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Beam Drill - Information Request


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Hi All,

I am planning to build a "beam Drill" similar to the one depicted in Peter Nicholson's Mechanic Companion.  (see the attached Picture, items D, E, and F)

I am trying to learn from those who have tried making one of these and many google searches haven't revealed any modern reproductions.  All search terms are pretty common and turn up the hand crank "post drill" and twist drills and auger bits....   but nothing for braces and drill for metal prior to 1860.

I have found a really interesting thread on another forum... ( http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=18949.0 ) that was really helpful about the bits, but nothing really about the rebuilding the brace or the beam levers.  

I just thought I would ask, to see if anyone has visited a historic site that has re-created something similar and has a few pictures or if anyone know of pictures of old metal drill bits.... 

Either way, should be working on this in the next couple weeks, I was hoping to cut down on my learning curve.

 

Thanks in advance.

Matt

 

 

BEAM DRILL.JPG

drillbit4.jpg

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Hi Mjenki

There is not really a lot to the construction of a beam drill.

Basically you are looking at a horizontal beam of timber, one end is fixed to a vertical post so that it can pivot up and down like a fulcrum.

On some fancy beam drills it is possible to raise and lower the beam to suit the work and also pivot the arm if the upright beam is round.

One some of the drills I have seen, the under side of the horizontal beam has a metal plate attached along it with a series of blind holes in it to take the end of the brace.

At the other end of the beam to the pivot would be a weight to provide the downward pressure on the brace or maybe a chain/rope for your assistant to haul on.

The fulcrum and weight provides the downward pressure you turn the brace.

The brace would be metal with a square socket at one end for the drill bits and a straight shaft at the other with small rounded tip to fit the holes on the under side of the beam.

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Have you looked at  Joseph Moxon's Mechanick Exercises published around 1700 and of course Diderot's Encyclopedia late 1700's---hard to find the entire version and it always seems the area I'm interested in didn't get included in the reprint excerpts..   A much later source but with examples pretty spot on to the one you posted is in Richardson's "Practical Blacksmithing" 1889-1890, which is full of "build it yourself" information for smiths and so cover a lot of the earlier simpler methods.

Be careful as a lot of reprints of Moxon skip the blacksmithing section in favour of the printing section; Astragal press reprinted a nice complete version.

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Hi ThomasPowers and Wayne,

I have taken a look at both the Moxon and the Nicholson, but I was hoping someone had actually built a version. 

I just like to see variety.  I have one sketched out and I understand the workings but if someone had a better idea / different site conditions... etc,

that would be interesting..

Thanks

 

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the Blacksmith shop at Old Sturbridge Village a Museum Village near me has a beam drill it isn't anywhere near as big as the one in your photo BUt the construction is almost identical . One end of the beam which is about 6 feet long can be pinned at varying heights at the pivot point . there are a number of holes the length of the bottom of the beam to accept the top of a brace . Weights can be hung from the far end of the beam and it is set between 2 uprights at both ends . By using the multiple holes the brace can be kept in a correct vertical position the "Table " is about 4 feet long and the brace can locate almost anywhere along it . I think you could easily use a regular iron brace ( Breast Drill ) that you either remove the wood top knob from or turn it down to keep the "Bearing" it offers just making the holes under the beam the correct size to receive the braces top. Sturbridges Beam Drill is free standing much like a wood lathe of the day the beam is located between 4 upright legs which extend up over the table between. They are roughly 3 inches apart front to rear and 4 feet apart end to end .On the right hand uprights there is a hole about every 2 inches, A pivot pin passes through the front upright then the beam and the rear upright. You might be able to get pictures of it by contacting them  I might be able to viosit and get pictures for you if needed.

 

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A slightly more advanced one 17th / 18th century?

Used with a blacksmith-style brace that would have a dimple in the top in place of a head. The screw is capable of applying the tremendous force needed for drilling metal. Phenomenal patina. 36" high. Can be extended approximately 20" to 30" from the wall.

267704.jpg

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