between boards.

[Mark in Burlington]

J.P., I agree with Martin, A tool used on ships to drive the rope between the deck planks before they would seal over it with tar.
Cheers, Mark

[Kerry in Fort Sask, AB]

Go ahead and take a guess and Name this tool.

Well, ok. If you insist. Lets name it 'Phil'...

Sorry, too easy to resist.

I did a quick google around at what the others are suggesting and it would appear that if it is used to pound rope ("oakum") between the planks on a ship, it would be called a "horsing iron". I only found one picture (see the link) and it didn't really look like Phil, although I don't imagine there was only one design for such a thing.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ladydenman.asn.au/images/boatbuilding/cironsm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ladydenman.asn.au/content/bbtools.html&h=120&w=150&sz=2&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=HD4aSK2nC7-jbM:&tbnh=72&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522horsing%2Biron%2522%26svnum%3D10 %26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Cheers,
Kerry

[J.P. Rap]

Well, ok. If you insist. Lets name it 'Phil'...

Hee hee :D Good one Kerry. Phil is my brothers name.

Brian...No Neither had anything to do with doors. My father was a banker and my Grandparents owned a small grocery store.

You guys might be right. It may be a Caulking Iron but as far as I know my grandfather never built boats. However, he lived just a block from the Welland canal and started his store to service the workers building the canal. Perhaps there were ship builders in the area and maybe he sold tools in his store. Ill make some enquiries at the family picinic this weekend.

Anyhow...I was told it was a barrel ring chisel. as I said, I don't know for sure if thats what it is but it sure worked well for that yesterday. Im sure my Grandfather had plenty of barrels in his store and I imagine they would need tightening occasional.
J.P.

[Brantford Jamie]

Repairing swish barrels? They're only good once, you know. :oops: That's my drunk emoticon!

[J.P. Rap]

Repairing swish barrels? They're only good once, you know. :oops: That's my drunk emoticon!

AAHH MAN!!!
I wish you would have told me that before I did all that work.
Oh well...at least I didn't get the new lid made yet. Id have been real upset with you then.

:P :P
J.P.

BTW ... What do you guys think? Is it a barrel ring chisel or a caulking iron?

[Al in Toronto]

Bob...LOL

Sorry...that's the wine talkin'

:)

Al

[wdrite]

Looks like it could be a sheet metal seaming tool.

[Jim in Burlington]

I thought it was a chisel for hammering over the bead in sheet metal work. When you run a wire around a sheet metal edge you finish it off with a chisel that looks alot like that one.

[J.P. Rap]

Well we have a number of viable uses for this tool. As I said, I don't know if what my father told me was correct but I was always suspect of it...if you know what I mean.

Maybe Ill take it to a sheetmetal shop and see what they say.
J.P.

[Joed]

The closest thing I have found so far is a tinmans groove punch.

http://www.roseantiquetools.com/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=actual&linkpath=http://roseantiquetools.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hickmantinners2.jpg&target=tlx_new&title=Tinners'%20Tools%20Hammers,%20Punches,%20Sta kes