Handles on Stanley brace

[Staffan Hamala]

Hi,

I just bought a bunch of auger bits and two hand braces. One, smaller one, with wooden handles that was really delightful to use, and one, larger, Stanley brace with plastic handles.

The Stanley brace has a four jaw chuck that grips really well, even on auger bits with the cone sawn off (btw, I hate it when good auger bits have been destroyed like that :mad:).

However, the plastic handles are not as comfortable as wooden handles, and the one of the handles gets stuck in one place every turn. Not very hard, but it makes an annoying noice when you use it. It feels like there is a crack there, along the metal axis.

Is it possible to replace the handles on a Stanley brace? Is the metal part really in two parts, or is it just one part? If so, how did they get the handles on in the first place? ;-)

I guess they might have made the bends after assembling the handles, but...

Edit: The model number is No 5044 10 inch Mk 3
Also, I don't think there's any crack anymore. Upon closer inspection, the handle is in two parts. One half on each side, and one round cap in each end that holds it all together. Maybe it's possible to get it apart with a bit of force. :-)

[Andrae Covington]

I'd be concerned about breaking the collars while trying to get the middle part of the handle off. You'd need those intact to hold your replacement on. Apparently on the old Stanley 2101's the collars were threaded onto the shaft, don't know if that was true of all their models. A google search says the 5044 is a current Stanley item (mostly sold in the UK I think) ... who knows, those plastic collars may just friction snap onto the two halves of the handle.

George's Basement has a lengthy page about repairing the 2101 (http://www.georgesbasement.com/fs2101a.htm)... somewhere near the bottom is a pic of a broken handle showing the threaded collar. He doesn't talk about replacing it though.

If you really want to tear into the thing, I suppose I would try hacksawing into the middle of the handle, maybe in a couple places 1/4" - 3/4" apart, all around, and then drill or chisel (not a good chisel :eek:) out the waste. Then maybe you could pull the separated pieces out of the collars without destroying them. I want to stress that I am merely making a guess about how that handle actually goes together.

Personally I'd go find a cheap older brace drill on ye olde online auction site before trying to craft a replacement handle for a recent-vintage Stanley. At least you have the other one with wood handles. If the Stanley is a 10-inch swing, the other is probably 8, or possibly 6. Those are good sizes for smaller bits and for driving screws. If you only need the 10-inch occasionally for boring larger holes, maybe you can live with it as-is.

[Staffan Hamala]

Thanks for the reply, and link.


I'd be concerned about breaking the collars while trying to get the middle part of the handle off. You'd need those intact to hold your replacement on.


Yes, that would be a concern. I'll try to see if it's possible to take it apart without too much force. If that's not possible, I'll just try to oil it.



A google search says the 5044 is a current Stanley item (mostly sold in the UK I think) .


Aaah. Interesting. I thought it was an older model, but the photo of a current model that a google search found, shows an almost identical brace. I think mine is a bit older, but probably not more than 20 years or so. The handle is completely black (no yellow parts), otherwise it looks identical.



Personally I'd go find a cheap older brace drill on ye olde online auction site before trying to craft a replacement handle for a recent-vintage Stanley. At least you have the other one with wood handles. If the Stanley is a 10-inch swing, the other is probably 8, or possibly 6. Those are good sizes for smaller bits and for driving screws. If you only need the 10-inch occasionally for boring larger holes, maybe you can live with it as-is.

I'd guess the other one has a 6 inch swing. I actually have another 10-inch brace, that was my grandfather's. This one is really nice, with wooden handles.

The only think I preferred in the Stanley brace was the four jaw chuck.


Just as a side note, I found a description of how, at least one model, a brace was constructed:
http://www.georgesbasement.com/galootsales/Sale02152007/YankeeBraces.htm

Replacing a wooden handle would either mean gluing two pieces to form the handle in place, or,highly unlikely, unbending the brace.. :-)

[Bill Houghton]

Replacing a wooden handle would either mean gluing two pieces to form the handle in place, or,highly unlikely, unbending the brace.. :-)

Before I tried unbending a brace, I'd wear gloves every time I used it if I didn't like the plastic handles. The notion of not breaking it, and getting it bent, without heat, back into a shape that's accurate in three dimensions, in the home shop - well, it would sure be a while before you did any woodworking, because you'd be spending hours on this project.

The general practice with split turnings in the past has been to glue the stock together with brown paper (like from grocery bags - if you can find a grocery store that still gives out paper bags :)) and a reversible glue like hide glue, and turn the stock, carefully, with the joint on the centerline of the turning. Then split it along the joint - the paper will tear - remove the glue, and reglue as needed, in this case around the brace. Lacking a lathe, you could do the same thing with spokeshaves, rasps, or even just lots of sandpaper (I know, I know; sandpaper is only marginally a hand tool).

A lot of wood-handled braces use collars forged or pressed on the shaft, bracketing the crank handle*, to hold them in position. I can't tell from the photos I can find online of this model whether it has any equivalent collars. If not, you might be making lots of trouble trying to take this apart.

If you're sold on the four-jaw chuck, can you interchange that spindle with the spindle from a brace with good wood handles (and, ideally, a ball-bearing head - do this with a good tool, if you're going to do it at all)?

*By "crank handle," I mean the hot-dog shaped handle that you hold when cranking the brace around, as opposed to the knob, sitting atop the brace.

[James Owen]

.....George's Basement has a lengthy page about repairing the 2101 (http://www.georgesbasement.com/fs2101a.htm)... somewhere near the bottom is a pic of a broken handle showing the threaded collar. He doesn't talk about replacing it though......

Andrae,

Thanks for posting this link; very useful information!!