6 Attachment(s)
How to repair cracked head on this PEXTO No 24 brace
Fresh off of a resto of a MF 34 brace I decided to start on this Peck, Stow and Wilcox No 24 I picked up for less than $10. As usual with a lot of the braces and hand drills all it needed to function was a little oil. It operates pretty smooth and I haven't even started cleaning it. The problem is the head is split pretty bad. I don't have the ability to make a new one, so I need to try to repair this one.
The problem I have is the construction of the brace. The quill is not supported in any way other than being attached to the head. Hopefully you can tell from the attached pics that the quill can slide down the shaft (one pic with it down the shaft and another with it at the end of the shaft). The only thing supporting it is the head itself, which is why it split I assume. The washer at the end of the shaft is peened on and rotates freely. The head screws on to the quill and rides on the peened on washer keeping it all secure. All is fine with a solid head. It all works quite well until the head splits.
So, how can I repair the head and ensure it holds up? My only thought is to simply glue it and hope it holds (I've learned from 31 yrs in the military that hope is not a plan).
It's a 6 inch brace, so it will not see any heavy use. I initially planned to add it to my kids tool box, but if I dated it correctly from George Langford's informative site it appears to be from 1884-1892. Maybe something I want to take better care of.
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