Thread: DAWN Post Drill.

Anyone in SA interested in a Dawn Model 616, 2 speed post drill in good working order?
I need to free up space for a new milling machine (or build a bigger shed!)
$100, pick up only.

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Go the bigger shed

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Originally Posted by Silversprings

Go the bigger shed

I've already built 3 extra sheds to add to the original 30'x20' one since I moved in 35 years ago, yet another one might be pushing my luck one step too far!

Originally Posted by Gavin Newman

Anyone in SA interested in a Dawn Model 616, 2 speed post drill in good working order?
I need to free up space for a new milling machine (or build a bigger shed!)
$100, pick up only.

postdrill1.jpgpostdrill2.jpg

That looks to be a nice old drill Gavin, is that an auto feed setup shown in the second picture? If it is can we have some more pics showing that mechanism in more detail please? I know what you mean in pushing your luck, but as long as divorce is not a likely outcome, I second SilverSprings motion on getting more shed

Originally Posted by Ropetangler

If it is can we have some more pics showing that mechanism in more detail please?

Yep, it's a 2 speed drill (shift the handle between cogs to change gear) with auto-feed. The pawl is flipped to engage the teeth under the top hand wheel then the lever arm rides on the eccentric cam to advance the feed. It's very useful when cutting stainless with a holes.

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Hi Ropetangler. Hope you're well.
When you think about it, all those post drills had an auto feed for the reason that the operators hands were both occupied - one to hold the job, the other to crank the drill. Manual downfeed isn't an option, not enough space for two operators. None of the post drills I've ever seen even had a feed lever.

Hi Gavin and Joe, apologies for this late reply but have had a computer glitch for the last few days and didn't realise it. The issue was that e-mails were still coming through, although not as many as usual, and it wasn't until yesterday as I was trying to get out to my local Shed, and my spouse asked if I had read an e-mail that she had forwarded to me, (and which had not appeared on my computer) that I realised that something was amiss. I had a fiddle around and suddenly a torrent of e-mails started downloading, and I'm still wading through the pile to respond to those worthy of a response.
Thanks Gavin for the explanation and yes Joe of course you are right, I was thinking of camel back drills, of which I have one courtesy of PDW, Peter. The gear train is in many ways quite similar but unfortunately in the case of the one PDW sent my way, there is no auto downfeed, something that would make a good project, and make the drill more versatile and useful.
Thank you for your kind wishes, we are indeed quite well here, and although we are usually much further north than Tasmania at this time of year, so far Winter has been pretty mild, although the last week has been very wet. My best wishes to both you and Gavin and I hope that your families all stay safe and well and are able to avoid the economic hardships so many have to suffer.

Drill has been given away to a good home. No longer available - and I have more room for my new toy when it eventually gets here...

Originally Posted by jhovel

Hi Ropetangler. Hope you're well.
When you think about it, all those post drills had an auto feed for the reason that the operators hands were both occupied - one to hold the job, the other to crank the drill. Manual downfeed isn't an option, not enough space for two operators. None of the post drills I've ever seen even had a feed lever.

While the thought is logical, that actually isn’t true. There are quite a number of postdrills that had manual downfeed (top wheel) and hand crank. So unless you were born with three arms the work had to be clamped or otherwise affixed to the table so you could perform the other operations. One example is the Silver Manufacturing Co No 1 1/2 which I have but is tucked away so I grabbed some image from the internet. Side note the 1 1/2 is smaller than the no.1 model.

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The Dawn 616 is a larger heavier drill much more scarce than the most common 611 (single speed) that is seen everywhere.