Braces?

[Evergreen]

You rotter, Alf, I can't resist a challenge.

The first one (on the left) is a New Pattern centre bit which is used for boring shallow holes. It can pull itself into the wood with its threaded nose. The one on the right is a brad point centre bit (sometimes called Old Pattern for obvious reasons). It has to be pushed into the wood but has the advantage of greater control. It's good for boring into thin wood because its point won't split the wood. When the tip shows through on the other side, you withdraw it and complete the boring from the other side.

The other bits are all countersinks but I'll need another look at them. Will post again in a minute.

 

[Evergreen]

Here we go on the countersinks.

On the left is a flat head, the middle one looks like a rose head and the right hand one is a snail or snail horn.

Incidentally, Alf, I've just found an illustration of that gimlet-bit-with-many-names in my little booklet by Wm Ridgeway. Interestingly, it was still manufactured in the 70s in a version for electric drill use. It went by the name of cobra drill, one of its aliases that you've already identified.

Regards.

 

[Evergreen]

Whoops, forgot the guidance on the use of countersinks.

I've owned all three in the past and used the flat head and the rose head for opening up the holes in brass hinges just a tad, to get the screws to bed down a bit more. Don't think they would be very good on steel. My old rose head would countersink wood but not especially well. The snail countersink is purported to be good for countersinking hardwoods. I've never tried it for that. I keep a selection of old bits just for interest, really.

Of course, if my identifications are wrong, this post is all a load of dingo's kidneys!

Regards.

 

[Alf]

Ooo, he's good, y'know. =D> 10/10 Something a little more challenging perhaps...? :-k

How about these (haven't cleaned the top one yet, before you all comment):

Now these look like normal Jennings bits, but they're about 100mm long; what are they for and why are they desirable?

And just to finish up before you all start throwing things, a couple of easy ones:

That's all my brace bits done and dusted; lucky for you I don't have a hollow auger, dowel pointer, Forstner....

Cheers, Alf

 

[Evergreen]

Right, I'm back now.

The first is a chairmaker's or tapered reamer for tapered holes.

The next is a square reamer.

The pair of short auger bits look like dowel bits. They're purported to be more accurate than ordinary augers and taper slightly back towards the tang end so they don't enlarge the hole as you drill it.

Then there's an expansive bit. Steers Patent, like mine maybe?

Finally, a plain turnscrew, a double ended turnscrew and a forked turnscrew.

You've got a great collection, Alf. I feel guilty about getting rid of some of my old bits now.

Regards.

 

[Colin C]

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

Tempting but I have about 10 to keep me going :roll: and they go from 3/8 - 3/16 I think :-$

 

[Colin C]

Dont tell Alf but I have two dowel pointers too :-$ 8-[ \/

 

[Paul Chapman]

and why are they desirable?

'Cos you've got 'em and we haven't

Paul

 

[engineer one]

in the older days, my dad used a special kind of hand drill to
drill into stone monuments to put the lead into the letters.

it was a kind of hand driven wolf drill, but with a kind of
hammer action. must see if we still have it, lying around.

i must say i found "egg beaters" difficult to use, but a chest
brace with the short ratchet handle, or the longer one certainly
have advantages, but of course it is almost impossible to
get newly made hand type auger bits.

alf do the machine ones work with hand braces?

paul :wink:

 

[MikeW]

What a great thread!

So when's the podcast of using these bits, Alf?

Take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

Evergreen sweeps the board again! The expansive bit is Clark's patent; I always thought Steer's a bit superior, having the worm screw and rack adjustment. On this one you just move the thing to where you want without any gismocity at all. Somehow I've managed to end up with 3 Clarks...

and why are they desirable?

'Cos you've got 'em and we haven't

Sorry, Paul.

No, the reason is they're actually the size they say they are. The average run of auger bits wasn't made to the exact size but can be up to 1/16" (iirc) larger. Worth watching out for...

Colin, I can't see how you're going to make carving tools out of dowel pointers... :-k :wink: Talking of oddities I don't have, would you believe I actually saw an adjustable hollow auger once - and didn't buy it. #-o Dunno what I was thinking.

Paul, the modern machine ones do, yes, albeit they always worry me that they'll break if used in anything hard.

Mike, Podcast? Unintended joke...? Pod bit - short, pod-shaped bit with a twisted body and lead screw. :lol:

I'll stop boring you know and go and get a life - I've heard they're terribly useful.

Cheers, Alf

 

[MikeW]

...Mike, Podcast? Unintended joke...? Pod bit - short, pod-shaped bit with a twisted body and lead screw. :lol:

Not touching that with a ten-foot pole...

...I'll stop boring you know and go and get a life - I've heard they're terribly useful. Cheers, Alf

Now that was an intentional pun...

But nah, gettin' a life ain't what it's cracked up to be...Look at me, a fine example of one without a life. :lol:

Well, the thread was a lot more entertaining than reading Salaman et al. And while I have heard of various bits, I haven't seen all of them, much less hold 'em. I have a few favorites, a few work horses and recently picked up a few replacements to ones which were getting a little thin to sharpen or were stolen years ago.

While I have, well, many bits, I really only use maybe a half dozen or so with any regularity. For angled holes, the spoon bits are easier for me to start and get moving in the right direction, but I often will switch to an double-twist auger unless it isn't a deep hole.

When accuracy in starting a hole is important to me, I like center bits as I can center punch the mark and the point of the bit is sharp enough to press into the mark pretty well.

Then there are the various type of braces...got my favorites there, too...

Take care, Mike
enduring the warmest night on record--going back into the 1800s...it was 42 C in the shop today...it is 31 right now...

 

[Alf]

...I'll stop boring you know and go and get a life - I've heard they're terribly useful. Cheers, Alf

Now that was an intentional pun...

Guilty as charged

Then there are the various type of braces...got my favorites there, too...

Gonna make us beg...? :roll:

enduring the warmest night on record--going back into the 1800s...it was 42 C in the shop today...it is 31 right now...

Seems pretty much everyone's sweltering (by their own standards). Lots cooler down here today, but looking to warm up again next week. :roll: 42° is no fun at all

Cheers, Alf

 

[Colin C]

Colin, I can't see how you're going to make carving tools out of dowel pointers... :-k :wink: Talking of oddities I don't have, would you believe I actually saw an adjustable hollow auger once - and didn't buy it. #-o Dunno what I was thinking.

Cheers, Alf

Alf if I show all of my secrets right away, I will have nothing to show next month :roll: :wink: .
I have tried to stop thinking about all the bits and tools I could have gone cheap and didnt buy ](*,) ](*,) #-o ( see what you have started [-( :roll: )

 

[Evergreen]

It was fun and thanks to Alf for setting up the visual quizzes.

Braces and hand drills are tools with specific and genuine advantages over their modern counterparts. But they've almost disappeared from the tool catalogues in the face of the all-conquering cordless drill and drill press.

Maybe we could get Rob Lee to produce a brace for the 21st century?

Or Mike W could customise some old Stanleys and give them bubinga handles and hand-filed chucks?

Just a thought...!

 

[Colin C]

If you look around you can still get them with rosewood hands for pennys

I have two, one with a short handle and one with the longer handle, plus I dont think I payed more than £5 for each for them

 

[Alf]

I dont think I payed more than £5 for each for them

Here I am setting them up for a load of braces for sale and you go and say that... #-o

Cheers, Alf :wink:

 

[Colin C]

Opps (homer) :-#

 

[Philly]

I've been buying up braces at our local car boot sales. Never pay more than 50p :shock: My last two were 10p each............
They came along with two dovetail saws and a panel saw. An expensive day at £1.75
Cheers
Philly

 

[MikeW]

And just when you think the game is over...

Another illustrated view of bits on Wiktor's site

Take care, Mike