More Old Iron - Small Sizes

[whydontu]

Three new hand drills.

Two two-speed breast drills, one changes speed by moving the drive pinion, the larger one has a slick little toggle switch to change speeds. The smaller one has a three-jaw chuck, the larger has a very robust two-jaw, I haven’t decided if I’ll stick on a keyless three jaw or keep the two-jaw for auger bits.

One super cute eggbeater drill. Three-jaw chuck. Chuck can rotate on 45-degree increments relative to the handle x-axis. Handle can rotate 180 degrees on y-axis. Handle is hollow, with a screw-on cap, and all components are metal. No plastic!

Maybe $50 was too much for all three drills, but I don’t care.

 

[mickeyf]

Someone recently pointed out that using tools and collecting tools are actually two different hobbies. Both enjoyable!

 

[David]

My wife says the same thing about plants; buying plants and gardening are two different hobbies

 

[Doggggboy]

So what exactly is a turret head drill or, for that matter, a breast drill?
Yes, I could ask Google but it is on my shit list right now.

 

[whydontu]

So what exactly is a turret head drill or, for that matter, a breast drill?
Yes, I could ask Google but it is on my shit list right now.

Breast drill is a hand-powered drill that has a curved plate on the outside end, so the operator can brace the drill against their chest to get more feed thrust on the bit.

I’ve never seen a turret drill before I got this one, I guess the rotating chuck angle would make it look a bit like a turret setup.

Some research shows the Miller Falls ended production of the larger drill in 1922, so it’s older than Canadian Tire.

DuckDuckGo alternate to Google, no ads, no personal data grab, maybe not as good a search engine but generally useable.

 

[wmetfab]

Someone recently pointed out that using tools and collecting tools are actually two different hobbies. Both enjoyable!

Ive written something like this before..

For me its both.
I find and collect quality vintage tools and use them whenever I can.
Made in the US, Canada, England
1930's tools are now almost 100 yrs old and they are just as good as the day they left the factory

I think of the man that used them what he must have been like
How he held them in his hands. Where he used them. What was his shop like. What he built with them. How he took pride and supported his family.

I try to feel the engergy in them and transmit that into my work, feel the warmth and the joy of using a wonderful tool.
I give them a good place to be stored with care, revere and hold them with respect

The picture is of an unknown man in a repair shop of the white pass and yukon railroad. I got the picture from the museum archive in Whitehorse.
This is what I think of

I am the keeper of the tools

When I die I hope someone does the same

 

[trevj]

I still use my grandfather's two speed Stanley breast drills, after they were salvaged and cleaned up. The work a treat as a screwdriver, as the two jaw chuck closes down nicely on a hex driver bit. and you don't have to endure the noise interrupting yer peace and quiet.

Used to pull the little egbeater style drill out of our tool box to use when I was fixing helicopters, it was far easier to drill out one or three rivets and replace them slowly, than it was to round up the air compressor, lines, etc., plus the time that was needed to put those back in their storage afterwards...

That little flexible model looks like it might be a solution to a few rare problems, though I would expect that by the time you got it adjusted, then tried to apply any real pressure on the tip, it would get really awkward, pretty fast!