Goodell Pratt 5-1/2 B Hand Drill restoration

[Clay Parrish]

This is a Goodell-Pratt no. 5-1/2B two-speed hand drill, manufactured probably between 1926 and 1936. I restored it to be a user and I was asked in another thread to share some photos. I'll start with some 'before' pics.

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The drill was pretty well-worn when I got it. Besides the dirt, rust, and worn-off paint, the chuck was not functioning correctly due to broken springs inside it. It was otherwise complete, except it was missing the side handle, as so many are.


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Manufacturer info on the crank handle.

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Wheel guide.

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Dirty, just the way I like them.

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Here's the shifter. You turn the knob 1/4 turn, give the wheel a little wiggle to disengage it, then rotate the knob another 1/4 turn to engage the second gear.

[Clay Parrish]

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I removed the chuck and finally managed to unscrew it using two lengths of steel rod and my trusty Bernard parallel pliers. I later made a pin spanner out of a crescent wrench, but the pliers did the job here.
The springs were all wonky inside and I replaced them after this photo was taken.

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Dirty shifter, dirty frame, what a mess :-)

[Clay Parrish]

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Shifter taken apart for cleaning and polishing.


Now we're into the 'after' photos:

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I sanded the handle by hand, and it was a pain to remove the varnish. I sanded to 400, then I re-stained it with brown stain (not quite happy with the coverage, but it's ok) and gave it several coats of water-based poly, followed with paste wax.

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I found a much better way after doing that (of course) and just stuck the crank handle into a baggie of 90% rubbing alcohol. All the varnish softened up and came right off. Re-finished it the same as the main handle.
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Crank handle bar. I wasn't going for 100% polished on this piece.

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Handle ferrule.

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I replaced the springs in the chuck, polished it inside and out, polished the jaws, and put it all back together.

[Clay Parrish]

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Media blasted the wheel and painted it. There's still a smidge of red I need to sand off the gears in this pic.

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Cleaned, polished and reassembled the shifter and spindle.

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Details. The side knob you see in some of the photos is off of a Millers Falls no. 5. It is the same thread pitch. The side knob off a Craftsman 107.1 (a clone of the MF no. 2A) also fits.

[Clay Parrish]

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And here is the final result. Hope y'all enjoyed it.


From oldtoolheaven:

No. 5 1/2B:
Two-speed hand drill

• 1898— malleable iron frame; hardwood head and handles, head with mushroom-shaped top; detachable, elongated side handle; non-adjustable gear guide; spindle runs on hardened steel cone bearing; speeds adjusted by turning shifter knob on frame; three-jaw chuck adjustable 0 to 3/8 inch. Frame enameled black; drive gear painted red, bright parts are nickel plated.
• 1911 — as above, but detachable chef's cap side handle; ball bearing spindle.
• 1926 — as above, but mahogany-finished hardwood head and handles.

Manufactured by Millers Falls as of 1931.

[Jim Koepke]

Great job Clay.

How did you arrive at:

manufactured probably between 1926 and 1936

My understanding may be wrong, but usually patents were for ~15 years at which point the patent date information would be dropped.

Also curious what you used to replace the chuck springs. My source is limited to the two springs found in old BIC disposable lighters. All the springs in our local hardware stores are too big around to fit.

jtk

[Clay Parrish]

Thanks, Jim. I'm basing my manufacturing date estimate off of the oldtoolheaven entry that says the handle was 'mahogany-finished hardwood' starting in 1926, which is how I interpreted the original finish on the handle. I could be wrong on the dates. I am not a big fan of the stained handles, and I hope my next project will be a tropical wood that I can show off without staining.

For the chuck springs, back in December I measured them with a micrometer and got a close match in size, then I ordered a length on ebay. I think the product I ended up using was: 1/8" 0.125" (3.18mm) OD Stainless/Carbon steel Compression spring. I don't have my record of which diameter wire I bought, but I probably got the stainless 0.020". You can order any length you want - I think I bought around a foot. It cuts easily with standard dykes, and I just eyeballed it against the least-damaged original spring for length. It's a smidge loose in the hole in the jaw, but doesn't appear to bind or get in the way, so I think it's good.

[Pat Barry]

Well done Clay!

[Edward Clarke]

I found a much better way after doing that (of course) and just stuck the crank handle into a baggie of 90% rubbing alcohol. All the varnish softened up and came right off. Re-finished it the same as the main handle.

Does varnish soften like that? I thought that only shellac was that easy to rework/fix?

[Clay Parrish]

You may be right. I am still learning about finishes. A rub of alcohol made it sticky, then soaking it made the finish gummy-soft so that an old credit card could easily scrape it clean. I keep a stack of old gift cards for shop use. They come in handy all the time as custom scrapers, mixing paddles, and glue applicators.

[Robert Hartmann]

Clay, nice work on the drill. I really enjoy restoring them and love seeing others work and their techniques. I have accumulated quite a collection.

I can add a couple tips for the questions:
For the springs, piano (also called music) wire works and is very cheap. I bought 10 36" lengths for less than $10 (smallest amount I could get sent to me). They are made from tempered HCS with a very high tensile strength, so they are good for making springs. I've only done springs for Millers Falls drills. For the smaller chucks (No 1, 3, 5, etc) use .032 and for the larger (No 2, 980) use .039. They are easy to make. You can eyeball them and with a little trial and error you can knock out a bunch. I copied a good one our scanner and used the image for a while, but found it was just as easy to eyeball it.

To remove the varnish Acetone works better than just alcohol. It will rub off with just a little effort, so no need to soak or scrape. Just put some on a rag and wipe away.

[Normand Leblanc]

Beautiful work Clay. Thanks for sharing.

I'd like to know how you cleaned the chuck on the outside. I've never been able to clean one properly.

[Clay Parrish]

Beautiful work Clay. Thanks for sharing.

I'd like to know how you cleaned the chuck on the outside. I've never been able to clean one properly.

If memory serves, I used a wire wheel on a bench grinder with a judicious touch, keeping the knurling grooves parallel to the motion of the wheel. Then I used a buffing wheel and green compound on a dremel. You could alternately mount the chuck on a long bolt, using some small washers and nuts to hold it on, and spin it in a drill or drill press while applying fine grit sandpaper or buffing compound on a scrap of soft leather for the polish.

[Tomi Rosso]

For the chuck springs, back in December I measured them with a micrometer and got a close match in size, then I ordered a length on ebay. I think the product I ended up using was: 1/8" 0.125" (3.18mm) OD Stainless/Carbon steel Compression spring. I don't have my record of which diameter wire I bought, but I probably got the stainless 0.020". You can order any length you want - I think I bought around a foot. It cuts easily with standard dykes, and I just eyeballed it against the least-damaged original spring for length. It's a smidge loose in the hole in the jaw, but doesn't appear to bind or get in the way, so I think it's good.

I just bought same kind of drill at myself.

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Unfortunately there were none of those springs left, but if spring with those dimensions fit, I try to find those kind to myself also. I need to fix this a little bit too, but it was quite nice condition after all.

[Jim Koepke]

I just bought same kind of drill at myself.

IMG_1430.JPG

Unfortunately there were none of those springs left, but if spring with those dimensions fit, I try to find those kind to myself also. I need to fix this a little bit too, but it was quite nice condition after all.

BIC cigarette lighters have two springs which I have found usable in drill chucks. They are fairly long so a good pair of cutters or even a small cold chisel is needed to cut them to size. One spring is under the flint wheel, the other is under the red gas valve lever. There are of two different sizes.

The trick is to cut them long enough to expand the jaws to their fully open position, but not so long as they will not compress fully with the jaws completely closed.

jtk