National Building Museum Outreach Programs

Last week’s tool is a glass and tile cutter. The wheel part, which can be made of hardened steel or tungsten carbide, is used to score the piece of glass or tile to be cut. One should hold the metal rivet or push down on the upper metal part to apply more pressure if needed.

Once the glass or tile has been scored, the cutter is opened and the tile is placed in its mouth and aligned with the scored line.

Pressure is applied and the piece of glass or tile easily breaks into the shape that was scored.

For more info on how to use this tool and a super awesome demonstration video featuring that song from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, check out this site.

This tool is super handy for all kinds of projects, one example is working with stained glass. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, of Falling Water fame, is also well known for his stained glass designs. The example below is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

MYSTERY TOOL #4

Please leave a comment with your guess. As a reminder, comments are moderated and will appear when approved. Thanks for reading!

Last week’s mystery tool is a hand-held pop riveter used to join thin sheets of metal or plastic using rivets.

Cleverly designed, the three metal pieces are actually spare inserts that are screwed into the head of the riveter to accommodate various sized rivets. The small wrench is used to release the spare inserts.

A hand-held pop riveter was also used to build the metal trashcan located next to our cafe. On what other objects have you seen rivets?

To learn more about rivets and how to use a hand-held pop riveter click here.

MYSTERY TOOL #3

The black circular feature is a small beveled blade. Remember to leave your guess in the comments and check back next week for the answer.

(Comments are moderated. Your comment will appear after approval. Thanks.)

Congrats Kevin! You guessed correctly. The tool below is a double bladed sheet metal de-burring tool used to remove the sharp burr left on sheet metal after cutting it. One would use it like this:

This tool was used for our first Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP) project at the Museum in 2001: a sheet metal recycling and trash receptacle located next to our cafe in the Great Hall.

The inside is made of re-purposed street signs.

Now here is MYSTERY TOOL #2!

The metal latch opens and the small metal wrench is removable.

A spring mechanism requires one to squeeze it in order to use it. Here is a final view.

Remember to submit your guesses by commenting below. Good luck and check back next week for the answer!

Welcome to NBM Outreach Programs inaugural “Toolsday” post. In our Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP) our young designers have an opportunity to learn about and use a variety of tools. Most of the tools we use are fairly common, but sometimes we come across tools that look, well, weird. Each week we will post images of a new and unusual looking tool and invite our followers to guess its use. The following week we’ll share the name of the tool, its use, highlight a project or designer that made use of it, and introduce the next mystery tool.

Mystery Tool #1… get crackin’!