Brace and bit faster than powered drill?

[Daniel Rode]

I've watched a number of hand tool videos where the instructor uses a brace and bit to make a hole. I watched a 5/8" bit work through a 3" chunk of oak with relative ease.

This weekend I needed to drill a few 1/2" and 7/16" holes. I used good quality sharp (new) drills and I was surprised at how much time and down force it takes by comparison. I recall thinking that a brace and bit might actually have been faster. I've used twist, brad point and forstner style bits and all perform similarly in this respect.

Am I imagining things or is a bit faster (or at leaser as fast)? I know they go longer between charges

As I look at that auction site, braces seem plentiful and fairly cheap. The bits may be more of a challenge but I'm sure I can built a decent set. Sharpening bits seems fairly straight forward as well.

[Jim Koepke]

A properly sharpened auger in the larger sizes will likely cut through wood faster due to their chip clearing ability. They can clog on deep holes, especially with green wood.

A twist bit will clog and start 'floating' on its own shavings. It is a good idea to pull the bit out to let the flutes clear. On bigger bits the size tends to bog them down.

It is hard to beat a good design with the leverage offered by the swing of a brace.

jtk

[Paul Sidener]

The size of the brace and type of wood will make a difference. The bits will make a difference as well. Two of the more common bits are Irwin and Jennings. Both cut really well. The Irwin's clear chips better. The Jennings has a tighter twist, sometimes they will clog a little. If the bits are sharp, I think the hole is cleaner.

[Jim Koepke]

If the bits are sharp, I think the hole is cleaner.

A clean hole is pretty much dependent on the spurs being long enough to scribe a full circle before the cutting lips hit the wood.

If a full circle isn't scribed before the boring edges hit the wood there will be some tear out when they start lifting the wood.

jtk

[Jeff Heath]

I use my brace all the time, and find that it can be pretty fast. I don't honestly think it's faster than a power drill with a properly sharpened drill bit, but it sure is a good workout.

5" of maple had me tired at the end of the session drilling holdfast holes in my bench.



At 50, I'm not as young as I once was.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Daniel,

If the drill has plenty of power, and you use an auger bit in the drill, I don't think that a brace can beat it. About 40 years ago I bought my first set of auger bits at an auction, which had belonged to a carpenter who was about 80.

I used the brace and one of the bits a couple of months ago or so. It had been a while since I had used a brace and bit, but I needed to drill a fairly good sized hole. It reminded me about the old carpenter that had owned them before I did.

With the smaller sizes, the old carpenter had both bits with the brace fitting, and ones that he had hacksawed off and then filed down so he could use them in a drill. The bigger sizes all still had the fitting for a brace chuck. He did that for a reason. With the smaller sizes, an ordinary 3/8ths inch drill will beat a brace in my view. With the bigger sizes of sawed off auger bits, it takes a horse of a drill. Back then it was common for a carpenter to have a standard 3/8" variable speed drill, but a good 1/2" drill was not that common, at least a 1/2 inch variable speed drill that you could handle with one hand.

I finally bought a 14" swing brace on Ebay for those bigger sizes, but I am not as young as I used to be, and not nearly as stout as I used to be.

They make special auger bits for use in drills, mine have three cutting edges. I have three of the common sizes, with the biggest being maybe an inch I think. With a fairly powerful 1/2 inch drill, I think those will also beat a brace and bits. These bits that are designed to be used in a drill are primarily for rough work, in my view, like drilling holes in studs for wiring, etc.

For nice looking work, a brace and bit, or a Forstner bit, are hard to beat I think.

Stew

[Steve Voigt]

Am I imagining things or is a bit faster (or at leaser as fast)?

I don't think a brace is faster in most situations. But it's a lot more pleasant to use. Drilling a bunch of large diameter holes with a 1/2" chuck drill is an unpleasant, wrist-twisting pain. Using the brace is a workout, but at least it's using the big muscle groups.

A brace is also more accurate, IME. If I want a truly perpendicular hole, or especially if I want a hole at some compound angle, I wouldn't use anything but a brace.

As I look at that auction site, braces seem plentiful and fairly cheap. The bits may be more of a challenge but I'm sure I can built a decent set. Sharpening bits seems fairly straight forward as well.

The auger bits are easy to maintain. Get a good set and some auger files and you can use those bits for the rest of your life. I got a set of mid-20th century Irwins at a good price and I really love them. The brace itself was a little more challenging for me. I acquired several of the kind with alligator jaws for $5 apiece, but found them a pain to use. I was much happier after I got one with a universal chuck. The Spofford chucks also get a lot of love.

[Dave Lehnert]

If you are from Northeast Ohio, no need to look at the auction site. You should find them local with no problem. I find them all the time when I am up that way.

[Brian Hale]

The screw tip on auger bits is important as it pulls the bit through the wood so look for a set where they are in good condition. I've got several that were worn down and it takes a lot of force to make them cut

Brian

[Brian Hale]

I also wanted to add that as soon as the point breaks through, switch to drilling from the other side and you'll get a nice clean hole

[Daniel Rode]

Where do you find them? I don't even know where to look.

I know some folks go to garage sales, estate sales and auctions. I don't have the time to get to those.

If you are from Northeast Ohio, no need to look at the auction site. You should find them local with no problem. I find them all the time when I am up that way.

[Jim Koepke]

I also wanted to add that as soon as the point breaks through, switch to drilling from the other side and you'll get a nice clean hole

When boring a large hole near the end of a piece a pilot hole helps to prevent the lead screw from splitting the wood. This also lets one make a shallow bore on one side, flip it and meet up from the other side.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Where do you find them? I don't even know where to look.

I know some folks go to garage sales, estate sales and auctions. I don't have the time to get to those.

The flea markets, garage sales and such are the best places to find used tools at a reasonable price. Estate sales differ depending on if the family is running it or a 'professional' has been called in. One of our local estate sale 'professionals' also has their own 'antique' shop. Everything at their estate sales are priced with high ebay prices.

There are also stores like the Habitat For Humanity Restores. It is not often that you will find a complete set in the second hand stores. As soon as one comes in, it gets sold. You may walk in on you lucky day and get a nice set for singing pleasantly. It has happened to me on different tools.

The sweetest thing is seeing someone in the Restore carrying a tool and then putting it on the shelf and realizing they work there and are putting up newly acquired stock.

Each store has its own person pricing items. So it is different from store to store if there is more than one in your area.

In my area we have a second hand tool store. Every once in awhile they have some good deals on planes, braces and bits.

Another thing to consider is it has never bothered me to have more than one bit of the same size. Even the dodgy bits are good for using in old wood that might have a nail or screw hidden inside.

Here is something I wrote about auger bits:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t-About-Augers

Maybe I should go through my notes and add a bit more to this. There isn't anything about the spurs scribing a circle before the cutting lips engage.

That is one thing to check when buying a bit. Unfortunately the checking usually has to be done by eye. After looking at a few one gets a sense by looking at the cutting lip in relation to the threads on the lead screw and the length of the spurs. I wasn't too concerned on my last purchase of a pair of Russell Jennings bits at the Restore for a buck each. They cut very well when they were brought home and put to the test.

jtk

[Mike Holbrook]

Speed is such a relative term. What size, how deep, how many, how neat....Frequently I am more concerned with how straight and neat a hole I end up with. I have older Irwin and Jennings bits bought at auctions. The issue I have had with the refurbished bits, is, many of them, even the tougher Irwins, have bends, missing ends...The big issue I have had is getting the bit properly seated and straight regardless of whether or not I am using a powered drill, a brace or a hand drill. Bending or breaking an expensive bit, causing a messy hole can set a project back more than the time saved by drilling holes faster. Many of the older bits I use have damaged\bruised attachment areas that are consistently difficult to get seated and more apt to become further damaged or slip during use. At least in my case, I am not typically drilling a large number of holes and setting up and testing often takes more time than drilling.

I read an article by Schwarz a while back in which he extolled the virtues of a drill bit he had tried made by Wood Owl. Wood Owl, oddly enough, is a Japanese company based in Miki City Japan. The Wood Owl bits are manufactured to an unusually high standard. Some of the attractive features are: "First, a burr-free lead screw makes for easy starts and pull-through. Second, a perfectly concentric bit makes for even and easy cutting of accurately sized holes. Thirdly, a lighter weight promotes safety and reduced fatigue without sacrificing strength. Lastly, carbon steel construction with precise heat treatment and induction hardening provide exceptional strength and durability" These auger bits are available in four different types in lengths 7-1/2" and 18". All bits feature a 7/16" hex shank and are ** intended for use with a power drill**.

The bit Schwarz had tested and used was the Nail Chipper version of these bits. This particular version is designed to drill through nails, so the cutting edges do not have spurs. Spurs would be ruined when they hit a nail. The: Deep Cut, Standard Single Cut Ship and Ultra Smooth Wood Owl bits may be of even greater interest to SMC posters. The Ultra Smooth bits have three spurs.

I ordered a Nail Clipper and an Ultra Smooth Wood Owl bit to do a little testing with them. Both bits worked well for me in my Festool powered drill or my better braces. The Naill Clipper, as one might expect, makes a rougher hole. Although, compared to the bits I was use to using for construction work, I would say they are as neat or neater.

My experience with my Stanley, Miller Falls, Samson, Pexto braces with 8-12" sweeps is the Wood Owls fit faster & tighter than anything else I have tried. They did not fit 6" sweep braces well, but I would not use a brace that size for drilling with auger bits. The flutes in the Ultra Smooth bits are closer together than on an Irwin bit but less tight than on Jennings bits. I have a much easier time drilling straight holes with these bits. It is easier to set them up straight. They stay straight better. It is also easier, visually, to see that they are straight. I have little doubt that these bits are stronger and less prone to bending/scaring than either of the older bits. The other interesting feature is these bits cost less and come in individual protective storage cases.

**I called the supplier, Traditional Woodworker, in an attempt to find out why they state that the bits are for use in powered drills. I was connected to the resident expert on Wood Owl bits who explained that the only reason they mention these bits being designed for power drills is their concern that the 7/16 hex shank bits might not fit in some braces. Newer braces with four internal alignment sections in their chucks were specifically mentioned as problematic. I believe the modern braces Traditional Woodworker sells have the four section chucks. None of my older/auction braces have the four section chuck.

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks Mike. That's a ton of good information.

Speed has many components. In the example I mentioned, I used my drill press and the person in the video used a brace. 2 angled and 1 straight hole through 3" oak. I had to set the table at an angle, drill as deep as my drill press would go and then move the table up and complete the hole. I did this twice and then reset the table to 90 degrees and drilled another hole, move the table up and finished. Not an awful task but it's quite a few steps to drill some simple holes.

The brace and bit had zero setup and the part would have at the workbench the whole time. Overall, it seemed like an efficient way to drill a few holes.

The down side (for some) is that it requires some level of skill to hold it at the correct angle and some level of physical effort to spin the bit.