The 40 C/F temperatures made this tool restoration harder than it needed to be.

This tool is a beam drill or boring machine made by the James Swan Co. in the early 1900s. I believe this one is the No. 6502 model as it has a solid cast iron frame. An original 1904 catalogue listing is shown here: https://i.imgur.com/e976xJF.jpg. The James Swan Co. existed in Seymour, Connecticut, USA from 18771951 and specialized in drilling tools.

I decided to replace all wooden parts as they were either rotten or warped. I originally thought these were made entirely of oak, but some maple pieces showed up during the restoration. The original black japanning was almost entirely gone, so every metal piece was derusted and painted with 3 coats of filler primer. I was surprised to see black japanning on the semicircular guides that allow the drill to be adjusted, as the paint would clearly be scraped and worn off from repeated use.

The noncast iron pieces seem to all be a fairly low grade of steel, and may even be wrought iron.

The auger bit was severely pitted and definitely needs replacing. I was surprised to see grain structure in the bit, suggesting it may be wrought iron as well. I don't think the auger bit is an original James Swan bit, as those were cast steel and would have been stamped with their logo.

I'd like to thank Evaporust for sponsoring this video. Their product definitely came in handy for this tool that was very rusty and pitted.

Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
  / handtoolrescue  

Instagram:
  / handtoolrescue  

Facebook Group Share your restorations
  / handtoolrescue  

Reddit Share your restorations
  / handtoolrescue