If you have ANYTHING to contribute please let me know!
Actual Prop (yeah, that's as good as the pics get)
Repro prop (thanks H)
THE handle (yup, THAT'S the one, no ID markings or anything! Thanks again H)
Hilti TE12S: It's close, but not quite right, first off the TE12s on the right has a handle that's fixed to the body of the drill. The side of the handle *does* come off but it's not fully removable like the handle I have is. Secondly the Torna(?) handle is wider than the TE12s handle, the Hilti is on the left:
Next off is that 'dial' under the tracker, the TE12s doesn't have this, and it doesn't have anywhere for it to go:
Emails from Hilti (note the progressive confused discovery - hence the frustration):
1) ...Wednesday, July 07, 1999: we think it may be a TE-11 or TE-72 but no one knows for sure...
2) ...Wednesday, July 07, 1999: I think I have this ID'ed as a TE14 motor housing, TE22 and TE72 grip combined. Am I right?
3) ...Monday, August 09, 1999: IT IS TWO DIFFERENT PARTS. The body is from a TE12S body, the grip if from a Torna.
4) ...Monday, August 09, 1999: The single handle BELONGS to a Torna (TE72 of it`s day about 35 years old) the main body one belongs to a TE12s (TE15 of it`s day we stopped selling it about 10 years ago)...
5) ...Thursday, February 17, 2000: We have FINALLY determined the base prop to consist ENTIRELY of a HILTI TORNA drill ("Torna" is the name given to the drill and referred to as "a cheap knock-off" of their more powerful and expensive drills - but it IS a Hilti!). Of course, this drill is out of production and so the hunt for the final piece begins... Oh, and by the way, TE stands for TORNA ELECTRIC!
6) ...Monday, May 22, 2000: There may be a chance this isn't a Hilti after all...
7) ...Tuesday, May 23, 2000: Hello Willie: The grip in your picture is not a Torna grip. The Torna grip was colored black and had a different configuration. The grip in the picture looks like the first proto-type of the TE-12 when it first was introduced (not the TE12s). The smaller grip looks like either the upgraded replacement grip for the original TE-12 or a customer modified grip when they broke the old motor housing. These tools would have been introduced in 1980, 1981 and 1982. They were different than the second version TE-12 and TE-12s.
Dave: This is not a Torna Grip. This is a housing of the original proto-type TE12 that Hilti first introduced. The grip section you show is from a secondary model of the same proto-type TE-12. This was an upgrade because the housings always broke. However, if it does not say Hilti, it could be a Japanese copy. -Duane
Duane: this is what we are looking for. The guy called around, and the verdict was it is a Torna grip. Does that look right to you? If not, let me know. I sent these to Rich in Dallas, but he just emailed me back and said it wasn't a Torna. -David
HEY RICH - THINK YOU COULD FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIEND IN ENGLAND, AND SEE IF MAYBE HE KNOWS WHAT THIS TOOL IS? THANKS!! -David
8) ...Tuesday, May 23, 2000 (PM): All we know about the original prop is that is was from the UK in the early 80's and was colored red - someone said it may be a different model altogther (non Hilti) but I have no idea what that is?
You might try some local tool repair shops. They might have, or seen, what they used. Most likely Duane is correct, it was from an early model TE12, and no hope of getting one. We change things on our tools quite frequently, so it's hard to keep track of what something looked like when it first comes out. I didn't even know we had different versions of the TE12. When I started here, we never fixed them. Good luck with your search, and if I see something that might work, I'll send it to you. -David
Questions, comments, suggestions?
E-mail me and let me know!