Help with a hand drill restoration, Millers Falls No. 2

Hi,

I recently purchased an early model MF No. 2 hand drill. It's in really good shape minus a missing side knob and I'm excited to fully restore it. I'm having some difficulty, however, it disassembling it. I've got most of it apart, but am unsure how to remove the main handle. It seems that it's pinned through the ferrule. For those of you who know, do I simply need to remove this pin? And is it then just a matter of screwing it off?

Also, is there a way to remove the crank's handle? This seems to be riveted on, I'm afraid there will be no way of remounting it if I cut the head of the rivet off. Any advice?

Lastly, I am unsure how to remove the drive shaft with the small gear on it. It seems there's a single pin I'd have to remove and replace. I'd like to remove it as it would make painting the body much easier, but don't know whether this would be opening a can of worms. Any advice and whether I should bother and how to go about it?

Thanks for your help!

Howdy David,

Yes, the handle pin needs to be tapped out. Then the top handle can be removed. The crank handle should remain in place if you do not have a proper rivet to remount it.

The drive gear also can be removed by tapping out the pin. You may find bearings inside on some #2 shafts.

This post might be helpful > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?275397 < Steven Harrison posted an exploded view image.

Here is more information than you might want to know > https://www.georgesbasement.com/mfno...fno2types.html

Here is a handy glue trick that is useful for fixing cracks > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slCMkvEfK_U < Though my tendency has been to use epoxy mixed with wood dust to match the color.

jtk

Jim,

Thanks so much! I tried researching my questions prior to posting and didn't come upon these resources. They're very helpful and exactly what I need.

Take care!

Mine is a later model...the No. 2-01....wasn't sure how much had changed..
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I didn't tear mine down very far....
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I left well-enough alone....

There should be a few holes that do not get a pin or a bolt....those are for a drop of oil to go in. There is even one on the big drive gear, right where the crank handle meets the hub....a drop or two in there, will make things turn a whole lot better. I usually just use 3in1 oil, one drop per hole.

Hope this helps...

Thanks, Steven. I did initially think the oil port holes might house pins, but then discovered they didn't go all the way through.

I've got everything apart now. Thinking of do either a vinegar or Evaporust bath next.

I enjoy restoring MF drills and have done quite a few. I have a #5 with the side handle off of it, so I took a couple pics for you. The crank handle is peened on. Hopefully you can see from the pics. It's easy to peen them back on, but can be a little difficult to get them off. If they are solid I usually leave them. Otherwise I take them off specially if the knob doesn't spin well. It's obviously easier to clean the crank handle and the knob if they are taken apart. I use a needle file (barrette is my choice) and carefully "unpeen" it. If it's not solid it's not that hard. I've taken solid ones off, but they can be difficult. Once off and cleaned up you just have to peen it back on.

As a side note, I've found creative ways to chuck up just about every part in my drill press. It makes cleaning/polishing much easier and faster. I also attached a #2 (from 1929-1931) I took apart and a few of the drills I've done.

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Looks like Jim already linked my post from when I restored mine. Go with the Evapo-rust. It works really great. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!

Thanks! Robert, the crank handle rivet is solid. I couldn't resist and just tried to get it off. I was not successful. I file down the mushrooming on the head of the rivet, but the expansion of the rivet in the handle's through hole must be really tight. Can't get it out. Any recommendations?

Thanks, Steve. I found your post very helpful -- thanks for putting it up. I just put everything in a bath of vinegar and salt. Didn't have any Evapo-Rust. I'll let it sit for a good 24 hours, and cross my fingers.

Ok, just got the crank handle off. Took a bit of filing and pounding, but nothing was broken or marred in the process. I hope there is enough of the rivet to peen, if not I'll put a dab of epoxy in there.

Any advice on cleaning the handles of their old finish? They're rosewood and the finish is in decent condition, but I'd like to start fresh. Just a scraper and sandpaper, do you think?

Just wax them up. Any sort of new finish will simply turn the old Rosewood...black.

Make sure that knob will spin when you peen the rivet.....otherwise, that knob will form a blister on your finger. They were a tad loose, to allow them to still spin when the humidity climbs in the Summer.

You can make a new rivet.....a hex bolt the right diameter shank, grind the head to match the old pin, cut the shank a little long, then peen it in place You'll need to add a shoulder where the shank enters the crank, use the old pin as a pattern. For a fancy touch, buy the Stainless steel bolts....take the old pin along, and size things up...

Do you know what year it's from? Great site for dating drills/braces (http://oldtoolheaven.com/hand_drills/drill2.htm). Some have varnish, but most are just natural with some polish (no finish or stain). You can usually tell if its varnish since it will probably be cracking somewhere. If it's varnish, I found acetone to work well to remove it. Soak a rag, hold it on there a few seconds and wipe away.

The crank handle (metal part) and knob (wood part) are two different processes. The crank handle I use progressive grits of sandpaper. Start with the highest possible (usually 220/320) and progress to 2000 and finish off with some polish...yes, tedious. The knob I put in the drill press and sand lightly, doesn't take much effort. I finish all the handles/knobs with multiple coats of shellac sanded in between up to 800 grit and finish with some wood polish. You can polish the ferrule (on crank knob and side handle, which your missing) along with the ferrule on the main handle, but be careful. If you use sandpaper you will remove the plating and end up with brass. You can also replace those if cracked with ferrules bought at most home improvement stores or online (they'll be brass). I haven't found a small supplier of plated ferrules.

I should have mentioned on removing the knob. You have to file the edges (where it's peened over) and not just flatten it out (the mushroom part as you mentioned). That's why I use a barrette needle file to not damage the crank handle. You have to leave material to peen. Hopefully you have some left; it doesn't take much.

You can sometimes tell if the knob will be too tight and not spin by dry fitting it or if it was tight before you took it apart. You can remove the ferrule from the knob and trim a little off the bottom of the knob (not much). This will give you enough gap to not have to worry about it being tight.

Thanks, everyone!

Robert, you're right... I discovered after my post yesterday that the main handle had no varnish or finish. What I took to be finish was simply dirt and grime. I cleaned it off with 500 grit paper and a very fine Beartex pad. I then put a light coat of an oil finish on it -- it looks great. I can't tell whether it's rosewood or cocobolo, but I suspect rosewood.

The crank handle was a different matter, though. It very definitely had a thick layer of varnish on it. It was glossy and a little chippy. And it looks like a different but similarly colored wood underneath. I cleaned it up as I did the main handle, but decided to not strip it all the way down. I'd say about 90-95% of the original varnish is intact. My sanding cleaned it up and smoothed everything pretty well, so I applied a coat of the same oil finish to it. It also looks pretty great.

All of my metal parts have been soaking in the vinegar/salt solution for 24 hours and are cleaning up very nicely. I'll keep them in for another 24, I think. And I've changed my mind about the level and kind of restoration I want to do. Instead of getting everything to a better than new glossiness as I originally wanted to do, I'm going to preserve, as much as I can, some of the patina. This is why I left the still intact varnish on the crank knob, and why I didn't try to sand through the very few dings in the main handle. Likewise, instead of stripping all paint from the metal and repainting. I'm now thinking I'm going to keep whatever is remaining(much of the black on the main body and a little of the red on the wheel) and spray a clear coat over everything. I will, however, polish all the bare metal up. Also, I originally thought I'd replace both cracked ferrules with some nice copper fitting. Now I'm thinking I'll epoxy the originals back on and fill the cracks using the super glue/powder recipe Jim turned me onto. Does all this sound like a good idea?

As regards remounting the crank handle... it spun very freely and was quite solid before I removed it. I did not have a safe edged file so did scrape up the crank a bit, but have already smoothed it out. And I do have some material left to peen, albeit a very little amount. Hopefully, it will be enough. If not, I'll use Steven's great advice on making a whole new piece.

As far as dating it... I think it must be circa 1929 as the body definitely has the reinforced spindle housing. Definitely post 1921 as it has the triangular trademark. Which means, I now guess, that the main handle is cocobolo, and the crank handle is not.


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