Braces?

[Lord Nibbo]

There are two major differences of note between these two 3/4" auger bits - what are they? Correct terminology and/or explanation will gain extra credits. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

The bottom one will take twice as long to dissapear out of sight through your bench top, cos its got twice as many turns as the one above, unlike Paul I believe it will cut a better hole with a lot less effort or strain on your arms if your using a brace.

 

[Evergreen]

Both bits have double spurs but the one on the left is a single twist Irwin pattern and the one on the right is a double twist Jennings pattern.

Do I get the prize? Oh please. I never win anything......

 

[llangatwgnedd]

Also, one is for cutting across the grain while the other is for cutting with the grain I believe

 

[Alf]

Gosh, the technical jargon floating about here is amazing...

The top one is a Solid Centre or Irwin pattern bit with a coarse lead screw. Good for general work in softer woods.

The other is a Jennings pattern, double twist with fine lead screw. Makes for a cleaner hole for cabinet work and the fine lead screw is better for hard woods.

The right lead screw thread can be rather important; this happened to me when using a coarse lead screw in hard wood #-o

So pats on back where appropriate. Might have to pop down to the workshop and take a pic for the advanced course now... :twisted:

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

There are two major differences of note between these two 3/4" auger bits - what are they? Correct terminology and/or explanation will gain extra credits. :wink:

The bottom one was (I suspect) cleaned, polished and honed by someone with an advanced case of OCD.

BugBear

 

[Alf]

Extra credit to the gentleman with the advanced case of OCD... :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

Hi, all!

Newbie here, again. I would like to know about braces! The type that you use to drill into wood, I mean. :lol:

The biggest problem with braces is acquiring a range of auger bits in good condition for sane money.

Braces are common and reliable. But without auger bits, they're useless (except for screw driving, as pointed out elsewhere).

For holes below 1/4" use a "egg beater" hand drill with a "jobber" twist bit, not a brace and auger.

BugBear

 

[Evergreen]

Yup. I can go with a boring fetish.

BTW, I've got a Steers Patent expansive bit by C E Jennings which is a wonderful oddity. I tried to use it once - but only once. It felt frail and struggled to make a clean hole even in soft wood. I got the impression it was a case of ingenuity outstripping usefulness. On the other hand, the efficiency of a properly sharpened spoon bit cutting into softwood is surprising. It looks like it shouldn't work - but it does!

Regards.

 

[Alf]

For holes below 1/4" use a "egg beater" hand drill with a "jobber" twist bit, not a brace and auger.

Yeah, the square-shanked twist bits have always puzzled me. Judging by the only example I have, they're really easy to break...

Anyone want to identify the other bit?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Evergreen]

Alf

That looks to me like a snail bit and some people add "gimlet-point" to that.

I used to have a couple but the ends were badly worn and there was nothing I could do to coax any more life out of them.

Regards.

 

[Paul Chapman]

The top one is a Solid Centre or Irwin pattern bit with a coarse lead screw. Good for general work in softer woods.

The other is a Jennings pattern, double twist with fine lead screw. Makes for a cleaner hole for cabinet work and the fine lead screw is better for hard woods.

Of course I knew that all along and when I gave my answer I was only testing you, Alf, to see if you could spot the deliberate mistakes :^o :^o :^o :^o

Paul (homer)

 

[Evergreen]

Hmmm.

Not so sure now that I've consulted "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools, Instruments and Devices" by Graham Blackburn. He shows a very similar bit and call it a "German gimlet bit".

Can I hedge my bets?

Regards.

 

[dedee]

I was going to say gimlet but could not understand why it would be used in a brace. The only one I have is hand held with a T type handle.

Andy

 

[Evergreen]

Or have I muddled my molluscs and is it a shell bit?!

 

[Alf]

Definitely best to hedge bets with this one; more names than phone directory. Salaman principally calls it a Gimlet Bit, with alternative names of Twist Bit, Half Twist Bit, Twisted or Wilk Shell Bit, Persian Bit, Prussian Bit, Cobra Bit, Diamond Bit, Snail Bit and Swiss Pattern Twist Bit.

There's also a Twist Gimlet Bit with a spiral groove up the body and a Shell Gimlet Bit which has, guess what, a shell body with a lead screw.

I'd have accepted any of the above. :lol: And yep, you use it for the same purposes as a handled gimlet.

The only shell bits I have are these ones:

At least the bottom one is a shell bit, or maybe a worn down spoon bit, but the top one is a nose bit, which is I think also counts as a shell bit, but of a certain type. There's more to bits than meets the eye...

But we never finished the augers, and a short trip to the w'shop later and can you name them?

And all along you thought it was only planes, saws and chisels I had a problem with...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Paul Chapman]

Anyone want to identify the other bit?

It looks like it would drill tapered holes, so would it be for drilling pilot holes for quite large size screws :?

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

The only shell bits I have are these ones:

Don't let ColinC see those - he'll want to make some very nice carving tools from them :wink:

Paul

 

[Evergreen]

Crikey, Alf, they're getting tougher but I'll have a go.

From left to right

a) Scotch or square nosed b) Scotch-eyed c) Solid Nose or "Unbreakable"

My sources? "Classic Tools" by Garrett Hack and a very useful booklet produced by Wm Ridgeway in the 1970s, I think.

I'll have to go and lie down now.

 

[Alf]

Sheesh, obviously not tough enough...

a) Yep, Scotch it is. For hardwoods and all kinds of rough constructional work.

b) Hmm, might be that too, but I was looking for "Gedge pattern". Good for end grain, and with no spurs sticking downwards to, good for angled work too.

c) Yep, Solid nose, or Bull nose or Unbreakable. One for the tough tasks, enlarging existing holes and again, like the Gedge, boring at an angle.

My source being Salaman's Dictionary of Woodworking Tools.

Well I might as well go on with this, now I've started. Two more:

What are these and what's the benefits of one over the other?



And possibly a tricky one; what are these? Extra marks for getting the different names right and knowing when to use which one (could use some guidance there myself... )



Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

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