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Archiver > MEMORY-LANE > 2006-01 > 1136181521


From: Ruth Barton <>
Subject: Re: [ML] Yankee screwdriver/drills
Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 21:58:41 -0800
References: <db6536d70601010948o78479ed8tc6fdea837e0e8a15@mail.gmail.com><43B82289.74D9673D@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <43B82289.74D9673D@gmail.com>


This Yankee has at least one of these devices, belonged to my grandfather,
and possibly my ggrandfather before him. This one is in a drawer in the
kitchen, may be others in the garage. Next summer's project is cleaning
the garage out. That should be fun--NOT, there's many decades of stuff in
there from generations of pack rats. Ruth


At 1:42 PM -0500 1/1/06, WJFreeman wrote:
>Actually Cora, it is a hand drill and a screwdriver as well. The seller
>does indeed probably know what he has. You see these
>are actually old tools and are an alternative to the side mounted wheel
>and gear light duty drills.
>
>These devices are known as "Yankee" screwdrivers/drills. The handle and
>shaft has a spiral grove cut into them along with a
>spring in the inner shaft. One pushes down on the handle and the shaft
>moves up into the handle portion causing the shaft to
>turn. There is an opposite hand set of grooves so that the return stroke
>continues the motion of the bit in the same direction.
>
>Very clever and very old.
>
>I have such a screwdriver/drill, and there is a story/memory behind it.
--
Ruth Barton

Dummerston, VT

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