Repairing cast iron drill

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I had a mishap the other day, and one of my eggbeater drills fell to the floor and snapped the small piece of cast iron that the handle attaches to. It snapped right through the hole in the threaded bit that keeps the handle from rotating once it’s attached.



I’ve talked to my machinist buddy, and his only idea was to remove the stub, and then drill a hole into the casting to insert a bolt into. I think that would be pretty tricky to do, given the way the casting narrows right below where that stub is. Anyone around here have any bright ideas for a repair?

We’re both pretty convinced that trying to weld or glue the stub back together would require better glue or more skills for welding cast iron than either of us have.

Thanks!

May you have the day you deserve!

27 Replies

Ouch Dave!

I agree with the neck being too narrow to drill. Could that threaded stub be screwed into the drill body or is it part of the casting?

If so, maybe grind it flat an drill it out for a smaller diameter screw. Then you could possibly cut the threads from a bolt that match the original, drill it out and tap for the new, smaller screw, and then thread it onto the body. Or just make an extension from the same bolt but cut/thread a reduced tip that could then be threaded into a matching hole in the body?
Are there female threads in the handle Dave?  Is that stub part of the casting or a bolt that's threaded into the casting?
Could you maybe drill & tap a smaller bolt?
I think I’d grind down the nub, drill and tap for a slightly smaller piece of thread stock, then backfill the handle (might have to drill that out and plug it?), then drill and tap the handle/plug for the thread stock. Basically tap both pieces for matching male threads and join them with said thread stock. 

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Perhaps leave the stub and drill a smaller hole that you can epoxy an aluminum or brass rod into.  Then put some JB Weld  putty around the dowel and while it is still pliable, press it and thread it into the handle so what putty takes the shape of the inside threads.  After the putty sets, use the hole in the handle to drill the hole for the roll pin or whatever you use to prevent it from spinning.  It looks a little small but if there is enough meat after drilling the hole, perhaps you could cut some threads on the inside of the hole it and on the rod to give the epoxy something to grab on to.  

You could just use threaded rod instead of brass or aluminum but I figure the softer metal would be easier for drilling the cross pin hole.  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Hey Dave, that looks to be about a 3/8" diameter stub. I think you might be able to leave it as it is and drill and tap a 10-24 thread into the center of it and then screw some threaded rod into it. Then put a threaded insert in the handle and screw it right into it. If there is a piece of the 3/8" thread in there, you could drill and tap into it and screw it on the threaded rod. 

Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day

The threaded stub is part of the casting. I can see the line where the mold came together.

There are female threads (and part of a stub) in the metal bit at the bottom of the handle. And the cross-pin which is pretty well rusted in there, since I hadn’t gotten to cleaning this one up yet.

And yeah, it’s either a 3/8 or 5/16 diameter stub. Or maybe 11/32 or something goofy.

I suspect I’ll end up passing this on to someone who has the time to repair it, rather than tackling it myself, so I’m not super keen on drilling and tapping it, only to find out I’ve made a better repair impossible. Any volunteers?

May you have the day you deserve!

I had a similar situation where instead I had a knob with 3/8-16 female thread and a hole in a tool with 10-32 female thread.  I took a 3/8 bolt and turned down the end to a projection length into the tool then threaded it at 10-32 and cut it off.  The knob not being original was less important so the new stud was installed with loctite into the knob and just enough anti-seize between the stud and the aluminum tool to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Since hearing about the guy who remade the head on his pickup truck after it "broke" using nothing but JB Weld I have been a fan, and if I let parts dry out well I've not had a failure. Just saying if you don't come up with a better fix, I'm pretty sure it would get it done
you can fix it its not impossible plus you cant mess it up more then it is now  👍

*TONY ** Reinholds* ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN

Is it Millers Falls Dave?  Doesn’t look like it but if it is I’ll take it.  Either way, I’ll be glad to take a shot at repairing it and sending it back if you want to go that route.
It’s a Goodell-Pratt 5½ with a two speed mechanism I haven’t been able to shift, and a chef’s cap side handle. It’s later than 1911, but may or may not be a MF manufacture. I’m not sure how to tell that for sure. https://oldtoolheaven.com/related/goodell-pratt-hand-drills.htm

I’m sure I can fix it, but I have two projects my sweetie wants done soon, and I have a handful of working egg-beaters, so I suspect this one could easily find a better home than sitting in my “broken tools” box for another couple years.

If nobody else speaks up by Monday, I’ll ship it to Kenny and we’ll figure it out from there.

May you have the day you deserve!

Dave,
I'm with GeorgeWest.  JB Weld is like duct tape; it fixes anything!
 
 
L/W

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin

I use their 5 min epoxy all the time. Good stuff! 👍🏼

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

I am a fan of their putty for fixes like this.  you can sculpt and mold it to whatever shape you want.  I used their waterweld putty to fix a plastic squirrel cage blower in a portable AC and the blower lasted another 5 years before it finally lost coolant but the blower still worked great.  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Send it to either Jim or Kenny they'll get it back together
I am voting for the man in the green cape  as no 1 choice then Jim as no 2 !
I also know JB weld is good stuff.
You know the drill! ... oh god another droll joke.  ...sorry

Regards Rob

I recently acquired that exact drill — broken when I bought it, then repaired it. Mine was broken in a different way.

I also vote for JB Weld.
Break?  I don’t see no stinkin’ break.
Easy peasy. What did you use?

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".