‘Re-purposing’ old hand drills

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

I bought these two old hand drills for £1 the pair a few years back with the intention of refurbishing them (or butchering them for small engine flywheels!) but never got round to it. While thinking about making a piloted tap holder today it occurred to me that these little chucks could probably be re-purposed and would certainly be better than trying to adapt the awful holders and wrenches supplied with the tap and die set I bought a month ago. I've already made a tail-stock die-holder so I'm hoping this conversion will allow me to throw away the wrenches.

The chuck I've removed has a 10mm shank and will hold taps up to 6mm. I'm thinking of turning away the teeth to leave a plain shank then brazing it into a boss fitted with a tommy bar. I don't fancy turning a morse taper so I'll just make the boss long enough to slide along a parallel bar held in the tailstock chuck like the die-holder I made.

But if anyone has a better idea Id be happy to hear it

I guess the one I've dismantled is from the 1960's but I wonder how old the other one is? Shame the threaded end of the handle is missing, I'm guessing it was used for holding bits?

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

On reflection it might be easier to fit a solid boss with a shaft which runs in a longish bush held in the tail-stock chuck.

[Dave MartinParticipant @davemartin29320]

Paul – as well as using one for a drill occasionally, I keep one permanently with a countersink fitted for quick deburring.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

I'd restore them both if the were mine . The top one looks quite old. Is that a hand turned thread in the wooden handle?

Ed.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

I'd hang the top one on the wall as is just so I could admire it. Lovely bit of 19C industrial art with lovely patina.

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

I use hand drills (with a sensible gearing ratio) to make winders for my rubber powered vintage aeroplanes. Just drill the spigot and don't attempt to hold the hook in the chuck (dump the chuck). It's not too hard to add a turns counter.

Here is an 80 year old design that is still fun to fly (1937 Korda).

* Danny M *

Edited By Danny M2Z on 15/01/2017 03:53:17

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Danny, is it a trick of perspective or is that plane really bigger than the car?

Hopper, I'm not sure about the older one – it all has the look and feel of 19th C except the chuck, although the hand-wheel (or whatever it's called) is very crudely cast. I'm loathe to dismantle that one, I need to find someone who can make a new wooden top for it.

EDIT: I take that back – it's definitely 'No. 1 (early frame)', hollow-head version from 1880!

http://oldtoolheaven.com/hand_drills/drill1.htm

 

Edited By PaulR on 15/01/2017 08:13:47

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

The top one is an American 'Millers Falls' item from 1878 catalogue…..

http://oldtoolheaven.com/hand_drills/drill1.htm

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Beat you to it Bob , see my edit above. I think it's the 1880 version though.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

If you go back to 1989, there was a series in ME, "Going Electric" by Rex Nicholls, about building an electric loco using an old car DC generator as the motor, and the bevel gears from a hand drill for the transmission.

Ian S C

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Nice Millers Falls drill missing the end cover for the drill compartment, handle is rosewood as would have breen the small turning handle which would have the makers marks and number. If the chuck has the MF marks will sell quite well as a spare part.The small springs inside the chuck are like hens teeth to find! I scour old drills at car boots just for the chuck springs!

Martin

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Martin: Having never dismantled a chuck before I didn't realise there were three separate springs lurking within – even on this later hand drill (I haven't dismantled the MF one yet). I can see how they get lost so easily!

Anyway, I've completed the 'conversion', except for making a simple elongated bush to go in the tail-stock…

The chuck parts after turning away the gear teeth:

The parts required to convert it (the tommy bar is also re-purposed material… ground steel from a circa 2005 printer, you might notice some figures on it!!), the boss was a very rusty lump of steel that needed a purpose in life:

Soldering the chuck to the boss (I hate that weedy wire type silver solder, I always make a mess with it but I've got a yard I have to use up ) :

The pretty much finished item:

 

Edited By PaulR on 15/01/2017 16:02:21

[norman valentineParticipant @normanvalentine78682]

I had a Stanley hand drill from the late sixties that broke (I can't remember the problem). I mounted the chuck on the handle, it made a very useful holder for things like countersinks for deburring.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Re the little springs holding the chuck jaws apart. Last time I needed some the internal spring out of an aerosol can did the deed. For the larger, 1/2", chucks sometimes the spring out of a retractable type ball point pen will do. Seem to be different sizes of these, I got lucky with one smaller in diameter than most.

Clive.

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Martin: The chuck does indeed have the Millers Falls name on it, it also has the date of manufacture but I can't read the last digit of the year – 20th September 188x!

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

You could always stick a whisk on the end of it, if you like your cooking

Michael W

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Better than a battery drill, when the power drops off, go and have a cupper, and when you come back you'll be recharged. I have 2 with 1/4" chucks, a Record, and a Stanley, and a 2 speed with a 1/2" chuck.

Ian S C

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

I've seen one used for engine control in a narrow boat. The control wheel is on the hatch cover bulkhead at the back of the boat and needs to control the engine which sits in the engine room between the cabin and the load space, some yards away on a traditional narrow boat, and requires bevel gearing to connect down to the engine. The components from a hand drill are just right for the job, cheap and easily available.

regards Martin

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