Tool Talk

Classic Power Tools => Classic Power Tools => Topic started by: JoeCB on February 03, 2014, 10:23:17 PM

Title: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: JoeCB on February 03, 2014, 10:23:17 PM
Reading jessEm's post on the B&D drill, thought that I'd put mine up for "wrist twist "awards. We have had this monster in the family as long as I can remember, 60 plus years. It's a killer when you jam a drill bit because the switch in not a simple trigger but rather a push button slide On - Off switch... you just can't get your finger there fast enough. The lable reads, The VanDorn Electric Tool Co., Towson, MD  code A8800 AC-DC 110V, serial No 155 (pretty early one!)

Joe B 
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Papaw on February 03, 2014, 10:31:26 PM
Wristtwister supreme!
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Aunt Phil on February 04, 2014, 02:25:33 AM
VanDorn used that switch on every tool they made, including 9" weld grinders.

Van Dorn very well could be the reason Square D invented the foot switch.  It still takes a mile or 20 turns to stop but that tool outlived many of the men who used it.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: john k on February 04, 2014, 11:39:59 AM
The first Ford garage I worked in had a hanging I-beam down the length with several rolling chain hoists.   I was told by the foreman that in the 40s when it was installed, two men were on a scaffold drilling into the roof beams to hang that long piece of steel.  Their 5/8 drill caught, and threw both of them off the scaffold 15 feet to the floor.  One was ok, and the other never quite walked the same.  Still be careful of them powerful drills.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Nolatoolguy on February 05, 2014, 05:29:05 AM
I have a few old drills of good sizes. I also have a newer millwakee super whole hawg.

To reinforce what john said.
I wasn't with the guy but we all head about it. A former co worker was drilling a 1.75" whole in concrete wall while on a ladder. He tried using the rotary hammer one handed while responding to a text message. Next thing he new he was on the floor. He only got a sprained ankle. Guy who was with him said the rotary hammer landed about a inch from his neck still spinning when he got there. That was just one of the many unsafe things he did, hense why he was a fromer co worker.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Aunt Phil on February 06, 2014, 12:41:07 AM
One absolute I can state, if you're going to do stupid things you best be damn tough!
OSHA came along long after I was in the trades, and I'm old school as all hell, but given the damn foolishness I see, and the pathetic humps getting paid to be craftsmen these days OSHA ain't strong enough.  I see a fool with a Smart Phone on a job I know which one has the brain, and for the most part I want to be away from both. 

I still have the scar under my chin from getting stupid with a Skill Rotohammer back in 65.  I got stupid that day and removed the side handle so I could run a 2" hole through a poured wall.  It was easier.  I paid!  Still hurts remembering it.  I also remember looking up 12 decks and timing how long it took a first year helper clinging to a Rotohammer as he rode it over the edge and back on that deck cause he caught a rebar with the bit.   Super on the job had the sense to pull the main after doing a little quick calculating and the drill stopped with the kid over the deck.

You're born without much smart, you and you alone can cure that.  You're also born with just so many chances to survive stupid.  Trick is to die of old age without using those chances up.

Now I know the young bucks won't agree, but I can't abide anybody on a job wearing shorts.  That's just begging to get hurt, and it's the least of the things I see.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: mrchuck on February 18, 2014, 10:06:00 AM
Yep Aunt Phil,,,,been there, done that.
I'm a lot smarter in my old age, than when I thought I was invincible.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: HeelSpur on February 18, 2014, 02:07:25 PM
Ever see someone stand on a ladder and try to use a Milwaukee hole hawg over their head,
not a good idea. I've seen them just flat out knock the hell out of big beefy men.
Live & Learn :-)
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: JessEm on June 02, 2014, 11:14:37 PM
Nice old beefy drill.

I keep a similar drill around for mixing things tile mortar and whatnot in a 5 gal pail.

I don't have much else use for one that big but all that power makes them exceptional mixers.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Batz on June 03, 2014, 01:42:48 AM
I remember those beasts during my apprenticeship, I wasn't a big bloke back then and they use to scare the cr#p out of me.

Batz
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: rusty on June 03, 2014, 05:53:45 PM
The difference between those drills and the Bennys $20 special homeowner drill is like the difference between a 40 pound jack hammer and a 90 pound jackhammer.

It is a little hard to explain if you have never used a jackhammer, but it is very easy to demonstrate ;P
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Batz on June 03, 2014, 09:15:01 PM
A little like the old 9" grinders, give one to a young apprentice and he would do two circles when he turned it on.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Nolatoolguy on June 04, 2014, 05:41:17 PM
A little like the old 9" grinders, give one to a young apprentice and he would do two circles when he turned it on.

Hey Hey when I turned on one for the first time I didn't turn around two times.....just once  :smiley:
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Aunt Phil on June 05, 2014, 12:17:25 AM
A little like the old 9" grinders, give one to a young apprentice and he would do two circles when he turned it on.

Hey Hey when I turned on one for the first time I didn't turn around two times.....just once  :smiley:

Either you're overweight & not being worked hard enough, or the wheel was worn down.

I got one you can pull the trigger on while I hold the plug in the wall.  It'll make you do backflips.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Chillylulu on June 05, 2014, 09:52:36 AM
A little like the old 9" grinders, give one to a young apprentice and he would do two circles when he turned it on.

Hey Hey when I turned on one for the first time I didn't turn around two times.....just once  :smiley:

Either you're overweight & not being worked hard enough, or the wheel was worn down.

I got one you can pull the trigger on while I hold the plug in the wall.  It'll make you do backflips.

Phil's like an old journeyman talking to a 1st year cub.

Chilly
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Aunt Phil on June 06, 2014, 01:55:44 AM
A little like the old 9" grinders, give one to a young apprentice and he would do two circles when he turned it on.

Hey Hey when I turned on one for the first time I didn't turn around two times.....just once  :smiley:

Either you're overweight & not being worked hard enough, or the wheel was worn down.

I got one you can pull the trigger on while I hold the plug in the wall.  It'll make you do backflips.

Phil's like an old journeyman talking to a 1st year cub.

Chilly

Thanks for the recognition.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Chillylulu on June 06, 2014, 03:48:07 AM
Trade?
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Batz on June 06, 2014, 05:47:55 AM
OK I'm a 'Fitter and Turner' here in Australia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinist

What do you guys call me in the US?

Batz
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Chillylulu on June 06, 2014, 10:01:25 AM
OK I'm a 'Fitter and Turner' here in Australia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinist

What do you guys call me in the US?

Batz

Probably "Batz" & your occupation is "machinist" or "fabricator"

I am what is known as a "Fitter" or "Sprinkler Fitter"

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinkler_fitting
http://www.sprinklerfitters669.org

Chilly
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: gibsontool on June 06, 2014, 10:21:03 AM
I think that would translate to a steel fabricator here in Canada.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Aunt Phil on June 06, 2014, 03:02:26 PM
Just a stupid weldor who can also chop metal up with a lathe and mill and make the crap enginincompoops ship actually work in the real world.
Worked my way to being the idiot who sits in the trailer screwing off, and spent more time out of the trailer showing kids how to do their job than I did in the trailer.
Now I'm ancient and obsolete.
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Chillylulu on June 07, 2014, 04:40:47 PM
Just a stupid weldor who can also chop metal up with a lathe and mill and make the crap enginincompoops ship actually work in the real world.
Worked my way to being the idiot who sits in the trailer screwing off, and spent more time out of the trailer showing kids how to do their job than I did in the trailer.
Now I'm ancient and obsolete.
I still have my card, but I have been designing systems or on the management side for 27 of my 32 yrs. I'd like to apologize for any thing I enginincompoopeered that didn't fit. Thats also the reason I'm glad our installers  are called fitters. They made my designs fit!

Chilly
Title: Re: My wrist breaker drill - VanDorn
Post by: Twilight Fenrir on June 27, 2014, 09:55:29 PM
Haha, speaking of wrist breakers, I just picked up this Thor model #2041... might have paid too much for it, but gosh is it pretty... and terrifying... 5/8 chuck, and the bloody thing must weigh 30 lbs. Has the previously mentioned slide-switch, no trigger, no quick easy off if you set it to spinning.

(http://www.do-bid.com/dobid/dobid110/21-1.jpg)