# Newbie Question



## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

Greetings!

I'm not a model railroader, but I joined this forum to ask a question.

I have a part, which might belong to a model train layout. 

Can anybody tell me what this is?

Many thanks beforehand!


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

What's the approximate size dimensions of this? I don't have any idea what it really is. If I had to guess, it looks like some type of momentary switch.

Mark


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

Mark VerMurlen said:


> What's the approximate size dimensions of this? I don't have any idea what it really is. If I had to guess, it looks like some type of momentary switch.
> 
> Mark


I should have put a ruler in the picture!

The wooden base is about 6x5", and it has two hollows, one behind each clip. They were there originally, so I would guess they serve some purpose.

The metal clips are (together) about 3x4" 

Bob


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Very interesting.

Give us views from other angles.

Tell us what moves and if there
are any obvious electrical connections.

By the way, you have an excellent camera.
On my ancient CRT monitor your picture is
almost 3D.

Don


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

DonR said:


> Very interesting.
> 
> Give us views from other angles.
> 
> ...


Thank you, Don. 

I have some old Olympus cameras that I get good use out of.










1. I'm not sure if I see any obvious electrical connections. Maybe the two poles at the bottom? But they are also part of a latch.

2. Each side has two clips that swing upward to about vertical. The top clip has a metal latch that passes through a hole in the bottom clip and latches onto the the poles at the bottom.

3. A piece of metal between the two clips (the frayed black cord is tied to one side of it) could be where electrical connections are made. It gets contacted by the bottom clips with a metal plate that sticks out slightly from the side of each bottom clip. It gets contacted by the top clips by the curved metal pieces that are fastened on top.

I'll try to take some more pictures.


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

^ Top clips up, bottom clips down.










^ Top and bottom clips up.

I tried Googling the visible part numbers, but no luck. I also tried calling Keystone Electronics in New York, but they didn't know anything about it.

Best.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Doesn't look to me like anything related to model railroading. Probably some kind of manufacturing jig used to hold pieces in place while an assembly operation is performed.


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

Lehigh74 said:


> Doesn't look to me like anything related to model railroading. Probably some kind of manufacturing jig used to hold pieces in place while an assembly operation is performed.


Thank you, Lehigh.

That's the best answer I have so far.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

It looks like a film splicer to me, and Keystone was into movie cameras. The fixed bar is the cutter. The film is locked into place with the moving tabs (clips) then the film is cut and either liquid glue or a scotch tape piece was then pressed on and held by those curving spring like things on each of the top tabs. Not MR equipment and not electrical either.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

You could be right Lemonhawk. I was going to say the clue might be in the name, and I don't mean cops!


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

Lemonhawk said:


> It looks like a film splicer to me, and Keystone was into movie cameras. The fixed bar is the cutter. The film is locked into place with the moving tabs (clips) then the film is cut and either liquid glue or a scotch tape piece was then pressed on and held by those curving spring like things on each of the top tabs. Not MR equipment and not electrical either.


Wow! That's an awesome answer!

I wish I had some film to test it. 

Well, I do, but only 35mm film. 

If you're right, this would have been to splice Super8 film. It doesn't look like it will hold 35mm film.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Yes, a film splicer. Just the name "Keystone" was a dead give away. Probably for 16mm movie film, or could be 8 or super 8.16mm was very popular back in the 40's and 50's, and I still have my dad's 16mm movie camera and projector at home. Everything still works. If you've ever seen the movie "30 seconds over Tokyo", there's a scene where the navigator is filming their plane flying under the Golden gate bridge. That's a 16mm movie camera, and exactly like the one I have.:appl:


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

There was a real art to making good splices, and that's how movies use to be edited and made into a complete film. Trust me, you don't want to try it out! I suspect the cord held a file like gizmo that was used to file off the emulsion on film then the right side was cut with a slight overlap and glue was then used between the two film parts.


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## rebiii (Aug 8, 2016)

Lemonhawk said:


> There was a real art to making good splices, and that's how movies use to be edited and made into a complete film. Trust me, you don't want to try it out! I suspect the cord held a file like gizmo that was used to file off the emulsion on film then the right side was cut with a slight overlap and glue was then used between the two film parts.


Lemonhawk,

You nailed it. Thank you very much!

I just youtubed a video on splicing Super 8 film, and while the splicer looked a little bit different from this one, it obviously serves the same function.

I still have film cameras and shoot film every now and then, but oddly enough, I had never seen one of these. I appreciate it.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

Lemonhawk is the Super Mystery Solverer of the day!!!!!!!!:appl::appl::appl::appl:


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