Thread: Blacksmiths Post Drill - Bits

Anybody who's seen my postings in this sub-section, may have noted that probably every thread I've started has been about blacksmiths post drills.

Blacksmiths post drills mostly came with a primitive chuck, bored to take a ½" shank - tightened by a bolt. So if you intend to use a post drill, a specialist drill bit is required with a half-inch shank. Brand new reduced shank bits are readily available in sizes above ½" - all that is needed is to grind a flat (for the clamping bolt to engage). However for sizes below ½" the options are limited: make your own (braze common bits into ½" blank shanks); fit a Jacobs chuck with a ½" shank; or scour the second-hand market.

I have a Jacobs chuck in the post drill mounted in my workshop, and I use it from time to time - mostly with Forstner bits (try bluing a Forstner bit in a hand-cranked press ).

But for my collection of Silver post drills I wanted a set of genuine blacksmiths bits (and genuine doesn't include home brazed ones).

I don't think blacksmiths bits in sizes below ½" have been made for many a year. I'd guess the last manufacturers would have dropped them in the 1950s or 1960s. They can't have been very popular, as the cost of production must have been greater than standard twist bits. Likewise the cost of materials - especially in the smaller sizes.

The Silver Manufacturing Co., maker of fine post drills, listed blacksmiths, bit stock, and straight shank twist drills, in their 1911 catalogue. A ¼" straight shank bit sold for 28c, while the blacksmiths bit sold for 60c - over twice the price (the bit stock drill sold for 75c). In ⅛" the standard bit was 13c, while the blacksmith bit was 45c - 3½ times the price. Even at ½" (the break-even point you might think) the standard bit was 70c, vrs 85c for the blacksmith bit - I guess machining the flat cost 15c .

So anyway, I've been gathering bits wherever I could. I buy miscellenous bunches of old tat...

BB6.jpg This lot included two blacksmiths bits.

Paul McGee was kind enough to send me five that he had acquired.

I've even resorted to buy an unwanted post drill, just to get the bits that came with it...

BB2.jpg I paid over $100 for this Champion No.101...

BB1.jpg ...just to get these 24 bits.

...I still haven't on-sold the drill to recover most of my outlay .

This Champion No.98 was listed in Melbourne last year with a great selection of bits - alas, too far away.

BB3.jpg BB4.jpg A nicely presented drill, with a set of bits to die for .

So when this lot of eight, brand spanking new blacksmiths bits, showed up on Trademe last week (at a reasonable price what's more ), I had to have them.

BB5.jpg

They arrived yesterday, and I'm pleased as punch (so much so, I had to start a thread to gloat ).

Cheers, Vann.