ShopNGarage

This was part of a lot of machinists tools I purchased on eBay. I believe it is a homemade bench block, possibly from a school shop class. Commercially made bench blocks are available. There are a variety of uses for this tool. Some feature V grooves for use on round parts.

It can be used as a guide with a hand drill to ensure a hole is drilled perpendicular to a part.

The block works well for starting a tap straight into a hole.

It can hold a roll pin so that it is easier to start into a part.

A simple bench block like this is easily made with a drill press and a scrap block of steel. A wooden one could be made for one-time use.