Cute Little Hand Operated Drill Press

[Joe Huld]

I just picked up this cute little drill press, there are no markings other than "445" cast into the frame. The green and black paint appears to be original. It has a self feed that I haven't figured out, but it does seem to operate. The heavy cast iron base may not be original. I have never seen one quite like this one; does any one have any ideas on this one??

 

[WisJim]

Millers Falls and Goodell Pratt made similar drills. You should be able to find old catalogs on-line that show what was available, probably 1910s to 1930s.

 

[RTM]

He he he. I just bought it's baby brother. I believe its a Keen, by MC Gooding out of Croydon.

https://archive.org/details/MCGoodingAndCoCatalogueNo11/page/n15/mode/1up



Some further pics of mine are here, from the seller. I have cleaned it up a bit further, and lubed it, and tested it. I fear I may have a bit of runout to worry about. Need to take a few more, next to other small things, to show how tiny it is. My quill throw is like 1-7/8".

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Boring-Stuff/i-xdVxZRK

This site comes up a lot when you search for Keen Gooding

Old Drill Press Restoration - FFD Restorations Restorations

Today I am restoring something more complex – old drill press restoration. This bench drill press is hand cranked and it was really hard to get hands on ...

findfixdonate.com

 

[paulsomlo]

A cordless drill press - first one I've seen!

 

[steaks&anvils]

Those are cool!

serious question: how well do they work?

Would one be useful for a hobbyist? For small things, thin metal or plastics? They seem like a tool that is nicely quiet? There are times I am up late and don't want to power up anything that is loud and bother the neighbors (live in a townhouse).

 

[RTM]

I gave mine a quick test, with a 1/8” fluted bit, not a spiral bit, and it easily drilled through 3/4” pine. An 11/64 was a bit more work.

I did not try metal yet, but someone put an arc of shame in the base, so it must drill metal well.

If well anchored, it worked easily. I plan to screw it to a board, then clamp it down, or use a holdfast, for portability.

one of my amateur luthier buddies had lived with Yankee bench mount hand cranked drill press for over ten years, finally bought a powered one recently, so it is possibly. Mine is kinda tiny, but one with a larger diameter main wheel is pretty capable.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Thanks RTM!

I didn't know these small drills existed. I knew there were larger wall mounted ones and the ubiquitous eggbeaters, but this type is a nice discovery!

I do jewelry and need to make the holes for the ear wires in silver. One of these is probably something I will look for.

I have a push drill, but it gets loud and it is not easy to hold a piece and use the drill at the same time. Most times, clamping such a small and delicate piece is not an option.

My flex shaft does great, but I don't want the noise.

Thanks again, I'll have to do some research.

 

[RTM]

You can also mount an eggbeater drill to a bench. Assuming you trust yourself to not drill your fingers, a horizontal mount may work for what you described.

this eggbeater was used as a nut spinner. Stanley 617, have to see if I can still find the bracket.

 

[Provincial]

I once saw a Miller Falls eggbeater drill press at a garage sale. Very interesting, but beyond the scope of my collection!

Link to post with photo

 

[steaks&anvils]

You can also mount an eggbeater drill to a bench. Assuming you trust yourself to not drill your fingers, a horizontal mount may work for what you described.

this eggbeater was used as a nut spinner. Stanley 617, have to see if I can still find the bracket.

I'll have to think about that. I need to support the back side and the parts really small, drill bits are tiny too.

Old school jewelers used an Archimedes type drill (tiny push drill), i have been thinking of try one of those, but I never see them local to try one out.

 

[Joe Huld]

Thanks RTM!

I didn't know these small drills existed. I knew there were larger wall mounted ones and the ubiquitous eggbeaters, but this type is a nice discovery!

I do jewelry and need to make the holes for the ear wires in silver. One of these is probably something I will look for.

I have a push drill, but it gets loud and it is not easy to hold a piece and use the drill at the same time. Most times, clamping such a small and delicate piece is not an option.

My flex shaft does great, but I don't want the noise.

Thanks again, I'll have to do some research.

I bought this to resell but it is so cute I am re-thinking that. If I decide to let it go you'll be the first to know

 

[RTM]

Here is a pic of mine, with a Stanley #1 and a normal sized moulding plane for scale

 

[steaks&anvils]

I bought this to resell but it is so cute I am re-thinking that. If I decide to let it go you'll be the first to know

Thanks for keeping me in mind, but I prefer to be able to put hands on something like that before I buy. Too many times I have thought a tool was the just what I need and then when I used it I was sadly mistaken. A certain Pratt&Whitney vertical milling vise that sits unused comes to mind.

 

[Shelbylex]

...Thanks guys, now I want one too...

 

[2oolhound]

Those drills look like you could power them with a flat belt off the top flywheel too.

Nice old tools!

 

[rlitman]

Those drills look like you could power them with a flat belt off the top flywheel too...

If you want to be whacked in the face by a spinning handle.

 

[2oolhound]

Well yes, you'd want to take the handle off if you were powering it.

 

[Joe Huld]

Those drills look like you could power them with a flat belt off the top flywheel too.

Nice old tools!

Certainly possible but I doubt that the maker intended it to be powered. Post drills that had the option of power operation usually had a flat belt tight and loose pulley setup on the same shaft as the crank handle. Those that had flat drive pulley(s) on the quill also had jockey pulleys to enable mounting the motor with the shaft perpendicular to the quill. I think that the flywheels sole function on this press was to provide inertia to keep the speed up.

 

[RTM]

Just to bring a little more closure to this topic, I found this catalog while browsing on a different topic. This drill press seems to match the shape of the ones above, and comes in two chuck sizes, three body sizes. I think Joe's is the 445, mine the 140.

The Spiegel Brothers Corp. : Steelcraft Products : Catalog No. 24 : Spiegel Brothers Corp. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

132 p., illus., 22.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org