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One of last year's find at the Covered Bridge Festival yielded one of my prized push drills now that I have it operational. A Millers-Falls, Model 100 (aka Buck Rogers). Found it in a pile of stuff but no price. I finally found the vendor and asked how much for this...He replied "I don't even know what that is...how about $3.75?" I couldn't get my money clip out fast enough...I didn't know how many bits were trapped inside, but it had an original tube which contained several I could tell. Mom's illness came shortly thereafter, then all the trips & time to the hospital, the nursing home, then eventually her passing, many things were placed on the back burner for some time. A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to figure this thing out so here's the journey. Thanks for looking... As purchased...you can see the Red Tenite has the typical "mold" from age, and exposure. It really stinks too. Bits in the tube turned out to be straight shank probably for an egg-beater style. Not for this drill or any of the Stanley style either. After some internet searches, I finally found some information on how to disassemble the 100. Soaking with WD-40 still would not free up the Red handle portion to rotate easily to remove the bits in the handle. The multiple layers of blue masking tape provided a gripping area where I could use gripping pliers without damaging the aluminum. I had tried strap wrenches with no success. Even at this stage, I still could not get the handle to rotate easily or to further clean. NOTE: The wood plunger. This one appeared to be turned from maple. You can also see the "gang green" transferred from the brass. I had pre-cleaned the Tenite handle first using a nylon scraper, then green Scotch-Brite. Cleaned the plunger with Acetone, Scotch-Brite, then 3 or 4 coats of Johnson's Wax. I added another layer of painters tape to the plunger barrel to remove it from the spiral drive. Handle was cleaned with Simple Green & water mix then buffed on the lose sewn buffing wheel and Blue Compound specific for plastic...yep it still stinks. The adapter on the right by the plunger barrel incurred some damage to the internal spirals as well as the shoulder during removal. I had to use an Easy-Out.; spent a lot of time with jewelers files to repair, but getting it out let me finally get the handle free. I chose not to to remove the brass tube from the end cap fearing I would collapse it trying to get a firm grip. A lot of cleaning and polishing with the Dremel, hand polishing with 240-400 grill wet/dry and also final buffing with different compounds at the buffer. I made a flap sander from a 1/4" bolt shank by cutting a slot in the shaft to wrap sand paper arse a way to flap and enlarge the ID of the handle some. I guess the Tenite either shrinks (it certainly stinks) over time or maybe the WD-40 had an adverse effect on it. Anyway, after ever thing was cleaned and polished, it still would not rotate freely on the brass sleeve without flapping. Sub-assembled with white grease to lube all the internal moving parts; The reveal after tape removed and everything cleaned and polished. Oh yeah, it was worth the patience & work as all 8 original bits with minimal surface rust were in the handle turret I don't think this had been used much and some bits not at all. All bits were buffed with the Dremel and scrubbed with Johnson's and a toothbrush. The non-matching bits will get a new assignment to one of my egg-beater drills. Ready for it's new luxury dwelling. Thanks for looking.
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