2" hole Neander style - help

[Jim Koepke]

Today my curiosity started getting the best of me concerning Russell Jennings auger bits and their designations.

One of the places I looked for a clue was an old Adel's 4 volume set for the carpenter.

The information to fulfill my quest was not found, but there was an illustration of brass plugs for use on auger bits when a small hole had to be drilled to a larger size. For example, a 1" hole needing to be enlarged would have the brass plug of 1" size screwed onto the lead screw of the larger bit and then provide a guide for the larger bit.

Maybe a wooden dowel could be used in this way and a hole can be bored with your largest auger to match the dowel and then follow up with the expansion bit.

jim

[Joel Goodman]

For example, a 1" hole needing to be enlarged would have the brass plug of 1" size screwed onto the lead screw of the larger bit and then provide a guide for the larger bit.

Maybe a wooden dowel could be used in this way and a hole can be bored with your largest auger to match the dowel and then follow up with the expansion bit.

jim

Jim,

I'm going to file this away -- it's one of those old ideas I know I will need one day!

[Eric Brown]

Go to page 695 for another description of Jims idea.


http://books.google.com/books?id=8dw...%20bit&f=false

Eric

[Jim Koepke]

Looking through that catalog is a lot of fun.

Wish I could order a set of planes from them.

Bailey Bench Planes.jpg

jim

[John Schreiber]

Go to page 695 for another description of Jims idea.
http://books.google.com/books?id=8dw...%20bit&f=false
Eric

The "Auger bit Guide" set was available for 6 cents in 1897, but doesn't seem to exist 110+ years later. (Actually, they are probably sitting around antique stores, but no one knows what they are.) I can imagine some ways to make something similar, but I'm not sure it would hold the center steady while the single blade does its cutting.

Does this sound possible? A one inch diameter dowel with a same diameter 1/8" thick aluminum cap epoxied and nailed to one end. Then the aluminum could be counter drilled so that the teeth of the lead screw would bite into it.


What a great catalog. It looks like 1897 was a good year for hand tools. They even have the "Clark's Expansive Bit" on page 703.

The letters starting on page 889 are fabulous. Shows how little things have changed and how much things have changed.

[John Schreiber]

Do you have any gouges?
jim

I experimented with this. My only gouge has the bevel on the outside for carving and while I could waste material out of the hole, it couldn't make a smooth side. And, it's slow going of course.

I've started splitting out the surface of the the log and hope to come up with a solution to the leg holes by the time I get there.

[Jim Koepke]

Does this sound possible? A one inch diameter dowel with a same diameter 1/8" thick aluminum cap epoxied and nailed to one end. Then the aluminum could be counter drilled so that the teeth of the lead screw would bite into it.

My first thought would to try it with just using a 1" dowel.

The hard part would be to get it as perfectly centered as possible. This might not be too hard if a small pilot hole can be drilled. If the positioning of the mortises doesn't have to be accurate to less than 1/16" it should be easy.

You may encounter a little wobble, so you may not want to cut the tenons first.

jim

[John Schreiber]

I've been haunting the antique stores and have had more luck than I thought I would. I found a 12" sweep brace and after some work, it's very usable. I also found a 1 5/8" auger bit that will work fine.

Some questions for more experienced neanders:

1) The brace chuck has no mechanism for holding the jaws in place and to insert the drill shank, I need to hold it open with one finger, then I've got to adjust the position of the jaws a couple of times to get them to clamp tightly on the bit while I screw down the outer sleeve. Is there a spring or other parts of the mechanism missing? The top hand hold is a reddish wood, probably cocobolo and the part you turn is black. What would the black wood be?

2) The auger bit is a thing of beauty. For some reason one of the cutting surfaces hit the wood over a full turn sooner than the other. I was able to fix that with files and now it cuts smoothly. It's much longer than I need at almost 24". It is shiny steel for the screw part and part of the shaft, then the shaft is thicker, black iron for the remainder. Also. The gripping part is smaller than my other auger bits and more rounded. Is that the way it was originally made or has a longer shaft been welded on at some point?

[Jim Koepke]

Pictures would be a big help.

As to the chuck, I am seldom afraid to take something apart. It is rare that I can not put it back together.

Of course, I do carefully evaluate the situation carefully before starting and I do know there are somethings better left alone.

Some brace jaws do not have springs. Just as many may have broken springs.

A 1-5/8" bit is a little larger than what most makers supplied as standard stock. It could be an altered tool.

Pictures always help.

jim

[Jim Koepke]

The top hand hold is a reddish wood, probably cocobolo and the part you turn is black. What would the black wood be?

It could be the top piece was replaced or the crank handle became darkened with sweat or grease on the users hand.

jim

[Floyd Mah]

Why persist with round tenons? Use the largest drill that you can handle and drill a pilot hole. Then chop the sides into a square mortise with a chisel. Once you have formed the walls, you can easily enlarge it to any dimension you target. That's much easier than trying to enlarge a round hole. Take the round tenons and shave them square to fit the mortise.