WHICH ONE DRILL

[GEPPETTO]

Hi All,
I have not few troubles to decide if an hand brace drill ( I think it is called in such way) is useful in a woodworker tool set. Any advices will be useful. Thanks.

 

[houtslager]

very - especially for unscrewing tight and rusted in screws
DAMHIKT

 

[Midnight]

Geppetto... in all honesty, I'd be lost without mine.... it's the one drill I have that can be relied on to work, first time, every time, and never have the batteries expire half way through the job. With a proper set of auger bits I can get beautifully clean holes (no tear out on either side) coupled with an impressive depth capacity. It's not that often that I need to reach for it, but it's definitely one worth having.

 

[GEPPETTO]

Geppetto... in all honesty, I'd be lost without mine.... it's the one drill I have that can be relied on to work, first time, every time, and never have the batteries expire half way through the job. With a proper set of auger bits I can get beautifully clean holes (no tear out on either side) coupled with an impressive depth capacity. It's not that often that I need to reach for it, but it's definitely one worth having.

We suppose that I want to buy a such tool. I have seen that they mostly have triangular jaws. Can I tighten the normal cylindrical bits of power drill or I must to have particular bits?

 

[ike]

If the brace has 3-jaws, they're OK for round or hexagon shank bits. You'll need a brace with 4 jaws for these bits.

Ike

 

[Alf]

You'll need a brace with 4 jaws for these bits.

<Buzz>
Er, no. The majority of braces of yore had two jaws with a vee-groove in them, specifically designed for square tapered shanks.

Braces work best with brace bits quite honestly. If you want to use small twist bits and such then a hand drill or breast drill are the weapons of choice. I don't know what the situation is in Italy, but over here secondhand braces and drills are very, very common; better and cheaper than a new one, they're the no-brainer of old tool buying.

Cheers, Alf

 

[ike]

Yeh, you're right as always. In my defence, I know what I mean't to say but what I said wasn't what I mean't :? ..... hang on a minute, that's someones signature isn't it?

 

[bugbear]

Can I tighten the normal cylindrical bits of power drill or I must to have particular bits?

A brace works with low RPM and high (massive!) torque.

Typical power drill bits are design for high RPM and lower torque.

Therefore...

Even if a brace could hold a power drill bit, it wouldn't work well.

So...

Also buy a small "egg beater" drill. This is used with modern twist bits for small holes inb both wood and metal. As usual, a second hand, high quality, older drill is your best value for money.

Use auger bits with the brace for large holes in wood.

The handover from "small" to large" is around 5 mm.

For large holes in metal use power. Sorry Alf.

BugBear

 

[Alf]

For large holes in metal use power.

Tsk. Metal indeed. Hands up who does more metalwork than woodwork here? (Put your hand down BB, I've counted you already...

)

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

For large holes in metal use power. Sorry Alf.
BugBear

I use a blacksmith's post drill for large holes in metal. I don't know how available these are in your locations but they are common here.
The high downforce/slow speed allows bits to cut efficiently and without burning.

 

[Midnight]

Tsk. Metal indeed. Hands up who does more metalwork than woodwork here?

ummmmmmm...... that'd be me....
Occupational hazard I'm afraid...

does it make a difference if it's non ferrous metal...????