Greetings Galoots,

In addition to the half dozen broken totes acquired from last
Sunday's flea market that I've been been puzzling over,  I
picked up another oddity.  At first I thought it was part
of a bow drill -- it is a wooden spool or bobbin pierced with
a bit that is about 4 1/2" long, flattened at the tip and with a
diamond-shaped profile.  At the top end the bit sticks out of
the spool by about 1/4" and is rounded off.  Much searching
through several large boxes of complete junk failed to yield
any even remotely related objects.  Those pictures of bow
drills that I've seen all have a handle at the top, and don't
seem to have permanently fixed bits.

In an old David Stanley auction catalog I found a picture of
a kit of several cutlers tools from a knife manufacturer which
includes half a dozen "bobbin drills", which look very similar
to what I have.  I don't have Salaman's Dictionary but I
suspect that would likely have some relevent information.
Is anybody familiar with these tools?  Any thoughts on how
they would be used?  I assume that they were used in a similar
manner as a bow drill but I'm curious as to how the bit
would be held (and how one would apply pressure).

While we're on the subject of bow drills, what type of work
do they lend themselves to and why?  Chris Schwartz
mentioned that he saw one in theStudley chest; given that
so many of these bow drills were exquisitely made (ebony,
ivory and brass, with workmanship that appears to rival
any of the best English tools -- obviously not primitive tools
by any means) I suppose it's not surprising that they were
used in an occupation demanding craftsmanship at the
highest level, i.e. pianomaking.  Does anyone have
experience using them?

Many thanks,
Paul Fuss

,
> Paul askedabout a flea market find......" .  At first I thought it was
part
> of a bow drill -- it is a wooden spool or bobbin pierced with
> a bit that is about 4 1/2" long, flattened at the tip and with a
> diamond-shaped profile.  At the top end the bit sticks out of
> the spool by about 1/4" and is rounded off.  ....I found a picture of
> a kit of several cutlers tools from a knife manufacturer which
> includes half a dozen "bobbin drills", which look very similar
> to what I have.  .....Any thoughts on how
> they would be used?  I assume that they were used in a similar
> manner as a bow drill but I'm curious as to how the bit
> would be held (and how one would apply pressure).
> .......
> While we're on the subject of bow drills, what type of work
> do they lend themselves to and why.....  Does anyone have
> experience using them?
>
> Could very well be a bow drill, thease short ones were used in conjunction
with a metal or wooden Breast plate that was straped on your chest and the
rounded end went intoa hole in it. The work being drilled was held in a vice
verticaly and you aplied pressue on the drill with your chest. Cuttlers and
others that did inlay work used a simular tool called a Parser or passer
that had 2 springing cutters that revoveled inside a template cutting or
routing out the wood or antler so the inlay fit. Thease had handles or fit
in a breast plate too. Bow drills were used to drill small holes and work
great. I have a couple original ones that i have used a good bit mostly at
demos to drill the holes in knife handles and they will if you have a proper
sharp bit drill them licty split.I made my own bits out of pitch fork tines
and you have to sharpen them so they cut coming and going to take advantage
of the bows back and forth motion, is the same for pump drills which I have
also used.I always tell the audiance  for the bigger holes i'll have to use
a cordless drill and always get a laugh when I pull out an old wooden
Brace.........Todd, who once bought a large ebony Bow drill at an auction
for $1 as a screwdriver!

Paul and All,

Paul asked about a thing like a bow drill, what Salaman might say, what
bow drills were used for, etc. Let's take the easy parts first. Salaman
says bow drills were used in piano making, clock making, lettering on
stone, china repairing, and cutlery making. The "bobbin drills" Paul saw
in a D. Stanley auction catalogue are probably what Salaman calls a
"Passer Drill", a specialized item working like a bow drill and used to
route out handles of pen or pocket knives where an ornamental piece is
being inset. Such drills didn't have fixed handles; Salaman says they
were used with a breastplate, but he shows one with an apparently
non-fixed handle. Breastplates were plates strapped to the chest and
were normally more common (in real olden times) for larger drills than
this one seems to be, so I'm a bit hazy on Salaman's meaning/thinking
there. They're not quite like Paul's in that they have a split bit, but
maybe in the same ballpark.
Salaman also shows a "Bobbin Bit", but that's just a bit for drilling
holes in bobbins and doesn't seem to relate. 

I have a pump drill that I know was used in the type of repairing china
mode Salaman says some bow drills were used for. Simply a matter of
worrying matching holes into opposite sides of a broken dish or such and
putting pins in those holes to strengthen the connection - like putting
in bisquits when gluing board edges together.

Best Wishes,
Bob