Never seen a windlass like this

[mango]

 

Big coffee grinder?

Boating is thirsty work.

[X Alan W]

 

Or a clock winder?

When I was 8 or 9yrs old my Grandpa was the church warden for our local church,he was responsible for winding the church clock every week or ten days, there was a little tell tale weight on a wire to show if & when it required winding. As the access trapdoor was small & grandpa was quite a big fella, yours truly got roped in to do the job, the winding handle was almost if not identical even down to the brass knob that my grandpa fitted, the reason for the joint was that there was a part of the clocks mech that stopped you making a full rotation & rather than take the handle off every time you just folded it a little to get by the obstructing part IIRC it had a spring to return it to it's winding position after you had got passed the obstruction. But it was almost 70 years ago so I could by wrong

Edited October 28, 2014 by X Alan W

[Galeomma]

 

How many tower clocks does he have in his care?

Big Ben for a start , plus whatever else is in the palace. Then he does some massive clock in the Royal Courts of Justice. I just haven't seen him with anything like resembles that.

[mango]

Big Ben for a start , plus whatever else is in the palace. Then he does some massive clock in the Royal Courts of Justice. I just haven't seen him with anything like resembles that.

Here was me thinking Big Ben was a bell.

[Québec]

When I was 8 or 9yrs old my Grandpa was the church warden for our local church,he was responsible for winding the church clock every week or ten days, there was a little tell tale weight on a wire to show if & when it required winding. As the access trapdoor was small & grandpa was quite a big fella, yours truly got roped in to do the job, the winding handle was almost if not identical even down to the brass knob that my grandpa fitted, the reason for the joint was that there was a part of the clocks mech that stopped you making a full rotation & rather than take the handle off every time you just folded it a little to get by the obstructing part IIRC it had a spring to return it to it's winding position after you had got passed the obstruction. But it was almost 70 years ago so I could by wrong

Have you seen the film 'Hugo', directed by Martin Scorsese? If not, you must, it's a wonderful film! About a young boy who winds the clock at the Gare Montparnasse in Paris....and much more.

[aread2]

But a 'scape goat is an escape goat. It is a goat that is allowd to escape taking the blame for some malfeasance IIRC. I must Google it.

Leviticus Chapter 16

[Galeomma]

Here was me thinking Big Ben was a bell.

Yes it is but I was being lazy. I should have said the great clock in the Elizabeth tower at the north end of the houses of parliament. Satisfied you pedantic b*stard

[magnetman]

I thought Big Ben was a clock as in it goes dong dong &c each hour. I have never seen a bell do that by itself

[Jim Riley]

They are right, big Ben is one of the bells. And I hope you are all pronouncing peDant correctly, with the stress on the D!

[magnetman]

Big ben is a nickname for a bell

Big ben is a popular name for a clock tower

 

Google image search shows clock tower on all first page hits for 'big ben'

 

If you want peDantry

[Thewatchmaker]

It's not a clock key!

[John Holden]

It's not a clock key!

 

What is it then?

[magnetman]

A big watch key ?

Edited October 28, 2014 by magnetman

[Thewatchmaker]

Totally unsuitable for winding a clock as it would not locate correctly on the winding arbour, clock keys are cylindrical generally. There are a multipal of other reasons too.

However I have no suggestion as to what it might be

[rubblequeen]

 

MORE: Each time I look at these folding crank handles I imagine a white gloved butler taking it out of his pocket to do something

 

 

I just checked with my butler and he doesn't have one. Now I expect he'll be wanting one next. Bloody servants.

[John Holden]

Totally unsuitable for winding a clock as it would not locate correctly on the winding arbour, clock keys are cylindrical generally. There are a multipal of other reasons too.

However I have no suggestion as to what it might be

 

So you don't know what it is but you know that it isn't a clock key!

I'd love to hear some of your other reasons for knowing that it is not a winding crank for a tower clock.

[steven wilkinson]

I just checked with my butler and he doesn't have one. Now I expect he'll be wanting one next. Bloody servants.

 

Maybe NickNorman can ask his butler too?

[boathunter]

 

So you don't know what it is but you know that it isn't a clock key!

I'd love to hear some of your other reasons for knowing that it is not a winding crank for a tower clock.

Try google images and you'll see they're pretty well all large 2 hand jobbies.

 

I like the coffee grinder handle sugestion, it would make sense to have it folding as the weight would cause the grinder to fall over when not in use.

Google "Antique coffee grinder folding handle" and select images. Pages of them.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=antique+coffee+grinder&client=firefox-a&hs=pCb&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=HxBQVPD1E4O5PYCkgYgL&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1525&bih=705&dpr=0.9#rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&q=antique+coffee+grinder+folding+handle&imgdii=_

[John Holden]

Try google images and you'll see they're pretty well all large 2 hand jobbies.

 

I like the coffee grinder handle sugestion, it would make sense to have it folding as the weight would cause the grinder to fall over when not in use.

Google "Antique coffee grinder folding handle" and select images. Pages of them.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=antique+coffee+grinder&client=firefox-a&hs=pCb&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=HxBQVPD1E4O5PYCkgYgL&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1525&bih=705&dpr=0.9#rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&q=antique+coffee+grinder+folding+handle&imgdii=_

 

Why should I need to google images of something that I am familiar with?

[boathunter]

 

Why should I need to google images of something that I am familiar with?

 

In case there's a slight chance you're mistaken and might learn something?

Do you still assert it's the clock winder you're so familiar with?

Edited October 28, 2014 by boathunter

[John Holden]

Boat hunter, I suggest that you reread the thread. You will see that I accepted that it might be a crank for a coffee grinder and you will also see another post from somebody who remembers using a folding clock crank.

[boathunter]

Hmm. OK.

[Thewatchmaker]

Still waiting to see a picture of this folding clock key.....

[John Holden]

Still waiting to see a picture of this folding clock key.....

 

First post on this thread.

I'm still waiting for your many reasons why it isn't a clock key.

[Thewatchmaker]

Another obvious one

The winding arbours would have to protrude so far out of the dial for the key to locate they would foul the hands.

On a turret clock of which I have seen literally hundreds in my 40 years in the trade, a bending key would be dangerous

Bored with this now.........just admit you had no idea what it was !