How To Restore a Beam Drill

A beam Drill used in Timber framing. today we will be restoring this 100-year-old beam drill to use in the shop.

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[elained]

I have an old beam drill. Looks like I need to restore it. The only real issue I can see without tearing it apart is the top keeper. It must have broken off but an ingenious user put a piece of wire that goes up and over the header or top horizontal piece. Thanks for this!

[johnmm]

Timber frames, smaller ones anyway, tend to have 1.5" wide tenons/mortises so this would work just fine (and a 1.5" slick to match/cleanup the mortise holes). The best beginner timber framing book, I'd argue, is Learn to Timber Frame by Will Beemer (gorgeous pictures, really carefully thought out text which is packed with detailed info - though easily readable). Planning to build a timber framed shed this fall. A beam drill would be handy! Cheers James

[arthurcastillo]

Trabajo muy limpio y con buena estetica, gracias por compartir, saludos desde Venezuela

[choffee]

Nice video. A tip my dad taught me was that if you are pouring from a can like the WD40 rust cleaner in the video then to stop the slosh, slosh, sloshing you can pour it out backwards. Turn the tub round as far as is practical and pour almost over the handle. Don't know why it works but it does.

[charliec]

Beautiful restoration James...I've been looking for a beam drill but haven't found one yet that's affordable...just a quick tip to pass along: when I'm masking off an intricate section to be painted I've found that after applying the masking tape, I tap the tape gently around the shape with a small pall peen hammer and it "cuts" the tape to the shape, allowing the excess tape to freely peel away...

[jasongordon]

I have one similar to your first one. I took the chuck off of a non ratcheting bit brace and attached it to the boaring machine. Now I can use any bits.

[MCsCreations]

Fantastic work, James! 😃
That's a really interesting tool!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[ricos]

It's a beautiful thing. I wish they did them in the UK, they look perfect for folks like me that can't drill straight! Great for clearing out mortices and so on. It's one of those tools that I'm surprised haven't been given a modern re-make. Either with the ability to house a power drill, or just a manual drill with updated metal parts, like aluminium extrusion, clamping slots and fancy mitre guage type deal. Such a useful portable drill press. I'd love one.

[DB-ybzu]

Beautiful restoration. I never would have thought of the blue but it looks very smart. Thanks for sharing as I plan to restore mine having made 2 frames with it. Any tips on the handles. I see you didn't appear to remove the wooden handles from the arms. One of my wooden handles fell off and i can't quite work out how it attaches securely. Any ideas?

[rs]

Great Job on the project, I was just wondering, when you were about to spray the primer on you said the parts just came put of the bath, how did you keep them from flash rusting? when I use evaporated-o-Rust and wash my parts off with water the flash rust hits mo parts as soon as they start to dry.

[JayCWhiteCloud]

Hi James, I might be bidding on the other one for sale as the school/group on at would like to have several operational for a class in the spring...

The "tool geek" in me loved watching you "destroy"...er hum..."restore" this tool...LOL!!!

I know all my historical restoration friends will wince when they see this video because it breaks most (if not all...LMAO) rules (actually called "restoration ethics" from the formal side of it in the museum sciences) for proper historic restoration of vintage historic fabrics. "Fabrics" in this case can me anything.

Its done now and the tool will at least get another lifetime of good use and love out of it...Look forward to seeing what you build. Give a shout out if you need help or have questions. I'm in Southern Iowa now on another timber frame project down here to be finished in the late summer of 2021...so closer than I was before in New York when we last corresponded...Look forward to your next timber framing video...

[Hudson]

Hope I can find one of those one day. I’ve been using a primer I found that converts rust to a paintable surface. I use after I use evaporust and manual rust removal... just hoping it eliminates any problems later. You should check it out

[robertmcclenning]

at ~11:08 you mentioned you made a video about sharping auger bits and it was really dull. Were you referring to your auger bit or the video?

[aleksanderfoster]

I have a strickler co columbiana ohio beam drill, would any auger bit work f9r it and it seems to run counterclock wise, ( as it goes up it rotates clock wise and down it rotates counter should i use reverse auger bits or could it be assembled wrong? I want to use it but cant find much information online

[TaronLeidy]

Do you know how the handles are attached? I'm in the process of restoring one, and just cant seam to figure it out.

[EricMeyerMaker]

What are some of the features that the old one was lacking?

[J.A.Smith]

I just restored one I got for 40$, a double eagle boss. I hate to Get rid of it but can't find any augers for it, what you think it's worth if I can't find any??

[stevendezwaan]

Is that a Hand Tool Rescue adjustable wrench I see?

[J.A.Smith]

Lemme ask ya what ya want in it like ya said?

[HeartPumper]

Ok, shout out to European crowd: Can we get such it similar design beauties, in the Old Continent?