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Show your Millers Falls tools!

beltdrive

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Jan 17, 2015
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111
Location
Smithfield, RI
I dig the MF hacksaws. This one hangs in my office. (Wonder who is the source of these since I have seen the same saw with other branding, such as BluMol). Also have MF hammers, alphabet and number punch sets, chisels...great quality!!
 

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A E Numan

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Oct 10, 2012
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234
Location
Portland Oregon
I like the Millers Falls hack saws, This is one I use occasionally.
 

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paulm12

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Apr 29, 2015
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584
Location
NW Chicago 'burbs
Finally posting a few of the MF hand tools: depth gage, expansive bit and micrometer.
.
 

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baumgrenze

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Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
11
Location
mid-left coast
Are these 2 drills made by Millers Falls? I do not see any maker's marks on them.
Are they more recent? To my eyes the closed red face looks more 'modern' than the spoked eggbeaters.
I've not seen any online images of the single speed drill with 2 pinion gears. Does the pinion closest to the large wooden handle serve any function other than as simply an upper bearing for the crank driven wheel.
The image for the 2-speed drill that I found online shows red paint on the underside of the breast or shoulder plate. This one is painted black? Do we know which one came first?

thanks,
baumgrenze
 

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Old Radar

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Location
San Antonio, TX
Are these 2 drills made by Millers Falls? I do not see any maker's marks on them.
Are they more recent? To my eyes the closed red face looks more 'modern' than the spoked eggbeaters.
I've not seen any online images of the single speed drill with 2 pinion gears. Does the pinion closest to the large wooden handle serve any function other than as simply an upper bearing for the crank driven wheel.
The image for the 2-speed drill that I found online shows red paint on the underside of the breast or shoulder plate. This one is painted black? Do we know which one came first?

thanks,
baumgrenze

They appear to be Millers Falls.

The eggbeater looks like a No.77 or 77A, 1938-1971
Look for the MF marking between the knurling bands of the chuck.

The breast drill looks like a 7740, 1931-1960
Makers mark should be on the main rod and the model number on the inside of the crank.

Old Tool Heaven is a very good resource for these types of Millers Falls hand tools.
http://oldtoolheaven.com/index.html
 

Boringgeoff

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Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
20
Location
Western Australia
Millers Falls Drill Brace, two for the price of one. Use as a breast drill then remove the drive gear and converts to a brace. Later models of this tool were numbered 182 but I don't think this model was numbered. Crank handle length is adjustable.

Millers Falls 001.jpg

Millers Falls 002.jpg

Corner Brace No 502 a handy tool for boring close to the wall or floor.
Millers Falls 003.jpg
Cheers,
Geoff.
 

drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,006
Location
Pacific Northwest
ALL: i'm not sure how I missed this thread, but I love the quality and look of millers falls so i'm sure I own more than a few of them. I almost bought a Millers Falls 1/2 hp grinder a few weeks ago and after asking about it over on the vintage grinder thread i'm disappointed that I didn't.

I think I have a Millers Falls old catalog somewhere i'll post along with the tools, but for now I wanted to get on this thread so I won't miss it again.

hope you all find something this weekend
 

Boringgeoff

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Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
20
Location
Western Australia
Adjustable sweep brace No 97. The worlds first variable torque cordless drill, loosen the thumbscrews to adjust the sweep from 8 to 10 to 12 inches. Each arm has three dimples to locate the thumbscrews.

Millers Falls 004.jpg

Whimble No 7312 used by bridge builders, railway fettlers and the like, this one has seen a lot of work with the wrist handle having been repaired at some time.

Millers Falls 005.jpg

As mentioned by others http://oldtoolheaven.com/ is the go to site for Millers Falls information.
Cheers,
Geoff.
 

Leviton

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Feb 25, 2019
Messages
898
Location
Oregon
Adjustable sweep brace No 97. The worlds first variable torque cordless drill, loosen the thumbscrews to adjust the sweep from 8 to 10 to 12 inches. Each arm has three dimples to locate the thumbscrews.

attachment.php


Cheers,
Geoff.
That is really cool. Nice piece.
 

Boringgeoff

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Aug 10, 2018
Messages
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Location
Western Australia
Thanks Leviton, when I put it on display at various events I attend it always gets a lot of interest. According to Oldtoolheaven it was only made from 1897 - 1899. You can fold it up as I've shown but as far as replacing two other braces goes, in its 8" format and in a tight spot, it would still be fairly cumbersome with the two shafts sticking up.

Millers Falls 001.jpg

Cheers,
Geoff.
 

RTM

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Joined
May 13, 2019
Messages
13,116
Location
SF Bay Area
Here are some of my non-woodworking specific tools that were easily found.

IMG_20191006_125927-X2.jpg


An inside micrometer set (1218), a bunch of RA screwdrivers (including one stamped opposite), a RA punch (lowest ), 2 fixed blade utility knives, and a set of dividers.

There are braces, eggbeater drills, a breast drill, and a bunch of planes still to be corralled.
 

Old Radar

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Apr 17, 2019
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Location
San Antonio, TX
Time to wake this thread up again!

08 Feb 20-1.jpg

On the last day of an estate sale, I found this Millers Falls 188A Push Drill but its handle was off and the spring was hanging out. It didn't want to screw back together easily and I didn't want to force it--therefore I guess no one was interested in paying the $4 sticker price. The tiny =Craftsman= screwdriver was tagged for $0.50. The guy minding the tools couldn't put the push drill back together so he wrote both of them up for a total of $1 and the cashier, of course, took 50% off the total. Out the door for $0.50!! All I did was clean the gunk out of the threads and it went smoothly back together. Seven of the eight drill points were safe inside the handle.
 

lardy1

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Mar 17, 2019
Messages
3,397
Location
Michigan
It's worth waking up for showing that drill. Very nice. I am always looking but rarely find Millers Falls. Thank you.

When I was a cub I worked for a contractor that had some MF power tools. They were very heavy duty, professional grade power tools. I never really heard much about them again until I entered the vintage arena. I only have a modest few and my red acetate handled MF chisel is at my buddy's work getting the edge reground. It really was that bad (plus he does any of my edge grinding for free if I can do it in his time).

mil1.jpg

mil2.jpg
 

Old Radar

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Apr 17, 2019
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Location
San Antonio, TX
Cool! I was just reading some of the MF history on oldtoolheaven.com. When I saw your post, it really put the picture to the 1000 words:

Solid high speed steel was used for the cutting part of hole saws. This steel came in molts 3x4 feet square. When these were cut up to be milled for hole saws, there was a lot of expensive waste material. Someone got the bright idea of using this material to make wood-cutting spade bits. The cutting bits were formed, ground and then fitted into a slotted shank. They were joined to the shank by a pellet of silver solder heated in an induction coil which also hardened and quenched the tool steel blade. These were very cheap to make and would cut most anything.

http://oldtoolheaven.com/history/history13.htm
 
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lardy1

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Mar 17, 2019
Messages
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Location
Michigan
Thanks for that, Old Radar. I handled that bit at an estate sale and couldn't read it in the dim garage. The guy running the garage was pretty jovial. He read it to me and I lit up. "How much?" Fifty cents was too good to pass. lol. I had never seen one made in two pieces that I can remember and your information explains that.
 
OP
B

bonneyman

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Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
8,783
Location
Desert SW
Corner Brace No 502 a handy tool for boring close to the wall or floor.
Millers Falls 003.jpg
Cheers,
Geoff.


I saw a youtube video where a guy took a drill like this that was messed up and took it all apart and repaired it. Only one I've seen ever until I saw your posting. :thumbup:


 

TexTJ209

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Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
167
Location
Tejas
Picked up this little guy at an estate sale this weekend. Any way to date MF tools? Seems like they used the triangle logo for a long while..

Edit: Pic fixed
 

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RTM

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Without a picture, very hard to help. But if you go to OldToolHeaven.com, that will be your best resource, as he walks through the changes for many tools, but focuses on Woodworking tools.
 

DwightS

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Joined
Oct 11, 2013
Messages
122
Location
Garner, NC
Found this hacksaw cleaning out my father’s shop. Miller’s Falls No1414. Cast aluminum handle, tube frame. Heavy, but comfortable.millers falls.jpgAdjustments.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 

RTM

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Old Radar

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Here's my latest:

No. 5A Hand Drill, made from 1957 to 1964. Triangle logo still on handle. Looks nearly unused--just some storage wear. Five of the eight fluted drill points were in the handle and look unused. A sixth small one was snapped off--maybe the PO decided he didn't like it and stopped using it. The grease in the gears looks original.

13 Feb 20-2.jpg13 Feb 20-3.jpg
 

RTM

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The fat gear wheel on that is nice, some love that for the precise control they get when gripping on the wheel rim, vs the knob, for real small work. Nice get, in fantastic condition.
 

coljar

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Sep 26, 2010
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Belpre, Ohio
IMG-20200209-190455363-1.jpg
[/url][/IMG]

Here's my Mohawk 2 speed eggbeater. Bought it in a rural area of Ontario last year when we were at a friend's cabin above North Bay.
 

GavinY

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Nov 11, 2019
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Location
New York
Personally I've never been impressed much by ratcheting plastic body chucks. Always prefer metal sleeves and non ratcheting. Then again I'm a fan of keyed chucks and Albrecht keyless.
welderreview.com/detlev-pro-cordless-drill-driver
 

Old Radar

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Personally I've never been impressed much by ratcheting plastic body chucks. Always prefer metal sleeves and non ratcheting. Then again I'm a fan of keyed chucks and Albrecht keyless.
welderreview.com/detlev-pro-cordless-drill-driver

Welcome to the Millers Falls thread GavinY! Can you go into a little detail of how your post relates to Millers Falls? :headscrat:headscrat
 

Oregon rock crusher

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Jun 28, 2016
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Location
West of Salem
Those with keen eyes will notice that this rag tag collection is not strictly Millers Falls tools but they are fairly well represented. I just started sorting through some of the older carpentry type tools I've got scattered around trying to get a chest full. Ed.
 

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Bigblockyeti

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Feb 1, 2018
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Upstate, SC
As promised, my Millers Falls Dyno-Mite electric drill. Ordinarily this isn't the kind of thing I'd go after but having a no load speed of 3200rpm, looking like brand new (when I bought it) and costing less than $10 were all motivating factors.
 

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Old Radar

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Picked up this Millers Falls #50BR today. It's an electric screwdriver. Archive.org has a 1930 catalog with an earlier version of this and a 1974 catalog with a later version (50R). There's a 1954 power tool excerpt from H. Channon Company but they apparently didn't carry it or there was a gap in the MF production. If anyone has access to a 1960's MF power tool catalog I'd really like to hear about it.

This has MF patented adjustable clutch under the black shield on the chuck and the drive doesn't engage until pressure is applied to the tip. Makes me think it might have been intended for drywall hanging.:dunno:

I don't have any real use for this either, but it's Millers Falls! And it was only $3.

Here are the before and after pics:
I still need to change out the brittle 12' cord.

14 Mar 20-1a.jpg14 Mar 20-1d.jpg

14 Mar 20-1b.jpg14 Mar 20-1e.jpg

14 Mar 20-1c.jpg14 Mar 20-1h.jpg

14 Mar 20-1g.jpg
 

Bigblockyeti

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Do you have any pictures of the top of that screwdriver? It looks to me like an assembly line screwdriver that would ideally be hung from a tool balancer. The cord pointed up with the bit pointed down and the trigger along side the narrow part of the gearcase looks fairly similar to what would be used today.
 

Old Radar

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It's certainly possible, but I don't see any feature that would allow the use of a tool balancer with the current configuration.

attachment.php
 

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Bigblockyeti

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I was expecting to see a hook of some sort to facilitate hanging. The nut holding the back tight to the body could certainly be replaced with one but I find it odd that it's not already there.
 

outofbounds

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Oct 23, 2019
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Location
Michigan
Millers Falls No. 480 Dyno-Mite Jigsaw. The Dyno-Mite name itself compelled the $10 out of my pocket
 

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