Vintage Black & Decker Drill

[Jononon]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I'd fit a new cable before using that in anger!

The bearings(bushings?) are getting pretty loud now....I'll be sad when it finally dies.

That's far too good a router not to try to replace the bearings.

That's a different model, but they're all assembled along similar lines.

 

[Boyd]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Here's my NOS drill find. It's a 1/2" drill made by THOR but branded Cummins. Made in the late 50's.

 

[rustyjames]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Nice. Thor also made washing machines and a lot of other stuff.

 

[4BT]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Have one in a black plastic case and the matching jigsaw in a green case.

 

[MTMH80]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

My dad has one of those that's been used regularly since it was new.
We even used it to drill through a concrete slab to frame a 10x12 room in a basement. It slowed down some on that job but it's as fine shortly after.
Still kickin.

 

[57JoeFoMoPar]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I've inherited all of the tools from my great uncles as they've passed away. I have an Ingersoll-Rand drill of similar size that I recall using as a child since it only has a 1/4" chuck on it. I cut my teeth on that and eventually bought a decent DeWalt corded drill for myself in high school. I stuck the IR in the bottom of my tool chest and forgot about it for about 10 years.

Fast forward to 2 years ago. My Mom's house has a basement with a sump pump that will take on water if the sump pump goes down for a few hours in a heavy rain. Hurricane Irene knocked out the power and the rain came hard, the water was going to start flooding the basement if we couldn't get water pumping quick. I remembered that I had a drill pump in my tool box. I also have a cheap HF power inverter in my old beater van (which also has a 140A alternator), but the inverter wouldn't power my DeWalt drill because it draws too much amperage. There was that old IR drill in the bottom of the tool box, and it only draws 2.1A. Chucked up the drill pump, fired it up, and locked down the trigger. Little thing ran for 4 hours straight until the power came back, pumping water and never burned up. It's still sitting in the bottom of my box.

I also have an old yellowish B&D jig saw. Nothing fancy, but will get the job done in a pinch. Old homeowner grade tools are still made better than a lot of the junk now

 

[McFarmer]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

That drill pump story would have made a great add.

 

[Banjorear]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I've inherited all of the tools from my great uncles as they've passed away. I have an Ingersoll-Rand drill of similar size that I recall using as a child since it only has a 1/4" chuck on it. I cut my teeth on that and eventually bought a decent DeWalt corded drill for myself in high school. I stuck the IR in the bottom of my tool chest and forgot about it for about 10 years.

Fast forward to 2 years ago. My Mom's house has a basement with a sump pump that will take on water if the sump pump goes down for a few hours in a heavy rain. Hurricane Irene knocked out the power and the rain came hard, the water was going to start flooding the basement if we couldn't get water pumping quick. I remembered that I had a drill pump in my tool box. I also have a cheap HF power inverter in my old beater van (which also has a 140A alternator), but the inverter wouldn't power my DeWalt drill because it draws too much amperage. There was that old IR drill in the bottom of the tool box, and it only draws 2.1A. Chucked up the drill pump, fired it up, and locked down the trigger. Little thing ran for 4 hours straight until the power came back, pumping water and never burned up. It's still sitting in the bottom of my box.

I also have an old yellowish B&D jig saw. Nothing fancy, but will get the job done in a pinch. Old homeowner grade tools are still made better than a lot of the junk now

Great story and so true. I was driving by someone's house who just had a yard sale. Out front was a whole bunch of B&D tools and older Skill circular saw sitting in the trash (not even a free pile). Every tool worked and I still have them a few years later.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Not quite in NOS condition but I was given this old Sunbeam drill about a year ago. It still works fine but I haven't had an occasion to use it yet.

 

[4BT]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Here is the jigsaw

 

[INSP380]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

That B&D drill brings back a TON of good memories working with my Dad...I can almost smell that drill...and the sound...Jeeze, pretty cool stuff!

Steve

 

[willy3486]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I have a lot of those old B&D tools. I also have a lot of other brands. I just bought a 70s B&D jigsaw over the weekend for 6 bucks. I probably have between 30 and 40 hand power tools. Most are the aluminum cased houses. I have a lot of the B&D drills.

 

[manc]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Seeing that drill does bring back loads of memories. I remember using that drill for so many projects in the '70s. Growing up, I didn't even know that you could call a repairman or trades guy to fix something. My Dad could (and at 80+ can still) fix anything. Looking back it was his curiosity as much as his skill that made it possible. He's a mechanical/metallurgical engineer and has always loved solving a problem. I am eternally thankful for inheriting his tenacious (sometimes stubborn) spirit. I did not get my love of tools from him however. If Harbour Freight had been around when I was a kid, our house would have been filled with cheap tools. I do buy stuff their as well, but prefer investment tools when practical.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Here's an old B&D sander from the 60s or 70s that a friend of mine gave to me and I repaired. Its dedicated use is with a Scotch-Brite pad so I can polish cast iron tables used on table saws, jointers, etc.

 

[PCO6]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Here's a link to an old thread with a lot of old B&D content. Sorry if I missed it already been linked to this thread.

I have a few oldies ... see post#29 ...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133944&highlight=black+Decker&showall=1

 

[89GLH]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I would doubt the "buying and never using" idea, because my grandfather did the exact same thing, down to leaving the receipts in the box. When he died we cleaned out his basement and under his workbench were all silver Sears power tools, with the original registration cards and receipts in the box. It has to be a generational thing.

 

[GrandmaSideways]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I have one of those Ryan from my brother-in-law's father who was a WW2 vet and I wound up with a lot of his tools during the estate dispersal.

It's a either the polished body or a bit later with the gold/olive bakelite motor housing. Let me check and I;ll post a pic.

I can't part with it but it's hardly used.

Pieces of history baby. Pieces of history.

Are these actually rare? I have one of these, maybe two since I know I have a polished metal one and gold/olive plastic also rings a bell. I've just never used them because they're wired. Came from my grandfather's estate I believe.

 

[883jockey]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Those exact B&Ds seen in this thread are exactly what I'm used to, as they're what my 75-year-old pop has been using since he bought them new many moons ago. They're the kit I learned on as a sprout and they've been in constant use since. Hard to find that kind of quality these days without spending big bucks.

Thanks for reviving some great memories! I'll have to see if I can get him to send me pics of his gear and share it with y'all.

 

[Sage55]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Those are some seriously good looking tools.

 

[swharris]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I have many a memory of a severely twisted wrist from using my dad's B&W that looked just like one.

 

[2mJps]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I had a Black&Decker drill like that. I found it in a trash can with a cut off cord and burnt out brushes when i was 9 in the 70s. I wrote a letter to B&D to see if i could buy some brushes for it. To my surprise they sent me a set free. I used it alot but in 1988 i had a shop that rain would run in and one night some one left it on the floor. Thanks Black&Decker

 

[exmaxima1]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

I would guess early to mid 70's.

I bought the same drill for my Dad around 1974

 

[trunk1250]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

That's a great find. There's something really cool about finding an old drill that's like brand new. I recently found this one after a long search.
My dad was a contract aluminum storm window and door installer in the early 60's. A tool salesman tried to convince him to buy their new Black and Decker "cordless electric drill". As I recall him telling the story the price of the drill was about 3 times as much as a corded drill, so being a loyal customer they let him try it out on loan with the stipulation that he give them some feedback.
After using the drill for a short time he was so impressed that he returned to order a second one as a backup. Since that first cordless drill he never bought a corded drill for that type of work again.
Unfortunately dad was never one to hang on to worn out tools. Of all the things I would have liked to have found among his possessions after he passed away would have been one of the many cordless drills he wore out.
Since his passing about 2 years I have been searching for one like his. I finally found one on Ebay.
The Power Pack charger was long since lost and even with it I’m sure the nickel-cadmium battery would need to be replaced. But that doesn’t really matter. I have it displayed in my garage where it can bring back fond memories of working with him.
View media item 37608

 

[big.jim]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

i have a slightly older version from my grandfathers with an all aluminium body and rubber cord, it still gets used occasionally

 

[CanadaBoy]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

The old "zapper". Remember getting grounded many times using my dads B&D.

 

[Gunpilot]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

My first power tool was a B&D drill similar to this one. Mine was a single speed, 1/4" chuck. Bought it at a TG&Y for about $9 around 1974. I absolutely wore it out. Later I got the green plastic jig saw and sander to complete my arsenal.

I actually keep many of my tools in the original boxes too, that is until repeated use renders the boxes unservicable as storage containers. Thanks for posting, brings back memories.

 

[Jim Sperry]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

And it has, no doubt, those magic words on the specifications plate, "Made in USA" . . .

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Todays Black and Deckers don't even compare to the older ones

 

[bkdrywall]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

Looking for side handle for older 1311 - 1313 series Black & Decker 1/2" dirlls

 

[barnjunkie]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

They don't make 'em like they used to.

 

[Grimly]

Re: Vintage Black & Decker Drill

About 30 years ago I found a WW2-vintage B&D drill on a farm, and I've just now looked it up - it was the same body as the "Electric Tapper" on this 1942 advert, and was stamped with the War Department spearhead, so probably used in aircraft manufacture in the UK and likely war surplus bought post-war when a lot of that kit was being sold off for scrap value.
It worked perfectly well, but I was always a bit leary of it, not quite trusting its 40 year old insulation and metal body. It was fairly low-geared and nearly unstoppable.
I don't recall any modifications to it - ie, did someone remove the auto-tapper bit and just leave the chuck, I don't know.
All the same, it exuded an air of quality that most modern tools simply don't have.