When I was cleaning out my grandpa’s old wood shop, I came across a strange-looking metal tool buried in one of his drawers. It had a clamp-like mechanism with a screw handle and a few oddly shaped grooves. For a moment, I honestly thought it might’ve been some kind of medieval torture device—or maybe something for woodworking that time forgot.
After a bit of research (and a few hilarious guesses from friends), I finally learned what it’s really for—and it’s way more practical than I expected.
This clever little clamp is used to flare the ends of copper tubing or brake lines. Basically, when you’re working on plumbing or automotive repairs, you sometimes need to widen the end of a metal tube so it can connect snugly with another fitting. That’s where this tool shines. You secure the tube in the clamp, tighten it down, and use a cone-shaped press to form a smooth, flared opening.
It’s a simple yet ingenious design—something you’d expect from an older generation of craftsmen who valued durable, multipurpose tools.
So, while I may have been slightly concerned at first 😅, it turns out grandpa just had the perfect gadget for making precise metal flares. Another mystery from the workshop solved… and another reason to appreciate those old, well-built tools.
