Luke Dupont
03-08-2022, 8:39 AM
I've been wanting a little, light weight bit brace that can drive small, fragile modern twist bits with a hex shank. I don't like to use hex bits in a 3 jaw chuck drill or egg beater, but my full sized braces have too large of a swing and are also much too heavy and result in me having snapped two bits now.
Add to this that I've always been fascinated by early medieval braces, and I decided to knock up a quick prototype out of pine, just to see if I could make a brace myself. I came up with this:
475429
There is a hex shaped hole for the bit to go in, which is secured by a wing nut which is simply threaded directly into the wood.
The "knob" is just a octagonal "dowel" with a hole drilled through the center which fits over a round "peg tenon" that I carved in the top of the brace body. There is an off center nail which acts as a retention pin, and a corresponding groove cut into the tenon for the knob. This method of construction is taken from an actual medieval example.
There are also two metal washers underneath the knob and fitted over the tenon.
Most historical examples, of course, had either fixed bits permanently attached, or the bits mounted in square wooden blocks with tenons that fit into a corresponding mortise "chuck," but I tried going with a simpler design. I drilled the hole ever so slightly off square, which isn't good, but it isn't too bad and appears to work just fine.
Perhaps I'll make a much nicer one from hardwood now that I know the design works. But if I'm going to make a nice one, I feel obligated to improve the "chuck." I kinda like this ultra simple design though, and anyway, it works quite well for now.
This brace is tiny and can drive bits up to 1/4" comfortably. I tried with a 3/8" (9mm) auger bit, but it struggled. It's perfect for small bits though, which is what I wanted.
I might bring this one when I go bushcrafting, being that it's ultra light and compact.
Anyway, I'm curious if anyone else here has made a brace or something similar, and why we don't see more people making them. This wasn't that hard, and even one as crude as this works just fine.
Add to this that I've always been fascinated by early medieval braces, and I decided to knock up a quick prototype out of pine, just to see if I could make a brace myself. I came up with this:
475429
There is a hex shaped hole for the bit to go in, which is secured by a wing nut which is simply threaded directly into the wood.
The "knob" is just a octagonal "dowel" with a hole drilled through the center which fits over a round "peg tenon" that I carved in the top of the brace body. There is an off center nail which acts as a retention pin, and a corresponding groove cut into the tenon for the knob. This method of construction is taken from an actual medieval example.
There are also two metal washers underneath the knob and fitted over the tenon.
Most historical examples, of course, had either fixed bits permanently attached, or the bits mounted in square wooden blocks with tenons that fit into a corresponding mortise "chuck," but I tried going with a simpler design. I drilled the hole ever so slightly off square, which isn't good, but it isn't too bad and appears to work just fine.
Perhaps I'll make a much nicer one from hardwood now that I know the design works. But if I'm going to make a nice one, I feel obligated to improve the "chuck." I kinda like this ultra simple design though, and anyway, it works quite well for now.
This brace is tiny and can drive bits up to 1/4" comfortably. I tried with a 3/8" (9mm) auger bit, but it struggled. It's perfect for small bits though, which is what I wanted.
I might bring this one when I go bushcrafting, being that it's ultra light and compact.
Anyway, I'm curious if anyone else here has made a brace or something similar, and why we don't see more people making them. This wasn't that hard, and even one as crude as this works just fine.