Thread: Hand drills

Rocker, I suspect that you might be one of the last users of hand drills. Sometime after our generation moves on, they'll get their 'revival'. Lie-Nielsen will come out with a gold-plated version of one of the old Stanleys, and every woodie worth his or her salt will have to have one.
Actually, I've got a little Stanley I've had since I was a kid, (well over 40 years) which I used to use for delicate jobs, (i.e. anything needing a drill under an eigth!). The drill itself is still ok, but the chuck is pretty well stuffed, and I haven't used it more than once or twice these last 5 years or more. I can now get at least two holes out of a sixteenth drill (sometimes three!) in my little Makita, so the Stanley just gets left in the toolbox for longer and longer stretches. In fact, I think the poor old thing is about to get demoted to the back of a dark cupboard, soon, as I find I need more space in the toolbox (which was built to contain all the tools I owned and ever wanted to own - hah!). My old brace and set of bits was still in regular use up to about 5 years ago, but then I got my first real-man's battery job, and they too, now languish in neglect. Dunno if I'm getting smarter or lazier......
Cheers,

IanW,

I suppose I may be a bit of a dinosaur, but it still seems to me that a hand-drill has a valid place in the tool cabinet. As you mention, you are lucky if you can drill more than a couple of 1/16" holes with a power drill before you break the bit, and it is even harder to avoid breaking a 1 mm bit. However, I am quite ready to admit that the brace and bit is now obsolete. Anyway, I am sure my descendants will be happy to inherit my Schroeder collector's item hand-drill (the rare non-gold-plated version)

Rocker

Rocker, have you seen this one?

The PB-1 Palm Brace arms are CNC milled from solid brass, pocketed and infilled with rosewood. The arms are joined with a hardened steel coupling that is broached in place in a custom alignment fixture.

The split and tapered chuck is custom made from stainless steel and is broached to accept all 1/4" hex tools. Bits are firmly secured in place by a solid brass locking knob. The chuck shaft is also broached in place creating a very rigid joint with the lower brace arm.

The top knob smoothly pivots around a steel shaft that is broached in place in the top arm. A precisely sized and finished rosewood infill completes the knob.

The revolving, ball shaped handle is turned from solid brass. This specially shaped handle is designed to compliment or mirror other components of the brace in addition to providing a firm and solid grip for your fingers. Although it is diminutive in size, it is robust, strong and capable of decades of use.

All this for US$159 from Bridge City Tools.

made an outdoor table at christmas assisted by my son. Out came grandad's hand drill and on another occasion the brace and bit when I couldn't be bothered to faff around getting out the electric drill, the extension cable etc etc etc.

Modern technology is all very well but sometimes it takes longer to set the equipment up than it takes to to the job. Used to keep my address book on the PC at home too until I realised that a) it wasn't portable and b) when someone asks you for a phone number they don't want to hang around while you fire up your computer ... back to the old fashioned address book. And am I the only person who finds tuning a car radio with a tuning knob is a damn site quicker than using the scanner if you want a station thats not on the presets .... I guess I'm a luddite at heart.

Originally Posted by DPB

Rocker, have you seen this one?
All this for US$159 from Bridge City Tools.

Darn it - the revival's started already, and I'm not quite dead, yet!

I agree with Rocker.

For some reason some people feel that either you use hand tools 100% of the time or you use the latest power tool 100% of the time.

Many of us know that it is horses for courses and the sensible person knows when to use each tool. They all have their applications.

- Wood Borer

Don,

Thanks for the info on the Bridge City brace. It will take its place on the list of tools that I would quite like to own, but probably never will, such as a Gordon shoulder plane, a Veritas scraper plane, and a Clifton hand countersink.

Rocker

Rocker, we will turn you into a Neanderthal yet!!!

I agree, a hand drill is essential equipment. It is like the humble screwdriver - it allows you to do the job with more precision than a powered drill-driver.

Stanley "egg beater" drills are plentiful on eBay and at swap meets. They go cheaply as no one wants them anymore. I have a 5-position model (includes reverse).

The other "forgotten" drill is the brace. Yes, the brace. I have two so far and I'm looking for more (they come in different sizes). Just received a set of NOS auger bits (an eBay purchase) and tried them out yesterday in some hard jarrah. They cut the cleanest holes you could imagine, and without any effort at all. Importantly, they also permit you to adjust hole depth carefully.

The other use for a brace is as a screwdriver (bits are available). Boy, can these things leverage!

Regards from Perth

Neanderthal Derek

And am I the only person who finds tuning a car radio with a tuning knob

Don't you mean car "wireless"?



P

One more hand drill to consider is the Stanley Yankee #40Y. Is is a one-handed push drill, invaluable for small spaces and great at drilling pilot holes. It comes with a set of 8 drill bits in the handle (mine only had 6 surviving). Like the others, only available second hand via eBay, etc.

It is the one on the extreme left in the picture.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek

I have one of them over 30 years old and if I had a dollar for every hole I have drilled with it I could fit out my whole workshop with every thing that I would ever need.

It was invaluable for drilling holes to install curtain tracks, screen doors and fly screens back in 60's and 70's before I got my first battery drill which was a Black & Decker the first battery drill made.

I still have all the bits for the push drill all though one is half worn down.
What would one of them be worth now?

I remember when I was in England as a lad about half a century ago .. I had a small hand drill that had a chuck at one end, a spiral shaft and a little thing that you could manually run up and down the shaft to make the shaft spin. They were used in model making and rather than using fluted bits they used a type of spade bit but with a spear shaped point. These little beauties were excellent at precision work and I cannot remember ever breaking one of the drill bits. Course, I wasn't trying to drill Ozzie timbers then.

No idea if they are still available but if they are then I would buy one in a flash.

I've got one of those small modelling DC drills , will take bits upto 2mm and never broken a drill bit when using this equipment. Its got a case with the transformer etc. quality does not need to be high.

I had a small hand drill that had a chuck at one end, a spiral shaft and a little thing that you could manually run up and down the shaft to make the shaft spin.

Bob, I think that they are called Archimedes drills (talk about opening for smart Alec remarks ..... . They come up every now and then on eBay, usually sell for about $20.

Regards from Perth

Derek