Ye Old Post Drill
George VondriskaDescription
There have been a lot of questions about the old drill press in the back of my shop. It’s also called a post drill or blacksmith drill. The mechanism on this baby is very cool, and everything still works. If you can provide any info on how old the drill press might be, we’d love to hear it.
When I was a kid and we didn't have electric drill presses. No, this is, incredibly, even older than me. And a lot of people have sent emails or cards, and they're wondering about this old drill press in the back of the shop here. So here's the deal. This is called a post drill, p, o, s, t. Some people call it a blacksmith drill. So the deal would be that in a barn or in a blacksmith shop, this whole assembly would be bolted to a post, hence the name. I saw one similar to this long, long, long time ago in a retail store where they had it as a display, just a cool thing in a woodworking store. And I really fell in love with the mechanical nature of it, which I'll show ya more of in a second. So I started keeping my eye peeled, looking for one for myself, and it's not hard to find a post drill, but it's hard to find one that's completely intact. And I'm thinking, if it doesn't have all the parts, I don't think you're gonna get online and order replacement pieces for your post drill. So finally, at an auction, I've saw one of these on the auction bill, went to the auction. I think I was the only one to bid on the thing, and I got it for something like 50 or 75 bucks. It was real inexpensive. I think everybody knew more than me because it took about six of us to pick it up and get it out of there. It's crazy heavy. It was covered with grease. Sawdust and stuff had stuck to the grease, so I actually had a power wash it when I first got it just to be able to turn the mechanism. Here's the deal with the mechanism. It's really crazy cool. When you spin the handle, this system of gears is making the quill turn. So, that of course is what we want in order to be able to drill a hole. At the same time, up here on top, there's a kicker up there. This kicker is riding on a cam, on a big flywheel on the left side. That kicker hits the teeth in this upper hand wheel. And when it spins that wheel, which historically, it would have done better than it does now, because it's a little bit worn out. But as this hand wheel spins, the quill goes down toward the table. So this net action is making the drill chuck turn, and it's moving the chuck closer to the table which is then how you're drilling a hole. So, you might remember from checking speed charts for your drill press, when ya drill metal, you go on a real low RPM, when ya drill wood, you're at a higher RPM. Clearly this is designed to drill metal. It does spin at a real, real low RPM. And even when it's advancing correctly, it advances at a pretty low rate. The flywheel on this side makes it easier on your arm, so that really, once you get it going, there's quite a bit of momentum here so that you don't have to spin like crazy. I still use this every once in a while if I get a kids class in here, and we make a particular bird house. There's a martin house we drill that calls for a one, or a martin house we build that calls for a one inch hole, and I'll have the kids drill that here on this drill press, and it works just fine for that. As far as dating goes, I'm guessing it was somewhere around 1850 or so, only because I've seen similar drill presses and pictures that have been accurately dated back to the 1850s. One of the things I really like about it is that, something Road Runner would love. It's an ACME drill press. That's the only information I can find on it, no numbers of any kind. So that's why I haven't been able to track it down real precisely as far as date of manufacture. But I love it. I love the mechanics of it. I love the fact that it still works, I love that all the parts are intact. I even love the bent 20 penny nail that's got everything pinned together here at the top. Can't imagine when Sven or Olly stuck that in there a century ago because they lost the original pin. So, very cool thing, and real glad you folks are asking about it.
George, I got one of these drills from a relative whose family owned a silver mine in Idaho. Mine, however, does not have the adjustable chuck on the bottom. I wonder if one could adapt a new chuck to it to make it easier to secure bits?
Drills like this are not uncommon in mid Missouri auctions. I was tempted to buy one because they are so cool but was disuaded by a friend who said they are really inefficient, and there is no more room in my shop anyway.
A very interesting video and lots to think about. Until I read all the fascinating posts below, I assumed it must have been built by the ACME Tool Works of Plymouth, England and came over on the Mayflower...
I have seen one of these. I am on the down side to 70 years old. When I was a kid my grandfather died. He had come to the US from Sweden before I was born, before my dad was born. When my dad was cleaning grandpas basement out he had one of these. He had used it to the day he died. He was a trained cabinet maker and he had no power equip. He made some boxes etc. for magicians. Things would open and close and I would defy anyone to see the joint (that's how magicians did their tricks) and it was all done with hand tools. That's a lost art now. Oh well I can't help with the make or manufacture date. Just thought I'd throw this in.
The ACME drill press was sold by Sears as late as 1911 in the same configuration. There is an example here: http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=13394 And here showing the ad: http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/drilling/postdril.htm
hi George I think that I have seen the same drill press on the woodwrights shop , asking Roy Underhill might help .
I grew up with a press like that on the farm (i`m 63) it was old then and my father (he`s 96 ) he had it on the farm when he was young and got it from his father. It still hangs on the same post and works very well with the same forward push wow nice to see another
We had one that was about 60 gyears old in 1965
I looked my post drill over and found this: Buffalo Forge Co., Buffalo N. Y. No. 61. Search Buffalo Forge, then Vintage Machinery etc, lots of info, founded 1878, upright drills 1883> founded, model 61 circa 1930's lots of info and reading.
I looked my post drill over and found this: Buffalo Forge Co., Buffalo N. Y. No. 61. carl