# Hand Tool Buying Advice - Eggbeater Drill + Drill Press



## Stevebo (Nov 11, 2014)

Apologies for the probably stupid questions - I'm fairly new to both woodworking and hand tools. I am looking to get a hand drill, but have very little idea what to look for.

1. From reading up on this it seems the Stanley 624 and Miller Falls #2 and #5 are well regarded - are these the best bets or would any (working) Stanley or Miller Falls be a decent tool? Or should I stick to pre-WW2 stuff like with Stanley hand planes?

2. What red-flags should I look for? I'm mainly concerned about function - I don't mind much about paint condition or the like.

3. With the three jaw drill grip - I can use modern drill bits in that too, right?

4. Drill Press - From looking at a Miller Falls #22 drill press - it looks like the drill is a regular hand drill that fastens to the hole where the hand grip in the middle goes - is that right? If so, are hand presses brand/model specific or could I use any eggbeater drill in any drill press (I'm assuming the press comes without a drill).

5. Any things to be wary of with a hand drill press?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I have a few hand drills...*

My issue with hand drills is that they want to rotate when the drilling gets tough. Some have a "D" handle other just the round one with the removable end cap, but in either case it's hard to manage both the hand crank and hold on.

Two of mine are 2 speed drills with a gear in the hand crank axle for greater torque in larger holes:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mil...007?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item235015759f









Your drill press my be the answer:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Mil...158?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ff67c496










This is what I have, self feeding and probably driven from a flat belt at some point:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Cas...982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33a139b9c6


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

First - there are no "stupid questions", it just takes a bit longer to find a positive solution! As for "egg beater" type hand drills, there a few out there that come in handy for drilling softer woods, but the drill bits never seem to hold tight in the jaws. The larger size (brace type) used special drill bits (augers) with four flat shank sides, and some woodworkers still use that style due to no batteries or electric required. To use a "hand drill press" from a by-gone era, the results IMO would not produce as true a hole as todays drill presses or electric/battery drills, and would take much longer a time to use. Be safe.


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