small hand drill/screwdriver

[tom coffey]

I just cleaned this little tool that I've had for a while. I wonder if it was made for a special purpose as the "chuck" will only hold a very limited range of bit sizes ( a few thousandths at most). There is a storage space provided under the cap. The only marking on it is GERMANY. It is very light duty. The "shank" is made from a piece of rolled metal.
edit: forgot pic-

 

[RTM]

Hmm, no pic. But the Yankee style push drill had fixed shanks, then stepped down to the cutting tip. Same idea with their spiral screwdrivers, 3 shank sizes, then the tip flared from there.

Like these

 

[tom coffey]

Thanks RTM, I have several different Yankee, and other push drills but this is much lighter, more simple made than any I've seen.

 

[WisJim]

I see those called "jeweler's drills" but I think they were just inexpensive push drills used to make small holes for crafts or starting screws. They often used spade point drills that all had the same sized shank, like some of the early small hand eggbeater style drills used.

 

[RTM]

Thanks RTM, I have several different Yankee, and other push drills but this is much lighter, more simple made than any I've seen.

Makes much more sense with the picture. I have a similar one in the garage, in pieces. Lemme see if I can find the brand, and bit style.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hi Tom,

I have one very similar if not identical. It was made by "STEELCRAFT" and also marked "Germany British Zone".

Steelcraft was one of those companies like Oxwall and G.M. Co. and Mastercraft that took advantage of the War Department's reconstruction philosophy in postwar Occupied Germany between 1946 and 1949, when US companies set up shop there to quickly and effectively employ German citizens making cheap tools and other things at a healthy margin (any wage was going to be better than none in their economy, which had been decimated by the Nazi War machine).

Not saying yours is definitively STEELCRAFT, or that it was made in Occupied Germany, but if not, I would bet it was made in Germany shortly after WWII. It is in the same class or category and from the same timeframe.

 

[woody 73]

I see those called "jeweler's drills" but I think they were just inexpensive push drills used to make small holes for crafts or starting screws. They often used spade point drills that all had the same sized shank, like some of the early small hand eggbeater style drills used.

 

[Leviton]

Hi Tom,

I have one very similar if not identical. It was made by "STEELCRAFT" and also marked "Germany British Zone".

Steelcraft was one of those companies like Oxwall and G.M. Co. and Mastercraft that took advantage of the War Department's reconstruction philosophy in postwar Occupied Germany between 1946 and 1949, when US companies set up shop there to quickly and effectively employ German citizens making cheap tools and other things at a healthy margin (any wage was going to be better than none in their economy, which had been decimated by the Nazi War machine).

Not saying yours is definitively STEELCRAFT, or that it was made in Occupied Germany, but if not, I would bet it was made in Germany shortly after WWII. It is in the same class or category and from the same timeframe.

Not sure if it is the same company? but STEEL CRAFT manufactured a 3570 hand drill that was made in Japan.

 

[theoldwizard1]

It is called a "pin vise".



This one has different collets.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not sure if it is the same company? but STEEL CRAFT manufactured a 3570 hand drill that was made in Japan.

It is. And they started operations in Occupied Japan in the same manner and for the same reason. I think they were more or less a head shed or mfgr in name type entity only, though. I have a 3-pc STEEL CRAFT screw extractor set, with a NY office on the label on the wooden case, but the screw extractors themselves were made by a J.P.F., Inc., Worcester, Mass.

 

[RTM]

So, I am wondering if these are screwdrivers, rather than drills. The spiral shanks look like the one pictured here, the automatic. The ones on the previous pages all have the traditional Yankee screw, except the #22. You can see the bits scattered about, a single shank size.

https://archive.org/details/GoodellPrattCatalogNo15/page/n164/mode/1up

 

[RTM]

Mine is a Graves #2 push drill, seen here

It was sold by Millers Falls from the late 1890s to 1904, and supposedly used a Tainter pattern bit, whatever that means. The chuck was a slotted two jaw thing


https://archive.org/details/MillersFallsCoCatalogueBPocketEdition/page/n23/mode/1up

 

[Jc2043]

Hi Tom,

I have one very similar if not identical. It was made by "STEELCRAFT" and also marked "Germany British Zone".

Steelcraft was one of those companies like Oxwall and G.M. Co. and Mastercraft that took advantage of the War Department's reconstruction philosophy in postwar Occupied Germany between 1946 and 1949, when US companies set up shop there to quickly and effectively employ German citizens making cheap tools and other things at a healthy margin (any wage was going to be better than none in their economy, which had been decimated by the Nazi War machine).

Not saying yours is definitively STEELCRAFT, or that it was made in Occupied Germany, but if not, I would bet it was made in Germany shortly after WWII. It is in the same class or category and from the same timeframe.

I have one of those as well. I don’t know if the shaft is turned around but Germany markings are fully exposed.




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[Miss the Pontiacs]

Here are some drills I have found. I was given a Yankee Drill when I first started working. I returned it When I no longer needed it.I’m such a *******, would have been pretty cool to have it 45 years later.
This one belonged to my father in law.
View media item 109228The one on the left belonged to my Grandpa the one on the right again was my FIL’s.
View media item 109229The one on the left was also my FIL’s the one on the right was issued to me close to 45 years ago. At least I hung on to this one.
View media item 109227