Old brace + new bit holder ?

[rick carpenter]

Anyone ever weld on a new bit holder to an old brace? I guess just a 1/4 inch hex magnetic bit holder would do, I want it simple.

[harry strasil]

just weld on a 6 pt 1/4" socket the right size, or a short 1/4 extension!

[Bill Houghton]

Why not just get Lee Valley's 1/4" hex adapter for the brace: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,180,42337&p=32300

Scroll down; it's the third item listed.

[Chuck Tringo]

or chuck a hex shank adapter in the chuck, my 60s craftsman with 2 jaw chuck chucks up anything i put in it, round or hex shanked.

[Mike Olson]

+1 on the Lee Valley adapter. I have a Brace dedicated just for that.

[rick carpenter]

Well, I'm on the way to the welded-on solution (I want simplicity and few moving parts). I got a "Made in Germany" brace off *b*y, but I'm curious about the chuck. It's non-ratcheting, cylindrical with a rectangular 'hole' for the bit. The short-side ends have spline slots to about 1/3 way down, and it has a thumbscrew into the long-side. Just curious though, the chuck is definitely coming off.

[Andrae Covington]

Well, I'm on the way to the welded-on solution (I want simplicity and few moving parts). I got a "Made in Germany" brace off *b*y, but I'm curious about the chuck. It's non-ratcheting, cylindrical with a rectangular 'hole' for the bit. The short-side ends have spline slots to about 1/3 way down, and it has a thumbscrew into the long-side. Just curious though, the chuck is definitely coming off.

Sounds like a spofford chuck, a design first patented (http://www.google.com/patents?id=Y8ViAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=25984&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false) in 1859 but still produced alongside the newer versions for many decades. Syndassloot has a page about the J.S. Fray company (http://www.sydnassloot.com/Brace/Fray.htm) with photos of braces with spofford chucks. I've never used one but some people prefer them to the ratcheting designs, they hold the bits quite firmly. That said, they can only be used with the tapered square shank bits.

[Johnny Kleso]

I just chuck a 1/4" Hex Bit Extension...
But the braces have a hand tighten chuck noy a set screw..

Look at buying a a newer brace off eBay for the LV adapter.

[Andrae Covington]

I just chuck a 1/4" Hex Bit Extension...
But the braces have a hand tighten chuck noy a set screw..

Look at buying a a newer brace off eBay for the LV adapter.

The LV brace driver would work fine in a spofford brace.


Well, I'm on the way to the welded-on solution (I want simplicity and few moving parts)...

I don't think it gets any simpler than sticking the LV brace driver in and tightening the thumbscrew.

[rick carpenter]

It's not a Spofford chuck, I have a brace with one of those. The chuck in question doesn't have jaws, just the rectangular hole with spline grooves in a cylindrical sleeve for a friction fit retained by a thumbscrew. It would be like a fat quarter inch spade bit with splines and no centering point as the mating shank.

[Andrae Covington]

It's not a Spofford chuck, I have a brace with one of those. The chuck in question doesn't have jaws, just the rectangular hole with spline grooves in a cylindrical sleeve for a friction fit retained by a thumbscrew. It would be like a fat quarter inch spade bit with splines and no centering point as the mating shank.

Huh. Well there were many different patents and designs for brace drill chucks even before the threaded shell type with internal jaws came to dominate. I'm certainly no expert, especially on European varieties which could be older than American patent designs. Anyway I can imagine why you'd want to modify / accessorize it somehow.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Ever since looking at the Bridge City Tool Works web pages, I have wanted a small brace for driving screws. This one cost a little less than the BCTW version.

I started with an abandoned mechanics brace. I removed the long, thin handle and made a wooden one to replace it. The 3/8" square drive was cut off with a hacksaw. The shaft was reduced to fit into a bit holder by rotating the tool on a belt sander. The hardest part was getting the stub "tenon" straight and well fitting. After driving the bit holder on tightly, I drilled and pinned it with a nail.

This one has a 3" throw which is about right for me. I have to be careful not to over-torque screws.

[Andrew Gibson]

Harlan, I love it! I keep seeing the mechanics brases, I will have to pick one up next time I see one for a couple bucks and give your design a try.

[rick carpenter]

Harlan, that's about exactly the simplicity I want except for the welding. Mine will be thrown in the tool box and used by inexperienced folk and possibly in the mud, so I'm looking for the least destructible kind.