Ford made drill bits ?!

[Superdavey]

It’s a bit of an odd thing for a car company to make … but that sure looks like the Ford motor company logo to me

The other thing I’m confused about is why the top third of the MT1 taper is milled flat . I can tell that is how it was actually made because one of the drill bits actually has the ford logo stamped on the flat surface …

Anyone ever come across these or know anything about them ?

Btw I came across them after sorting out a bucket of rusty drill bits I bought the other day

 

[L.Cheapo]

100 years or so ago, Ford tried to make everything they needed to make vehicles, including drill bits. Talk about vertical integration!

 

[finn]

The company I worked for had their logo stamped into a miriad of parts, not just those we made, but many that we bought. We were vertically integrated, and owned everything from iron ore mines to steel mills to fastener companies, to trucks and tractors. Even refrigerators binder twine factories and, during the war, rifles.

That was common practice at one time. I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

 

[Steve_P]

Very cool, never seen Ford marked drill bits before. But I bet Ford made them. As said, once upon a time, Ford made nearly everything they used: raw glass, windshields, steel, iron, fasteners (yes, bolts)..... If you make bolts and screws, and they did, why not drill bits? Edit- Ford also had a rubber plantation.

Ford made just about everything they used (not paint, maybe not plastic, vinyl...) until post 1970 when they went in the opposite direction.

 

[L.Cheapo]

I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

They did:

Ford Village Industries, Newburgh Drill Plant, Livonia, Michigan, 1937 - The Henry Ford

Henry Ford began setting up small-scale factories in towns throughout southeast Michigan in the 1920s. These "Village Industries" -- usually located at the site of an old mill -- employed local residents and supplied Ford with parts, tools and equipment. Newburgh Mill -- situated along the...

www.thehenryford.org

 

[four.cycle]

It is good to see you have the requisite 23/64".

Never know when you're going to need to drill out some door hinge pins on a Ford truck.

 

[Superdavey]

Very interesting. One of them says “Dominion” on it

After a little more digging I found a couple of more ford branded bits . These two are 3/8 , no taper but they do have a shank at the bottom

For the tapered ones , luckily I have an atlas 6 inch that takes an MT1 at the tail stock. After playing around with it the taper seems to hold pretty well but it just feels wrong to use them

 

[RTM]

These two are 3/8 , no taper but they do have a shank at the bottom

Those without a taper are usually for a blacksmith style post drill, many of which took a 1/2” shank. See 1/2 & 1/4” shanks here

Standard Tool Co.'s Twist Drills, Reamers, Taps, Spring Cotters, Flat and Riveted Keys : Catalogue : Standard Tool Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

54 p., illus., 12.9 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Big suckers from a page or two up.

 

[RoninB4]

-These drills have the stylized Ford logo. There is another maker of cutting tools, M. A. Ford, that should not be confused with FoMoCo. They also sometimes have "Ford" on the shank but is more often bordered as a square with block letter font instead of the stylized oval and script used by those other guys. Thought somebody might want to know.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I just looked but can't find them at the moment. Somewhere around here I have a pair of NOS end mills. 3/8 and 5/16 inch I think.
Don't know if they were Ford made but they are in their original cardboard boxes with the stylized Ford oval. Every time I come across them I think about googling them to see if they might be collectible but I'm usually rolling on a project and have never done it.

 

[liliysdad]

The company I worked for had their logo stamped into a miriad of parts, not just those we made, but many that we bought. We were vertically integrated, and owned everything from iron ore mines to steel mills to fastener companies, to trucks and tractors. Even refrigerators binder twine factories and, during the war, rifles.

That was common practice at one time. I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

I always dug IHC stuff. All of it.

 

[Kscardsfan]

The company I worked for had their logo stamped into a miriad of parts, not just those we made, but many that we bought. We were vertically integrated, and owned everything from iron ore mines to steel mills to fastener companies, to trucks and tractors. Even refrigerators binder twine factories and, during the war, rifles.

That was common practice at one time. I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

IHC?

 

[B_Bimmer]

International Harvester Company. Big money, loyal fans.

 

[purplezr2]

The company I worked for had their logo stamped into a miriad of parts, not just those we made, but many that we bought. We were vertically integrated, and owned everything from iron ore mines to steel mills to fastener companies, to trucks and tractors. Even refrigerators binder twine factories and, during the war, rifles.

That was common practice at one time. I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

IH?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...once upon a time, Ford made nearly everything they used: raw glass, windshields, steel, iron, fasteners (yes, bolts).....

Ford Motor Company was making wrenches in Los Angeles that they didn't even know they were making!

If you're a fan of Plomb Tool Company (which became Pendleton Tool Industries, Inc., then the Proto Division of Ingersol-Rand, and now Proto of the Stanley Black & Decker empire) or you hang out down on the Vintage Tools Discussion forum, you'll understand the quip. If not, here's the story in the words of the History section of the old Proto website:

"1907-1916: Three German immigrant blacksmiths — Alphonse Plomb, Jacob Weninger and Charles Williams — opened shop in a dirt-floored machine shed in Los Angeles, California, and began making and selling hand-forged tools. First with simple awls and chisels. Then later with wrenches made from the axles of Model T Fords. And eventually, torque wrenches, ball pein hammers and specialty tools. They named their shop “Plomb Tool Company,” because Plomb was the shortest of the three owners’ names and, therefore, fit most easily on tool handles. For the first decade of the Plomb Tool Company’s existence, the company concentrated on creating punches, chisels and awls. Plomb tools were remarkably well crafted, thick and heavy, and tradesmen of the day were drawn to them almost immediately. During the early years, Plomb Tool Company was forging the heart of a company that would go on to survive depressions, wars and America’s shift from a manufacturing economy to a service-based one."

 

[Grimm_the_Grey]

I used to have a adjustable wrench that was Ford branded and it was very nice It had a rounded, thick, and very comfortable handle that was (I believe) plastic overmolded and about 10 inches (254mm) long. It kept its adjustment very well.

I don't know if it was Ford branded because it was made by Ford or if, perhaps, it was something they used in their factory or service centers. I am, however, sure that it was the Ford motor company and not some other Ford, because it was their actual logo printed on the handle

Unfortunately I can't share a picture of it because a co-worker stole it years ago.

 

[Hohn]

100 years or so ago, Ford tried to make everything they needed to make vehicles, including drill bits. Talk about vertical integration!

late in ww2, Ford was producing guage blocks. They were the only producer of gauge blocks in the USA for a time (as a few sets were smuggled out of Sweden by the OSS).

 

[Lorydr]

I used to have a adjustable wrench that was Ford branded and it was very nice It had a rounded, thick, and very comfortable handle that was (I believe) plastic overmolded and about 10 inches (254mm) long. It kept its adjustment very well.

I don't know if it was Ford branded because it was made by Ford or if, perhaps, it was something they used in their factory or service centers. I am, however, sure that it was the Ford motor company and not some other Ford, because it was their actual logo printed on the handle

Unfortunately I can't share a picture of it because a co-worker stole it years ago.

This one belonged to my dad.

 

[Hakeem]

The company I worked for had their logo stamped into a miriad of parts, not just those we made, but many that we bought. We were vertically integrated, and owned everything from iron ore mines to steel mills to fastener companies, to trucks and tractors. Even refrigerators binder twine factories and, during the war, rifles.

That was common practice at one time. I doubt that Ford made drill bits, but one never knows.

International Harvester Company. Big money, loyal fans.

As someone who only knows the modern-day International (and the poor reputation they hold), Im blown away to learn this. Sad to see a once-great American company fall from grace.