Widow maker

[Toofast28]

Anyone used one of these? We use them to drill beam flanges in the field. Very low RPM, but very powerful. Has a morse taper chuck, 24" from end of the handles, about 20" tall. If it grabs it doesn't stop. It's really good at busting shins or worse. We call it the widow maker because it'll tear you up if you're not careful. I despise that thing.

 

[Zeke]

Man, that thing is from the 50's or 60's. I have it's smaller cousin hung on a display wall. And I have a slightly newer B & D 1/2" chuck that I use for mixing mud. Why don't you put a long handle on it? Or is there any way to build a fork that will straddle the beam to brace it?

 

[joel63]

Got thrown on my *** using a 3/4 one time; never again.

Have had a few bad experiences with a 1/2. Don't even look at them now.


As a result, I do not use anything over 3/8.

 

[drivesitfar]

I'm sure that will drill a nice hole and might be an old Black and Decker or some other big old US made tool from the 50's.

any chance your boss can spring for a new or slightly used Magnetic type drill. these are a little spendy and many varieties, but if you need to drill an accurate hole in steel this is the tool. quicker, safer and more precise so should pay for itself in no time.

several used ones from time to time pop up on Craigs and other online shopping spots. pictures i just found by a quick Google or magnetic drills and to show someone using it.

of course this one you posted will improve your muscles more if it doesn't kill you in the meantime.

good luck

 

[uniballer]

I got one like it, havent used it in years. Hit me in the nards once, threw it in the shed.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have a Milwaukee hole hawg I got cheap. I have only used it few times, but I can say it has more kick then an 18v drill.

 

[djjsr]

I've used one. It's a 2 man job. The smarter guy slips a 6 foot pipe over that round handle. The other guy gets to pull the trigger. Serious torque.

 

[gm54210]

I got one like it, havent used it in years. Hit me in the nards once, threw it in the shed.

Hence your user name?

 

[mrobins297aaa]

that's the kind of drill you want to use standing on a ladder.........lol

 

[DenisG]

I got one like it, havent used it in years. Hit me in the nards once, threw it in the shed.

Black & Decker pecker wrecker

 

[dodgemike]

Yes, about 40 years ago at a mfg.
plant. Usually with a large bit in
thick metal. And yes with a buddy
and long pipe on the handle. Even
then when it grabbed it would throw two big guys around. They
finally bought us a magnetic drill.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

 

[exmaxima]

We call it the widow maker because it'll tear you up if you're not careful. I despise that thing.

When I was in college and worked summers at a machine shop, we called an old geared drive drill press The Widow Maker. It would not stop for anything.

It was much safer to use the ancient flat-belt drill press when reaming out 1-13/16" holes for Hendrickson truck motor mounts.

 

[Toofast28]

We have a mag drill too, the last time I used this we were building a bridge, 12x3 oak planks, had to drill through them then the beam to bolt them down. Mag drill is no good there. that job we had 2 of these drills and me and the other guy each ran our own for 2 full days to get the deck bolted down, lots of holes. Both of us looked like we went 12 rounds with mayweather and lost.

 

[zkling]

Aw, I was hoping to see one of the old TM400s. O well that is still cool.

 

[GCncsuHD]

I was going to suggest upgrading to a mag-drill as well.

We have a mag drill too, the last time I used this we were building a bridge, 12x3 oak planks, had to drill through them then the beam to bolt them down. Mag drill is no good there. that job we had 2 of these drills and me and the other guy each ran our own for 2 full days to get the deck bolted down, lots of holes. Both of us looked like we went 12 rounds with mayweather and lost.

Sure it is, c-clamp a steel plate to the wooden plank, mount mag-drill to that. Or if you couldn't access the bottom to c-clamp, make a piece of "channel" out of sheet steel, 12" wide, to slide over the 12" plank. Mount mag-drill to that, make the channel big enough for you to step or kneel on to weigh it down to resist picking up, the lips of the channel will prevent turning.

 

[skyking]

Dam near lost 3 fingers to one. They work fine if you use a 30' cheater bar and have your wife pull the trigger.

 

[upndown]

Used one once, Nuff said..

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I'm sure that will drill a nice hole and might be an old Black and Decker or some other big old US made tool from the 50's.

any chance your boss can spring for a new or slightly used Magnetic type drill. these are a little spendy and many varieties, but if you need to drill an accurate hole in steel this is the tool. quicker, safer and more precise so should pay for itself in no time.

several used ones from time to time pop up on Craigs and other online shopping spots. pictures i just found by a quick Google or magnetic drills and to show someone using it.

of course this one you posted will improve your muscles more if it doesn't kill you in the meantime.

good luck

Yeah -- a good mag drill is a livesaver - these things will punch a sizable hole fast without ripping you to shreds

 

[smiffy]

my farther at 55 still uses one daily without cheater bar for drilling holes in lorry chassis where a mag drill cant get, dunno what his technique is but hes happy enough to do it so must have one, he refers to it as the gutbuster as when the apprentices try it they lean over to brace it downwards and you can guess the rest

 

[rustyjames]

I have an old Craftsmanship 1/2" and it got me a few times. Lot of compunction every time I used it.

 

[gayler]

Nothing that big, but I got a B&D 1/2 that mounts to a drill press. It has a button that locks the trigger in the on position. That thing can kick your ***! I don'y take it out of the drill press anymore.

 

[Fretters]

I have an old Wolf of that style knocking about. Also have a little hand held Siemens-Schuckert of the D handle design too. Fortunately on that one, the toggle switch is very well located, just underneath the handle. If it does ******, your finger catches the toggle switch and turns it off before the wrist risks breaking.

 

[wvrailroader]

We use ones just like it on the job to drill holes in bridge ties for hold down bolts. Never really heard of any injuries from them. They do a fine job, even in 18" or thicker oak ties.

 

[bl00]

I have a Van Dorn with a 5/8" chuck. It mostly stays in the stand because I'm scared of it.

 

[Toofast28]

We use ones just like it on the job to drill holes in bridge ties for hold down bolts. Never really heard of any injuries from them. They do a fine job, even in 18" or thicker oak ties.

I've never actually been "injured" by it, just beats the piss out of me the few times I use it until I get the hang of it again. Sore wrists, beat up shins mainly.

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm surprised you can have that thing on a job site.. I thought all aluminum tool cases violated some OSHA rule?

What was said about the 6 ft handle and a helper was right on... We had one of those on my second pit crew I was on, and some girl was using it and caught her hair in it. Had to unplug it cause she couldn't shut it off. lucky she didn't get hurt...

 

[Toofast28]

We are too small for OSHA to bother us.

 

[Barry Tucker]

I've only had to use it once.....

Original thread

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147774

Regards Barry

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

First job as a young truck mechanic was to drill frames for repair plates. Spent a long day driving one of those, then the next long day looking for another job.

Still makes me sore thinking about it 20 years later.

 

[Ohmthis]

I've got a 3/4 B and D that has a 3/4 auger bit in it for drilling studs to pull wire through. I've taken my share of *** whoopin's from it, but it is still my favorite for that job. Drill through several studs thick.......No problem!

 

[nine4gmc]

Pretty freakin frightening

 

[drivesitfar]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/tls/4336187206.html

not sure if this is the Widow maker when it's not on the drill press stand, but a 5/8 inch B & D with drill press stand has to be bought for $25 and i just don't need another drill or another sprained wrist.

get these bad boys off the stand and drill some holes in some wood or steel and you best be dead on straight or wrist, arm, head or knards look out.

i still would by a magnet type drill if i was going to drill more than a few holes in steel i beams and it would pay for itself quickly.

 

[jmarkwolf]

I have an old Craftsmanship 1/2" and it got me a few times. Lot of compunction every time I used it.

I have one of these also. Been drilling a lot of 3/4" and 1" holes vertically through 2x6's nailers and double stacked 2x6 top plates, while wiring my new deatched garage recently.

It does kick when the drill bit breaks through or if it hits a nail, but man nothing will stop it!

It was my dad's. I keep it around for the tough jobs.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I don't know what the big deal is. Sure there are times a magnetic drill would be better. I have a drill very similar to this and I don't use it often. When I do it works a lot better than a 1/2" high speed or variable speed drill.

 

[uniballer]

Hence your user name?

No that was because of cancer.

 

[Packard V8]

Hardest summer job I ever had was at the Nashville Bridge plant in Bessemer, AL. It was hot, dirty and dangerous. Big crane-loads of loose steel going overhead all the time.

One of the jobs a mag drill couldn't do there was to ream vertical joining plates. To join two sections, each end has a plate with punched undersize holes. The two sections were positioned and tapered pins driven in a couple of holes. Two helpers @ $1.65 an hour minimum wage, would take a big drill motor with a tapered reamer and all day long ream the hole through the two or three steel plates, drive in a pin, ream the next hole, drive in a pin. That job would make a man of one if there was enough building material there. More than one guy didn't last out the first day.

Once all the joining plate holes were reamed, then the hot rivet crew would permanently join them. Watching a hot rivet crew is high iron ballet. Another lost art.

jack vines

 

[skruft]

I knew a boat carpenter who was a smaller guy. In that kind of work you need to use large round hole saws. They do not need a lot of power but will often catch in the wood. He would deliberately use a large but cheap drill that would stall when it caught, rather than keep going and possibly hurt him.

I agree, the big drills that have no clutch can hurt you, if you can't brace the side handle somewhere.

 

[porschedude996TT]

I have a Clark 1/2" with two rpm/speed settings. One is "Off" and that is zero RPM's and the other is an instant 600 RPM. it was my Grandfathers who died 33 years ago at the ripe old age of 88. I never saw him use it, but I used it a lot when building my shop and for heavy steel hand drilling. Just got to be smart about using it. Having the anti-rotation feature figured out before pulling the trigger is a must.

 

[acdeucey]

Arm Breakers and Widow Makers...

I have a couple:

While I use the 1969 Craftsman, I haven't summoned the courage to use the 1932 Thor "Norwegian Arm Breaker" or the 1920 Black & Decker. I do have a drill stand for the B&D so whenever I get the stand restored, I may use the drill with that.

Previous owners of the BIG ones had some interesting stories concerning using these drills. Big fun!

Don