Help identifying tool

[Florin]

Anyone know what the tool may be and the purpose,please?
Thank you.

 

[Silken]

Looks like a home made Sextant, for sea navigation, but possibly a rudimentary roofing Square

 

[Phil Pascoe]

or even a sextant.

 

[Florin]

it does look like a carpenters tool but I tought that is to complex to be one

 

[robgul]

It's an Octant - a navigation aid (I assume similar to a sextant)

 

[Orraloon]

I spent a few years using a sextant at sea and if that was for navigation there would be some way to sight an angle with it plus mirrors.
Octant (instrument) - Wikipedia
I have not seen an octant in the flesh but suspect it would have been a bit more high tec than that. There were earlier navigation instruments like the back staff but it also had the ability to sight.

Backstaff - Wikipedia
I cant make out the scale on the arc from the pic but I would think it is in degrees. There are other inch scales on the swing arm and the frame itself. My hunch is some kind of marking out tool either carpentars or masons.
Regards
John

 

[niall Y]

Anyone know what the tool may be and the purpose,please?
Thank you.

I'm intrigued, Does the wider vertical arm, positioned in the middle slide sideways? And, how many separate scales are there marked on the wooden parts?

 

[kwigly]

Guessing. Maybe used as a guide in cutting tiles/glass to fit in a pre-determined area.
e.g. pre-set the angle, slide the tile in behind the sliding vertical post and mark for cutting

 

[Thingybob]

Very intriguing I noticed the gully at the bottom for storing some sort of marking implement and the graduations are marked to be read from the front whilst lay on its back on a bench so the reply about tiles /glass seems possible maybe even lead for roofs and gutters

 

[Florin]

Very intriguing I noticed the gully at the bottom for storing some sort of marking implement and the graduations are marked to be read from the front whilst lay on its back on a bench so the reply about tiles /glass seems possible maybe even lead for roofs and gutters

Guessing. Maybe used as a guide in cutting tiles/glass to fit in a pre-determined area.
e.g. pre-set the angle, slide the tile in behind the sliding vertical post and mark for cutting

I'm intrigued, Does the wider vertical arm, positioned in the middle slide sideways? And, how many separate scales are there marked on the wooden parts?

I will take better pictures . I also think is a angle setting tool. All the sliding parts are marked off.

 

[Yojevol]

Could it be a slater's marking out device?
Would a slate fit onto it?
Does it look like a one off, home made tool?
Brian

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Looks like old school tool used in building eg paramids

 

[Thingybob]

Looks like old school tool used in building eg paramids

Tut Tut

 

[Florin]

Could it be a slater's marking out device?
Would a slate fit onto it?
Does it look like a one off, home made tool?
Brian

The arched part is marked in degrees and the rest in inches. Maybe an roofing angle setting or something like that?

 

[niall Y]

With such neatly marked scales it is hardly likely to be home -made, so could possibly feature in some catalogue of the period.

 

[throbscottle]

The round bar thing at the bottom looks to be attached to a square bar with a pointy bit near the hinge. Is this part removable, or slidable, and is the thing that looks like a pointy end in fact, a pointy end?

 

[throbscottle]

Is there a maker's mark? Some kind of clue there if there is.

 

[Cobbs]

Could it be a slater's marking out device?
Would a slate fit onto it?
Does it look like a one off, home made tool?
Brian

Easier ways of marking slates and it wouldn't last five minutes on a roof...

 

[Florin]

Is there a maker's mark? Some kind of clue there if there is.

No names on it.

The round bar thing at the bottom looks to be attached to a square bar with a pointy bit near the hinge. Is this part removable, or slidable, and is the thing that looks like a pointy end in fact, a pointy end?

Is sliding and the pointy shape is only to slide under the arch and tight to the other vertical piece.

 

[niall Y]

I think I am inclined to agree with other posters, that this is a rafter length calculator. Perhaps using the scale of 1 inch to a foot.