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The Incredibly Versatile Sweep Brace


BobSmalser

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I always cringe a bit when I see teachers like Norm running screws home in an important application using a power driver. Sure, I do that too in many instances in general carpentry, but never in a critical application like boat planking, furniture carcasses or hinges. The torque limiters on even my best electric drivers can never accommodate the minor changes in grain density that always result in a percentage of over-driven screws, causing crushed threads that lack full strength and rot more quickly. I certainly run them in using a power driver, but I always seat them home by hand twisting the last couple turns, either with my big Yankee or with the brace. Much as I like the North Brothers and later Stanley Yankee push drivers, it is impossible for me to seat more than a few dozen screws without carpal tunnel pain, and it

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Man I love 'em. I have three of them and am looking for another. I ALWAYS buy any auger bits I see at garage sales and or tool sales.

I raced a guy once- two holes each -him using my Makita and me using a brace. I set us both up with 3/8 bits and clamped a pair of 2 x 4s in the bench edge on. I beat him both times by so much he was shocked :lol:

I do have a pic of one in use on a boat. Here's a shot of my 12 inch 3/8 dia auger bit mounted in an extension on top of that. I was boring holes in the keelson and dead wood of the Princess 22 - 4 inches of deadwood, 2 inches of keel, 9 mm of ply and 2 inches of keelson. I was using the extension so I could stand up to bore.

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Followup:

From an electrician:

Yup. A brace is a good tool to own and use. A lot more versatile than most drills.

When I need to drill a hole down through a top plate into an interior wall, especially if it is a long and tough crawl getting there a brace would be preferred to a drill, cordless or otherwise.

A brace and sharp auger bit is lighter and handier than the drill and there are no issues with batteries going dead or the cord catching causing a return trip in an overheated attic. Also a boon on powerless job sites or where stretching a cord to drill a couple of holes is hard to justify. I can go through a double top plate in about 30 seconds and I can also feel the work which can help me avoid problems of hitting something I shouldn't of blowing out the side.

As an electrician a brace has advantages. Especially on service calls I am unlikely to need more than a hole or two and I am often drilling into unknown territory. With a large expansion bit, be sure to keep it sharp, I can often cut a 2-1/2" hole faster than the helper can get the cord strung and the angle drill out.

Where I need a lot of holes, small holes, holes in metal or I can't swing a brace, ratchet braces help but they take time, ####drill gets the nod but a brace can often do a lot of the work and do it faster and better than a drill.

Also on a crew where there is usually three drills: A big angle drive or spade handle, a lighter 3/8 unit and a 1/2" cordless drill, the power units get occupied. The brace fills the gap when you have to add a couple holes but you don't want to slow down the guy using the mass-production drill. Grab the brace and have at it instead of waiting. Options are good.

From two shipwrights:

Them modern thingies is 6-sided, not 8-sided bits, and some newer braces have 3-jaw and even 4-jaw chucks for handling round bits.

More could be added on both bits and driving screws:

Russell Jennings style bits are double twist, as compared to the Irwin single-twist style. Most were made with fine lead screws to pull the bit through the wood more slowly, but they were available with medium and coarse lead screws as well.

Point out the proper size drivers for each screw size, removing the taper from the sides of drivers that have that feature,

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My father taught me how to use a brace and hand drills when I was about 6 or 7 years old. We used them for years and I bought my own when about 20 years of age. It is still in my shop tool kit and now my sons are learning to use them. I think knowing how to use basic hand powered tools makes for a much better craftsman when using power tools.

I wish I could find a good quality "egg beater" hand drill. Dad won't let me have his even though he has not touched it in 20 years... :roll: It has a door knob sort of handle that unscrews and stores bits. I found a cheap one but tossed it in the trash after testing it for a few weeks and am still hitting the estate and garage sales hunting for good quality older tools.

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Dozens of eggbeater drills on Ebay for the price of scrap....just look for a brand name like Millers Falls.

I keep one on hand with a mounted 8th-inch bit along with a couple small gimlets for pilot holes I'm too lazy to set up another drill for.

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Dozens of eggbeater drills on Ebay for the price of scrap....just look for a brand name like Millers Falls.

I keep one on hand with a mounted 8th-inch bit along with a couple small gimlets for pilot holes I'm too lazy to set up another drill for.

WOW, thanks for the tip! I found the exact one like I want and several that would be okay too. :shock: :D

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Dozens of eggbeater drills on Ebay for the price of scrap....just look for a brand name like Millers Falls.

Gee my secret source is out. :lol:

Thanks Bob. Just about to move into the house and my new shop. Have to refasten the hull on my Cris Craft. I read an article in wood boat on this and they too recommended the Brace as the best tool to remove the screws.

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