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Very interesting, I've not heard the term Girdling before, here in Australia we call it "ring barking" and, historically, was used extensively in clearing native forest for farm establishment.
One...

In 1969 when I came to Australia from NZ I found the weather colder than the (so called) experts had told me. Luckily the general store at Newdegate, about 70 miles from the farm I was working on,...

Our local, daily paper "The West Australian" is still re-running Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, which, though I've seen them before, still give me a smile.

Good result, Matt.

Matt, the jaws don't have a spring or wire, they are the usual economy Victor jaws. The difference in thickness may be because they're a mixed pair, as in one has previously broken and your...

Steven, the Sargent's Patent relates to Pat' No 141,081 by Samual D. Sargent and assigned to the Stanley Rule & Level Co.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Jim, I'm not sure if they had a specific purpose but I find them handy for boring shallow holes. Basically they were loose in a tub and after seeing your stepped holes project, above, I thought a...

Jim, I thought I'd follow your plan and make a bit holder similar. Laid out about the same, the bottom half of the holes are 1/4in and the top 7/16in. I found a worn out auger bit and cut it down to...

The wood used is very dense and I'm doubtful if it would swell enough to make much of a difference, but I guess it's worth a try and I'd be interested in your result.

Cheers,
Geoff.

Paul, a couple of mine are loose too, and I don't know how to fix the problem. At point of manufacture the rings would have been a slip on fit over the two handle halves then shrunk in a roller...

Paul, weird as this may sound, if it is a genuine factory misstep, you have a collectors item there.

Cheers,
Geoff.

That's ok Paul, I'm used to it. My original thought, reinforced by the trial I carried out, is that it was originally made that way, because if you squeeze the jaws back into line, I doubt you'll get...

ok, I went and got a Spofford 112 and tortured it. First removed the thumbscrew and put the chuck in the vice with two small pieces of offset ply, and tightened the vice to achieve 5/16in...

Paul, I've never seen that before. Luke's comment about the alignment is relevant, because if you can square the two halves up is the thumbscrew still going to align ok, I wonder if it's been like...

Hi Paul, I'm really interested in seeing some pictures if you can, I've got a few Fray Spoffords as daily users and would like to attempt to help you.
Cheers,
Geoff

A friend of mine has a handful in his caravan and uses them for ground anchors for his awning. He's welded a nut to the top of the tang and screws them into the ground with a socket in his cordless...

Steven covered it pretty thoroughly in post #4, it is two tools for the price of one and saved you lugging extra tools from place to place. Millers Falls must have made thousands of them from 1882...

Assaf, when used as a brace the cranked gear is removed by undoing the knurled head bolt as the photo's of my example show. The ratchet pawls can be engaged or disengaged by the clips as required....

Both 182 and 192 were ratchet equipped but the main difference between the two is the cranked gear wheel on the 192 can be attached in 3 different positions and includes a side handle. I got my info'...

Thanks Stew, I love hearing anecdotes from people who've actually used these old tools. An old timer told me an outfit in Perth that supplied windmills, many years ago, would lend you a chain drill...

Thanks Lee, I've wondered if it was still being made.

The chain drill type posted by Bruce and me is listed in the Goodell-Pratt 1905 No 7 catalogue as a No 307 going by the chuck, but, there are eight models in that cat' and none show the chain holder...

As well as missing its chain, part of the drive mechanism is missing. I posted a photo of one of mine to show the missing part. As the tang is rotated by brace or drill, the pin contacts the little...

Thanks Rob,
I know what you mean about bringing home stray tools. I try to stay focused, braces and brace tools are my hobby and from time to time I'll bring one home and then "Dang I've already got...

Rob,
Your reference to "some oddball braces' made my ears prick up and my pulse began to race, I glanced to the bottom of your post to see the photos, but oh no....
I know I'm a bit strange, but I...