Drift pins

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I stopped at a box store to get some new drift pins and guess what, they or other customers had no clue what they are.

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These are a couple of the ones I still have that are usable. I think I have had them for close to 50 years now but they are still available at Sears and some other places plus on line. You will usually want at least two of each as that is the way things work. Right now I could use 4 of them.

The bottom tool may have been a hole set at one time but now is used for drift work.

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Instead of putting screws and bolts in holes to align things up you drop in a drift pin and it's weight will let is settle to be snug in the hole (upright) w/o damaging either the hole or the fastener. A very quick way to set things in place when doing checking of fit or working around something.

Imprinted on the handles is:

Use safety goggles.

For line up use only

Not for impact use (which of course one will use and the damage is not always good. The metal is not of impact quality only light duty line up use).

[doc]

I have the same old Craftsman set, more than 40 years old. Use them all the time.A thousand uses. When they break, they are probably still usable with a little grinding as a different shaped drift. Invaluable. Cheap.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I saw the same set as I have on the web but under a different company. Under $20 or $30 as I remember.

They seem to be popular with gunsmithing so they are still in use.

Lee

[SCOTTRODS]

You can buy them at Harbour Freight for Dirt Cheap... also with a set of Cold Chisels and pin punches... pretty darn good deal there, I think 20 piece set or so... small to large drifts all together in a fabric carry such too.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

You can buy them at Harbour Freight for Dirt Cheap... also with a set of Cold Chisels and pin punches... pretty darn good deal there, I think 20 piece set or so... small to large drifts all together in a fabric carry such too.

I looked at the HF site earlier this week but for some reason I didn't see what you are talking about. I took another look upon reading your post(https://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece- ... 66337.html) and there they were... but in a 12 piece setup; they also have a second industrial set for a dollar cheaper but they look a bit different. Pretty much similar, but not really the same, to what I bought so long ago such as it doesn't have the duplicates like Sears kit use to sell. My wife needs a new, free flashlight anyway so off I go as soon as I can. Thanks Scott!

Lee

[Ol'fogasaurus]

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I did go up to HF and this is what they had. I think it was under $15. They were not even aware of them; down on the bottom mixed in with some other thing. I am not sure what those chisels are for in the center but the drift pins are there.

Thanks again SCOTTRODS!

Lee

[SCOTTRODS]

Good Deal!... Those are interesting and Neat drifts and punches and chisels too... I bought 2 sets of mostly pin punches when I got mine. They had them in Green and Orange paint schemes, so I bought one of each. Exactly the same set though. Over the last 5 years I have bent some pin punches and stuff... which were being used as alignment pins... but fro the money, I was sold too. Their online stuff doesn't show the sets I bought, but they show some similar ones in 12 piece, with more chisels and more center punches respectively... still, I'd just buy a handful of them over time... they're cheap enough at nothing over 15 bucks a set.