Today I used the verrrrry cool early 50's sci fi ray gun looking Millers Falls Dyno Mite drill for the first time. Brought it home from Mom's basement where it had likely lived for decades. Very solid in construction. Made of metal that I don't think you could dent with a sledgehammer. Works perfectly. Even cooler were the green sparks that showed through the cooling fins under power. I don't remember seeing this as a kid but it is now one of my favorite things.
I collect and restore 50s era tools. Something about working with the tools that made America the first ones on the moon ....
Just a feel that you dont get with bew stuff. Especially the polished aluminium handheld stuff. Like my 50s makita sawzall and drill.
In reply to SPG123 :
We have this ancient 1930s Van Dorn electric drill that is fascinating. Has a huge gear reduction drive off the side of it, triggers sticking out of the side 180 degrees apart, and a huge bar on the end of it for you to press your chest against. You can just about count the revolutions of the drill, but if the bit ever grabs it'll take you along for a ride.
In reply to NickD :
Ain't that the truth! I was drilling a bellhousing with my gear reduction makita once. Bellhousing on the workbench. Bit dug in, and i had a good enough grip on the drill that the bellhousing spun and cracked a rib.
Dusterbd13 said:I collect and restore 50s era tools. Something about working with the tools that made America the first ones on the moon ....
Just a feel that you dont get with bew stuff. Especially the polished aluminium handheld stuff. Like my 50s makita sawzall and drill.
Very cool..........keep up the good work.
Dusterbd13 said:Something about working with the tools that made America the first ones on the moon ....
There are countries that use the metric system, and there are countries that have been to the moon.
We have an old Milwaukee drill, at work. Not a 'pistol grip', just a handle on the end, and no outrigger bars, either. If the bit grabs, you just let go, man. Don't need a broken wrist.
Millers Fall is about 25 miles west of my place i used to go through it going to work. Not much left in the town sadly but there is a good micro brew pub.
I remember my Dads shop had one of those large drills. It was used for all sorts of thing, I don't remember drilling as one.
I remember as a kid my father telling me a story that looking back doesn't entirely make sense. About how he was working on a jobsite in the 1960s and he looked over at his brother who was frozen in place. He had a big, old industrial drill and it was grounding through him. My father threw himself against my uncle, causing him to drop the drill. First of all, would a ground fault actually cause someone to clench up like that without killing him? And secondly, why didn't he just unplug it?
In reply to Kreb :
As a person who has been the guy frozen in place, yes it can, the guy I was working with kicked me off of it. I hurt all over for a week.
I literally came very close to murdering the electrician that ignored the tag and turned the circuit back on.
This is my favorite tool. I don't use it often but it is a joy to run. It turns 71 this year.
I use this for all kinds of stuff around the garage, it turns 1,028,147 years old this month.
I will never use a old metal cased drill again. I had one ground through me and was frozen in place. Managed to fall over and knock it free. Every muscle in you body hurts for a week. One of the less fun experiences I have had.
The old man has rebuilt the Sawz-All he's had since the 70s at least 8 times. That thing will wipe the floor with anything built in the last 25 years. Just kept rebuilding.
NickD said:In reply to SPG123 :
We have this ancient 1930s Van Dorn electric drill that is fascinating. Has a huge gear reduction drive off the side of it, triggers sticking out of the side 180 degrees apart, and a huge bar on the end of it for you to press your chest against. You can just about count the revolutions of the drill, but if the bit ever grabs it'll take you along for a ride.
Troof.
We had a similar era Black & Decker monster that belonged to the old landlord left in the garage when I was a kid. Gear reduction, long handles and it clamped into a stand to make it a drill press. Pack gearbox w/ grease, sparky when running, the lights would dim. Enough torque to run a pipe threading machine or a winch from what I know now. Was drilling a bellhousing too, handheld the drill w/ my feet firmly planted on the BH when the bit dug in and spun me like a berkeleying top till E36 M3 went flying everywhere. It started blowing fuses shortly afterwards. Dad caught that act and gave it to Uncle Joe, never seen it again.
Not exact but looked real similar to this:
What a berkeleying beast.
The old drills were tough but variable speed triggers made a huge difference in safety. I saw one co-worker break a little finger when the bit hung and it wrapped the cord around the drill, along with his finger. I saw another co-worker dislocate his shoulder with a big 1/2" drill with the on/off trigger. That said, other old tools were great. I have a WWII vintage lathe that's handy. I also have some hand tools that are older than me. I have an old rugby shirt I wear in the garage during cold weather that's been around longer than my marriage of 35 years...,
Old drills?? You have to go pre-electric. I actually use these around the house all the time. These were my grandfather's tools.
In reply to GTwannaB :
That bottom drill in your pic. I used to drill holes in people's heads with one just like that.
I used the top one on my glider trailer. There's a lift to raise & lower the ship from the trailer; they supply a U shaped thingie like new car jacks. I welded a 6" - 3/8" extension to the auger and life just got soooo much easier.
ALL the tools I used were quite vintage.
Kreb said:I remember as a kid my father telling me a story that looking back doesn't entirely make sense. About how he was working on a jobsite in the 1960s and he looked over at his brother who was frozen in place. He had a big, old industrial drill and it was grounding through him. My father threw himself against my uncle, causing him to drop the drill. First of all, would a ground fault actually cause someone to clench up like that without killing him? And secondly, why didn't he just unplug it?
Totally possible. Non electrically insulated metal bodied tool. Any loss of the lacquer insulation on the field windings and the electrons will try and find their way through the case, if the user is the least resistant path to ground that is where it will go. I have seen a drill that would produce a spark whenever the bit touched any grounded metal. The owner of that drill hid it in his car whenever corporate did inspections for workers comp reasons.
In reply to GTwannaB :
I have those with bits
I have a complete set of engine overhaul tools except for valves. Do have the dowel with suction cups for lapping.
Haven't used any of them in years.
dean1484 said:I will never use a old metal cased drill again. I had one ground through me and was frozen in place. Managed to fall over and knock it free. Every muscle in you body hurts for a week. One of the less fun experiences I have had.
Yeah, my experience wasn't that bad, but I have been shocked by them in the past. I have an old metal-cased hammer drill I got from my FIL. For the once every 5 years I use it, it's not worth replacing, but whenever I do use it, I wear thick leather gloves.
Sometimes the newer stuff is actually better.
My 1950s Craftsman drill press.
I did find one of those old metal cased drills at a garage sale and bought it for two dollars - unfortunately, the gears inside it were all stripped. But I did use a couple Stanley planes that belonged to my grandfather for shaving down a board a bit this weekend.
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