Woodworking Tools Question

[floydraser]

I've been mightliy impressed with the woodworking talent shown on this forum, especially when someone has so much spare talent they can build another boat in minature! So I'm hopeful here:

I re-found this brace and bit set the other day and wondered if anyone could tell me about the bits shown here, outside of the roll. I would also be interested as to the age of it. It came from my Dad's stuff but it wasn't his; I'm using his, so it must have been my Grandfather's or even a previous generation.

I note the fluting on the last countersink bit, is that special?

I have never taken them out of the roll in all the years I've had them (since 1996) but I didn't know they were there because they're so short!

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Floydraser,

The one on the left is a screwdriver bit, as you say the three on the right are countersinks, the second and third from the left could be used for drilling peg-holes being they are tapered.

When I started work and if we were house bashing all the holes for cables had to be drilled by brace and bit, we used a ratcheted joist brace, which is still in my tool chest and rarely used.

All bits were sharpened by hand by filing them after they had been forged.

Regards

Alan

 

[JennyMorgan]

My on board tool box contains a 'sway' and very handy it is too. A  powerful and easy to use screwdriver that doesn't require either the mains or a battery, ideal on a boat! 

[D46]

33 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Hello Floydraser,

The one on the left is a screwdriver bit, as you say the three on the right are countersinks, the second and third from the left could be used for drilling peg-holes being they are tapered.

When I started work and if we were house bashing all the holes for cables had to be drilled by brace and bit, we used a ratcheted joist brace, which is still in my tool chest and rarely used.

All bits were sharpened by hand by filing them after they had been forged.

Regards

Alan

 

Absolutely spot on on all counts that's exactly what they , my grandad was a pattern maker for David Brown's and I got handed down a heck of a lot ,99% is superceded these days as it's way too slow for today carpentry and joinery , that said they still have a place and can definitely get you out of tight spot especially if no electric is around and your battery drill is flat out of power .

[floydraser]

Thank you all.

Any guesses as to the fourth from the right? It's round in section with a slot up the middle?

I thought the two in the middle may be for cutting holes in tiles or glass? One is damaged so at least one of my ancestors was clumsy!

[JennyMorgan]

5 hours ago, floydraser said:

Any guesses as to the fourth from the right? It's round in section with a slot up the middle?

At a guess, remembering that tradesmen often adapted a bit for a particular job, then it might possibly be for winding wire into coils.

[grendel]

I have several of those, I do notice they are quite small in diameter, i think they are just for small holes, to get the strength into the drill bit, with a flute to clear the cuttings, they are really just twist drills with the twist straightened out.

[Vaughan]

14 hours ago, floydraser said:

Any guesses as to the fourth from the right? It's round in section with a slot up the middle?

It may be a dowel cutter, for plugging the screw holes when planking up. You can buy the equivalent nowadays, for use in a pillar drill.

[grendel]

mind you, in those days you didnt drill holes into brickwork for fixing things, basically you used a hammer and fluted chisel bit like a punch and hammered the hole into the brickwork, inserted a wooden dowel, and then screwed your screws into the end of the dowel.

[grendel]

I believe they are what is termed spoon bits, the cutting edge at the end is folded and sharpened to cut and the waste goes up the flute

see these on ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/193268436732?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=193268436732&targetid=879667141355&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045353&poi=&campaignid=9446166163&mkgroupid=95890790396&rlsatarget=aud-629407027345:pla-879667141355&abcId=1140486&merchantid=6995734&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxq3HqMSe6AIVR7TtCh30jwdsEAQYAiABEgLUt_D_BwE

 

[JennyMorgan]

I remember many years ago one of the guys in the yard turning wire nails into a coil using a brace & bit and a vice, Why he was doing it I have absolutely no idea! 

[floydraser]

12 hours ago, grendel said:

mind you, in those days you didnt drill holes into brickwork for fixing things, basically you used a hammer and fluted chisel bit like a punch and hammered the hole into the brickwork, inserted a wooden dowel, and then screwed your screws into the end of the dowel.

Now somewhere I have an early Rawlplug kit which is something like that, only you insert what looks like a bit of plastic you cut to length I think. I'll try and find it and post a pic.

[D46]

5 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Now somewhere I have an early Rawlplug kit which is something like that, only you insert what looks like a bit of plastic you cut to length I think. I'll try and find it and post a pic.

Ah I remember them , hit with a hammer , basically a fluted metal dowel , they actually worked too though not in an engineering brick .

[grendel]

my ancient kit has fibre washers not plastic

[SteveO]

On 16/03/2020 at 07:58, grendel said:

mind you, in those days you didnt drill holes into brickwork for fixing things, basically you used a hammer and fluted chisel bit like a punch and hammered the hole into the brickwork, inserted a wooden dowel, and then screwed your screws into the end of the dowel.

I inherited a Rawlplug kit from my Father in Law following his passing in 2005, In addition to the Rawlplug tool, I have a wide selection of the brown fibre plugs. More worryingly, there is also a metal tin containing something that I suspect is some form of asbestos, which you can use to make a paste, which is intended to fill irregular shaped holes and will take a screw. Needless to say, I haven't got too close to this. 

[D46]

1 hour ago, SteveO said:

I inherited a Rawlplug kit from my Father in Law following his passing in 2005, In addition to the Rawlplug tool, I have a wide selection of the brown fibre plugs. More worryingly, there is also a metal tin containing something that I suspect is some form of asbestos, which you can use to make a paste, which is intended to fill irregular shaped holes and will take a screw. Needless to say, I haven't got too close to this. 

That's exactly what is in that tin , normally environmental health will dispose of that for you but right now I guess their pretty busy , if it were me using disposable glove's I'd put it and the gloves in a sealed bag until you can get rid of it correctly .

[ranworthbreeze]

I have still got all my Rawl tools and Star drills but using a star drill through a wall with up to 2 inches in diameter to put a conduit through a wall took hours, Conduit or Trunking runs all had to be fixed using a Rawl tool making the holes, when the first plastic plugs and scotch 3M insulating tape (it was in a round tin) came out you would have thought we had found the Holly Grail!

Regards 

Alan