Best British Hand Drill?

[Rhyolith]

This has been touched on in the recent threads about Stanley and Record Drills, I would like to go into it more. Note for this thread I am ONLY talking about hand drills, not breast or bench ones.

The best British made hand drills I own are the one made Suffolk Iron Foundry (SIF)
SIF 1944 Hand Drill by Ryolith, on Flickr
and what I think is an older version of the Stanley No.803
Stanley No.803 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

The SIF has a wonderful mesh between the gears and runs great both with and without load, as does the Stanley. The Stanley has the chuck with the half paper clip shaped springs (cannot think how to describe them) which I think was invented by North Bros, and is possibly the best chuck design I have seen on old hand drills, however slightly loses to the SIF when it comes to smoothness of the gear mesh. So although the the SIF has one of those nasty coiled spring chucks (where the springs always get bent in some way), I still pick that up over the Stanley when choosing from my British Selection.

Someone said the Record No.124 was a better example of a British Drill, so I am interested if that is the best Britain had to offer (I don't own one of those unfortunately) and does the best of British really compete with the quality and design of North Bros or Millers Falls USA?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

No idea which is the best, but I must admit to being rather fond of my 1970s Footprint. It's very nicely made; even has a built-in guard for the backs of the pinions. It also has a Jacobs keyed chuck, which I much prefer to keyless (don't know if I'm unlucky, but with drills above about 1/8" I find I get a lot of slipping in keyless hand-drill chucks).

 

[Vann]

Well, as the person who advocated for the Record 124, I thought I'd better look up my source. I had to go right back through Alf's brilliant blog to 22nd September, 2010 (doesn't time fly) to find the article

http://cornishworkshop.blogspot.co.nz/s ... results=50

and it's follow-up dated 15th October the same year.

Someone said the Record No.124 was a better example of a British Drill, so I am interested if that is the best Britain had to offer (I don't own one of those unfortunately) and does the best of British really compete with the quality and design of North Bros or Millers Falls USA?

I would say that some of the best USA drills are better than the best British drills, but they too have their issues. The magical North Bros/StanleyYankee double ratchet drills (No.s 555, 1555, 545, 1545 & 1530) are well known for brittle castings. I have never encountered their Millers falls equivilents, so can't comment on those.

That said, they're just tools for making a round hole, and the Stanley No.503 does that without fuss (unless you happen on a "Friday afternoon" edition).

While on the subject of eggbeaters and Alf - she also touched on the Millers Falls No.2 on 26th Januuary, 2011, 12th January, 2012, & 27th February, 2013. Happy reading.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[ED65]

I've been thinking about 803s a lot lately since finishing restoring mine and posting the thread where I got so much feedback (link here for posterity), and it occurred to me that they're very commonly shown in British books as the hand drill. Could it be that they were the recommendation because the various authors each considered them the best of what was available?

Looked over the books last night and without exception every one with photos shows a Stanley, either an 803 (usually the later model with the smaller chuck) or an 805. From the books I have at least it would be easy to gain the false impression that Stanley drills were the only ones available in the UK.

 

[bugbear]

Here's a more direct link to Alf's thoughts on the Record #124

http://cornishworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/2 ... nning.html

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Looked over the books last night and without exception every one with photos shows a Stanley, either an 803 (usually the later model with the smaller chuck) or an 805. From the books I have at least it would be easy to gain the false impression that Stanley drills were the only ones available in the UK.

What date are your books? My guess is that the period of peak variety was the 1920s-30s, cut short by the end of imports from America and the change to arms making for WW2. By the time manufacturing got going again in the late 50s / early 60s, Stanley would have had almost all the market to themselves, apart from cheap stuff for Woolworths to sell, so their tools would have been the ones to show. By then of course, the demand was much smaller as any respectable DIY-er (like my Dad) bought the new electric stuff from Black and Decker!

 

[Rhyolith]

Interesting, the SIF (Suffolk Iron Foundry) drill listing I have my eye on on eBay is identical to the record 124. Only the wheel casting is significantly different. I wonder if one is based on the other?

 

[AndyT]

Interesting, the SIF (Suffolk Iron Foundry) drill listing I have my eye on on eBay is identical to the record 124. Only the wheel casting is significantly different. I wonder if one is based on the other?

I'm sure there are contractual links, if anyone cared to research them. I note from the Grace's Guide entry on SIF that BB linked to,

"By 1960 Qualcast had acquired Suffolk Iron Foundry (1920) Ltd, maker of Suffolk Punch lawnmowers."

It's an often-repeated statement round these parts that Qualcast made castings for Stanley and Record planes. It makes sense - casting iron is a specialist operation, and the line between 'making' and 'branding' has always been a fuzzy one.

So, as design rights ran out (or maybe even before they did, who knows?) it may have been quite possible for toolmaker A to approach founder B and ask them to use the old patterns they had from toolmaker C to run off a batch with A's name on, or D's or anyone's. I'd be astounded if such a scheme has occurred to me but was never thought of by any of the careful, money-making entrepreneurs of Sheffield!

 

[ED65]

What date are your books?

Of the ones with colour photos earliest is from the late 70s or early 80s to judge from the clothing and hairstyles, latest is from the 00s I think.

 

[profchris]

From the books I have at least it would be easy to gain the false impression that Stanley drills were the only ones available in the UK.

Aha! In addition to SIF I can add STS, because I bought one the other day:

In much better nick than this picture suggests, essentially just the paint has worn away with use. Works fine, though could do with new chuck springs.

But what went on it here? (The hole is threaded). Presumably some specialist handle, and the shaft is marked "Patent applied for".

STS is, I discover, Stockport Tool and Steel.

 

[bugbear]

Does the inline handle unscrew, and attached to the threaded hole?

BugBear

 

[Vann]

Here's a more direct link to Alf's thoughts on the Record #124

http://cornishworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/2 ... nning.html

Thanks BB, and now I've figured out how to do it, a more direct to the preceeding article

http://cornishworkshop.blogspot.co.nz/2 ... -spin.html

Does the inline handle unscrew, and attached to the threaded hole?

That's my thought too - to give a 45 degree handle. Some of the diecast Footprint eggbeaters have that feature too.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[profchris]

Does the inline handle unscrew, and attached to the threaded hole?

BugBear

Hadn't thought to try that. But why would anyone want that handle at 45 degrees. Will report back.

Oh, and now I see the Footprint - makes more sense.

 

[profchris]

Searching ... Bugbear was quite right - here is the patent, applied for in 1958 and granted in 1960, which I guess dates my drill pretty closely.

I'm clearly missing the screw-in breast plate, which I can happily do without.

 

[Rhyolith]

I have a new contender! Its another Suffolk Iron Foundry one, but in the shape of a Record No.124. The term "over engineered" denifatly comes to mind with this lump of a hand drill! (love it! )
Suffolk Iron Foundry Drill by Rhyolith, on Flickr
SIF A M 1942 Drill by Rhyolith, on Flickr

 

[Benchwayze]

I have two Stanleys which need new nibs and springs in the chuck. (Or new chucks). Can't find any anywhere, and it's bothering me, because the braces are in excellent condition.

 

[Alvan]

Regarding the S.T.S Drill, I had some difficulty unscrewing the inline handle to try it in the Pistol-grip attitude, until I found that the thread is a Left Hand Thread !

In the altered position the drill is very compact, and a pleasure to use.

Alvan

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