http://www.bobvila.com/forums/Tools/posts/42900-craftsman-model-665-256560

I have one of these in my hot little hand, but can't identify it. It appears to 
be a speed increaser/reducer, don't know which. One end has a threaded hole whic
h might screw onto a small drill press arbor, and the other end has a 1/4" squar
e drive exactly like a ratchet. I am thinking torque increaser, but it is more c
omplicated than others I have seen in the past.

Any help out there?

Jim Thompson, the Oldmillrat in Riverside California

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It's a reversible screwdriver speed reducer. I'd tell you where to find 
a pic of the tool sitting next to the original instruction sheet, but 
I'm sure if I did then a gang of purists would come to my house and cut 
off my fingers - or at least remove all the vowels from my keyboard.  If 
you really can't live without seeing it, then ask me again in 1 day 13 
hours.

Joe M.

On 7/12/2011 8:22 AM, James Thompson wrote:
> http://www.bobvila.com/forums/Tools/posts/42900-craftsman-model-665-256560
>
> > I have one of these in my hot little hand, but can't identify it. It appears
 to be a speed increaser/reducer, don't know which. One end has a threaded hole 
which might screw onto a small drill press arbor, and the other end has a 1/4" s
quare drive exactly like a ratchet. I am thinking torque increaser, but it is mo
re complicated than others I have seen in the past.
>
> Any help out there?
>
>

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Come on Joe, not that hard to find an expired listing
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Craftsman-Reversible-Screw-Driver-Parts-List-1957-/370513
878000?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5644591bf0

On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 8:38 AM, Joe  wrote:
> It's a reversible screwdriver speed reducer. I'd tell you where to find a
> pic of the tool sitting next to the original instruction sheet, but I'm sure
> i
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Jim: A quick google gave me this: http://www.renovateyourworld.com/wwwb-
oard/messages/craftsman_665_256560_speed_reducer_304275.html It's a
speed reducer. The correct p/n replaces the hypen in the number, so it's
actually 665.25650. The period/decimal point was replaced with the hypen
in the URL due to the way browsers interpret the period. Charlie Rodgers
Clinton, Maryland
------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were a couple of answers to my query:

The answer which said it screws onto a 1/4" drill shaft, and is used as a screwd
river, makes sense. But the one which said it was reversible by holding one half
 or the other does not. By hand holding the front half of the large cylinder, th
e speed of the output shaft is reduced, and the ratio is 14:1. The same thing ap
plies when the direction is reversed on the input shaft. The rear half turns wit
h the input shaft.

It seems that this is a 1957 product, and I wasn't aware that drills were revers
ible back then, but then there is a lot of stuff I don't remember anymore. I sup
pose they were reversible, but my memory is not.

I assume from the description I read on this tool that the 1/4" square drive tha
t it has on it was an option back then.

I am aware of the tapping device you mentioned, but this is not one of those.

On Jul 12, 2011, at 6:41 PM, Peter Huisman wrote:

> On 12/07/2011 11:22 PM, James Thompson wrote:
>> http://www.bobvila.com/forums/Tools/posts/42900-craftsman-model-665-256560
>> 
>> >> I have one of these in my hot little hand, but can't identify it. It appea
rs to be a speed increaser/reducer, don't know which. One end has a threaded hol
e which might screw onto a small drill press arbor, and the other end has a 1/4"
 square drive exactly like a ratchet. I am thinking torque increaser, but it is 
more complicated than others I have seen in the past.
>> 
>> Any help out there?
>> 
>> Jim Thompson, the Oldmillrat in Riverside California
> 
> > When I was turning Sputnik - yeah - Sputnik components out of brass to make 
up sprinklers ;^) I had to use a device similar looking, in a drill press to cut
 threads in holes. Pressing down would drive the tap, and raising the device wou
ld reverse the tap's direction.
> 
> Does you unit exhibit this type of action Jim?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another one day and 3 hours and all shall be revealed - a pic of the 
instructions with the tool sitting right next to it. I promise.
In the meantime, yes drills back then were reversible. I had one of my 
grandfather's "handheld" drills from the fifties. (Apparently in the 
fifties people had really big hands. Must have been the radiation from 
all those nuke tests.) It was a thing of beauty, all metal, and had a 
metal switch above the trigger - push to one side and it was forward, 
push to the other and it was reverse.

Joe M.

On 7/12/2011 6:59 PM, James Thompson wrote:
> > It seems that this is a 1957 product, and I wasn't aware that drills were re
versible back then, but then there is a lot of stuff I don't remember anymore. I
 suppose they were reversible, but my memory is not.
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember an all aluminum 1/4" Black & Decker drill that I inherited from my fa
ther. That thing was a drop dead torquey tool that lasted forever. Right up to t
he time somebody borrowed it, and it never found its way home. Then B&D became a
 second line, and DeWalt became the first line. Before that B&D was a killer too
l. I still look for old all aluminum frame tools when I am out searching in the 
wild.

On Jul 12, 2011, at 7:05 PM, Joe wrote:

> > Another one day and 3 hours and all shall be revealed - a pic of the instruc
tions with the tool sitting right next to it. I promise.
> > In the meantime, yes drills back then were reversible. I had one of my grand
father's "handheld" drills from the fifties. (Apparently in the fifties people h
ad really big hands. Must have been the radiation from all those nuke tests.) It
 was a thing of beauty, all metal, and had a metal switch above the trigger - pu
sh to one side and it was forward, push to the other and it was reverse.
> 
> Joe M.
> 
> On 7/12/2011 6:59 PM, James Thompson wrote:
>> >> It seems that this is a 1957 product, and I wasn't aware that drills were 
reversible back then, but then there is a lot of stuff I don't remember anymore.
 I suppose they were reversible, but my memory is not.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 12/07/2011 11:22 PM, James Thompson wrote:
> http://www.bobvila.com/forums/Tools/posts/42900-craftsman-model-665-256560
>
> > I have one of these in my hot little hand, but can't identify it. It appears
 to be a speed increaser/reducer, don't know which. One end has a threaded hole 
which might screw onto a small drill press arbor, and the other end has a 1/4" s
quare drive exactly like a ratchet. I am thinking torque increaser, but it is mo
re complicated than others I have seen in the past.
>
> Any help out there?
>
> Jim Thompson, the Oldmillrat in Riverside California

When I was turning Sputnik - yeah - Sputnik components out of brass to 
make up sprinklers ;^) I had to use a device similar looking, in a drill 
press to cut threads in holes. Pressing down would drive the tap, and 
raising the device would reverse the tap's direction.

Does you unit exhibit this type of action Jim?

PeterH in Perth
Hoping that these threads don't die without a resolve

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Jim

On 13/07/2011 9:59 AM, James Thompson wrote:
> I wasn't aware that drills were reversible back then

I wrote:

"Pressing down would drive the tap, and raising the device would reverse 
the tap's direction."

To elaborate: the drill press always turned in one direction, and with 
downward pressure, caused the tap to turn in the same direction, cutting 
the thread. Raising the "chuck", caused it to turn the tap in reverse - 
unscrewing it from the thread it had just cut.

Neato device, but it required some care to operate it, and it did not 
need to be held by hand.

PeterH in Perth

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Auction is over, here is the tool, with instruction sheet right next to 
it. I've got another photo of Bigfoot using the tool to fight off the 
Loch Ness Monster, but I've still got a couple shots left and didn't 
want to get it developed until I finish  out the roll of film.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-CRAFTSMAN-REVERSIBLE-SCREW-DRIVER-SPEED-REDUCER-/170
664895108?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27bc6ba284

http://tinyurl.com/6xgruag

Joe M.

On 7/12/2011 8:22 AM, James Thompson wrote:
> http://www.bobvila.com/forums/Tools/posts/42900-craftsman-model-665-256560
>
> > I have one of these in my hot little hand, but can't identify it. It appears
 to be a speed increaser/reducer, don't know which. One end has a threaded hole 
which might screw onto a small drill press arbor, and the other end has a 1/4" s
quare drive exactly like a ratchet. I am thinking torque increaser, but it is mo
re complicated than others I have seen in the past.
>
> Any help out there?
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------