Attn: Machinists! What is this thing?

I bought a big box of stuff at an estate sale a few years ago. Other stuff in the box indicates that the original owner was a machinist with the Torrington Company.

I sold off some of the stuff, but I kept this just because I thought it looked cool. I assume it's some kind of setup jig, but I know nothing about this stuff.

What is it?

In reply to Woody :

That's a 1 2 3 block

Indy-Guy said:

In reply to Woody :

That's a 1 2 3 block

'splain me this^.

Well, a 1 2 3 block is 1"x2"x3" which this is not. This appears to be related though, so something for setting up material for a mill, shaper, drill  et cetera.

Bolt parts in order to machine or surface grind finish.  

This helps get stuff square or that's what I remember from shop class in 1979. 

It would be considered a precision angle block or clamping block

Super high precision ground blocks for fixturing and measuring 

Also...

Would this be something that he would have purchased, or something that he would have made?

In reply to Woody :

I made my own from a block of steel.  Gave it away to a machinist in 1997 when I realized I wasn't going to use it. 

are those letters straight?  

In reply to Woody :

Either or.  Depends on how precision you need it.

Also: https://wiki.wcpl.info/w/index.php?title=Woodard_Machine_Company

Woody said:

Also...

Would this be something that he would have purchased, or something that he would have made?

Purchased. Cheap. 

Thats a v-block, perpendicular block, etc. multi use. 
You can use it to fixture things in order to measure or hold them down to machine them. 
Its quite accurate dimension-wise. 

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to Woody :

Either or.  Depends on how precision you need it.

Also: https://wiki.wcpl.info/w/index.php?title=Woodard_Machine_Company

Woodard was his last name. I bought the stuff from his daughter.

This has been out of the box for about a year. I was sorting through the box today and I found this note, which may or may not be related to this thing.

When I made mine I sent it out to be heat treated.  I had to drill the holes and tap them and consider the change in size after HT but 40 years later it's all a blur how I did that.    

Many were disappointed I went into business rather than becoming a machinist. 

Last time I used a block like that, I placed it on the magnetic chuck of a surface grinder and used it to hold a part at an angle, using angled parallels under it to set the angle. That block was bigger but I imagine this probably had a similar purpose.

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Congratulations! Well done!

If it has his name stamped into it, my guess is he made it.  Looks  nice, there really handy.  

1 2 3 blocks are handy to have, normally cut to W/I .002 of finish, case hardened and then finish ground.  1 2 3s are ~$35, that angle plate, (if you could find one) would be about $60.

Keep it clean & keep it oiled, you couldn't buy one for what that will sell for.

Dan

Woody said:

This has been out of the box for about a year. I was sorting through the box today and I found this note, which may or may not be related to this thing.

 

 

The machinist I used to know would be going apeE36 M3 over how you allowed that to get all dirty and rusty.  Takes away the precision.  Rust is iron oxide and when you wipe it away you are also wiping away part of the iron.

I've always called those angle plates. As stated above it's a clamping, machining, measuring fixture. 

They come in a bunch of different sizes and configurations.