Yankee Screwdriver Question

I have Millers Falls like this one...

My father had one (probably still does), which was similar to mine. Also no spring.

Ned Simmons

I don't know if yours ever had a spring, but I know what may have happened to it! My age is showing now. I was working a big job as a cub carpenter and my Yankee was so new the paint on the handle was still wet, I think I had bought it for that job as we had 15 stories of doors to hardware out. Screw guns, reversible drills, battery tools did not exist. Superintendent hollered, "get those xxxx springs out of those Yankees, if you're going to have 'em on my job." Apparently he had had a very expensive colored glass plate window broken on a job when someone popped the release. Lost that spring, but still have and use the Yankee. The only time I missed that spring was working some thorns up overhead.

I have seen them both ways. The ones with the springs are nice when you are drilling with them. The also come in handy when you have a real fine thread and a long screw, assuming of course that you do not need to use one hand to keep the bit in the screw and one to push the handle.

Mine has a spring. Really gets someone's attention when that sucker snaps out! I bought it about 1977 to use on my sailboat. Still have it - but a different boat now.

Richard

I started in construction just about 40 years ago. At that time electricians widely used Yankee screwdrivers. They almost always removed the spring that came with the tool for better control and to protect finishes.

Al

Iv'e got 2, the big "yankee slugger" and the smaller one with the longish handle (grip), Iv'e never damaged anything with either of them bu I did scare the crap out of a customer when during a conversation at the jobsite they (a sixty year old man) was toying with the slugger it popped out in his lap! He didn't get hurt, just got a lesson late in life not to mess with things you don't recognize.

Which reminds me of the speculum I have kicking around the house..when new folks come over..I often toss it on the coffee table and watch their wives get the giggles as the guy plays with it.

Gunner

Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do. Robert A. Heinlein

Yankee screwdrivers with a 1xx model number have a spring, those with a xx model number don't have a spring. 130 does, 30 doesn't.

See:

Pete