# Old pillar drill info



## Scouse (19 Feb 2010)

Hello,

I've just bought an old drill from ebay. It's a Union A1 manual pillar drill; does anyone have any info on them? There seem to be a few knocking about, but I can find nothing about the drills, models or company online.

It's ideal for me as I work exclusively without electric tools, but I would like to know a bit about it.

Cheers

El.


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## bugbear (19 Feb 2010)

Scouse":4krdxkpz said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've just bought an old drill from ebay. It's a Union A1 manual pillar drill; does anyone have any info on them? There seem to be a few knocking about, but I can find nothing about the drills, models or company online.
> 
> ...



Try here:

http://www.owwm.com/

Ah; I see your drill is British - that site is (mainly) USA.

BugBear


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## Scouse (19 Feb 2010)

Thanks for that, they seem to concentrate on American and Canadian tools though. 

This drill is British, and proudly so; it has it cast into the iron base! 

They don't seem particularly scarce, I'm surprised there isn't more online about them. I have seen various models too on ebay, including single and twin speed, all powered by a big hand crank.

Anyone any other ideas where I might get info, or do you have one yourself?

Cheers

El. :?


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## Scouse (19 Feb 2010)

opps...sorry bugbear should have read the rest of your post before replying!


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## Jason Pettitt (19 Feb 2010)

I've been through a couple. In my experience play in the quill seems to be a common fault - which renders them not quite as useful as they might otherwise be. But I still get some use out of mine.


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## Scouse (22 Feb 2010)

Thanks for that. 

The quill appears ok on this one, but it won't be getting heavy use anyway. 

Anyone any ideas as to age, the Union company, history etc?

Cheers

El.


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## brihol (23 Feb 2010)

Scouse":3lk0o29n said:


> Thanks for that.
> 
> The quill appears ok on this one, but it won't be getting heavy use anyway.
> 
> ...



Does this have anything to do with the Union brand of Harrisons? Here is an extract from the entry in lathes.co.uk



"Union" was a brand name used until the 1970s by T.S.Harrison & Son and applied to a wide range of items including a number of lighter metal and wood lathes, heavy and light double-ended and single off-hand grinders, precision tool-and-cutter grinders, angle plates, drilling machines, machine vices and many similar machine-tool related parts


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## Scouse (26 Feb 2010)

What I am really after is old literature, and some idea of how to take it apart. It's in good condition, but could do with a clean. 

I don't think its a complicated piece of machinery, but it has springs and ball bearings and it's not made out of wood, so disassembly is a bit nerve racking!

El.


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