On Tuesday, July 19, 2011 07:23:53 AM Anne Wilson did opine: > On Monday 18 Jul 2011 07:42:09 Duncan wrote: > > Anne Wilson posted on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:06:04 +0100 as excerpted: > > > An amazing number of solutions to a single problem :-) > > > > Indeed. Altho they're variants on a theme that each have particular > > strengths and weaknesses. A pipe wrench, for instance, grips > > amazingly well on a rounded pipe, but can damage the corners on a hex > > head and is extremely heavy and cumbersome for the task of turning > > one, so is seldom used for that, except where the corners are already > > so rounded that a normal wrench or crescent can't get a proper grip > > (in which case it's working at its strength again, gripping a mostly > > rounded object). > > > > > Your Crescent Wrench is the one that I have - a slightly smaller and > > > lighter version of David's. > > > > > > None of the other pictures look like the other one he uses. > > > Imagine a single piece of iron, like a flattened umbrella handle. > > > Underneath the curve is serrated to be one half of the jaw, and down > > > the straight are a number of holes. A second, entirely separate > > > piece of iron fits around the handle, with the curved upper surface > > > being serrated. There is a single hole, where a pin locates it > > > into the adjustable part. It's a very primitive tool, to my eye. > > > Maybe I can get a photo of it. > > > > This remains quite interesting to me. I have the general idea, now, I > > think (thanks for the second attempt at a description), but such > > things as the curve and attack angle are critical to getting a proper > > conception of how well the tool works in practice and what its > > strengths might be, and while you might be very good at describing > > embroidery patterns (I remembered that from when I followed > > kde-planet), those sorts of details are difficult to convey or even > > notice without a draftsman's eye and likely a reasonable > > understanding of the physical forces and interactions involved. > > > > From what I've read of Gene's posts, if he saw one he might be able to > > describe it well in words, but I'm definitely /not/ making a similar > > claim for myself, tho I could probably grok the functionality > > reasonably well, to intuit the type of strengths and weaknesses it > > might have (as I described for the pipe wrench above, for instance), > > at least to myself, for the purposes of evaluating the right tool for > > the job at hand. > > > > In short, it's the picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words problem. =:^D > > > > I did stay a year with my grandparents as I entered my teens, and > > while by that time they had sold the farm and bought a house in town, > > so grandpa had no doubt left a lot of tools behind (and part of the > > reason I was there was because he was gradually losing it by that > > time, and grandma felt better with someone else around, to run to the > > neighbor next door and call the police, if it came to it, so it > > wasn't as if I could really ask grandpa), I do remember playing > > around with a number of tools I hadn't seen before and may well never > > see again. I'm just wondering if I saw a picture, if I might > > immediately recognize something I didn't know the function of back > > then, perhaps because I only saw the separate halves. The the word > > description alone doesn't trigger the association or memory, but a > > picture would very likely do so if it was something I had come across > > either then or at some estate sale or the like. > > > > So if you happen to have a cell phone with a camera or some such, or > > happen to come across a picture on the net, I'd be much obliged. But > > if not, don't sweat it, I don't either (the closest I have is the > > webcam on the netbook, but it's facing the user so is hard to use to > > take photos of anything but myself, with... and BTW, I don't know of > > any kde software that works with it either, except perhaps kopete for > > visual chat, but I don't use it as I'm too deliberative a > > thinker/typer to be effective at IM/IRC, something simple to do > > stills and movies with would be nice). It's not as if anything > > important depends on my seeing a picture. > > > > But I can't shake the feeling that something like a year from now, > > I'll chance across a photo or something, and it'll be "Oh, so THAT > > was what Anne was talking about! DUH! I should have thought of > > that!" > > > > Meanwhile, that's enough of a description that I'm at least somewhat > > likely to recognize one if I see it, perhaps at a yard sale, or come > > across a photo of it myself, so that year-from-now or whatever > > scenario isn't unlikely. > > Here you are: http://imagebin.org/163773 > > As you might guess, it's very old - a family "heirloom" :-D > > Anne I am 76yo, and an old Iowa farm boy, but that is the first one of those I have seen. And I thought my grandfather had one of everything! Neat, and will draw a good bid at the estate sale. ;-) Cheers, gene -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Those who can, do; those who can't, simulate. ___________________________________________________ This message is from the kde mailing list. Account management: https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde. Archives: http://lists.kde.org/. More info: http://www.kde.org/faq.html.