The care and feeding of Yankees

[crosslandkelly]

To be honest though if your in a position to get your bodyweight behind the driver i think these yankee drivers are absolutely fantastic.
Only downside i found was if your up a ladder and struggling to get some leverage behind the driver.

Still great to see then again though, brings back memories of me Dad doing DIY with his other latest toy the Workmate

I know what you mean about using them up ladders, had my fair share of slips with them too, especially using slotted screws. Lol

 

[Roefisher]

..........

 

[santaman2000]

Stanley #4 is a smoother, if its a block plane its more likely to be a #9 1/2 (standard angle with adjustable mouth) or a #60 1/2 (low angle with adjustable mouth) or maybe a #220 which is at the standard angle but without the adjustable mouth.
I have a #4 Woden smoother which I hardly use, a #5 1/2 Stanley Jackplane which gets used a lot, a Veritas [SIZE=-1]P2201 [/SIZE]low angle block plane (bought before the spazzy looking ball handles were standard) which is about the nicest tool I own. Worth every penny of the £85 I spent on it at the time.
Oh and a De-Walt powerplaner which although a good fast tool, its noisy and messy to use and if I can get away without I do.

I also prefer to do the job quietly with a handplane than to carry a 110 transformer, 110 leads and powerplaner about if I can get away with it.
Sometimes its needed but sometimes its that much of a faff cleaning up after the powerplaner (even using its chippings bag attached it doesn't catch everything and if I'm working somewhere that's got carpets down handplane shavings are a lot easier to clean up than ones from a planer) and carrying a hoover about all over the place.

I'm pretty set on the cordlesses though, that's not changing fast.

Now you've got me confused. The only power planers I've ever seen are large pieces of shop equipment that cannot be carried into the field. They're about 10 feet long, mounted to the floor, and the work to be planed is fed into them. And they're 220.

 

[tombear]

yankees? Love them to bits and you see a lot of them at carboots and they clean up well

The handymans turn up a lot and the bits are available, often as old stock they are trying to get rid of in hardware shops. I regret not picking up the realy large sized one when I could, still new and for a tenner, but have picked up some new bits for that size for when i next see one. I especially like the none twist drills you can get for them, They work a treat!

I keep meaning to try carving a piece of suitable wood down to see if I can get a ember forming on a fire drill board.

The ratchet screwdrivers at top just there for the sake of completeness, I think all were bought for pence and done up by yours truely.

I must buy some graphite grease, I've just been slapping 3 in 1 on the metal bits! Oops! 'Would the stuff in SLR cleaning kits be OK in the mean time?

ATB

Tom


PS must get a hex adapter!

Found this site with some info
http://www.nickh.org/yankee/

Another adapter
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=57809&cat=51&ap=1
saddly not a UK supplier

 

[bigroomboy]

Santaman, are you thinking of a planer/thicknesser or jointer? A power power planer is a hand power tool about the size of a portable belt sander but uses a chipping action similar to the shop bases versions.

 

[demographic]

Now you've got me confused. The only power planers I've ever seen are large pieces of shop equipment that cannot be carried into the field. They're about 10 feet long, mounted to the floor, and the work to be planed is fed into them. And they're 220.

I'm talking about one of these but as all my powertools are used in site they have to be 110 volts* over here.
Safety bods see a 240 cable on site and you're in trouble

 

[santaman2000]

Santaman, are you thinking of a planer/thicknesser or jointer? A power power planer is a hand power tool about the size of a portable belt sander but uses a chipping action similar to the shop bases versions.

I'm thinking of a power planer. Like the ones we were taught way back in high school shop class and are still available in every wood shop over here. But it might well be a difference in terminology here to there I suppose.

 

[santaman2000]

I'm talking about one of these but as all my powertools are used in site they have to be 110 volts* over here.
Safety bods see a 240 cable on site and you're in trouble

I've never seen one of these TBH. But if there is such over here then it would likely be 110 as you say; that's our normal current. Almost all hand tools (and other common appliances here) are 110. The only reason the one I mentioned would be 220 is because most large shop equipment is 220 ironicly (and often 3 phase)

Bear in mind I'm not a professional woodworker so my knowledge is limited.

 

[demographic]

I've never seen one of these TBH. But if there is such over here then it would likely be 110 as you say; that's our normal current. Almost all hand tools (and other common appliances here) are 110. The only reason the one I mentioned would be 220 is because most large shop equipment is 220 ironicly (and often 3 phase)

Bear in mind I'm not a professional woodworker so my knowledge is limited.

Single phase house power over here is 240 (or therabouts) and our three phase is 415 (or thereabouts).
We have step down transformers on building sites to drop the power to something that's a bit less dangerous, plus they have plugs designed for hard use and not the normal household plugs that come out all the time if the cable gets a slight pull.

Sorry British Red for the de-rail by the way.

 

[Imagedude]

I've got a Yankee Handyman 233H

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

BR, thank you for putting a name to a tool I have memory's of from when I was a child. I am now bidding on two on ebay.

 

[British Red]

Good luck - don't pay more than a few quid - they come up regularly!

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Good luck - don't pay more than a few quid - they come up regularly!

One is ending in a few hours £1.55 is my max bid. I am also going to go talk to the old boy's in the maintenance department at work to see if they have any as they keep hold of all the old tools.

 

[British Red]

Ask them about old planes, turn screws and drills too......all worth having

 

[bojit]

Ive got an old Yankee that I was given by my journyman when I was an apprentice , ive had it 25 years and it must have been 10 years old when I got it . Its still in good working order if a bit worn and battered, bit like me really.

Craig..............

 

[dave53]

any chance of a link shewie regards dave

 

[tombear]

And just to show you that they are out there, this is what i got Today on Accrington flea market for £5 (the ladies on the stall had just knocked it down from 10 as they were cold and wanted to go home) a Stanley 131A

Then, having secured my prize, i cackled my way to the hardware shop in Haslingden and picked up the 4 new bits for a pound each (he has several left). Back home I cleaned the gunk off the metal work and the bit that came with and scraped the last of the paint that was on the handle off. The wood end is now standing in a jar or wood oil for a 24 hr soak. I'll pick up the cross head bits when i see them although to be honest i hardly use them. I could only find one bit I had bought on spec' years ago.

It's got a lovely action so battered handle aside its not been used much at all.

ATB

Tom :-{D)

 

[British Red]

Steal!!

Do go for a hex adapter at some point though - really revolutionises the tool!

Going to clean the paint of mine I think - I like the look of that

 

[tombear]

Yup definitely want a adapter.

i did see two sizes of Faithful Yankees in Fletchers down in the valley and they took 1/4 inch hex bits

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=178273

no idea of the quality of them.

atb

Tom

 

[Graham_S]

They used to be popular with Airframe Techs in the RAF until they were banned due to the amound of damage they were causing when they slipped across the aircraft skin leaving a scratch in their wake