MWTCA August 2025 What's It Project (8-2025)

[John Morris]

"What's It" Basic Rules Reminder

For a full run down on this project and rules please go to: The Patriot Woodworker and MWTCA "What's It" project

• Only Patriot Woodworker Members are eligible to participate and receive the award.
• If a verified and referenced answer is not arrived at by the end of each month's "What's It" project, a random draw will be performed for a "One Year MWTCA Club Membership".
• Only Patriot Woodworker's who participate in this "What's It" topic will be included in the random draw.

 

Additional What's It Rules

• Unless you are completely sure what this item is, please avoid "definitive statements" that appear that you are without a doubt claiming that you know what the item is. For example stating, "this item is called a "widget xx" used for "insert purpose here". If you are making a definitive statement you must accompany your statement with evidence or proof from a secondary source.
• An example of acceptable statements within the realm of having fun and educated guesses would be something like this, "I believe it could be", or "It appears it's made for this or that", etc etc etc...

 

Project Details

The information provided hereon is all the information that is provided, no further information on this item will be added.

 

 

[HARO50]

I was going to say Redneck toothpicks, but I'd better not! 

[John Morris]

Didn't Ford Motor Corp, make a vehicle called the Overland?

[Ron Dudelston]

I know Willys made an Overland.

[John Morris]

4 minutes ago, Ron Dudelston said:

I know Willys made an Overland.

That's what I was thinking!

But didn't Ford dabble in the manufacturing of the Willy's during WWII? I don't know just throwing empty brain matter stuff out there.

[Grandpadave52]

2 hours ago, John Morris said:

But didn't Ford dabble in the manufacturing of the Willy's during WWII?

Yes Ford also built the famed Jeep that won the war under contract from Willy's-Overland and the War Department.

 

Willy's model was the MB; Ford's model was the GPW, but IIRC all parts were to be interchangeable (think 1911) and basically identically except serial number designations.

 

I'm guessing the "tools" above are part of each tool kit shipped with their respective models; just not sure yet what function they were designed to perform. 

[John Morris]

Cast brass?

[Ron Dudelston]

Dave, I believe you are correct.  I had a ‘51 Overland pickup with an “F” head which was an in-line 4 cylinder. Most of the WWII models were flatheads.  This kinda reminds me of a valve spring tool of some sort .  

[HARO50]

2 hours ago, Ron Dudelston said:

Dave, I believe you are correct.  I had a ‘51 Overland pickup with an “F” head which was an in-line 4 cylinder. Most of the WWII models were flatheads.  This kinda reminds me of a valve spring tool of some sort .  

But why brass? 

[Ron Dudelston]

35 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

But why brass? 

Well, you couldn’t magnetize it

[Grandpadave52]

2 hours ago, Ron Dudelston said:

This kinda reminds me of a valve spring tool of some sort .  

That's what I was thinking Ron but the spring compressor sent with the tool kits doesn't resemble these at all. At least in any pictures I could find. Still looking.

 

48 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

But why brass? 

No chance to generate any sparks is my guess for whatever they were used for. Must have been critical to use brass as the majority of brass was used for ammunition.

[Ron Dudelston]

2 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

That's what I was thinking Ron but the spring compressor sent with the tool kits doesn't resemble these at all. At least in any pictures I could find. Still looking.

 

No chance to generate any sparks is my guess for whatever they were used for. Must have been critical to use brass as the majority of brass was used for ammunition.

Usually a spring compressor is more complex than that.  This is designed for leverage but since it is brass you couldn’t get crazy with prying either it.  I would guess its length at 4 to 6 inches.  

[Grandpadave52]

According to this site, they are valve lifter tools.

 

 

 

[Ron Dudelston]

1 hour ago, Grandpadave52 said:

According to this site, they are valve lifter tools.

 

 

 

I’m a freakin’ genius

 

[HARO50]

2 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

No chance to generate any sparks is my guess for whatever they were used for. Must have been critical to use brass as the majority of brass was used for ammunition.

My thoughts, exactly! BUT... it doesn't look like the tool is intended to strike anything, which is the usual source of sparks.

[aaronc]

Glad you boahs figured it out cause I was fixin to make a fool of myself big time. I was gonna go hard on Kentucky slingshot all the way 

[Ron Dudelston]

Just now, aaronc said:

Glad you boahs figured it out cause I was fixin to make a fool of myself big time. I was gonna go hard on Kentucky slingshot all the way 

An itty bitty Ky slingshot

[Grandpadave52]

12 minutes ago, aaronc said:

Glad you boahs

Is this a Kentucky term? Should we be offended?

[aaronc]

Just now, Grandpadave52 said:

Is this a Kentucky term? Should we be offended?

 

Yessir it is,...sometimes it even goes to baws, just depending  . However, No Sir no offense intended. It's been my experience if somebody around here means to offend it would be much more colorful than that  

[John Morris]

SO who got this one?