Hex Adapter For Yankee Screwdrivers
By Benjamen Johnson
Your Yankee screwdriver sits in the drawer collecting dust. You’d use it more, but it’s missing most of the special bits. Buying a new one is expensive, and so is buying the bits — if you can actually find someplace that sells them separately. There’s another option: head on over to Lee Valley Tools and spend $6 to make your Yankee screwdriver more versatile than ever with a hex adapter.
The hex adapter accepts 1/4″ hex bits, which includes many drill bits. The collar slides back to insert a bit and forward to lock it into place. The built-in rare-earth magnet holds ferrous screws for easy one hand operation.
Lee Valley sells three different hex adapters made to fit common Yankee screwdrivers: a 7/32″ (5.5mm) shaft adapter, a 9/32″ (7mm) shaft adapter, and a 5/16″ (8mm) shaft adapter. Now you can take that old Yankee screwdriver out of the drawer and put it to good use again.
Hex Adapter [Lee Valley]
January 29th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Cool, accessories for the original cordles screwdriver.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Yankee screwdrivers are still very popular with the Amish and others who deem not to use power tools for religious reasons. I heard that these adapters were invented by a member of that community.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Also Robert Schroder…who manufacturers Yankee Screwdrivers out of Germany also makes a adapter
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/dinkjs/Yankee-Adapter-lg.jpg
January 29th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Dink, I saw that one too at the Traditional Woodworker when I was doing research on this post, but it’s 3X more expensive. Maybe it’s engineered better with less play.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I think a couple of places sell different versions of this, I got ones for my two sizes of Yankee’s from McFeely’s, they work great if you can’t find a yankee bit in the size or type you need.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
wich adapter works with the Yankee dril 41?