Hand Drills Unnumbered through 1C

This listing has been developed from information found in Millers Falls catalogs. The features listed for each drill may differ from actual examples. While the company typically stressed new features in its catalogs, it seldom mentioned the disappearance of a feature or the addition of a feature that had become so commonly accepted that it was no longer noteworthy. Then too, production practices varied from catalog copy and illustrations were slow to be updated. By the latter 1960s, catalog copy had become so vague that a detailed description of features is not possible.

No. 01

Single-speed hand drill

1912 — malleable iron frame, stained hardwood head and handles; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; screw-type adjustable equalizer bearing; and McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Black enameled frame; star-type trademark on crank; drive gear enameled gray with red stripe; and bright parts are nickel plated.
1915 — as above, but drive gear enameled red.
1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.

No. 01 was a No. 1 with a solid head.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches	single pinion	solid head	1912	1925

No. 02

Single-speed hand drill

1912 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; head is round-topped; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; adjustable friction roller; and Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch. Black enameled frame; drive gear painted gray with red stripe; and bright parts are nickel plated.
1917 — as above, but drive gear enameled red.

Identical to No. 2B save head has rounded top.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
14 inches	single pinion	solid head	1912	1922

No. 03

Single-speed hand drill

1912 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and handles; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; rotating barrel-type lock allows access to storage area in hollow head; and McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Drive gear enameled gray with red stripe; and bright parts are nickel plated.
1915 — as above, but drive gear enameled red.

Basically a second version No. 3 with an additional pinion.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1912	1922

No. 04

Small single-speed hand drill

Cast iron frame; rosewood crank handle; chuck holds dimpled drill points. Drive gear and frame are black enameled; shipped with eight fluted and dimpled drill points.

The No. 04 is identical to the No. 4 save for its improved chuck. A dimpled drill point is less likely to be pulled from the chuck when it is removed from a piece of stock at the end of the drilling operation.

Illustration from 1908 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
8 inches	single pinion	integral to frame	1907	1914

No. 05

Single-speed hand drill

1912 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; detachable mushroom-shaped side handle; large gear with extra wide rim can be grasped between thumb and finger for delicate work; ball thrust bearing on spindle; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable 0 to 3/16 inch. Enameled black with drive gear painted gray with red stripe; star-type trademark on crank; bright parts are nickel plated.
1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.
1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch.
1931 — as above, but trademarks display Greenfield, rather than Millers Falls location.
1935 — as above, but mahogany-finished hardwood head and handles; and detachable chef's cap side handle.

Basically, a No. 5 with a solid head.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches (1912) 12 7/8 inches (1929)	double pinion	solid	1912	by 1944

No. 1 (mushroom head)

Single-speed hand drill

Malleable iron frame, rosewood head and handles; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/64 to 1/8 inch; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points. Black enameled frame and drive gear; and bright parts are nickel plated.

Illustration from Scientific American, June 23, 1877.

Also illustrated in: J. T. W. Jennings & Company. Scroll Sawyers' Supplies. New York : J. T. W. Jennings, 1877.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
8 1/2 inches	single pinion	solid head	1877	1878

No. 1 (early frame)

Single-speed hand drill

1878 — early-type malleable iron frame; short spindle; rosewood head and crank knob; crank knob attached directly to drive gear; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/32 to 1/8 inch; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points. Drive gear and frame are black enameled.
ca. 1880 — as above but hollow head; and bright parts are nickel plated.
1896 — as above but cocobolo head and crank handle; crank knob attached to a tapered handle rather to drive gear; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points

Photo of ca. 1878 drill by author.

Length	Pinion gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
10 1/2 inches	single pinion	solid head (1878) hollow (ca. 1880)	1878	1899

No. 1

Single-speed hand drill

1899 — malleable iron frame; cocobolo head and crank handle; detachable, teardrop-shaped side handle; screw-type adjustable equalizer bearing; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Drive gear and frame are black enameled; bright parts are nickel plated. (A few early examples with egg-shaped side handle.)
1910 — as above, but detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; star-type trademark on crank.
1912 — as above, but ball thrust bearing on spindle.
1914 — as above, but tropical hardwood head and handles
1915 — as above, but drive gear is painted red.
1917 — as above, but cocobolo head and handles.
1921 — as above, but triangular trademark; head is cocobolo, side and crank handles are not.
1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch.
1931 — as above, but trademarks display Greenfield, rather than Millers Falls location.
1935 — as above, but tropical hardwood head; no mention of screw-type adjustable equalizer bearing; detachable chef's cap side handle.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches	single pinion	hollow	1899	1942

No. 1A

Single-speed hand drill

Early-type malleable iron frame; short spindle; rosewood head and crank handle; Pratt's two-jaw, springless chuck adjustable from 1/32 to 1/8 inch; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points.

The No. 1A became obsolete when the No. 1 was equipped with a hollow head.

Photo by author.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
10 1/2 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1878	ca. 1880

No. 1B

Single-speed hand drill

1878 — early-type malleable iron frame; long spindle; rosewood head and crank handle; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/32 to 1/8 inch; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points. Drive gear and frame are black enameled.
ca. 1880 — as above, head is now hollow; and bright parts are nickel plated.

Source of illustration forgotten.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
10 1/2 inches	double pinion	solid head (1878) hollow (ca. 1880)	1878	1894

No. 1C

Single-speed hand drill

Early-type malleable iron frame; long spindle; rosewood head and crank handle; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/32 to 1/8 inch; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points.

The No. 1C became obsolete when the No. 1B was equipped with a hollow head.

Illustration from 1878 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
10 1/2 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1878	ca. 1880