Help disassembling braces [updated with photos]

[daniel lane]

All,

I have a Millers Falls hand brace, perhaps a model 123 that is REALLY sticky at the ratchet 'switch' mechanism. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to disassemble this thing so I can try to clean it. It's nearly impossible to switch the mechanism from CW to CCW, it's so sticky. Anyone able to point me to a reference? I'm thinking I'm going to have to punch out pins, but that makes me nervous! I'll take some photos tonight after the kids go to sleep and post, but I wanted to ask the question.

photo 1.jpg

Also, I've got a North Bros "Bell Systems" 2100 or 2101 brace (oddly, not stamped with a number, just "Bell Systems") that the top pad is really sticky. There are no visible screws, though, so I'm looking for advice on cleaning this thing out. Again, photos to come soon, but I thought there might be reference somewhere for disassembling this thing.

photo 2.jpg

Finally, a minor gloat - they weren't a steal, but a practically NOS set of Russell Jennings bits, nice and shiny.

photo 4.jpg


Thanks,

daniel

[James Taglienti]

Could you rinse the parts out with WD40 and then add some heavier oil? The millers falls and yankee braces have ball bearings everywhere, and they love to fall out... If you get to taking it apart, maybe do it over a baking tray or something... Ive lost a few ball bearings before and it was hard to find them. Though i bet a few missing ones wont hurt. When you go to put the tool back together some heavy grease will hold them in place long enough to reassemble the tool. Good luck!

[David Martino]

Lots of information here

http://www.georgesbasement.com/

and here

http://www.sydnassloot.com/brace.htm

George Langford's site has several pages on disassembling braces including a spectacular photo essay on Yankees. Unless you're seriously galootic, recommend not disassembling more than necessary. Usually good to try shooting some WD-40 or PB Blaster in, letting it sit, and working things around. If you have to go further, careful with the springs and bearings... somewhere on George's page there's a diagram of the inner workings of a Yankee brace - more going on in there than meets the eye! And yes... DAMHIKT but a few missing bearings will not necessarily be missed (it is sort of embarrassing when they pop out though...).

Welcome to the world of braces.

[daniel lane]

Thanks both for your comments. David, I've read thoroughly both sites, but I still can't figure out how to disassemble these two. I'm thinking the MF needs pins knocked out to open it up, but I also fear that I will render it unusable if I do that. As for the Bell Systems...George's web site covers in great detail everything except the top pad and those that I do find tell you to just remove the screws holding the pad on. But there aren't any!

OP updated with photos.


daniel

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I haven't tried taking apart my Yankee, but the pad on one brace I had, if I remember correctly, the wooden bit had a thread turned onto it to help secure it to the metal part.

[John Gornall]

I think you'll find the pad unscrews from the metal part. I tore a 2101A down yesterday. There were 3 screws through the metal into the black plastic pad but removing them didn't release the pad. I held the edge of the pad in my vise and turned the metal part with padded pliers and unscrewed it. About 5/8" threaded hole in the middle of the pad.

By the way 16 bearings in the pad end and 40 bearings in the chuck. My spins like a top now with all the gunk out and fresh oil in.

[jamie shard]

+1 on using penetrating oil first. I have a brace that was pretty solid, couldn't move the CW/CCW adjuster at all, but I saturated it with liquid wrench and it's working great. No disassembly needed.

[peter leyden]

I picked up a 2101a brace in almost perfect condition save for a ratchet mechanism that would not allow the chuck to ratchet in either direction.Looking at the brace there was no obvious way to get access to the inner workings of the ratchet mechanism until I noticed the knurled nut(?) at the rear end of the chuck. I figured if it was knurled it must have been to make it easy to unscrew. Voila! Once it was unscrewed I spied some green substance and instantly remembered reading somewhere about the green grease used on those braces which was supposed to last a lifetime. Once I removed the grease with some solvent I injected some "non-lifetime" grease into the ratchet, replaced the nut(?) and the chuck turned as smooth as silk. I guess the idea of using permanent grease must have seemed like a fantastic idea at the time, and turned out to be somewhat less!!

[Mike Olson]

Congrats on finding that box of bits. Is it a double decker with bigger bits on the bottom or just the one layer of bits?

I got a double decker and love it a little too much. I have it on a shelf and only pull it out for special projects. My box stinks like an old mans arm pit and even leaving it open for months the smell just won't go away.

As for the Brace, as other have suggested WD40. Not the spray can though, pick up a jug of WD40 or other penetrating oil, pour in a bowl and soak the ratchet head in it overnight.

[daniel lane]

Congrats on finding that box of bits. Is it a double decker with bigger bits on the bottom or just the one layer of bits?

It's a triple-decker! A full 13 bit set, with one extra of the smaller making a total of 14. Only thing is one of the clasps is broken off the box, so I may try to fix it or make a new box so I stop picking it up and almost dumping a bunch of bits on the floor... (I would, of course, keep the old box.)0

As for the Brace, as other have suggested WD40. Not the spray can though, pick up a jug of WD40 or other penetrating oil, pour in a bowl and soak the ratchet head in it overnight.

Thanks, all. I bought some WD40 yesterday, but not the jug...I'll try a heavy amount o' spray and get the jug later. I might have some PB blaster, too; I figure at this point the brace is useless anyway so I may as well do anything I can think of to help it! (Actually, that could apply to both...)

I found a blog on Lumberjocks where the complete "like new" refurbish process is shown by Brit (http://lumberjocks.com/Brit/blog/24957); not as helpful as I'd hoped for this circumstance, but enough so that if I just decide to potentiall write off the brace, I'll try some of this on it as practice.


daniel

[daniel lane]

Spent a few hours today degreasing and derusting stuff. The MF is actually a 122 (I never measured, but can now read the stamp), and is looking good - I will post photos afterward. I smell like some outrageous amount of organic solvents, but I never minded that all that much...

Anyway, thought I'd mention that the degreaser and a lot of grunt work with a wire brush has resolved the MF issue with the ratchet pawls! It was smooth and lovely after degreasing, now through the derusting, polishing, and re-greasing and I look forward to playing with it. Odd thing, the 122 had a ball-bearing pad at the top and the one I've got looks like someone broke off the...bracket?...where the ball bearings were. There's about 3/16" vertical play in the pad that doesn't look immediately fixable (the internals have a ring on a shaft that's been peined over to hold it in place, the ring can't be shifted lower because the shaft is larger diameter). I figure if I'm pushing down it's not as much of an issue, but obviously this is now a less attractive go-to brace...

[Edit]: Looked further into it, and the 122 couldn't have had a ball-bearing head, since that was implemented with the spring-type alligator jaws and this one doesn't have the washer between the ratchet and chuck sockets, so (per oldtoolheaven.com) this one is pre-1895 and 2 generations prior to the ball-bearing head. I'll have to take photos since I'm at a bit of a loss - not sure why there is so much play, other than the bearing race broke off, but this one definitely has Amidon's jaws in it.[/Edit]

Also started messing with another very rusty brace I'd bought dirt cheap, looks like it's a Fulton 8 with no jaws. Chuck, but no jaws. Oh well, practice cleaning and refurbishing...



daniel