The Original "Cordless" Drills

[nadogail]

Gimlets cut a tapered bore for a wood screw. Augers cut a straight (more or less) sided bore for something to pass through. In my book, anyway.

Thanks for adding to my education.

 

[Beerhippie]

Roughly translated:
“hath a Worm at the end of its Bitt. Its Office is to make a round hole in those places of your work where the Stock of the Piercer [i.e. brace or bit-stock] by reason of its own Sholder, or a Sholder, or Butting out upon the work will not turn about….”

Means: ‘Works great in tight spaces.’

Google translate?

 

[TheRealZeus]

Google translate?

Zeus translate... Google playin’ with my bolt. ️ I got this one.

 

[d42jeep]

The last one of my free braces I checked out was this No 28 made in Bridgeport. A Google search brought me to this.
There are a couple of similar braces on eBay for under $30.00.
-Don

 

[Old tool guy]

Just picked this up from an old guy in WV. I have not cleaned it yet, I have looked carefully but cannot find any makers marks. At the moment the bit advances automatically when the crank is turned, not sure if it’s supposed to do that. Cannot figure out the purpose of the flywheel on top. There is a set screw that can be tightened to keep it from turning.

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[WisJim]

@Old tool guy, that looks similar to some of the Goodell Pratt bench drills, and you could find a scan of a catalog online. Not quite the same as some that I found right away, though. They often had some type of automatic feeding mechanism and the flywheel helped keep the speed of the bit up while cranking. Millers Falls and other companies made similar drills back then.
GP bench drill

 

[Beerhippie]

When I was your age, we had to carve out the arc of shame by hand!

No feed mechanism?

 

[rollinlower]

iv got one sitting on a shelf in east tennessee if someone wants it for the cost of the ride

 

[RTM]

I have looked carefully but cannot find any makers marks. At the moment the bit advances automatically when the crank is turned, not sure if it’s supposed to do that. Cannot figure out the purpose of the flywheel on top. There is a set screw that can be tightened to keep it from turning.

I have it’s baby brother, posted over in the Drill Press thread. Mine is European made, imported by Spiegel Bros, not sure if they were the only importer. Gimme a minute, will add a link.

Arc of Shame pics

Arc of Shame Hall of Fame

I was perusing the Old Drill Press thread today, and spotted a few great Arcs of Shame. Here's the one on my Walker-Turner...let's see some more! _DSC1881 by GirchyGirchy, on Flickr

www.garagejournal.com

Some pics n info, whole thread is useful, I found a catalog listing in the last post.

Cute Little Hand Operated Drill Press

I just picked up this cute little drill press, there are no markings other than "445" cast into the frame. The green and black paint appears to be original. It has a self feed that I haven't figured out, but it does seem to operate. The heavy cast iron base may not be original. I have...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Old tool guy]

Thanks, looks like i have model 442. Cost was $2.75.

 

[WisJim]

Interestingly, most of the pins of the upper example are blind, while they are mostly through on the lower one.

At first I thought both were Stanley No732 or close relatives, but then spotted the 1911 John S Fray catalog showing model No6. I have not found a mfg stamp (on crank bar or elsewhere) yet.
I’m inclined to think the lower example is a knockoff, but with the improvement of the small roller that bears on a track inside the drive gear, reducing wobble. At the business end, it also has some kind of selector I have not yet explored.

I thought that I had replied to this post of last February, but I'm finally getting around to it. I think that the bottom drill is a Millers Falls No 12 with the 1873 Goodell patent chuck. https://oldtoolheaven.com/millers-falls/breast_drills/GoodellGrip.htm

 

[d42jeep]

I probably wouldn’t have bought this North Bros/Stanley push drill Friday except that it had such a good selection of bits inside.
-Don

 

[esben57]

Found these two in a local junk shop. Left is a Bradson No.1, the other a Union.
Both locked up but a de-louse lubrication and a lick of paint sorted them. I wanted to keep them to use but they were always in the way.
Sold them on but I think they could have been turned into lamp stands.

Secondly, around 1982ish my Father borrowed a cordless battery drill. Rockwell U.S made. Don't know the voltage, it was yellow in colour.
Anyways, not impressed he was. Not sure it was charged or his mate didn't supply the charger.
Anybody know of these Rockwell drills?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Russell Jennings set

This Russell Jennings pouch and bits was a Left-Behind at the flea this morning. The roll up had a very good label, but as you can see, the pouch itself was falling apart and crudely patched with tape at some point in its working life. I was eyeing it, with thoughts of repairing it with heavy needle and thread, but I have one of those triple-decker wooden R J boxes with the 1876 label under the lid filled with spur auger bits, so wasn't overly moved by this set. I have bought the occasional tool before from the seller, a funky woman, always at terrific prices (she is an estate sale maven, with a good eye, but doesn't really know tools) and will very likely see her and it again if you're interested, Jim.

 

[Ayrhead]

In that situation, I'm reaching for the electric drill. I like hand powered tools, but I have limits.

Wowzers that is an amazing looking tool… it’s the 1st time I’ve ever seen one.

 

[TheRealZeus]

…Secondly, around 1982ish my Father borrowed a cordless battery drill. Rockwell U.S made. Don't know the voltage, it was yellow in colour.
Anyways, not impressed he was. Not sure it was charged or his mate didn't supply the charger.
Anybody know of these Rockwell drills?

This one maybe? Think it is the model no 4007

 

[Ayrhead]

This is my Stanley No. 1220. Made in Canada. It’s my favourite one because the bits are inside the wooden handle.

 

[Ayrhead]

Here is another Stanley. No. 621 Special 1940. It’s made in the USA. No bit storage in the handle.

 

[Ayrhead]

My last one. A Yankee No. 1446. Patent # 1.633.400. Thanks to @WisJim as I originally thought the handle didn’t hold bits… well it turns out that it can! I added a photo to show the handle loosened and screwed off where the knurled piece is.

 

[Old tool guy]

This is my Stanley No. 1220. Made in Canada. It’s my favourite one because the bits are inside the wooden handle.

I like the folding rule.

 

[Ayrhead]

I like the folding rule.

Moi Aussi…

 

[WisJim]

My last one. A Yankee No. 1446. Patent # 1.633.400. Also no bit storage in the handle…

The knurled ring where the handle joins the body of the drill can be turned to open the handle bit storage--the whole handle comes off and is hollow.

 

[Ayrhead]

The knurled ring where the handle joins the body of the drill can be turned to open the handle bit storage--the whole handle comes off and is hollow.

I’ll have to check it out.

 

[Ayrhead]

The knurled ring where the handle joins the body of the drill can be turned to open the handle bit storage--the whole handle comes off and is hollow.

Yes, you’re absolutely right. Thanks for letting me know!

 

[LesserSon]

Picked up today from a retired coworker who’s moving: her father’s Stanley Handyman Hy-lo H1220 with six spoon bits. Hardly seems to have been used. It was frozen, but some WD40 and patience limbered it up.

 

[d42jeep]

Looks like the one I picked up last weekend. Mine doesn’t have a sticker. I cleaned and lubed it this morning.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

Nice, Don.
EIGHT bits! I’ll have to keep an eye out.

 

[WisJim]

I always like those Stanley H1220 drills---I remember using one to drill random holes in scrap wood when I was of preschool age, at the summer camp where my grandfather was the caretaker and my dad taught woodshop for many summers. I had the run of camp in the weeks in late spring before it opened.

 

[d42jeep]

I have found several push drills over the past few months. Both of these I found at Saturday’s estate sale had a full complement of bits.
This one is Stanley Yankee.
This is a North Bros. Yankee.
I added that one to the North Bros./Stanley push drill drawer in the basement Kennedy box.
-Don

 

[Ayrhead]

I have found several push drills over the past few months. Both of these I found at Saturday’s estate sale had a full complement of bits.
This one is Stanley Yankee.
This is a North Bros. Yankee.
I added that one to the North Bros./Stanley push drill drawer in the basement Kennedy box.
-Don

Lookin’ Good Don.

 

[WisJim]

I just got an attachment or accessory for a bit brace. It's Reinhold's patent 491,189 from Feb 7, 1893. It holds 6 auger and/or screwdriver bits while attached to a brace and allows the bits to be interchanged for use. The only other one that I recall seeing was on Donnely's auction a year ago, and it had some different bits than mine. Mine has 4 augers that look all the same size, and 2 screwdriver bits that are the same. I'll be looking for other bits that fit this device (round shank with a pin on one side).

 

[RTM]

@WisJim How long is it, kinda reference less laying there. Are those Doweling bits, regular, bell hangers, etc. inquiring minds and all that?

 

[Eric Brown]

I just got an attachment or accessory for a bit brace. It's Reinhold's patent 491,189 from Feb 7, 1893. It holds 6 auger and/or screwdriver bits while attached to a brace and allows the bits to be interchanged for use. The only other one that I recall seeing was on Donnely's auction a year ago, and it had some different bits than mine. Mine has 4 augers that look all the same size, and 2 screwdriver bits that are the same. I'll be looking for other bits that fit this device (round shank with a pin on one side).

The ends of the bits with the pins look like a larger diameter. Maybe 1/2" or so? Were the larger ends separate or part of the bits?

 

[WisJim]

I went out and measured it. The bits are a little longer than the doweling bits that I have, about 3 3/4" overall. They are 3/8" bits and the base is about 7/16". The whole thing is about 7 1/2" long. The bits are all one piece except for the pin in the side. Measurements were all with a ruler.

 

[Eric Brown]

I went out and measured it. The bits are a little longer than the doweling bits that I have, about 3 3/4" overall. They are 3/8" bits and the base is about 7/16". The whole thing is about 7 1/2" long. The bits are all one piece except for the pin in the side. Measurements were all with a ruler.

Thanks. Good luck finding bits. You might be able to make some with a bushing and use a long pin to attach. Not sure if that would really add anything to value. Vary rare as it is. Good find.

 

[d42jeep]

I cleaned up the Russell Jennings and Irwin bits that came from Saturday’s estate sale. I didn’t really mean to buy them, I thought that they might have fallen out of the Craftsman sets and the room was very dark.
Craftsman sets.
-Don

 

[Old tool guy]

I didn’t really mean to buy them,

Right.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here are a couple of unusual braces. They are for twisting wire and were used for making boxes. The wire will twist and then at about 3/4" break it off. There were several patents dealing with the twist and a later one for length. Top one is not marked but the bottom one has Pat May 1, 23, Oct. 2, 23, and 4-One Box Makers, Rockaway N.J. The first patent date actually covers two patents, 1453446 and 1453447 while the second date is for 1469711. Trying it out I used a old coat hanger. Twisted right up nice and tight.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here is another brace attachment that is for installing hooks. Marked Greenlee. The other markings are very hard to read. There is a Cat No 72Y-4 and Pat No. 2437762 (Mar 16, 1948) by Louis Simonin. Not listed on Datamp.org

I did try twisting some wires and it worked. Unlike the fancy version posted earlier this required manual trimming.

 

[RTM]

Pat No. 3457?62. Probably wrong on the numbers

Running the ? as 0-9 got nothing in US patents. Also tried changing your leading number to a 2, still nothing. Can we get a better pic of the number?