Electric drill question

[ryanps]

Shopmate Electric Drill. Not sure of its age but it does have a three-prong grounded plug. Found it in my wife's grandfather's house. My question is: Is it normal for the electric motor to give off a huge blue-spark when you use an old tool like this? Or is it faulty and should not be used? The blue-spark remains well within the motor housing. Not sure if I would ever use the drill anyway but it is what I would term "retro-cool" and I also found a few Stanley hand-planes. Thinking of building a display case dedicated to tools as WWing is my official hobby. Thanks in advance. Ryan

[Uncle Cracker]

It's the brushes running on the armature, and it goes with the territory. Older motors had much more open brushes than they do now. It's not entirely safe... your main risk is running it in a poorly ventilated environment. That's a no-no. A grounded plug will not prevent sparking a fire around flammable liquids or vapors. With what a newer, safer drill will cost you, I wouldn't take the chance.

[Tom Slick]

I would pull out the brushes and make sure they aren't worn out. As long as the tool is running correctly and isn't getting hot during use then it should be ok. most tools you can't see the area where the brushes are making sparks.

if you have any doubt then take it to the local tool repair shop and have them give it lookover. better safe then sorry, especially if it is old enough to have a metal housing.