Friday, November 21, 2014

"Lift the Dot" fastener tool

I found this tool recently, initially thinking it was a particularly robust file handle:  


When I cleaned it up, though, this was stamped on the steel end, which is actually a hex socket of a peculiar size:


It says: Carre Company.  "Lift the Dot."  It was clearly intended as a driver for the specialized "Dot" fasteners made by the Carr Fastener Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The driver exactly fits the fasteners shown below.


The firm eventually becamed United-Carr.  I've put more information about that company's history on a previous post on Dudley Locks.  The question in my mind is why is the name spelled "Carre" on this earlier tool?


Another curiosity:  I discovered that I have an old grease gun made by this company, when they apparently had a plant in Hamilton, Ontario.  I've never seen any information that they made anything other than fasteners.


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3 comments:

  1. Tom GaspickNovember 22, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    Somewhat related:

    Carr had a competitor, the Rau Fastener Company of Providence, Rhode Island. Rau's product was the KLIKIT line of snap fasteners.

    Rau and KLIKIT have pretty much faded into the mists of time. I found one of their foot-operated presses by the roadside once, and had the pleasure of overhauling the machine's worn pivot-point --

    http://rougeriverworkshop.blogspot.ca/2009/12/something-little-different.html

    I ended up selling part of the machine to an outfit in B.C. that was sill using one, and scrapped/re-purposed the rest.

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    Replies
    1. The DukeNovember 22, 2014 at 12:36 PM

      The things you can find at the side of the roadway! Anyway, you sure did a lot of work just to end up scrapping the machine. Too bad there wasn't some way to re-purpose it.

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    2. Tom GaspickNovember 22, 2014 at 2:41 PM

      Much of the work done was to the pedal/lever portion of the machine, and that was the part that I sold, so that wasn't a dead loss.

      The stand is now a stand for an old grinder that I refurbished:

      http://thewholegaragecatalogue.blogspot.ca/2013/08/a-6-bench-grinder.html

      Prior to selling the part, I had hoped to find a good use for the complete machine, but I never did. The fact of the matter is that my hydraulic shop press is all I need for a press.

      Much as I love to see old gear get restored and put to good use, there does come a point where some things are simply 'past it', and need to be seen off to that big workshop in the sky.

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