Spiral Ratchet Screwdrivers

[d42jeep]

It’s shown in the back of the catalog. It’s surprising to me that they were using the plastic that long ago. I fully expected it to be Stanley until I looked more closely at it at home.
-Don

 

[Dave455]

Here is a Yankee Handyman with a plastic handle that I found at this morning’s estate sale. Made by North Bros. It came with three spare bits.
-Don

It’s shown in the back of the catalog. It’s surprising to me that they were using the plastic that long ago. I fully expected it to be Stanley until I looked more closely at it at home.
-Don

As most here know , all of these “Yankee” tools were originally North Bros designs. Stanley bought them out, and continued manufacturing them in the U.S.

I’m not sure if Stanley then transferred production to the U.K. or if the U.K. manufacture was in parallel, but the original North Bros designs were manufactured, basically unchanged, for many years in the U.K.

They even continued to use the same part numbers, and supply the tools in basically the same boxes.

Here’s a British made version of Don’s Yankee Handyman driver dating from the early 60’s, and bought new by my Dad! The design owes nothing to Stanley and is pure North Bros.

These were always slightly flawed, in that the end cap tends to unscrew as you use them, but they are o.k. if you use a slightly different grip.

Here’s my Dad’s 130A, dating I think from the late 60’s / early 70’s. Still in it’s original box, still recognisable as a “North Bros” box, rather than a Stanley.

 

[RTM]

It’s shown in the back of the catalog. It’s surprising to me that they were using the plastic that long ago. I fully expected it to be Stanley until I looked more closely at it at home.
-Don

Dang, why can’t they keep stuff together in the catalog. Guess it was a late add in 1936. Surprised me too for it to be that early. Guess I’ll have some words with my pancakes .

 

[d42jeep]

I found a rusty Yankee slotted screwdriver bit at a garage sale over the weekend. The evaporust worked it‘s magic.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

I've found quite a few Yankee spiral drivers out in the wild, but the various size bits are hard to find. Over time I grab any bits I find and then spread them out to the appropriate drivers so now pretty much all of my Yankee spirals have at least 2 or 3 bits so they can be used.

 

[RTM]

I've found quite a few Yankee spiral drivers out in the wild, but the various size bits are hard to find. Over time I grab any bits I find .

I do the same, Yankee bits, spare plane blades, Eiffel jaws, anything easily separated from the mother ship.

Someone somewhere will need them.

 

[WisJim]

You can also buy adapters to use common 1/4" drive bits in the various Yankee screwdrivers. I suspect this has been mentioned before here, but it is another way to get those tools back to use. Years ago we made some adapters by carefully filing and notching some bit holders so that they fit my Yankees. I've been accumulating bits etc. ever since my grandfather gave me one of his Yankee screwdrivers over 50 years ago so I am probably all set.

 

[RTM]

You can also buy adapters to use common 1/4" drive bits in the various Yankee screwdrivers. I suspect this has been mentioned before here, but it is another way to get those tools back to use. Years ago we made some adapters by carefully filing and notching some bit holders so that they fit my Yankees. I've been accumulating bits etc. ever since my grandfather gave me one of his Yankee screwdrivers over 50 years ago so I am probably all set.

Shhh, you are reducing the value of my inventory.

But seriously, I have Lee Valley adapters in one of each size of my Yankee screwdriver, and just throw hex bits in them. R2 yesterday for a mortise lock.

Hex Adapter for Yankee Screwdrivers - Lee Valley Tools

www.leevalley.com

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Got this nice stanley yankee driver in a tool lot

 

[RTM]

Got this nice stanley yankee driver in a tool lot

Drill, not driver, probably a 41

Yankee Tool Book : 1908 : North Brothers Manufacturing Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

36 p., illus., 15.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[four.cycle]

it does not appear that we have a dedicated "North Bros" thread, so here you go...

1924 Hardware Buyers Catalog North Bros. ad pp 241

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have two Yankee type. One has a spring inside it and the other one doesn't. It is my understanding that the one without a spring was so that you would not accidently ding cabinet and furniture grade workmanship with a slip of the bit. Don' use them much any more but did for quite a few years before battery tools became popular.

 

[RTM]

I have two Yankee type. One has a spring inside it and the other one doesn't. It is my understanding that the one without a spring was so that you would not accidently ding cabinet and furniture grade workmanship with a slip of the bit. .

The difference between a 35 and 135 is the return spring, only in the 13x series.

 

[d42jeep]

I found another plastic handle Stanley Yankee Handyman at yesterday’s estate sale. It only had one additional bit stored in the handle.
-Don

 

[kwigly]

I found another plastic handle Stanley Yankee Handyman

Thr version I found last week is by "GUYS", made in England c1960s according to http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2017/08/vanished-tool-makers-guys-handtools.html It came with the original two blades and two of the drill bits, plus an added couple of phillips bits

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Maybe I can get some life back into this one. Currently completely stuck, forward-fixed-reverse lever moves freely, feels “disconnected”. Got it soaking in some solvent right now. Grub screw came out effortlessly.











Kind regards,
Olli

 

[Dave455]

Maybe I can get some life back into this one. Currently completely stuck, forward-fixed-reverse lever moves freely, feels “disconnected”. Got it soaking in some solvent right now. Grub screw came out effortlessly.











Kind regards,
Olli

Once the grub screw is out the cover should slide forward / downwards. Push the selector in and slide the cover over it.

If it’s not moving it’s probably because it’s gummed up with old oil, which is probably what’s causing the problem anyway!

Your solvent soak should sort it out!

 

[d42jeep]

I found a crusty US made Stanley Yankee along with a Japanese Power Master version at a garage sale today. It took a while to remove the crust.
-Don

 

[MisterEd]

What I learned, today, about a North Brothers No. 30 and where I learned it.

Six Patent references on Tool;
Apr 16 1895 - Original Furbish Ratchet for screw drivers or drills
Nov 2 1897 - Ratchet mechanism
Sep 5 1899 - Chuck
Oct 9 1900 - Ratchet mechanism
Jun 6 1905 - Spiral push screwdrivers or drills
Nov 3 1908 - Locking mechanism for ratchet

Starting in 1924 the Suffix A was added to the model numbers.

The Yankee Spiral screwdrivers family, the original cordless screwdrivers

Recently, Gerhard at the Je ne sais quoi woodworking blog , asked my help for dating various specimen of this iconic tool. I thought it wou...

thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com

 

[pcrov]

Pulled this today from gramp's shed:



"YANKEE" No. 130A
®
NORTH BROS. MFG. CO.
DIV. OF STANLEY TOOLS
PHILA. PA. U.S.A.

Gave it a rub down and oil change and it's working smoooooth!

 

[WisJim]

That's what got me started with Yankee screwdrivers (and later other brands)--finding Grandpa's No. 130 out in his shed in his old tool chest. He was still active then, and gave me the screwdriver and later the chest and the tools remaining in it--after someone broke into the shed and smashed the lid of the chest and stole some of the tools.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Just cross-linking a G.M. Co. for posterity. (Not a sentence I thought I'd ever be typing!)

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a North Bros/Stanley No. 133H with the spring return. The bit was pretty reluctant to come out but eventually freed up. I straightened the screwdriver’s slight bend in the soft jawed vise. I found it at a Tahoe yard sale on Saturday.
-Don

 

[WisJim]

This seems to be the thread on Yankee screwdrivers with the most recent traffic.
I have been sorting through my bins of spiral ratchet screwdrivers and found a few interesting things. One of them is a variation in the chucks of the Yankee screwdrivers. I have dozens of them with similar chucks, and ONE with a slightly different chuck, and that is why I am posting here.
Here's my question: One of my dozens of Yankee screwdrivers has a chuck like the picture on right, and all the rest are like the one on the left. he pictures were taking while pulling the chuck back to insert or remove a bit. The uncommon one (on the right) has a circlip at the end that keeps the chuck in place, and all the others have part of the chuck that stays in place at the end of the driver and stops the chuck from coming off. Does anyone else have a Yankee with a chuck Iike the one on the right? This one is a Stanley Yankee 130A, and my others range from pre-1900 unmarked tools to late 130A of various ages. I've also looked at other sizes and vintages of Yankee screwdrivers.

 

[d42jeep]

Although I have some of these Stanley Handyman plastic handle screwdrivers, when I saw this one at a Tahoe TOO yesterday I decided to buy it even though it was missing the end cap and all the bits. The condition convinced me to make the 50 cent investment.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found this nice working North Bros screwdriver at yesterday’s estate sale.
-Don

 

[RTM]

I found this nice working North Bros screwdriver at yesterday’s estate sale.
-Don

Lots of patent dates, that’s an old one.

 

[Eric Brown]

Just learnt of this thread, heres a craftsman yankee style driver with 3 flat tips stowed in the handle.

The pistol grip one with the number 107.1 may have been made by Millers Falls. I have one just like it except the handle is wood and it is "BB" instead of 107.1
There are other tools as well marked with either the 107.1 or BB that also look like Millers Falls. However, I haven't found them mentioned in literature yet. There is a possibility they were made by SOGART after they took over some of the Millers Falls tools.
Neither the 107.1 nor the BB are listed on the Alloy Artifacts site.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here is a Goodell-Pratt spiral screwdriver. It is marked with two patent dates. Jul. 22, 1890 (432729) and Nov. 17, 1891 (463506). There is only one spiral and a ratchet at the chuck end. It only tightens and then ratchets back. No reverse. Just below the chuck there is a sleeve. When the spiral is collapsed there are two lugs that can lock the spiral and then the sleeve can be slid down keeping it locked for when a screw needs to be reversed or tightened a little more than the spiral alone.

Here is a some info from oldtoolheaven.com:

A pair of patents, issued to the Goodell Brothers in 1890 and 1891, defined the specifics of a practical, well-designed spiral screwdriver. Typical of its time, the screwdriver featured a single spiral that functioned to drive screws but could not be reversed to extract them. Unique to the Goodell design, however, are a pair of projections on the front socket that automatically engage a pair of notches in a socket attached to its handle when the tool is closed. When so engaged, the projections lock the screwdriver so that it can be used in the traditional manner—a feature handy to a user encountering a recalcitrant screw. The screwdriver automatically unlocks itself each time the handle is raised, allowing the user to again take advantage of its spiraling motion. When Albert and Henry Goodell developed a cobbler's rasp in 1892, it became the last tool that they would patent as partners in Goodell Brothers. Their sons were approaching manhood and interested in going into the tool business. Assuming that each would marry, the modest operation would need to support four families, and as anyone familiar with family businesses moving into the second generation can attest, inter-family politics were certain to become complex. Albert Goodell sold his shares in Goodell Brothers in 1892, and with plans for a new bit brace in his pocket, moved on to Worcester, Massachusetts, to start another business with his son Frederick.

William Pratt purchased a fifty percent stake in the Goodell Brothers Company, a Greenfield manufacturer of carpenters' and mechanics' tools run by Dexter W. and Henry E. Goodell. With the purchase, Pratt became treasurer and manager of the operation. In 1898, he purchased a controlling interest in the business, and in February 1899, the company's board of directors voted to rename it the Goodell-Pratt Company.

Nos. 1-3 (Model G 40)

Spiral Screwdriver
Hardwood handle; polished steel spiral locks and turns to the right; screw-type chuck; bright parts are nickel plated; shipped with three screwdriver bits.

Originally marketed as screwdriver Model G 40. Model No. 1, with a spiral slanting 40 degrees, was intended for light, speedy work. No. 2, with a spiral slanting 30 degrees, was intended for general purposes. No. 3, with spiral slanting 20 degrees, was intended for heavy work.

Manufactured by Millers Falls as of 1931.

Illustration from 1911 catalog.

Model No.​	Type​	Length​	Start Date​	End Date​
No. 1	single spiral	14 inches (with bit, extended) 7 1/2 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1933
No. 2	single spiral	16 inches (with bit, extended) 8 1/4 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1931
No. 3	single spiral	18 inches (with bit, extended) 9 1/2 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1930

Nos. 1-3 (Model G 40)

Spiral Screwdriver


Hardwood handle; polished steel spiral locks and turns to the right; screw-type chuck; bright parts are nickel plated; shipped with three screwdriver bits.

Originally marketed as screwdriver Model G 40. Model No. 1, with a spiral slanting 40 degrees, was intended for light, speedy work. No. 2, with a spiral slanting 30 degrees, was intended for general purposes. No. 3, with spiral slanting 20 degrees, was intended for heavy work.

Manufactured by Millers Falls as of 1931.

Illustration from 1911 catalog.

Model No.​	Type​	Length​	Start Date​	End Date​
No. 1	single spiral	14 inches (with bit, extended) 7 1/2 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1933
No. 2	single spiral	16 inches (with bit, extended) 8 1/4 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1931
No. 3	single spiral	18 inches (with bit, extended) 9 1/2 inches (no bit, closed)	ca. 1891	1930

Mine would be a No. 3 based on length. Additionally, the bit only has a single tab at the bottom with no side notch. To lock the bit in there is a simple screw type chuck. The bit diameter is 5/16" at the chuck. Probably made between 1900 and 1930.

 

[WisJim]

Back in September I set up a display of some of my spiral screwdrivers at our local museum for a "collectors day" event. Here's my display.

 

[RTM]

I set up a display of some of my spiral screwdrivers

Intimidating in my added bold.

 

[59Sled]

Only one I have is a Yankee NO.31 that I restored. Repainted the handle and polished it.

 

[Eric Brown]

Only one I have is a Yankee NO.31 that I restored. Repainted the handle and polished it.

Looks nice. Good job.

 

[Eric Brown]

Something interesting. At the top is a Millers Falls 100 push drill commonly referred to as the Buck Rodgers model. Below is one that has similar lines, but the construction is different using a transparent sleeve to show the bits and the top cap rotates to the desired position.
On the silver band between the red cap and clear tube it is marked "CRAFTSMAN" and then a F inside a circle, indicating a Millers Falls product for Sears. Have not found a similar one with the M-F name on it. The clear tube on mine was pretty scratched and blackened after all these years so replaced with a new one.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

Something interesting. At the top is a Millers Falls 100 push drill commonly referred to as the Buck Rodgers model. Below is one that has similar lines, but the construction is different using a transparent sleeve to show the bits and the top cap rotates to the desired position.
On the silver band between the red cap and clear tube it is marked "CRAFTSMAN" and then a F inside a circle, indicating a Millers Falls product for Sears. Have not found a similar one with the M-F name on it. The clear tube on mine was pretty scratched and blackened after all these years so replaced with a new one.

We are a lot of as like, we look for the unique and strange tools. I am taking a brake for a while.

 

[Eric Brown]

We are a lot of as like, we look for the unique and strange tools. I am taking a brake for a while.

I like to study the different and try to figure out the designers intentions. I'm not afraid to take something apart. Hopefully I don't damage the tools beyond repair. I also try to make the tools look as beautiful as the original designer would have liked. This Craftsman spiral drill for instance was originally painted grey but that was mostly gone when I got it. Decided to polish it up and replace the clear tube. Looks better to me now.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

I like to study the different and try to figure out the designers intentions. I'm not afraid to take something apart. Hopefully I don't damage the tools beyond repair. I also try to make the tools look as beautiful as the original designer would have liked. This Craftsman spiral drill for instance was originally painted grey but that was mostly gone when I got it. Decided to polish it up and replace the clear tube. Looks better to me now.

I am the same with engines and electric motors. But it is cold outside la la la.

 

[captain14]

When I sorted through my father’s tool cabinet, I picked up both of his Yankee screwdrivers. I know he has had one for a long time and the other he picked up at a yard sale 20+ years ago. I’ll post an image later when I’m home.

Does anyone else offer a hex adapter that I can use for drive bits? Both have them large flat blade screwdriver. Lee Valley sells 3 sizes specific to the
Model number. Anywhere else to look? No
Luck on Amazon.


My late neighbor was in the Air Force in the 60’s and worked in aviation. He said everyone in his specialty was assigned a spiral driver to open aircraft body panels to work on the systems. He still had his and was telling me about it one day.

 

[RTM]

Anywhere else to look? No Luck on Amazon.

Highland Hardware, a bit simpler. I run LV ones in my main users

https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/magnetic-yankee-hex-bit-adapter.aspx

 

[WisJim]

Does anyone else offer a hex adapter that I can use for drive bits?

I see that most of the sizes from Highland Hardware are shown as discontinued. I have some older adapters that are Apex, but their website shows most of those as discontinued also. Years ago I recall making an adapter from a bit holder with a 1/4"hex stem using a grinder and file, but it may have only fit the 35/135 smaller size Yankees.