Who doesn't love pink!!!

[Robert Hartmann]

So, now that I have your attention. My soon to be 6 yr old son and soon to be 4 yr old daughter have become my assistants in the wood shop. Along with measuring everything they can find, cleaning up all the wood shavings, and beating stuff up with old hammers they took a liking to the various Millers Falls hand drills I've restored. My son loves drilling holes and my daughter has joined in. He said the No 1's were still too big so I bought a 303 and restored it and he loves it. I've since bought another for my daughter and I'm getting ready to work on it.

Being a little girl she obviously loves pink (much to my wife and I's dismay). So I thought I would do it up in pink. The gear wheel is easy enough, but I would like to do the handles in pink. I've used Lockwood water dyes with good luck on other restores/refurbishes, but I haven't used pink. I plan to try Lockwoods Pink Conc.

Has anyone used this or another light colored dye on handles? They can sometimes be difficult to get good color, so I'm not sure how the pink will work out. Any other thoughts on what else I could use. FYI, I'm stationed in southern Netherlands where it's next to impossible to find woodworking stuff. I have to order pretty much everything. I have a couple non-usable handles, but they are cocobolo, so probably not a good comparison to the "hardwood" on the 303.

If you don't want to your risk revocation of your man-card, send me a private message:)

[Kees Heiden]

Yes, who doesn't love pink.

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This was a small interpretation error when mixing some milk paint in order to get more like a salmon hue...

Sorry, can't really help with your question, other then do some tests.

[Mike Cherry]

I don't have any advice either, but I just wanted to say bravo for what you do with your children. I can't tell you how nice it is to hear that kids have something in their hands other than some electronic device. I get disgusted when I go to dinner and there's a family of four all looking at their own smart phones.
I hope the pink dye works out for you and I wouldn't mind seeing some shots of these hand drills!

[Robert Hartmann]

Mike, thanks for the kudos and I agree. We avoid the electronics as much as possible (no smart phones, play stations, etc.). I attached some pics of some of my drills (MF 1, 2, 2A, 303, 05, and a 5A). I have a couple No 1's almost finished and a 98, a No 2, a couple No 1's and No 5's still to do. I enjoy working on them...a little obsessed maybe.
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[Mike Cherry]

You got quite a collection there, I love it. I know it's old fashioned but I love hand drills!

[Joseph Chang]

I can't tell you how nice it is to hear that kids have something in their hands other than some electronic device. I get disgusted when I go to dinner and there's a family of four all looking at their own smart phones.

I totally agree!

[Chuck Hart]

I have a 5A. I don't use very often. It looks really good on my tool wall. I have a 10" brace for the same reason. I liked looking at my grandfathers tools. I have 11 grandchildren now. They don't care for looking at it. It is not electronic.

I think you may want to play with some milk paint. Someday she may want a wood finish.

[Robert Hartmann]

I finally finished a drill for my 4-yr old daughter. She absolutely loves the drill and has made numerous holes already. I had a false start with a MF 303 when the handle pretty much disintegrated when trying to remove it. I found this MF 94 that worked out very well.
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[Glen Canaday]

That is a great idea. I might never do it for my daughter (she likes bold colors, but she's only 11 months tomorrow so that might change), but honestly I think the pink looks great for starting a little girl's tool collection.

I have a 2, 3, 5A, and a 70, as well as Nos. 30-34 braces, and I very much want to round out with a No 1 and a No 4 drill to have one of each. I was going to suggest a No 3 for the little hands until they could grow into a 5 and then a 2, but then I read the rest of the posts and someone else seems to have written something similar.

I am leaning toward paint on the handle. It might prove much easier to keep the color predictable when you're finished.

[Mel Fulks]

Well done . Children love those things and learn from them. And don't forget the manual egg beaters, they don't have to be new...."beater" beaters are fine to mix up the fun.

[Matthew Springer]

Off topic: I've played a Congratulations-on-selling-the-most-Mary-Kaye - Shell Pink Stratocaster (with matching headstock) in public (mostly in church) for the last 15 years. I've never gotten anything except "That's Awesome"! My playing and/or volume, not so much...

Funnily my first handplane purchase was while making the casework for the custom combo amp I play through.

[David Bassett]

... 4 yr old daughter... she obviously loves pink....

Be careful to not go overboard, both of my daughter's were very into pink until about 5. Around then they got the idea "pink for girls" was limiting their options and rebelled. Both are in their 20's and I think one will occasionally do pink now.

[Kees Heiden]

I love it! But like David Bassett says, the pink period is often very short. I remember painting a bicycle from red to pink to red again within a year time.

[Robert Hartmann]

I agree on not overdoing the pink. My wife and I tried to avoid pink at all costs, but she loves it and picked it for the color. It can easily be change.

I tried a variety of different ways to color the handle and settle on an old standby I came across years ago. It's simply watered down water-based paint you get from any store. It doesn't penetrate very deep. I put about 5-6 coats of 2 lb shellac over it sanding progressively up to 800 grit.

[Robert Hartmann]

I have a 2, 3, 5A, and a 70, as well as Nos. 30-34 braces, and I very much want to round out with a No 1 and a No 4 drill to have one of each. I was going to suggest a No 3 for the little hands until they could grow into a 5 and then a 2, but then I read the rest of the posts and someone else seems to have written something similar.

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Glen, I'm hooked as well. I have a few No 1's, 2's, a 2A, a 3, a couple 303's, a few 5's, a 5A and a 980). I guess I have a problem. I plan to sell off a few. I'm currently working on a cabinet to keep the ones I use.