Taft-Peirce mfg co

[used-iron]

What do I have here? The label says Taft-Peirce mfg co.,Woonsocket RI. 115 volt ,wt. 31 1/2 lbs,in a finger jointed wood enclosure abt 8in wide 14 in long,and 6in deep. The top [also wood] has 2 2x31/2 iron plates abt 1 in apart. When a piece of steel is placed across the plates and the unit is switched on ,the steel starts to warm up. Does not seem to magnetize it. Tried to demag an old screwdriver that collected every filing in the shop with no luck. Is this an induction type bearing heater? If so can one use plain iron for the riser blocks and cross bar or do you need laminated blocks and bar ? Or some other combination there of? Any ideas? am really stumped.
Lee from NYS land of taxes

[jeff]

My guess is that its a demagnitizer. Sounds like a broken one at that.

[Holescreek]

Hold the screwdriver over the unit in the magnetic field but do not let it touch. It will demag. If you let it touch the metal it won't work.

[used-iron]

Holescreek, thank you that demags now. just stupid on my part. now have to figure out how to use for a bearing heater.
Lee from NYS land of taxes

[1eleven]

The picture is a little dark but to me it looks like a magnetizer for the horseshoe magnet out of a gas engine magneto. I worked for an International Harvester dealer and we had a device that looked just as yours but was in a metal cabinet. If the magnets out of the magneto, or spark, seemed week you would set the horseshoe on the pads and turn it on for just a few seconds then turn it off. We would also sometimes turn it on and then sort of let the horseshoe slam down on the pads thinking this would help. I don't recall any thing about demagnetizing.