An English nickel-chromium plated steel watchmakers precision pillar drill, I.M.E., London, early to mid 20th century With cylindrical column fitted with a U shaped mount sleeved to take the drill spindle incorporating 8mm collet chuck opposing a graduated set of three drive pulleys, with rise/fall depth action connecting via a system of dual parallel levers to an up/down handle beneath the adjustable work stage incorporating micrometer depth stop, the top fitted with arm to the rear carrying drive belt guide pulleys, the base with tapered foot incorporating drilled flange for bench mounting, 34.5cm (13.5ins) high. The Ideal Machine Tool and Engineering Company (I.M.E.) were originally based at 282 Kingsland Road, London E.8 and made a small range of precision machine tools that including an 8 mm watchmakers' lathe with an 80 mm centre height, two larger instrument-makers' lathes of later manufacture (models 100 and 300) and a fine quality drill. All the lathes, and the drill, were their own design with the firm's original product, the 8 mm lathe, being built in relatively large numbers. By the mid 1950’s I.M.E. had moved to Woburn, Bedfordshire where they continued to produce high quality precision lathes and drills.