anyone know what this is used for?

Huntindave McCann

Huntindave McCann

Well-known member
Sponsor
Question for the brain trust. The attached photos are of a "work bench" frame work that is in a "one man" wood working shop located in Norway. The owner of this piece of equipment has passed away and no-one in the family knows what it is used for. As one can see from the photos it appears to be built for a very specific purpose.

Anyone recognize this piece of equipment or knows what might have be built upon it? For size reference, based on a block in a block wall being 8 inches in height, I'd say the frame members are around a 2X4 size ???.



View attachment bench002.jpg



View attachment bench001.jpg
 
Dave,

Did this gentleman do a specific type of woodworking? Like boat building, furniture making or whatever. That may lead you toward your answer. Another question I think of is what types of woodworking is common or historical there? That may lead you toward something. To me it almost looks like it has a clamping function and being that he was a one man shop it makes sense that he may have developed a tool to aid in a function that might need other hands.

Would you mind if I or my father in law post those pictures on a woodworking website? Maybe someone could tell what it is. It is quite interesting that?s for sure.

David Walton
 
Dave, it looks to me like a frame for a table like a massage table or chiropractic table or something. Smaller I know but that's what I thought of when I saw it....based on the size, perhaps something that supports the upper body...

And thinking on it, I'd lean more towards chiropractic type table frame over massage table
 
Last edited:
davidwalton said:
Dave,

Did this gentleman do a specific type of woodworking? Like boat building, furniture making or whatever. That may lead you toward your answer. Another question I think of is what types of woodworking is common or historical there? That may lead you toward something. To me it almost looks like it has a clamping function and being that he was a one man shop it makes sense that he may have developed a tool to aid in a function that might need other hands.

Would you mind if I or my father in law post those pictures on a woodworking website? Maybe someone could tell what it is. It is quite interesting that?s for sure.

David Walton
Click to expand...

David,
Share away,,,,, this came from a woodworking site I frequent. As I said even the family members are unable to associate this with anything their relative had built (fell out of touch with him apparently). They also have been unable to determine from partial builds, plans, even cut offs in his shop as to clues to it's usage.

I myself am simply curious, and I'm sure there is a person out there somewhere, seeing this photo which is saying in his own mind; "Well duh, it's a ________ , how could anyone NOT know that." [laugh]
 
Posted it here on NC Woodworker. Maybe you?ll get an answer.

https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?threads/help-what?s-this-do-for.70701/
 
Dave it might help if you could acquire photos of the side so we can see the mechanisms that are there. I know they are not your pictures so you might not be able to get more.

It's cool looking and hope someone can figure it out
 
I think Dani is correct. I don't see anything that makes me think its for clamping wood. As an alternative I think the bobsled bench is a great explanation too.
 
Dani said:
Dave, it looks to me like a frame for a table like a massage table or chiropractic table or something. Smaller I know but that's what I thought of when I saw it....based on the size, perhaps something that supports the upper body...

And thinking on it, I'd lean more towards chiropractic type table frame over massage table
Click to expand...

Dani,

I'm thinking you are correct. Add some pads to the basic frame and it looks very comparable to the two examples below.



View attachment frame002.jpgView attachment frame001.jpg
 
My mom has a portable massage chair for doing chair massages at things like Fun Runs....so this might be a portable chiropractic table and the two holes at the end on the sides may be where you could potentially put some pegs to keep the upper and lower body portions lined up properly...it would be interesting to see how the gears worked on it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top