MWTCA September 2025 What's It Project (9-2025)

[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.

This donation arrived recently at Usk Rural Life Museum. I have no idea what it is. The three hand screw handle is heavily built so capable of applying considerable pressure. At the moment it is rusted shut so we have no idea what is inside. Credit: Tools and Trades History Society

 

 

 

[HandyDan]

Put it on Google Image search and it came right up as a Comet belt lacer.

 

https://outoftheblueartifacts.com/the-comet-belt-lacer/

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:37 PM by HandyDan

[Grandpadave52]

Dan nailed it and holy cow did this take me back in time.

 

The first (circa 1973) John Deere dealer I worked for was a smaller dealership that had been in the same family since 1931 or 1932. We had all the equipment, multiple sizes of lacing and flat belt stock to both repair and/ or make a new belt. I didn't do many in my youthful career start (usually done by the parts department or a couple "old timers" in the shop) but I did a few.

 

Below video shows the process, some different types of tooling and an actual machine being used similar to the one above; just a different manufacturer of which there were several back in the old days.