Thread: Post Drill - Canadian Blower & Forge No.61

Originally Posted by DSEL74

You think that is original?

Yeah, I reckon...

Attachment 331491Attachment 331492Attachment 331494Attachment 331495Attachment 331496Attachment 331497Attachment 331498 These pikkies were cropped to show the pawls - so the adjuster bolt doesn't always show complete - but you get the idea.

Cheers, Vann.

I'm not getting the pics

Originally Posted by Vann

The best picture I could find of the correct adjuster bolt for this post drill is this one.

Attachment 331488 This is a Buffalo Forge No.61 - but Canadian Blower & Forge was their Canadian branch, and it looks to be the same component across both plants.

I printed the picture, and scaled off it using a known dimension (the thread size), then rounded all resulting dimensions to the nearest imperial size. This resulted in a bolt 2" long, including the head 3/4" dia. x 3/8" long. The unthreaded length of shank is 1/4". A friend made up a new bolt for me, and with a thread diameter of 9.45mm it fits the threaded hole like a glove.

Attachment 331490 Attachment 331489

For the record: I found this description of the same bolt on OWWM today - as fitted to a Buffalo Forge No.152:

1 3/4" overall; 5/8" diameter x 5/16" thick, knurled head; 3/8" 16tpi thread

I suspect that Buffalo Forge and Canadian Blower & Forge probably used the same bolt across most of their post drill models. If so, then my scaling was not accurate.

Cheers, Vann.

There's one of those for sale not too far from me (which is across the ocean from everyone else), but they want a fortune for it - well over 800 AUD.

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/18709...in_the_ad.html

Originally Posted by Colin62

There's one of those for sale not too far from me...

Hi Colin. That's it's bigger (much bigger) brother, the No.614 - which drills to the centre of a 14" circle, whereas mine is the whimpy little brother and only drills to the centre of an 11" circle.

I don't know the going rate for post drills in South Africa, but if I had to pay that much for one, I'd only own one (which my wife says wouldn't be a bad thing ).

Cheers, Vann .

Thanks Vann, I didn't notice the "4" hiding on the end there

I don't know what they go for over here, because that's the first one I've seen advertised (and I do check the local auction site quite regularly, and should get an email if one comes up). I do know that I would choke at paying a quarter of what he's asking. I can only assume he got an American biased price off eBay, and used that. I'd be very, very surprised if he manages to sell it for that.

Pity really...

The seller posted this on the history of the company, copied here for convenience and prosperity.

Canadian Blower &Forge Company it was manufactured about 1914 the company started in 1903
In 1903 the Canadian Buffalo Forge Co., Ltd. was established in Montreal as the Canadian subsidiary of The Buffalo Forge Company. The company relocated to Berlin, Ontario in 1914, where it began to make drill presses and other machinery for the war effort. In April of 1915 a new company,Canadian Blower & Forge Co., Ltd., was incorporated with a half million dollars of capital, and it took over the assets of the Canadian Buffalo Forge Co.

Originally Posted by VM.org

In 1903 the Canadian Buffalo Forge Co., Ltd. was established in Montreal as the Canadian subsidiary of The Buffalo Forge Company. The company relocated to Berlin, Ontario in 1914, where it began to make drill presses and other machinery for the war effort. In April of 1915 a new company,Canadian Blower & Forge Co., Ltd., was incorporated with a half million dollars of capital, and it took over the assets of the Canadian Buffalo Forge Co.

That is lifted verbatum from here http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgi...x?id=150&tab=0

I don't recall exactly what I paid for my two incomplete No.61s - $25 & $35 NZD respectively IIRC. A complete No.614 I would expect to sell for ~$100 NZD (~$75 USD). In the States they get higher prices, with asking prices up to $500 USD - but I don't think the higher priced post drills sell.

They're a cool looking machine to have, but with all the inherent dangers of exposed gears. You'll have to get yourself one - but not at that price .

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

They're a cool looking machine to have, but with all the inherent dangers of exposed gears. You'll have to get yourself one - but not at that price

My thoughts exactly

In another thread

Originally Posted by Colin62

...I'd appreciate the measurements of the column and the foot, if you get a chance...

aC1.jpg Dagnabbit, there's rust on that tube after a couple of years of storage.

The column is hollow steel tube. It is 14 1/16" long and nominally 1 1/4" diameter (actually 31.65mm)*, but has been machined on the outside. ID varies between 26.9 and 27.3mm resulting in a ~2.5mm wall thickness.

aC2.jpg

The foot is an iron casting.
The mounting flange is 3 1/2" long x 1" wide, and 1/2" thick at the bottom flat face - but due to "draw" it tapers to 3/8" thick at the top face. The two mounting bolt holes are ~10mm diameter - to take 3/8" dia. bolts - centred 2 5/8" apart, and 9/16"up from the bottom flat face.

The rounded portion is 1 13/16" as measured on the flat face, centred 1 7/16" from the mounting board. This rounded portion is only just over 5/8" thick over the flange, and just over 1/4" thick in the bottom. ID at the bottom appears to be ~31mm.

The narrowest part of the neck (between round portion and mounting flange) is 1 5/16"

aC3.jpg aC4.jpg aC6.jpg aC7.jpg

Clear as mud? What have I left out?

* I prefer to use imperial dimensions for older gear, but when it come to accuracy I change to millimetres, as if I use imperial measurements I use 32nds, 64ths & 128ths, which annoys people who think in thousandths of an inch .

Cheers, Vann.

None of mine have a hollow column, and I don't ever recall seeing one that did. Do you think it is original?

I have only owned 3 post drills(Dawn 611 and Silver 1 1/2(X2) and all have solid columns.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

None of mine have a hollow column, and I don't ever recall seeing one that did. Do you think it is original?

Two other post drills I've bought have had lengths of pipe for pillars. This Canadian Blower & Forge No.61 pillar is in a different class, it's professionally finished - so I'd always assumed it's original.

I looked up some notes sent to me by Borringgeoff's mate, who must be the foremost post drill expert in Australia (this guy doesn't like to be identified, so I'll call him Len). Len had done a study of variations in Australian made post drills, but included some notes on Buffalo Forge and Canadian Blower & Forge post drills as well. Len had observed five or six variations of the Dawn No.611 and noted that two varients have tubular columns. Similarly, of four variations of the Globe No.403, two varients have tubular columns.

However Len's notes on Buffalo Forge and Canadian Blower & Forge post drills are less extensive and he doesn't note whether the columns are solid or tubular - so no help there. He does mention that Buffalo Forge post drills are black or unpainted (which is almost black). He doesn't comment on the colour of Canadian Blower & Forge post drills.

So, we now know that tubular columns are out there. But we don't know if they were originally fitted to any Buffalo Forge or Canadian Blower & Forge post drills.

Cheers, Vann.

I think I may have a 61 or 61R under a pile of 611s and a champion blower. It has a pressed steel table and a solid column. Unfortunately my fly press is sitting on the floor blocking access to them at present. But there should've photos in one of the threads someplace.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope it's a Buffalo Forge 611...........All this talk of post drills and I realise I haven't acquired one in ages, need to feed the addiction. Even though i have two on the floor I keep tripping over to get to restore.