Hand Drills/Drivers

[MacMitch]

Ok I will start by saying I just bought a Festool T15 so I'm not a complete nut but....

I got interested in hand braces and crank drills on ebay and find them helpful when I want to make sure I do not drill or screw something too deep. Sometimes I actually prefer to drill or screw slower so I can be more precise.

I am now searching for bits and drivers to use with my classic braces and crank drills. I was wondering if anyone here used these devices and had particular favorites? Lee Valley and Traditional Woodworker seem to offer bits designed more for the older hand drills, but they seem to be very expensive, maybe due to limited production...

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Wood-Drill-Bits/departments/269
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32300&cat=1,180,42337&ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42337&ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=46261&cat=1,180,42240,53317

The LeeValley adapter for 1/4" Hex screw diver/drill bits seems like a good idea, if the bits stay in the driver when the drill or brace is removed from the work. Some of the other drills are described as being designed for soft or green wood. I wonder despite the "design" how well they might work in a hand brace in harder wood? I could see how an electric drill turning very fast might dull/destroy these bits, but maybe a slower moving hand drill....

Auger bits are nice but tend to try to advance through wood very quickly, which can cause problems, especially with an electric drill. The new  Speedbor MAX Speed bits are probably the prime example of a speedy bit..

http://www.irwin.com/tools/browse/drill-bits/woodboring-drill-bits/speedbor-max-speed-bits
http://www.irwin.com/tools/browse/drill-bits/woodboring-drill-bits/speedbor-max-self-feed-wood-bits

I have one of the Irwin Speedbores, guess I will try it on a hand brace but I am thinking it will be too much. Then I have read of people specifically using hand braces for big holes....

I will post back whatever my testing shows me.

 

[Pete Pedisich]

MacMitch,

I'll be real interested in your findings, as I recently purchased an old brace and eggbeater. I got a new Irwin solid center auger and it ran through cedar quicker than I thought it would. And as clean a hole as any spade bit I've used.
I also got the tapered shank to quick-hex adaptor but have not used it.
Since I liked how the Irwin auger ran through softwood, I bought a vintage set of 13 from Brass City Records...can't wait to try them.

I wish I had T15! My Panasonic 12v 3.5ah Nimh drill and impact guns are as heavy as a DW 18v Nicad.

Pete

 

[jmbfestool]

Turn your drill down the a lower speed so it has more torque and pull the trigger only half way sod the hand drill man never see me using one of those I dont see the benefit?! am I missing something?!

JMB

 

[Tim Sproul]

In general. Auger bits are designed for softwoods.  Bits like the speedbor are really intended for plumbers and electricians to bore holes in wood frame housing studs.  I found out that the bimetal weld does not hold up to use of speedbor bits in jatoba.  I'm glad the weld broke instead of my wrist.

I use an 8 amp electric hand drill when making large holes.  I could not get my C12 or T15 to drill 3/4 inch diameter holes in my Douglas fir workbench top.  Neither could I get my 5 amp electric hand drill to do the task.  A brace with 12 or 14 inch sweep would have worked but the heavier duty 8amp drill was a lot faster.

 

[MacMitch]

I should say most of my experience is more construction oriented. So yes, the Speedbore I got was for drilling a large number of holes through 2x6-2x4-4x4, bolting a roof & header together. I have driven large numbers of screws, lag screws with: battery operated  & electric 3/8, 1/2 drills & hammer drills, ratcheting driver/drills and a drill press. Certainly they are fast.

The thing I like most about the hand drills/drivers is the increased feel regarding how much pressure is being applied and how the material being drilled or screwed is responding. I believe I have less chance of striping threads, sinking heads to deep, breaking screws, splitting the workpiece...

Other pluses are: no charging or need for an outlet, less/more controlled waste, less noise, saves a little energy, burns some calories, easier to apply physical pressure, often easier to get into tighter places....

 

[JimRay]

I have long been a proponent of the old traditional brace and bit. Using Hex shank driver bits in a brace to drive screws (yes, they will fit in most 2 jaw braces), provides exceptional control, and there are no batteries to recharge. I have driven a lot of Square Drive screws with a brace. A boatbuilder I know uses a brace almost exclusively when driving Silicon Bronze screws (or at least he did last I talked with him - it's been a few years). I have a very good collection of auger bits, both Jennings and solid center patterns, but admit that I seldom use them. Most drilling seems to be either with a drill press for precision, or not of sufficient size to warrant a brace.

I will mention that the Irwin Speedbor bits are simply amazing when used in an impact driver. I used one today in a place where depth control was critical, and I did not want the bit to pop out the back side uncontrolled. Used with an impact driver, the Speedbor bits take small bites, and just seem to melt through the wood. I have not used the bits in truly hard wood, the hardest being Walnut. Even in Walnut though, my 18v Li-On Makita went through quite well using a 1" bit.

Jim Ray

 

[extiger]

MacMitch,

You  asked a lot of questions. I and only answer a few.  I use a bit brace often. Usually with augers. I have the Lee Valley hex bit adapter and use it once in awhile when a power drill might overdo things. I have yet to use my C-12 to drive a brass screw.

The augers I have are from eBay in the UK. Old but they work nice. When I started in WWing, I sort of went on a tool feeding frenzy. One of my eBay acquisitions was a breast drill. In five years, I haven't picked it up once. But I could see that if I had to bore a lot of holes, or just wanted to go through a thick board, it would be real nice.

My electrician used some really long Erwin augers to punch through some 2x4s to string Romex. The bit got very hot, so I can see the advantage of a hand brace and going slow when working with furniture or nicer hardwoods.

Gary Curtis

 

[MacMitch]

Lee Valley is also about the only place with modern options for the old  ratcheting screwdrivers too:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=57809&cat=1,43411,43417&ap=2
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=66021&cat=1,43411,43417&ap=2

 

[Boatman]

I am a boat builder and yes I use them almost every day. I just finished rebuilding the bottom of a 32' Richardson cabin cruiser. We installed over 1000 screws 10's and 12's 13/4" and longer. It is the only way to go. I rarely use them for drilling holes, just driving and removing screws.I have several different sweep sizes depending on wether I want speed or power. The one that travels with me all the time came from Garrett Wade. It has a 1/2" socket on the end with dedicated driver bits, a 3 jaw chuck and an optional 4 jaw chuck. I have different size drivers from Mac Tools so I can handle just about any screw head or size.