Yankee Screwdrivers

Re: Yankee Screwdrivers

Todd Hughes


>In 1923 Yankee made some changes to thier screwdrivers, mostly making the driving nut longer and strengthened some parts inside. Since these screwdrivers took some different parts when they had to be repaired then the old ones they had to have different numbers but Yankee didn't want to do away with the old numbers so just added a A to them starting in Jan. of 1924....So if your screwdriver has an "A" it was made after 1924 .....Todd

Re: Yankee Screwdrivers

MarkBSmith


>Thanks. I saw one at an antique store while on vacation recently and it piqued my interest. However, it seemed expensive so I came home and bought one off the bay. After purchasing, it occurred to me that the A might have meant aluminum (a la planes) and that I would have been better off waiting for a 130.

It still seems to me that information on the internet is surprisingly sparse, or perhaps I just haven't found the right site yet.

Mark

Re: Yankee Screwdrivers

David Miller from Iowa


>My shop is packed up so I can't go validate this, but I thought one had the spring that made it an automatic return, and the other didn't - you have to hold the knurled bit holder and manually retract one of the models.

The spring loaded one is better to use, but more dangerous. My son was looking at mine once and turned the clasp to release it and it sprang out and hit him in the forehead with substantial force. Had it hit his eye it would have certainly blinded him and could have killed him.

Uhmmm...No

Todd Hughes


>Actually the yankees that have the spring that pushes the bit out have a 1 in front of thier numbers, for example the 130 and 130A have the spring while the 30 and 30A don't have the spring.

Years ago I was set up at a show and a woman picked up a big 131 pointed it at her head and befor I could do anything twisted the collar and WHAM faster then a striking rattler it sprung out and hit her smack dab right in the forehead leaving her looking like some Hindu [no offense or reflection on Hindus, OK?]. She looked pretty startled at first but just walked away like it happened every day....Was pretty funny....Todd

Re: Uhmmm...No

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia


>Glad you hadn't installed one o those rare phillips bits in it to help it sell.:-)JR

Re: Uhmmm...No

William Duffield, on the Cohansey


>At a woodworking show, I came really close to a concussion (or at least a black eye or a fat lip) while trying to figure out whether I could adapt the L-V Tucker Vice's pedal operated quick release mechanism to my Emmert clone.

It's a great idea, but like hot coffee and table saws, you've gotta have a bit of mentoring. Don't wait until you are waiting for admittance to the emergency room to read the instructions. Y'all have been taught to read, haven't you?

Re: Uhmmm...No

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>At a woodworking show, I came really close to a concussion (or at least a black eye or a fat lip) while trying to figure out whether I could adapt the L-V Tucker Vice's pedal operated quick release mechanism to my Emmert clone.

And could you have?

Pam, who's glad you survived

Re: Uhmmm...No

William Duffield, on the Cohansey


>Nope, Can't do it.

But then there's been lots of times I've said that, and it was just the impetus I needed to figure out some really radical way to do it.

In this case, I think you need a split nut, spring loaded, with a mechanism to pull it apart. The Emmert and my clone, do not have a split nut. The Tucker does. Then, you need another spring-loaded mechanism to push the screw, alignment rods, and front jaw out and away from the back jaw when you spread the nut apart. IIRC, that mechanism is not part of the Tucker, but is easily added with some bungee cords, etc.

Maybe, I should just say that a way to do it starting with the Emmert design was not intuitively obvious to me. However, IIRC, in the Workbench Book an example was shown of an Emmert whose threaded screw had been replaced with a hydraulic cylinder with a foot-actuated valve.