# old, small pilar drill wotsit



## bugbear (22 May 2008)

I recently found (and bought) a small, neat pillar drill:











Following careful observation I note:

* The tightening bolts are 3/8" whitworth (English/Imperial units)
* The pillar is 2 cm diameter, 45 cm length (exactly, so SI units)
* The base casting is marked "800" and "2B"
* The gear assembly casting is marked "800" and "2A"
* The movable rest is marked "800"
* The main drive wheel is marked "800"
* The handle crank is stamped "foreign"
* The handle is covered in transparent plastic of some kind.
* the crank is removeable, and the drive wheel 'V' grooved for a belt
* the bearings are plain (not ball)
* the machining and finish are rather nice

I think (from web searching) the "foreign" means that it was imported, probably from continental Europe between 1900-1930.

I'm guessing in this case "continental Europe" would be Germany or Switzerland.

It's so small and neat, I'm guessing it's somewhere in the realm of model engineering, toolroom. horology or jewellery.

So - can anyone identify this tool?

BugBear (who used it do drill a 1mm hole to repair a tap holder on Sunday)


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## Harbo (22 May 2008)

Sorry cannot help with the identification but do you need 3 hands to work it?

Rod :wink: :lol:


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## Smudger (22 May 2008)

No idea - but it's a nice little thing. Sort of galoot Dremel.

Perhaps you pull the handle down with your teeth?


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## bugbear (22 May 2008)

Harbo":3fdxm6b2 said:


> Sorry cannot help with the identification but do you need 3 hands to work it?
> 
> Rod :wink: :lol:



Machine Vise with 'T' nuts to fix to the base works for me...

BugBear


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## MrJay (22 May 2008)

Oh that's cute. I've a daddy size hand cranked bench drill, but sadly it's old and worn and there is too much play in the quill to do accurate hole making and I've not the metal work skills and toolage to put it right. Yours looks to be in very nice condition; I am quite jealous and you sir, suck.


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## Mcluma (22 May 2008)

I like that drill

But what are you going to use it for??


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## Anonymous (22 May 2008)

I really like that!
I haven't found anything on it but the orange paint, the shape of the hand crank and the red varnish on the crank handle just scream "Millers Falls".
Very cool find.


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## TheTiddles (22 May 2008)

That's one big paperweight, what are you going to use it for??

Thank god for power tools, can you imagine what it must have been like back in the dark ages?

Aidan


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## Anonymous (22 May 2008)

_______


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## bugbear (23 May 2008)

Roger Nixon":zh9ohk98 said:


> I really like that!
> I haven't found anything on it but the orange paint, the shape of the hand crank and the red varnish on the crank handle just scream "Millers Falls".
> Very cool find.



That was my initial thought, but I read this cover-to-cover

http://www.roseantiquetools.com/sitebui ... ls1939.pdf

and while Millers Falls did many similar drills, they didn't do this one.

BugBear


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## Anonymous (29 May 2008)

I still wouldn't rule out MF. That catalog was from 1925 and your drill looks more modern. Not that I've been able to find anything close to it.
Anyhow, it is one of those tools that puts a smile on my face just looking at it.


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## toolsntat (30 May 2008)

Personally I reckon if it was M/FALLS it would say as they seemed to be hot on letting people know stuff was theirs....

The 'foreign' bit reminds me of something I recall about stuff imported from Germany after the war not selling so it was stamped thus.....

There is a small drill that was sold by Woolworth's at some stage with a similar look but far from as complicated called the 'sixpenny' and was sold in separate parts to keep to there policy of nothing over sixpence..

Could be wrong on all these points as can`t remember where I got the info from :roll:


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## wjordan (31 May 2008)

Hello,

yes, it was made in Germany. By Theodor Genkinger (Nuertingen), to be more specific. I've found this model in a Genkinger catalogue dating from 1938. It has all the details and even the correct model number. Here's a link to more information and a picture of its bigger brothers:
http://www.holzwerken.de/pics/genkinger_page_22.jpg






Wolfgang


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## Jake (31 May 2008)

Fantastic - this kind of (I guess in some ways tiny) thing illustrates the sheer awesomeness of the internet. There's always someone, somewhere! 

Cheers, Wolfgang - I've got nothing to do with this thread, but it made me smile.


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## Pete W (1 Jun 2008)

Jake":16tyqgt7 said:


> the sheer awesomeness of the internet... it made me smile.



Ditto. Amazing just how small (in some ways) the world has become.


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## PaulO (1 Jun 2008)

Now we can see that the tool can be connected to a line shaft via a pulley, should we get a mod to move it out of the hand tools section? :wink:


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## Tom K (1 Jun 2008)

Sorry Paul thats to connect it to a small boy (who has to hand crank it)

Regards Tom


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## Benchwayze (3 Jun 2008)

Hi Bugbear,

Ahhh.. Memories... I saw one of these, in situ, in the late 40's. 

(I suppose that could be termed the 'Dark Ages'. Everything nice and/or necessary was on ration and everything not on ration was expensive! )

The drill was in a model engineer's shop. The guy was a friend of my father and the Locomotives I saw that same day made my eyes pop! :shock: For the record, the engineer did have a full kit of machines too.

This is a nice find Bugbear and if it's in good order, it should be as pleasant to use as a hand-cranked grinder! For sure, if I ever see one, I shall be buying. 
Nice one

John


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## bugbear (3 Jun 2008)

wjordan":2i7xau2w said:


> Hello,
> 
> yes, it was made in Germany. By Theodor Genkinger (Nuertingen), to be more specific. I've found this model in a Genkinger catalogue dating from 1938. It has all the details and even the correct model number. Here's a link to more information and a picture of its bigger brothers:



Oh wow! That's marvellous. Thank you so much.

It's a bit scary having power feed with the handle still attached, but I guess that's for the catalogue, just to show both options, as opposed to being "normal working practice"

Do you want any photos of the tool for your web site?

Thanks again for the info.

BugBear


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## bugbear (3 Jun 2008)

PaulO":2isih39s said:


> Now we can see that the tool can be connected to a line shaft via a pulley, should we get a mod to move it out of the hand tools section? :wink:



It's clearly for the treadle option 

BugBear


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