Grant Erwin wrote:
This is another one from my neighbor's basement. It looks pretty much
like
a screwdriver, except the shank is tubular, about 3/8" OD, with a
quick
disconnect chuck on the end. The end of the handle screws off to
reveal a
bunch of bits. These are not screwdriver bits. They are like drill
bits but
they aren't twist drills. From the end they look quite a bit like a
twist
drill but only the end has helical relief. On the sides are two
straight
flutes, no spiral at all. The tool is self-twisting, i.e. when you
push it
into the work it twists. The only lettering says "YANKEE".

Anyone know what this tool is, and what craft uses it? The bit sizes
range
from about 1/16" to about 3/16".

GWE

You've already figured out that this is a Yankee push drill, probably a
number 41. Used for woodworking jobs, such as drilling holes for small
hinges. They are handy, but the straight-fluted bits don't clear chips
as well as twist drills do.

The Yankee tools were originally made by North Brothers, of
Philadelphia. They were bought out by Stanley around 1950 or so. The
quality of the North Bros. stuff was very good. They made, in addition
to the push drills, spiral ratchet screwdrivers, eggbeater-type hand
drills, bit braces, ratchet screwdrivers, ratchet offset screwdrivers,
drill press vises and a host of other tools.

One of their most interesting tools, in my opinion, was the
eggbeater-style hand drill with five-way ratchet. Also available as a
breast drill. You still see them occasionally. The ratchet had five
positions: plain (no ratchet), right hand (which allowed you to drill
in cramped areas with only a partial sweep of the handle), left hand
(same thing but to the left, which I don't know the use of as we all
know that when backing a drill out you continue to turn in the same
direction), lock (which locked the spindle to make changing bits
easier) and, best of all, right hand double (which turns the drill in
the proper direction no matter which way you turn the crank).

John Martin