Expansive bit question

[steven c newman]

Rust hunt today produced two bits by Irwin. A No. 1 and a No. 22 ( $4.28 counting sales tax)

Question is: Does Irwin still make and sell the cutters for these two...
Irwin bits.jpg
Or, am I stuck with just what these two will do?

[Brent Cutshall]

I bought an Irwin No.2 expansive bit yesterday, that's a bit coincidental. I was about to ask the same thing! Dern it and thanks Steven!

[Brent Cutshall]

I don't think they still make cutters for those, but don't hold me to it though. When I was in the place that I found the drill from my other thread, I saw many of these with cutters that weren't made with said bits and probably weren't the same brand so they might be universal. Head to Ebay and you'll probably find some. That's my two cents.

[Eric Brown]

I have been collecting expansive bits for years. What I can tell you is the two you have are the most common. They made them for a great number of years. However, that does not mean they are the best ones out there. I find that you need to clean up the rough spots to get the adjuster working smoothly. They made one model for drill press that can bore a 5" hole.

[steven c newman]

Happen to have one by Clark in that Book, of Auger Bits I built a while ago.....seems to be about the size of the #22, without the micro-dial. Not sure who made the Clark brand.
.racks for the bits.jpg
Sitting in the old box I have since replaced. Third from the left is the Clark bit.

[Jim Koepke]

Somewhere there is a large box full of all the missing parts for tools wrapped in old socks.

I have a Swan expansive bit that is missing the sliding part. So basically I have a piece of metal with the Swan log stamped on it.

jtk

[Eric Brown]

The Clark bit probably is stamped with a "Pat E'xd" which would be the most common. Originally patented in 1858 by two patents, production was interrupted by the Civil War. After the war William A. Clark got the patent extended. His son Frank might have taken over for a while, but about 1890 the company was sold to R.H. Brown and the bits were marked first as Clark-Brown Model and later as Clark made by R.H. Brown. The company apparently went out of business in the late 1920's. An interesting note, more than 90% of all expansive bits in my collection are based one way or another on the Clark design. Any that say they are Clark or Clark Pattern have interchangeable cutters. The Irwins that are most common use the dovetailed feature from Clark and added a gear tooth type adjuster that is unique to those Irwins.

Now the Swan probably can use the standard Clark type cutters unless it is one of the earliest very rare double twist types. Those use a unique cutter.

Perhaps I should post examples of patented expansive bits?

[Jim Koepke]

Perhaps I should post examples of patented expansive bits?

It would likely be of value or at least interest to others.

jtk