Millers Falls breast drill

[Tomi Rosso]

Morning,

Again pictures of rusty old tools. This time I got Millers Falls breast drill. Needs little bit work, but mechanism works good. In beginning it was little bit sticky, but after couple spritz of MoS2 that starts run smoothly. Even bubble in level is safe and working.

There is marking over level Millers Falls co, Millers Falls Mass. U.S.A. No any modelnumber found. After looking oldtoolsheaven, I think it could be no 18 or 118. Size mach, 445mm (about 7 and half inch). Chuck looks much Parson's type chuck. Gear and breast plate was painted green. Frame color could not be sure. Frame casting does not mach any of those in catalog, but in ebay they are selling just same frame at models 18 and 118. And any other pictures in web are that same frame design. No picture of this catalog-frame could not be found, or I have not found those.

Any ideas, am I in right tracks? How about age? Any idea? Before 1917 if it's one of those two models.

IMG_1689.JPGIMG_1691.JPGIMG_1690.JPG
IMG_1692.JPG

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I am no expert, but I have a No. 12 I like a lot. There don't seem to be a lot of drill guys on this forum (or they are just not as vociferous as the sharpening folks). It looks like it is pretty rough. I would disassemble everything as far as you can, give a bath in Evaporust or something similar and see if you can get the rust cleaned up and all the moveable parts working again.

You have the option (or at least it originally had the option) to shift the gear to change speeds, and you can adjust the crank handle to give more or less torque as well. That, along with the level, suggests to me that this was one of the higher end models, but I don't really know enough to help you with the year.

[Tomi Rosso]

Yes I have noticed that too, that drills are not as interesting as chisel back flattening. As for me against everything with mechanism is passion.

I got all screws and mechanism working with penetrating oil. Next thing is do just like you say, give it a little bath. In here most of old tools, which are not overpriced, looks just as poor little bastards as that mine drill. Those have been stored outside at winters and summers for many many years. It's quite miracle that most of tools I have bought still working perfectly, still that they looks almost every time like that drill.