Anyone Ever Make a Wooden Bit Stock?

[Robert Rozaieski]

I've been wanting a traditional wooden bit stock for some time now, however, being the bottom feeder that I am, I have a hard time spending the coin they are pulling in (~$50+ on ebay and typically over $100 from a reputable dealer). So I said to myself, "Self, you are a woodworker, why not make one?"

So has anyone out there tried to make one? Care to share pics, methods, pitfalls, etc.?

[Johnny Kleso]

I too have wanted a Marples but stock but just settled for a few Stanley braces..

I think you might spend as much money buying some quality wood and materials as they bit stock would cost you not including your time to make it..

$100 is not much for the labor it would take to make one..

I'm pretty skilled with metal but would not consider making one myself..

[Jim Holman]

I have made several over the years. 1 1/8" brass hex stock works super for the bit holder. The most important parts of building the the brace are grain orientation and choice of wood, something that does not split like sycamore unless you want to make a lot of reinforcing plates.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Wood wouldn't be expensive unless you make it from ebony. Maple, birch and beech are not that expensive and more traditional. My lumberyard has a shorts bin that would be a perfect place to pillage for a nice 2-3' piece of 6/4 stuff.

Probably wouldn't be much metal work involved. I couldn't make a brass spring loaded chuck. If I made one it would need to be slightly older in style than the typical ones you seen on the market. It would end up being a pad brace, which basically has no metal, save for the ferrule where the pad is inserted. I wouldn't do any brass plates.

[Kevin Adams]

Robert--

Derek made a beautiful one for the LV tool contest several months back. You might check the archives or maybe even his site.

Kevin

[Robert Rozaieski]

Robert--

Derek made a beautiful one for the LV tool contest several months back. You might check the archives or maybe even his site.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin. I did see Derek's and it is indeed beautiful, however, I'm going for more traditional, like the one our friend Mr. Shepherd made pictured top here.


By the looks of it, it shouldn't be too hard. The problem I can forsee is finding flat tang bits to be fit to the pads. I have only square tapered Jennings augers currently. Unless I can figure a way to make it fit the square tapered bits without rounding out the interior of the "chuck".

[Stephen Shepherd]

Robert,

The most difficult part of the process is making the square tapered hole in perfect alignment with the pivot of the knob. I have discovered a trick, well not really it is an old trick and that is drilling the center hole round (and centered) then using a burn auger (read beater square tanged bit) the same shape, proceed to burn the proper shaped hole. And it heat hardens the end of the wood.

I have made in the past, wooden bit-stocks that were intended for wooden pads which hold flat tanged bits. Each flat tanged bit has its own wooden pad that fits in a much larger hole in the wimble itself. I also made a wooden pad that had a square tapered hole so I could use later square tapered bits. There are some good examples in Ancient Carpenters' Tools by Henry Mercer, and the Mercer Museum has an extensive collection. Also some good examples in Woodworking Tools at Shelburne Museum.

I have never twisted out the square tang hole, nor split an end as long as it has a ferrule and the square tapered hole approximates the tangs of the drill.

Stephen

[Robert Rozaieski]

Thanks for the very helpful information Stephen!

Bob