UBB.threads Forums General Militaria United States Militaria Stamping blocks? Please help identify!

Guys, I'm relying on you yet again...my neighbor, an elderly retired navy man brought me this deceptively heavy box of..printing blocks? Didn't go in to detail, but he said they were from the war...here's what I see so far...on the first 2 of 7 blocks... "Interior communication and action cutout switchboard for u.s. Destroyers DD692 class year of production 1943-44 Westinghouse order ny-39000-y instruction book 31-100- (something I can't make out)...the others are all different...any idea what I've got here?

If they are about 3/4" thick, you have printing blocks. These were used as mast heads on print jobs. Lead type and printing blocks were used up until the 1960's when offset printing appeared. This would have been place in a form and whatever other printed matter would be placed in the form, the whole thing inked, then a paper applied, then pressure on the paper.

It was easier to cast these then to set them up with the linotype.

I know that is a little brief, but if you look up letter press printing, you should get some good hits.

Thanks Jim, I will! These are about a quarter inch thick though,seem to be different ones...the one on top left says generator distribution switchboard fir U.S. navy class lsm landing craft...

Flipped for ease of view-

Hey thank you jerry! That's perfect! At least the first one appears to be a printing block for the cover or main page of an instruction manual...interesting!