Monday 17 January 2011

Palm drill

I met Ian Swain at Bentley woodfair this year and had some great chats with him. Ian was selling tools with a colleague. I bought an Elwell 4-pound carpenters axe with Elwell branded into the handle.  I would like to use this axe, but because of it`s more or less unused condition, it is a collectors piece.The original paper label is still glued to the handle and a sticker on the axe head, all in very good condition, and for a very good price. I also bought a Belgium Coticle stone and some other tools.



Anyway - what I was really interested in was the solution to a common problem faced by people who work with young children, that is: drilling holes safely. Young children find it difficult and often impossible to use bit and brace or egg-whisk type drills. So Ian got some file handles and good quality engineers' drill bits and glued both together. Below is a video of how easily it works.

Ian sells these at http://www.theluddite.com/forestschoolequipment.html

2 comments:

  1. The palm drill looks a great solution for making small, neat holes for all sorts of things especially adding lanyards. I know some folk don't like lanyards but to have a way whereby I can quickly and easily put a small hole in a piece whilst down the woods in great. Have emailed Ian to order. His site is very interesting too. Thanks for posting this.

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  2. Well the palm drill arrived this morning and I've just tested it by putting a lanyard hole in a Norway Maple pint pot noggin I've just finished carving and another through a piece of stag antler tine which will be the lanyard toggle. Result: simple to use and works extremely well. Also ordered a 1.5lb Gilpin hatchet from him. Have emailed Iain to thank him and thanks again Sean for putting folks onto this.

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