Metal stamp kit

[Steve Webb]

I picked this up. Just curious what time frame you think. Dovetailed wood top and case measures 5 1/2 long, 2 3/4 wide and 3 1/4 tall. The stamp is 1/4 flat approx 2 5/16 tall and the letters are 3/16 high. I am missing the letters F,U and Y Also has a period and an & stamp.







My guess 50's

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

Don't know the era, but technically that joint is a "box joint" not a dovetailed joint. A box joint has square pins . . . not beveled ones as in a dovetail joint.

[W. Winget]

Many sets sold since WWI era, I have an identical set that came from my Grandfather, so 40s to 50s likely.
V/R W. Winget

[Rustman]

They are still made and used today. Here's a source for your missing ones: https://www.mcmaster.com/metal-stamps/metal-stamps-7/ I was just looking at a wood box of them yesterday in the shop here. Probably from the mid 2000's But the box wasn't as nice as yours.

Matt

[Steve Webb]

Figured since it had no plastic had to predate 60's. Will see about getting my missing letters.

[Steve Webb]

Ordered missing letters and got a number kit. Weird system show 2 items to deliver on Tuesday and 2 on Wednesday.

[redcoat54th]

I purchased a couple of sets at a yard sale. The owner had been in the service during the Korean and Vietnam era's as tech. Mine came in a solid piece of wood with holes drilled into the lid and bottom sections to hold the individual stamps.

[Wingnutt]

I picked this up. Just curious what time frame you think.

Like you, I reckon pre-1960's, and for the same reasons, Steve. I have three sets, all Joseph Matthews, including a legit complete 1942 military "Marking Outfit for Stamping Metal" (1/8") in an OD green wooden box, not dovetailed, and two civilian kits, letters (1/4") and numbers (3/16"), both in plain wooden dove-tailed boxes. Link to G503 thread where I have shown them all before here.

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

I first discovered this forum when I purchased an M-274 A5 Mule. Later when I was given an MB, I started reading the other sections on the board.
One thing I have noticed is the concern for very accurate restorations of military vehicles discussed on this forum. Is it an "F" marked bolt? Which direction should the safety wire be wrapped? Is the windshield glass etched in the bottom left - or right corner? What color should the paint be for marking? What is the correct font and size of markings? etc. etc. etc.

One of my passions is woodworking. I have been making things out of wood for almost 50 years. Accuracy counts - both in measurements and descriptions.

I submit this for general information.

https://woodgears.ca/dovetail/dovetail_vs_boxjoint.html

[Wingnutt]

Thanks for the link, GUNNUT. I've been calling old wooden boxes finger-jointed, too, sometimes, thinking all the terms synonymous, and as a collector of lots of things (old socket sets, tap and die, pipe threaders, etc) that come in old boxes, I'm sure I've misidentified quite a few corner joints over the years. Fortunately, it's never been on a woodworkers forum, which is probably why it's never come up before, with the precise type of joint being superfluous to the contents. I don't think I've ever used a jointed corner box to date something before, except in broad categories, as in this case, as a synonym for vintage, as opposed to modern. Is there a timeline of joints on vintage and antique boxes? If not - if boxes were being made with dovetail, box, and finger/comb joints at the same time, all "old" (vintage or antique) then I would submit that the inaccuracy (misidentifying the precise type of joint) is irrelevant esoterica. If they were made in sequence, and the phasing is known and definitive, that would be significant and useful in dating the contents.

[Steve Webb]

I probably only meant to say jointed top but saying dovetail is just so common. For me saying hot water heater is aggravating. If you had hot water you wouldn't need to heat it Dovetailed drawers, finger jointed baseboard and box joint tops.