Stanley eggbeater drill question

[Joel Goodman]

I have a Stanley eggbeater drill (#624) has excessive play between the gears on the shaft and the big gear wheel to which the handle is attached. When I grasp the gear wheel to "lock" the drill to tighten the chuck the gears jump. Under the screw that holds the big gear wheel to the rest of the drill there is a space that I can put a .025" feeler gauge in -- it looks like a washer of some sort is missing. My question is whether a special type of washer is called for and how much space is appropriate to leave -- how tight the whole assembly should be? Please forgive my clumsy description -- I don't know the correct names for the various parts! The attached photo sort of shows the gap.

[george wilson]

Put a washer in the gap to make the gear teeth mesh closer together.Is there a spacer UNDER the large gear that is making the gears too far apart? If so,take it out.See if you can re install it on the outside of the big gear. In any case,there needs to be a washer inserted in the .025" gap. You may have to file the washer thinner if it is too thick. Maybe make the washer .023". Can you take the gear off the shaft,and file off the top of the shaft? May be safer just to file a washer if not sure of yourself. Make sure the washer is the same thickness all around,or cut one out of fiber gasket material.

This is not a critical gear job. just make sure the gears still turn freely. If you can turn the crank and feed a piece of typing paper between the gears,it's fine. Oil all shafts,and the drill will run a lot better.Oil the shaft between the small gear and the chuck,big gear shaft-all rotating parts. Just use light oil.

[Joel Goodman]

George,

The place where the big gear "bottoms out" is correct -- there is no extra washer there -- it's just that the screw is too long or missing a spacer at the top so that under torque the big gear can lift up and that's causing the problem. As I'm chicken to cut the screw down -- and I bet there was washer there -- I'll get a washer or two and fit it. Would there be an advantage to a brass or nylon washer or am I over thinking this?

Thanks

[george wilson]

Yes. That gear doesn't run at high speed,or for very long. Brass is what I'd use,though.

[Bill Houghton]

1. Electric motors use thrust washers that are often specific thicknesses to adjust end play. Measure the inner diameter (diameter of the hole) you need, and check around to see if you can find a motor shop that will talk to you about a washer. These will be steel, but really really smooth.

2. If that doesn't work, and you find that stock washers are not coincidentally the right thickness, consider making a washer. Most hardware stores and all auto parts stores sell shim stock or "craft" stock in various thicknesses. I concur with George Wilson that brass would be best - it'll be softer than either the screw or the gear wheel, but hard enough to resist the tendency of the gears to lose mesh. It can be the very devil to cut a washer by hand, but this might be easier than trying to file an existing washer accurately. Lay it out first. A Magic Marker scribbled all over the brass will let you see your layout marks. Then drill the hole, and finally cut the outer diameter (which isn't critical - it just needs not to be so large that it's a hazard) with a hacksaw, saber saw, stationary jigsaw, whatever you've got, and file it to more or less round. You'll want to deburr everything, so both faces are pretty flat.

If existing washers are very close to existing thickness - say, 0.027" - then putting one flat on a piece of sandpaper and rubbing back and forth until you get to right thickness should also work. I wouldn't want to try that, though, if the existing washer was, say, 0.040". Incidentally, cut washers are often wildly inconsistent in thickness, one to the next, so look for a hardware store with a bulk bin (my local Ace hardware store sells its small hardware this way), and rummage around in the bin to see how close you can come.

[Jim Koepke]

If the hole is the right size, I would use a feeler gauge to make a custom washer.

That is one good reason to pick up a set of these things cheap at yard sales and such. By cheap, think less than a buck.

jim

[Joel Goodman]

Thanks for the help. I think I'll look and see what I can find in brass washers which should be easier to thickness -- if it needs it.

[george wilson]

Brass is sort of self lubricating,and those gears are pot metal anyway.

[Bill Houghton]

You mention that the gears "jump." What kind of shape are the gears in? Are they worn enough to the point that you're wasting your time?

On most eggbeaters I've seen, the gear wheel gears (often cast iron) and the driven gears have the same size teeth, so it's easy enough to do a comparison. From the snippet of driven gear visible in your picture, it looks OK, but I thought I'd mention it.

[george wilson]

That drill is potmetal. I gave one away last week,as I have several older cast iron ones.Think I inherited it.

P.S.,the color of the drill fooled me. I took it for the same as the one I gave away.

[Joel Goodman]

I have several of the smaller potmetal eggbeaters -- this one has machined gears. Surprisingly I've had a potmetal version for years and it works fine.