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Sean Murphy's avatar

Great piece! I'm sure I would've spent a bundle on that estate sale, being a sucker for vintage pocketbooks. I remember stumbling across a hole-in-the-wall bookstore in Long Beach many years ago that was clearly stocked with one man's personal collection, which his widow was selling off, porno mags and all. Seems to be a recurring thread.

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

Just to be a contrarian, I'll tell my wife to line my coffin with my porno collection. That should provide for fun reading during the funeral, or for any grave robbers.

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Sean Murphy's avatar

Continuing the long tradition of porn collections waiting to be discovered.

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Steve Shea's avatar

FWIW, I think the tool might work as a one-handed vise for sawing, but when you don't have a convenient table, and apparently only if the wood is smaller than 2x6. Maybe you're right about the wisdom teeth.

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Katherine Bettis's avatar

I, too, love estate sales! Great comic!

It looks like the tool has rollers on the end. And it clamps. I thought: maybe something for a printing press or very specific machining. Then I cheated and used google lens and says the thing is a "piston expander".

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

Interesting! I initially thought it was used by early phone linemen to install wiring connections.

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Katherine Bettis's avatar

Ooh. That was good thinking on your part!

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Dave Channon's avatar

I am a tchotchkallector. Unabashed. My best place to look is the Methodist Church Thrift Store.

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

I'm tempted to send you this weird tool. I'm sure you could use it in a sculpture.

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Dave Channon's avatar

I like weird tools.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

I'm not sure, but it possibly might be an old-fashioned pepper mill.

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

I've got some peppercorns sitting around. I'll give it a shot. Ha!

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