Fixing a brace drill rachet

[Eshmiel]

The brace in the attached pics was found in a junk shop years ago and has been employed to drill holes in work benches and, lately, down the grain of chunks of log to make a starting-hole or three to gouge out in creating shrink pots. It functions as it should apart from having a bodged pin through the rachet part that easily falls out, break/bends, jams or otherwise isn't what it should be. The original pin was missing when I acquired it and I've generally used some form of nail (see that in the pics) as a substitute.

It's about time I did a proper mend - but how and what with? As far as I can determine, no one sells spare pin for this specific brace; and I don't know either how to fix them in place so that they don't fall out, to get lost or to just jam the rachet.

Has anyone any advice how to make and fit a pin that'll last? It does need to be made of very hard but resilient metal as a lot of nails or other pieces of this & that I've tried just bend under the operating forces. Some modern rock 'ard nails work, as do some drill bits. The diameter of the hole is 2mm +/- 0.1mm; one side has a recess for a head of some sort to stop a pin just falling through. But how should one fix a pin in place at the tail end? Is there a recommended material for such a pin?

I can shape a nail like that in the pic so it's the right length and the head sits flush in that recess for a pin head at one side of the hole. But how to fix the pin in place at the other end? I'm reluctant to use glue as how to remove the whole thing if the nail snaps, since they have snapped in the past? Solder that could me melted out again? Something else that can be easily removed but is sticky enough not to let go of the pin end, such as some type of Loctite?


Any advice will be gratefully received. If I can get it working well, I'll also give it a refurb, with lots of cleaned and polished wood handle and plenty of good grease in the right spots. Any advice about refurbing such a thing will also be gratefully received.

 

[Phill05]

What about a spring pin/cotter pin?

I think I have some small ones I can have a look.

 

[Tris]

A roll pin might be just the job there

 

[ChaiLatte]

Loctite.

JB Weld.

Soft solder.

Superglue.

Heat will de-nature all the above if removal is required.

Peen the pin once fitted. Drill out if replacement is needed (hence do not use anything too hard).

The material of the pin is less important than the fit of the pin in the hole. If it is peened so it swells and fills the hole properly, it will have a longer life.

Roll pin has a considerably smaller cross-sectional area compared to a solid pin, so less shear resistance.

 

[Inspector]

A roll pin is hardened spring steel and likely has a higher shear strength than the nail Eshmiel has been using and is a little more forgiving if the hole is a touch too big. Look at how many tools and machines use them without ever having issues.
https://springfasteners.co.uk/product/2mm-x-20mm-spring-tension-pin-din-1481-iso-8752/

If you really feel the need for a solid hardened pin then search out 2mm dowel pins. They are ground to exact nominal size and can be had in carbon steel or SS. You will have to use Loctite or similar to keep them in the hole. Too hard to peen.
https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.u...MIwOHEiYOFjAMVkTfUAR0I3yUBEAAYAiAAEgL7tvD_BwE

Pete

 

[Eshmiel]

A roll pin is hardened spring steel and likely has a higher shear strength than the nail Eshmiel has been using and is a little more forgiving if the hole is a touch too big. Look at how many tools and machines use them without ever having issues.
https://springfasteners.co.uk/product/2mm-x-20mm-spring-tension-pin-din-1481-iso-8752/

If you really feel the need for a solid hardened pin then search out 2mm dowel pins. They are ground to exact nominal size and can be had in carbon steel or SS. You will have to use Loctite or similar to keep them in the hole. Too hard to peen.
https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.u...MIwOHEiYOFjAMVkTfUAR0I3yUBEAAYAiAAEgL7tvD_BwE

Pete

Yes, even that nail I use won't peen. The roll pin looks like it's made for the task. Presumably the idea is that they're a tiny bit thicker than the hole but their spring lets them be knocked in but remain tight so they don't fall out as the brace is used? And if the pin does snap, the bits can be easily knocked out with a small drift and replaced with a new pin?

The brace (for use with short bits between joists, I believe) is also ideal for doing the shrink pots with a 20mm diameter long auger bit. Somehow the joister is easier albeit slower than a standard brace at racheting a long bit right through a lump of green tree trunk parallel to the grain. A longer arm maybe.

 

[Boringgeoff]

I've got one similar to yours, by Skinner, it uses a roll pin.
Cheers,
Geoff.

 

[Inspector]

I speak Canadian so would you English speakers indulge me for a second? What the he is a shrink pot?

Pete

 

[Fergie 307]

I speak Canadian so would you English speakers indulge me for a second? What the he is a shrink pot?

Pete

I was thinking exactly the same, never heard of it.

 

[Tris]

Good article here

https://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/2013/10/15/shrink-pot/

 

[Dalboy]

I wonder if the original was a tapered pin if so they can be obtained in various places. they will hold surprisingly well

 

[toolsntat]

Perhaps something to consider, has the hole in the chuck shaft become worn causing backlash amongst other things ?
Cheers, Andy

 

[Eshmiel]

I've got one similar to yours, by Skinner, it uses a roll pin.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Confirmation! Always good.

 

[Eshmiel]

Good article here

https://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/2013/10/15/shrink-pot/

Thems very fancy shrink pots - works of art maybe.

My own are fairly simple and 95% functional. Any decorative aspect is provided by the wood itself - its shape, texture and colour, including a bit of spalting.

Cut a chunk of tree trunk or bough: drill out a starter hole or two from one cut end to t'other; whack out the meat with a geet big gouge leaving a round wall of 8 - 12mm width; cut a groove in the bottom inside; install a dry bit of wood shaped to fit the irregular bottom hole. Let the green pot shrink as it dries out so it gradually grasps the dry bit of wood in the groove to form a floor for the pot; fill with spoon, spat or even pens made on a lathe (for contrast).

 

[Eshmiel]

Perhaps something to consider, has the hole in the chuck shaft become worn causing backlash amongst other things ?
Cheers, Andy

The hole and the surface of the rachet-notch where the pin emerges on one side, do look time-worn. However, when a well-fitting pin is in there (that nail I've been using) it pulls everything tight enough to climate any slop or backlash. As long as the pin stays in, the brace works very well, even when pushed very hard whilst drilling a 10 or 20mm diameter 300mm long auger bit through green wood parallel with the grain. I've also had it drilling similar sized holes through dense old-grpowth dried ash.

My only problem was the half-ersed nail-pin falling out (or bend-snapping if the nail wasn't a hardened item).

The roll-pin sounds like the original gubbin so that's what I'll find and install.