The amazing North Bros No 1545 hand drill

As far as hand drills goes, this one hit all the right boxes.


Size comparison From L-R
Millers Falls No 12, North Bros No 1545, Millers Falls No 5

As picked by Rudy in the line up :-)

It is sized like a breast drill and accept different handles, either a large bulbous wooden hollow top (like the one I found) or a metal arc shaped breast plate.

Very solid attachment. But good luck trying to find
 a replacement handle...

Side handle attached

Side handle removed, often found missing

It used the double gears pinions to offset side loading and remain smooth and true under pressure, but where its funkiness really outshines them all its with the amazing little 5 positions slider selector switch.

YANKEE No 1545
North Bros Mfg Co
Phila PA USA
Pat. Nov 2 97- Jul 28 08
Nov 02 09- Aug 23 10
PLAIN
LH RATCHET
RH
RH DOUBLE
LOCK


It the first position: PLAIN it works like any regular hand drill, you spin CW so does the chuck, spin CCW and the chuck does the same

In the second position: LH RATCHET

In the third position: RH Ratchet

In the fourth position: RH DOUBLE It is really funky, no matter which way you crank, the chuck only advance (turn CW) to drill. Oh and it also ratchet so you can take small side crank motion

In the fifth position: LOCK The gears are all locked, facilitating tightening or removing the bits

Here is a video of the drill in action showing off the 5 positions slider

Add to all this a lever to select Hi or LO speed for more torque and you can really use this thing anywhere on just about anything, wood or metal.

Speed selector set to HI speed

PAT. DEC 15 08

Now that is one sweet drill! And being made by North Bros you know it is built solidly and will outlast us all.

it sport a big 3/8 chuck
stamped
"Yankee"
North Bros MFG
Philada USA Pat Mar 5 10
That patent date does not work in DATAMP, not sure if I read it right??

but thankfully here is a page that list all the patents they held So it look like it was Mar 15 1910

Here's what Chris Schwarz think of this hand drill family
Here is a primer on how to disassemble if required.
There is also a message board dedicated solely to Yankee tools

Lets have a look at the patents identified on this tool

Pat No 593,157,  Nov 2 1897
The funky 5 positions selector switch 

Pat No 894,673,  Dec 15 1908
The ratchet mechanism, that does funky tricks

Pat No 939,042, Nov 02 1909
Gearing arrangements

Pat No 952,320, Mar 15 1910
The North Bros version of Millers Falls protected spring chuck design

Pat No 968,372, Aug 23 1910
The adjustable ball bearing race near the chuck

Pat No 1,059,132, Apr 15 1913
The hollow detachable handle.
A very sturdy, bullet proof mechanism

All these patents point to a tool made post Apr 1913
North Bros Manufactured tools from 1878 until purchased by Stanley in 1946, which continues manufacturing some of their tools in Philadelphia until 1956-58, at which point they were gradually manufactured in New Britain, Stanley home turf and stamped Stanley only. At which point the quality started to declined.

Their tools have a long reputation for being solid performers, they are serious tools!

There was a series of these handrills numbered as such
1540 uses a 4-1/2 in dia large gear wheel
1545 uses a 4-1/2 in dia large gear wheel, 3/8 in,  3 jaws chuck
1550 uses a 5-1/4 in dia large gear wheel
1555 uses a 5-1/4 in dia large gear wheel, 1/2 in chuck

And also the similar models
540 uses a 4-1/2 in dia large gear wheel
545 uses a 4-1/2 in dia large gear wheel
550 uses a 5-1/4 in dia large gear wheel
555 uses a 5-1/4 in dia large gear wheel

The biggest difference between these models is in the chuck model and capacity

So all that to say that if you ever come across one, grab it you wont regret it, it is some sweet drill.
And now I pack it up and send it off to a friend in Namibia... :-)
I know you will enjoy it Gerhard, have fun with it.

I could go on and on but some one need my attention...

Bob, taking Rudy out for a walk


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The plane makers of Roxton Pond Quebec, Canada

Image
There was of course Planes and tool makers established in the big urban centers, Montreal (Dawson, Wallace) and Quebec city (VA Emond) but in late19th century, part of Canada's hand tools production was centered in a rural area around the little town of Roxton Pond, Qc in the Monteregie region. Plaque celebrating more than a 100 years of plane making in Roxton Pond erected in 1974 pic from Jacques Heroux Even during the zenith of Stanley Canada operations in Roxton Pond, the town was and remains a small municipality in southern Quebec, not far from the US border. And since we had no wall in place (gentle Canadian political humour :-), Stanley came to town in 1907, with railroad cars loads, but we are getting ahead of ourselves... In the beginning... The area is known as the Eastern Townships (Cantons de l'est) it was first settled in the late 1700s early 1800s by Loyalist, including many Americans who fled after the independence of the States from England. Starting mostly in mi...
Read more

Campbell Bros axes

Image
As I am preparing to split some of my oak billets, I took a look at my axes. I have this hewing head I picked up years ago, in need of a haft (handle) It was a gift from one of Heather's in-law from the small island of Whitehead New Brunswick, itself just off the bigger island of Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy. You get there with two ferries, a big one from Black Rock NB on the mainland (near St-John NB) then a small 8 vehicles one to Whitehead. The ferry terminal in Whitehead Me practising early retirement on the island, circa 2005 Just off the bigger island of Grand Manan is the island of Whitehead This is where my axe came from Blake knew I collect tools, so he kept an eye out in his travels and brought me some once in a while. This is how this hewing axe came to me. The single bevel side and flat reverse side, makes this a hewing axe Pics as received in 2012 I long ago cleaned it and picked up a suitable (?) haft and wedges kit to put it back into service but I never got aroun...
Read more

Making a small personal drum

Image
Today Jean and I went to a drum making workshop, taught by Mi'kmaq elder Carolyn Landry in Kentville NS. We each made our own personal drum.  This is how the day went. We were wondering how we would be able to pull this off in our given 1 and 1/2 hour workshop. The secret?  That wood ring is pre made and the soaking deer hide already cut to size and punched.  We are essentially putting together a kit.  It is then a very do-able project under our instructor supervision.  The hide and the stringing lanyards are both deer hide.  The lanyards are cut in a circle to make really long strings. The hardest part is centering, and keeping it centered, our hide. Mine is up front, Jean to my right. I got a strip cut (a tad short, yikes) and strung around my hide. NO tape measure, we just guesstimated the length with our eyeballs :-) Once tied loosely around, making sure the hide is still centered. The remainder of the long lanyard is tied to the strip that was weaved a...
Read more