Show your Millers Falls tools!

[Nutria]

And a 120A breast drill, from another rough era: 1935-1944.

 

[Nutria]

A 732A bit brace, 1957-1964.

 

[Nutria]

And-- finally-- a nifty little 188A push drill, 1937-1960. I was happy that this one had bits along for the ride. Outstanding for tight spots.

 

[Woolfat]

Got some info from Randy Roeder (OldToolHeaven) on the shear. Big thanks to him for sharing this with me.

 

[LesserSon]

Slipjoints from flea Wednesday. I have a growing collection of contract-production Crescent checkerdot pliers.

 

[bonneyman]

Nice tools, you guys!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice tools, you guys!

Seriously!

I had missed Nutria's until LS bumped it.

 

[bonneyman]

I was just re-drooling over that green handled hacksaw, and remembered the Millers Falls magenta handle saw I used to have and the Montgomery Wards yellow handle I still have. Just something about those old colored plastic handled hack saws!

 

[4xdog]

Here's the Millers Falls No. 7 hand drill that belonged to my grandfather. This is still used from time to time. The idiot who drilled that hole through the handle was me -- at about 10-12 years old. Wish I hadn't done that...

 

[shelly41]

Hi, I have a Millers Falls No. 185 12 ton bottle jack. Trying to figure out how old it is. I think it's somewhere between 1931 - 1978 since it's marked Greenfield Mass. Anyone else have anything like it? Thanks!

 

[RTM]

Not listed in the 1938 catalog, tho a 180 & 190 are.

No jacks in 1949
No Hydraulic Jacks in 1925

International Tool Catalog Library : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[d42jeep]

I cleaned up this MF brace today.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Great job, Don!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks!
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Slap me silly! Never seen a small MF jack like that before, Shelly!

 

[Mintgrun]

The removeable mushroom handle and two-speed gear-change mechanism sold me on this one. The #980 came out in 1913 and they painted the spokes on the gear red in 1915, so this must be earlier than that. It has a three jaw chuck that closes to pretty much zero and is nice and true.




Turning the large knurled sleeve between the gears moves a pin, which engages one gear or the other; changing speeds. It is missing the screw in wooden side handle down by the chuck and the pin that secures the crank handle is fused to the wood and loose in the lever. I think that is worth fixing someday.



Unscrew the knurled sleeve, push the pin and the handle slides off. It is hollow for storing bits inside.



Apparently, this is the same drill as the #98, but with a mushroom shaped top handle. Both came out in 1913.



These pages from Old Tool Haven are very informative.

Millers Falls hand drills 379 through 506121

A study of the Millers Falls Company's hand drills numbered 379 through 506121

oldtoolheaven.com

Millers Falls hand drills 94 through 353

A study of the Millers Falls Company's hand drills numbered 94 through 353

oldtoolheaven.com

I had recently passed up a $5 egg beater drill with three beautiful rosewood knobs. I regretted that a little bit, so I indulged in bringing this one home (for the same price). I am trying to learn to be selective.

Tom

 

[RTM]

I have a slightly newer one. The cool spokes on the big wheel seem to sell people as well. I think MF used standard modern threads on the side handle, so you can turn a new one to your liking, or to complement the mushroom. I don’t remember if mine has a side handle or not, will check tomorrow, add the info here if I do.

 

[WilsonLR]

I bought a lot of things from my grandfather's shop back in the 80's. This catalog 1134 model B Miller Falls 1/4" drill was part of it. With me being young and it being old, at a time when 3/8" chucks and variable speed were all the rage, it was delegated to a zip lock bag for 40 years when it started to leak all over my tool drawer.


Now that I'm old and with time on my hands, I fashioned to learn about restoring old power tools. So, as a boomer, I over did it of course and went for a mirror finish. In the end, it's unusable as the chuck binds up when running and releases whatever bit was in there. If anyone knows how to remove the chuck, please let me know. I'd love to restore it all the way to a working tool to pass to another generation. TIA

 

[Mintgrun]

I have a slightly newer one. The cool spokes on the big wheel seem to sell people as well. I think MF used standard modern threads on the side handle, so you can turn a new one to your liking, or to complement the mushroom. I don’t remember if mine has a side handle or not, will check tomorrow, add the info here if I do.

Apparently they made this drill from 1913-1942, so there must be a few of them still out there! The image shown in that link above includes the side handle.



I have a spare knob that is the same as the one on this little MF #5 drill. I was thinking it might be fun to turn it down to match the mushroom shape a little better.





I guess those images don't show the shape of that knob very well, but there are other examples of that drill in this thread. I use mine to grind the point on tungsten for the TIG welder. The poor little chuck gets to eat some grit, but so far, it is none the worse for wear. I think it is just happy to have a job to do. It does a very good job.

Tom

 

[WisJim]

I'm unpacking and sorting tools as we move into town and I try organizing tools in the new shop. Here's some of my Millers Falls braces. The far end gets into the PS&W braces.

 

[RTM]

Well, Mintgrun motivated me to fish my 980 out. First I measured threads and photographed the knob, then decided to post my pix since mine is a little newer, without the nifty bit storage in the handle.

The knob's threads seem to be a 5/16-20, which unfortunately is not a normal size. You can see the shape and size relative to a razor blade. IF you want more details, holler.



Here is mine, post 1925 production, bit of decal left on the handle, and the engraved mark on the crank arm is a bit worn off. I was shamed into cleaning it a little too, as it was still in as found (2014) condition. Lots of sawdust in the dried grease. Some of the paint is worn off the spokes of the main wheel. Had to straighten the crank arm a bit. But still works a champ. Shifts gears easily, and develops good bit speed with minimal effort. The big mushroom head makes this almost a small breast drill, so you can easily hold the side knob.

 

[WisJim]

Here are my 980 and 1980 (version with ratchet).

 

[Macduf]

Felt like a Miller falls weekend

 

[Tostal]

This catalog 1134 model B Miller Falls 1/4" drill was part of it.
If anyone knows how to remove the chuck, please let me know.

I'm assuming that the chuck is screwed on - most older ones are if the drill only turns in one direction. If so, you could try this:-

Insert the short end of an 'L' shaped Allen key into the chuck and tighten it. Give the long end of the Allen key a sharp tap with a hammer/mallet in the direction that the chuck normally turns i.e. clockwise if looking along the top of the drill body / counter-clockwise if looking at the chuck.
Some folk just insert the chuck key into one of the chuck holes and tap this instead (again in the same direction that the chuck turns), but the Allen key gives you more leverage.

Hth,

~Tostal

 

[WilsonLR]

I'm assuming that the chuck is screwed on - most older ones are if the drill only turns in one direction. If so, you could try this:-

Insert the short end of an 'L' shaped Allen key into the chuck and tighten it. Give the long end of the Allen key a sharp tap with a hammer/mallet in the direction that the chuck normally turns

No joy. I just went out and tried it. The motor turns with the tap.

 

[RTM]

Open the chuck all the way, and verify no screw is down the center.

The tap has to be pretty sharp, rap is used more than tap. Might be an English vs American usage. You need to hit it pretty hard on most drills, in my experience.

 

[WilsonLR]

The tap has to be pretty sharp,

Yeah, theres no screw. That was the first thing I looked for. I even snuck up on it to give the sharp tap but it didn't do it. I think the bearing was injured in the assault. Sigh. Might just be a shelf queen. Hmmmmmm

 

[WilsonLR]

Open the chuck all the way, and verify no screw is down the center.

The tap has to be pretty sharp, rap is used more than tap. Might be an English vs American usage. You need to hit it pretty hard on most drills, in my experience.

I tried some JT 3 wedges and they did not budge the chuck either.

 

[gearhead1960]

Ran across this ad and thought I would share.... dates from April 1966 in Mechanix Illustrated...

 

[vrinner]

Here is an miter box I picked up a while back. Was totally rusted out, I just did a little cleanup on it. I see that the saw itself has a Henry Disston & Sons stamp on it. Works pretty good but I need to sharpen/learn how to sharpen the blade.

 

[RTM]

Nice

You can see the parts lists of now unobtanium parts here

Millers Falls Tools : Catalog 49 : Millers Falls Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

179 p., illus., 17.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

You can see the original listing here. I have a similar sized box in the All Steel family one page up. Both the second biggest at the time. I had the largest box, but could never find a saw, til after I traded down 1 size. Now I have a spare 30" x 6" saw

Millers Falls Tools : Catalog 49 : Millers Falls Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

179 p., illus., 17.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[four.cycle]

Millers Falls No. 701 0-1" outside micrometer

 

[bonneyman]

Shoot, that drill looks like something from Flash Gordon!

Nice job, Wilson R!

 

[WilsonLR]

Yes. It does. I think it's the handle with it's three holes and fin.

 

[Nutria]

I tried some JT 3 wedges and they did not budge the chuck either.

Another thing to try is chucking up a large allen head socket and then using an impact driver (not turned up to eleven) on the socket.

 

[WilsonLR]

I'm willing to try anything at this point. WHacking an allen key with a hammer ruined the bearing so I'm going to have to tear it down. But I;m having trouble with the allen head socket concept. Which end goes where and which direction am I going? TIA

 

[RTM]

Left end in your pic gets checked up in the drill. Right end goes on your impact driver.

loosen or tighten per Tostal’s reply in #184. Running a drill normally will keep tightening it, so the opposite rotation relative to the chuck is what you are after.

 

[Nutria]

I'm willing to try anything at this point. WHacking an allen key with a hammer ruined the bearing so I'm going to have to tear it down. But I;m having trouble with the allen head socket concept. Which end goes where and which direction am I going? TIA

Left end in your pic gets checked up in the drill. Right end goes on your impact driver.

loosen or tighten per Tostal’s reply in #184. Running a drill normally will keep tightening it, so the opposite rotation relative to the chuck is what you are after.

Just take it easy with the impact driver. A couple of light blips on low power/low air flow should do it. Increase as necessary. It should spin right off, unless something is really boogered.

 

[piehammer]

Millers Fall In-forcer screwdriver. Looks like it goes with the ratchet shown earlier in the thread.

 

[four.cycle]

patent 4212336 Jul 15 1980 W.C. Smith
patent 4356852 Nov 2 1982 W.C. Smith, assignee: Innovative Tool Corp.
Innovative Tool Corp., Houston, TX / screwdriver / (see Ratcher) /
Ratcher / ITC / Innovative Tool Corp., Houston, TX / patent 4212336 Jul 15 1980 & 4356852 Nov 2 1982 W.C. Smith / (ratchet-drive screwdriver) /

best wild guess: Millers Falls bought the patent rights from Smith, which would explain why the instances of the original "Ratcher" sets are so infrequent.

here's the original ITC / Innovative Tool Corp. "Ratcher" set, missing the ratchet:

ITC Innovative Tool Corp. "Ratcher" ratchet-drive screwdriver (patent 421336)