There are various clues that can be used to date objects, perhaps a separate discussion could cover them in general? For example, company name if its history is well known; zip codes, postal codes; etc.
My focus here is on oddball threads. Before the industrial revolution and perhaps for some time into it, many manufacturers would make their own screws and there were no generally-accepted standards. Later, as factories began to purchase screws (and taps and dies) instead of making them, common sizes became more standardized. Obviously the date range here is rather wide.
I have a small S&G locker/cabinet/drawer combination lock and one of the odd things is that the screws are 4-32 (same diameter as today’s #4 but 32 threads per inch instead of 40). I suspect this means the lock is rather old, maybe late 1800s.
Does anybody have better insight into using unusual fasteners to help date mechanisms?
Jim
