GR

Gerald Ross

11/09/2009 6:04 PM

Joys of a cheap drill

I didn't want to use my good drill for sanding (inside bowls) so I
bought a Skil variable speed reversible for under $30. Right away I
spent $15 to replace the stiff plastic cord it came with. It has
worked faithfully for 4 or 5 years. Today it started sputtering and
stopped.

I had to completely disembowel the thing to get at the brushes. One
was worn to a nubbin and the other was nearly new looking. And they
are an odd size. I bought some the same thickness and cut them do the
right length and width and now it runs good again.

Next time I will probably go with a Makita tailed drill, or something
similar.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

How long a minute is depends on which
side of the bathroom door you're on.





This topic has 12 replies

DN

David Nebenzahl

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

11/09/2009 6:03 PM

On 9/11/2009 3:04 PM Gerald Ross spake thus:

> I didn't want to use my good drill for sanding (inside bowls) so I
> bought a Skil variable speed reversible for under $30. Right away I
> spent $15 to replace the stiff plastic cord it came with. It has
> worked faithfully for 4 or 5 years. Today it started sputtering and
> stopped.
>
> I had to completely disembowel the thing to get at the brushes. One
> was worn to a nubbin and the other was nearly new looking. And they
> are an odd size. I bought some the same thickness and cut them do the
> right length and width and now it runs good again.
>
> Next time I will probably go with a Makita tailed drill, or something
> similar.

In the spirit of anti-gloating, I can one-up you: when I needed a drill
for wire-brushing a rusted railing--a dumbass job for an electric drill
if there ever was one--I went over to my favorite recycled-goods store,
Urban Ore in Berkeley, and picked up a 1-speed drill for $5. The drill
will probably outlive me. It's actually better than most drills for this
kind of work since instead of the usual trigger switch, it has a big
slide switch on top that you don't have to either hold on to or lock
down to get the drill to run continuously. Plus it's solid metal, not
plastic.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

dt

"diggerop"

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

13/09/2009 3:52 AM

"FrozenNorth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Gerald Ross wrote:
>>>
>>>
>> I once had a skill hammer drill. It died. sigh
>>
> I have a Skill jigsaw, damn thing won't die, believe me I have tried.
>
> --
> Froz...



I have no skills whatsoever. ; )

Ff

FrozenNorth

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 4:14 PM

-MIKE- wrote:
>>> I once had a skill hammer drill. It died. sigh
>>>
>> I have a Skill jigsaw, damn thing won't die, believe me I have tried.
>>
>
> Where can I find these "Skill" tools of which you speak? :-p
>
>
Ok, one to many el's.
But drive to Toronto, you can have it. ;-)

--
Froz...

LZ

Luigi Zanasi

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

13/09/2009 5:24 PM

On Sep 12, 12:20=A0pm, FrozenNorth <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I have a Skill jigsaw, damn thing won't die, believe me I have tried.

You mean Skil vibrator? Those things are sex toys, not wooddorking
tools.

Luigi

Ff

FrozenNorth

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 3:20 PM

Gerald Ross wrote:
> -MIKE- wrote:
>>> I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or
>>> so ago.. I
>>> think it was $25 with shipping..
>>> Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero
>>> maintenance..
>>>
>>>
>>> mac
>>>
>>
>>
>> I bought the cheapest hammer drill I could find, about 15 years ago...
>> turned out to be a little Skil 3/8".
>>
>> I have used and abused that thing, including attaching it to a
>> drill-pump to suck water out of the basement during and after rains,
>> before the house was dry-- it ran for 8-12 hours at a time. It's been
>> left outside in the rain and snow, been dropped from a 30 foot peak onto
>> a gravel driveway, I think the concrete truck even ran it over once.
>> :-)
>>
>> It's in my garage and I still use it to drill holes in concrete.
>>
>>
> I once had a skill hammer drill. It died. sigh
>
I have a Skill jigsaw, damn thing won't die, believe me I have tried.

--
Froz...

Mm

-MIKE-

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 11:26 AM

> I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or so ago.. I
> think it was $25 with shipping..
> Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero maintenance..
>
>
> mac
>


I bought the cheapest hammer drill I could find, about 15 years ago...
turned out to be a little Skil 3/8".

I have used and abused that thing, including attaching it to a
drill-pump to suck water out of the basement during and after rains,
before the house was dry-- it ran for 8-12 hours at a time. It's been
left outside in the rain and snow, been dropped from a 30 foot peak onto
a gravel driveway, I think the concrete truck even ran it over once. :-)

It's in my garage and I still use it to drill holes in concrete.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Mm

-MIKE-

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 3:03 PM

>> I once had a skill hammer drill. It died. sigh
>>
> I have a Skill jigsaw, damn thing won't die, believe me I have tried.
>

Where can I find these "Skill" tools of which you speak? :-p


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

md

mac davis

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 8:54 AM

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:04:32 -0400, Gerald Ross <[email protected]> wrote:

>I didn't want to use my good drill for sanding (inside bowls) so I
>bought a Skil variable speed reversible for under $30. Right away I
>spent $15 to replace the stiff plastic cord it came with. It has
>worked faithfully for 4 or 5 years. Today it started sputtering and
>stopped.
>
>I had to completely disembowel the thing to get at the brushes. One
>was worn to a nubbin and the other was nearly new looking. And they
>are an odd size. I bought some the same thickness and cut them do the
>right length and width and now it runs good again.
>
>Next time I will probably go with a Makita tailed drill, or something
>similar.

I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or so ago.. I
think it was $25 with shipping..
Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero maintenance..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

GR

Gerald Ross

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 3:20 PM

mac davis wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:04:32 -0400, Gerald Ross<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I didn't want to use my good drill for sanding (inside bowls) so I
>>bought a Skil variable speed reversible for under $30. Right away I
>>spent $15 to replace the stiff plastic cord it came with. It has
>>worked faithfully for 4 or 5 years. Today it started sputtering and
>>stopped.
>>
>>I had to completely disembowel the thing to get at the brushes. One
>>was worn to a nubbin and the other was nearly new looking. And they
>>are an odd size. I bought some the same thickness and cut them do the
>>right length and width and now it runs good again.
>>
>>Next time I will probably go with a Makita tailed drill, or something
>>similar.
>
> I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or so ago.. I
> think it was $25 with shipping..
> Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero maintenance..
>
>
> mac
>
> Please remove splinters before emailing

I use a harbor fright close quarter drill but only used it on natural
edge bowls with the lathe stopped. My knuckles don't like for me to
use it in a deep regular bowl.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

How long a minute is depends on which
side of the bathroom door you're on.




GR

Gerald Ross

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 3:17 PM

-MIKE- wrote:
>> I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or so ago.. I
>> think it was $25 with shipping..
>> Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero maintenance..
>>
>>
>> mac
>>
>
>
> I bought the cheapest hammer drill I could find, about 15 years ago...
> turned out to be a little Skil 3/8".
>
> I have used and abused that thing, including attaching it to a
> drill-pump to suck water out of the basement during and after rains,
> before the house was dry-- it ran for 8-12 hours at a time. It's been
> left outside in the rain and snow, been dropped from a 30 foot peak onto
> a gravel driveway, I think the concrete truck even ran it over once. :-)
>
> It's in my garage and I still use it to drill holes in concrete.
>
>
I once had a skill hammer drill. It died. sigh

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

How long a minute is depends on which
side of the bathroom door you're on.




md

mac davis

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 11:41 PM

On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:20:09 -0400, Gerald Ross <[email protected]> wrote:

>mac davis wrote:
>
>> I bought a Sioux close quarter knock off on Ebay about 100 bowls or so ago.. I
>> think it was $25 with shipping..
>> Damn thing is like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking with zero maintenance..
>>
>>
>> mac

>I use a harbor fright close quarter drill but only used it on natural
>edge bowls with the lathe stopped. My knuckles don't like for me to
>use it in a deep regular bowl.

Probably the same one I have.. I use it inside bowls a lot.. if that doesn't
work, I go to the power shaft..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

nn

notbob

in reply to Gerald Ross on 11/09/2009 6:04 PM

12/09/2009 8:48 PM

On 2009-09-12, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:

> Where can I find these "Skill" tools of which you speak? :-p

I got the tools. It's the "cheap drill"? ;)

nb


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