Record High Speed Breast Drill

[AndyT]

I recently acquired a copy of a reprint of the Gamages mail order catalogue from 1914. Alongside pages of sporting goods, gramophones and gentleman's hats. there are a few pages of tools. At first glance the engravings look very similar to what many people will know already from other catalogues available as reprints or online, from companies such as Melhuish or Tyzack. Indeed, I know that engravings were re-used in different catalogues, sometimes with a name scratched out and a new one inserted. But then I spotted a tool I had not seen before. It's this:

I think that "Record" must mean C & J Hampton of Sheffield, later famous for their range of planes and isn't meant as some sort of "fastest ever" claim.

The only early Hampton's catalogue I know is from 1910 and is on the TATHS site. It does list four very basic models of drill:

but none of them are like this one.

It looks like an ordinary breast drill, but with an extra pair of gears where the handle would normally go. I imagine it would have been clumsy to use, with even more risk than usual of catching clothing or flesh in the spinning gears.

But has anyone ever seen one? Or seen it in a Record catalogue? As far as I can see, neither of the plane-centred Record sites list it, even among the rarities.

Has anyone got one lurking in their collection? Surely it must have existed to have been offered to ordinary non-trade users in a mainstream catalogue? The hunt is on!

 

[G S Haydon]

Very interesting! I've not come across anything like what you've shown.

 

[toolsntat]

Well, that took a while, not only a drill and bench assembly but another reference in a catalogue.

https://archive.org/details/JBuckCatalogue/page/n218/mode/1up?view=theater
Note, scroll down a page to the said tool.


I recently tipped off a good friend about one of these and it would seem to be a rarity in the internet search world.


The only real result is young Mr @AndyT offering from the Gamages catalogue which has a difference in which the gears are straight cut instead of skewed.


English RECORD or American called the RECORD?
Cheers, Andy

 

[Eshmiel]

"..... will do any class of work....." . That seems unlikely if the gearing enables 1000 revs per minute. Teeny drill bits only perhaps? How to put in the torque by hand for anything larger? Has anyone out there experience of actually using such a thing?

 

[BillHoughton]

Seems kind of silly to offer a high speed option on a tool that, by design, is for larger bits in tougher materials. If you want high speed for smaller bits, just bring out some of the smaller eggbeater drills.

 

[toolsntat]

"..... will do any class of work....." . That seems unlikely if the gearing enables 1000 revs per minute. Teeny drill bits only perhaps? How to put in the torque by hand for anything larger? Has anyone out there experience of actually using such a thing?

Greater torque and slower speed is achieved by swapping over the cranking handle.
As for using, perhaps the owner will give it a whirl?
Cheers, Andy

 

[Trafalgar]

For the poor soul who had to drill holes eleven hours a day, six days a week.

 

[Eshmiel]

Greater torque and slower speed is achieved by swapping over the cranking handle.
As for using, perhaps the owner will give it a whirl?
Cheers, Andy

Hmmmm. It would be good if my A-level physics and mechanics could explain how such gearing would improve the efficiency of drilling (just once or all day long) by use of this gearing but without any extra power to drive it. The gearing will make the resistance to the turning at the drill much higher, will it not? The user will, unless a Schwarzenegger, not be able to supply the power, will they ....... ? Even Arnold would need a 2 metre crank handle.

It was 57 years ago that I did A-level physics. In truth I'd forgotten it all 3 years later. It was the 60s, man!

 

[okeydokey]

Another type of a 2 speed breast drill.

 

[toolsntat]

I've found a bit more....

A mention in a pdf from

https://nzvtcc.org.nz/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Contal-drill-article.pdf
Which may appear to just be the drill stand. It does reference the catalogue it came from though.





Another appearance in

https://jicede95.over-blog.com/2016/11/catalogue-manufrance-1910.html

Judging by the French text it would appear to be of American origin.

Cheers, Andy

 

[toolsntat]

Hmmmm. It would be good if my A-level physics and mechanics could explain how such gearing would improve the efficiency of drilling (just once or all day long) by use of this gearing but without any extra power to drive it. The gearing will make the resistance to the turning at the drill much higher, will it not? The user will, unless a Schwarzenegger, not be able to supply the power, will they ....... ? Even Arnold would need a 2 metre crank handle.

It was 57 years ago that I did A-level physics. In truth I'd forgotten it all 3 years later. It was the 60s, man!

Being, as far as I know, no physicist? all I can say is that the examples I have used do a really good job of getting bigger diameters turning slowly and more easily when geared down and the cranking handle extended to the maximum position.
I have one example that even takes Morse taper bits, mind you I haven't tested it to which size would be unworkable.
Have you ever had a chance to use one?
Cheers, Andy

 

[Phill05]

Here's a two speed little more modern from the 60's