I'm a little late to the party, but I have a Stanley 923 brace and WoodOwl Ultra Smooth bits and can attest that the alligator jaws Stanley put in this brace will securely hold the WoodOwl US bits. There is the same amount of wiggle as I have with the tapered square shank. That wiggle is from the collet. Like most braces, the 923 is made in the usual 8, 10, and 12 inch sweeps, and appear on used tool site relatively often. Hope that helps anyone who might not want to go the adapter route. Addendum: The 911 also has the same alligator jaws as the 921. However, the 901 brace has the universal jaws that "hold round shank bits and drills from 1/8 to 1/2 inch, and taper shanks as large as a No. 2 Clarks Expansion bit," according to the Stanley No. 34 catalog.
My solution for using modern bits with my Dad’s old brace is to use a keyless chuck with an SDS adapter shank. It centres and grips well in the two jaw brace “chuck”. I can chuck up screwdriver bits (very useful) and smaller round shank bits. Also cheap from hardware stores, Amazon, Ebay etc.
Wood Owl bits are definitely worth the money. I recommend testing the bit out in your brace before purchasing an adapter. I have two braces. One will hold hex shank bits tightly and the other cannot hold anything unless it is a tapered square shank.
Thank you for this post! Got the set of 3 Wood Owl bits from 1/2" - 1". Look expensive till you use them. Then you start laughing because it is that much easier to use. This adaptor is a really good idea and makes these bits that much better.
Brilliant I hope I can get hold of these in England I’ve still my original Jennings pattern I’ve been using all my life since I did my apprenticeship well over 40 years ago
I have a full set of these Wood Owl bits and was also able to buy a full set of NOS Jennings in the past. Can confirm the Wood Owl's are a superior design. There are also 3 jaw braces available on the market as new tools from several suppliers. I purchased on of these (in desperation) and if you are so inclined, it has proven to be a fine tool as well. I do like using the Jennings and will never part with them, they are still a lot of fun. But - I recently built a roorkee chair, using 8/4 sapele as raw stock. The old bits, bless them as they are, could not hold their own against the Wood Owls. If you are in the market, this is an awesome solution.
Thanks so much for showing this. I just put my order in for a set of Wood Owls and added in the brace adapter. I can't wait to use them. I learned a lot about vintage auger bits and maintenance from your other videos and am blessed with a large assortment of vintage Jennings. They require a bit of work so usually I still slam a forstner bit into my power drill and keep the project moving forward. The results are usually awful, so I'm thrilled to see how well these work and my brace is going to get used all the time now!!! It puts a little more fun into my hobby and makes me feel "old timey" all at once. These seem better than any drill money can buy and my projects will look better for it. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I look forward to all of your vids and have become a much better woodworker because of you. You're like the second coming of Roy and have rekindled my enthusiasm for wood unlike anyone else. Keep up the great work!
I honestly believe the community needed this and tay should get a lot of credit here. You laid it out pretty well, but auger bits are really a labor of love to use. I've spent 2 years rounding them up and still don't have a complete usable set, this could be a life saver
@James I ordered a new set of auger bits and a brace with a 3-jaw chuck about 6 weeks ago. The bits arrived about 1 week later, but I did not even look at them because the brace was backordered from Lee Valley. The brace finally arrived a couple of days ago. I watched this video yesterday and bookmarked the Wood Owl bits, thinking that if I did not like the ones I ordered, I could get a couple of the Wood Owl ones in sizes that I will use most often. I finally got a chance to use the new brace today and when I opened the bit box, surprise!, surprise!, they were all the exact Wood Owl bits you recommended. 😊 Great minds think alike.
My Wood Owl bits came in the mail today. I've only drilled 3 or 4 holes to see how the bits worked. They are amazing! I totally agree with your review. Even a 1" diameter hole was not difficult to turn. It took more effort than a 1/2", of course, but was not a problem. I also ordered the adaptor. I tried drilling a 1" hole without the adaptor. It actually seemed to work just fine. I may have wasted $17 on the adaptor. I was using a Yankee 2101 brace and the bit seemed very stable without the adaptor. I also tried it with the adaptor and it was also stable using it. Thanks for the review and turning me on to the Wood Owl bits.
I don't understand why I don't see tapered square drill chuck adapters everywhere... I made one in about 10 minutes using an old drill chuck & a bolt that threads into it. Drilled & tapped the end of the bolt for the locking screw, cut the head off the bolt, ground a tapered square on it, then threaded it into the chuck, inserted the locking screw, and done. 🤷♂️
James your videos are very informative. I have been involved with woodworking longer than I wish to admit. I was about to purchase a brace and started reading about difficulties with using newer auger bits with the hex shank. I wonder if the 3 jaw chuck secures the bits better? For the soul that is on a budget it appears they may be out of luck as Woodowl bits are pricey....worth it but pricey just the same. Please share your thoughts on the 3 jaw chucks.
Yes a 3 jaw chuck will work or you can get an adaptor. Here is a run down on what all I use. ruclips.net/video/1IfgVb4UmQY/видео.htmlsi=Wq2xKCOM-cVrzoN0
I bought a WoodOwl bit around 4 years ago to drill my holdfast holes. I have an old Dunlap brace with a 4 jaw chuck, but I'll still end up buying one of these
Thank you for this. I ordered the adapter and a few bits after watching this. They arrived yesterday and I am seriously impressed by how much of an improvement they are over the antique augers I have been using.
I recently acquired a new brace from Garret Wade which has a standard 1/2" drive, to which one attaches either a 3 jaw or a 4 jaw chuck. Of course you can use standard socket, but they also have a few screw driver sockets. Check it out.
As far as torque goes, I used a brace plus socket to drive 7/16" lag bolts when I used to install satellite dishes and what I found was I HAD to drill pilot holes, first, or the bolt heads would tend to twist right off!
just incase you havent done it yet you could just put some wooden dowels in your brace bit holder for a spacer .......just sayin .......bye the way that is an awesome bit holder never seen one like that before
I have a screw driver that takes hex shank driver bits, i cut that off and filed off a square dimension so it could fit in my brace and ai could use the 4bladed auger bit design with hex shanks. The 4 armed chuck holds the bit itself so the adapter is really in the chuck.
I actually have an old German made Craftsman brace with 3 jaws I got at a yard sale for a dollar. It has a little square hole in the bottom of the threaded spindle in the ratchet box for the tail of the square shank to sit in. It holds round and hex shanks well, but I haven't done any hard use to see if the chuck loosens, which is apparently what could happen from what little I could find about it on the internet. I still love using it as a heavier duty brace, but it kind of got replaced by a Yankee 2101A one, which could also hold round and hex shanks very well too. I've been toying around with buying the adapter from Lee Valley, but that new Tay Tools version looks to be the one with a couple WoodOwl bits to fill out my meager set after trying out the Irwin version. I tried sharpening one too and, uh, kinda doable with a round file? It did get noticable sharper after a couple careful, twisting passes with it held in a vise. I don't think I'd dare attempt that with the WoodOwl versions though.
I remember seven-year-old Ryan having one of those not really ever getting the hang of it but man oh man I sure did use it a lot. awesome video James I love it thank you sir great content!!!
hi. I have a huge set of vintage auger bit with single blade and square tip mades for braces, probably in 50's in france (my country). they are not so bad for wood working or joinery as you said.. they are very great if they are in old good steel and manfacturing, that why i've earn mine in garages sales. I was thinking and i m wrong, that the avantage of the twin blade auger was cuttin 2x fast, but need 2x moretorque. but if i'm understand you, they cut the same depth for one turn, but with 2x less torque? so if it true, the advantage of a twin blade auger is on large diameter and hard wood because they reduce the torque needed by 2 compared to a single bladed auger bit. if you working with medium/small diameters on hard wood or big diameters on soft wood, the single auger do a great job. but it true, on big diameter it need torque, it is physic. if it too hard with the brace, you can use the T handle auger. the twin blade auger are not so essential. One advantage over the twinblade auger is the sharpening. single blade auger is sharpened 2x fast, and it is easier because on te twin auger, if you sharpen one blade more than the other, only one blade will cut. they need to be at the same accurate height
I just spent a fortune a few months back on some new auger bits and a holder like the original one you showed as I was fed up getting crap old style bits from ebay that were past their best. When I saw you using the wood owl ones a few weeks back I was gutted! The ones I have are loose fitting in the holder and not really great for a brace (they are still very nice bits). Looks like I'll have to check out the wood owl ones and spend another fortune!
They look great, but I don't think I can justify the price at the moment. I've ordered a new brace with a 3 jaw chuck and we'll see how that goes for now. Your video did inspire me to spend money though, so you've done your bit for consumer capitalism.
That's usually the way it goes for me too. I buy something in the next shiny pops up. But then my wife looks at me and I think about the cost of marital counseling.
I like that you continue to chip away on hand brace bits and your ideas on how to move forward. Have you ever heard of anyone replacing damaged or totally missing; tapered lead screw tips on hand brace auger bits? It is such a waste to just trash them when the lead screw is gone or damaged beyond repair. Looking for someone who does this kind of repair or how to do it. Have been on the web looking, but no success yet.
Thanks for posting this. I've been trying to find the "missing" bits in my auger bit set with little success. The adapter seems like a perfect solution.
If they only made an adapter to use WoodOwl bits with a boring machine(beam drill). Then we could switch WoodOwl bits from drill, to brace, to the boring machine! Right now I'm using a WoodOwl that had the hex shaft cutoff and round stock welded onto the end with a flat side ground into it. It works but now the WoodOwl bit can't be used in anything else.
Interesting. But would all bits fit straight into my beam drill as they require a half inch shaft and the hex shaft is 1/2 in from point to point. They're the one bit that I can use there every time.
Is there a reason you don’t just get a bit brace like the miller falls lion chuck that just accepts all types of shafts? I saw them for like $60-80 on eBay. I know that’s not cheap but it seems like a worthwhile trade off to not have to buy and use adapters. After some research I guess the Stanley 923s will hold the hex shank bits too and they’re only like $30-40 plus shipping. Hmmm, I may just go that route.
James, I am looking forward to seeing your new bit holder. I have an antique Jennings box that the hinges were vastly under engineered for that barely holds itself together. If you do build one, I'd love to see it.
Wow, nice. I've been wanting to get a brace for a long time and was considering getting a combo two and three jaw set. With the Japanese bits, however, I am thinking I might just go for the three jaw and use these modern bits.
Not sure about american models. But if I unscrew my braces, I think there's enough space in them to file a bitholder down and glue or otherwise make it stay inside. That might fix the problem. That, or a lathe.
Oh, I'm in trouble now Ka-Ching! Thanks for showing me this tool site. I too have been looking for a place to get bits that will work with my braces. This adapter and Tri-Cut bits are a Godsend!
Very cool bits brother but my good CMT Orange Forsner bits in my drills press or hand held battery powered drill cuts holes just as smooth just 8-10 times faster but keep in mind I am lazy!! Very lazy I take the shortest and easiest and quickest path to over come any and everything in the shop lol love the videos though buddy I have learned a lot about hand planes and spoke shaves and scrapers and scraper planes all of witch I use when needed
I have a modern 3 jaw brace, it has a square slot to hold the tapered head and the jaws grab the shank. It works well with hex but trying a smooth shank drill bit doesn’t work at all, not sure if there might be a keyed chuck adapter.
Yep. There are several companies that have come out with three jaw chucks I've thought about getting one but just felt odd having multiple braces just for different chucks. Lol one of these days I'll probably break down and buy one.
i need help i bought the little adapter you showed at 4:25 the quarter inch my brace has 4 jock chuck but i removed the top of the brace bit to expose the jock chuck and then *i see it has a square hole* i want to put the square back of the adapter inside the square hole of the brace bit hole (all the way to the end) im really scared to wear the jocks of the chuck of the brace bit because i already had it happened to me once when i tried to use a hex drill bit without adapter (edit: since then i returned that worn out brace bit and got a new one) but i see most people dont put the drill bits ALL THE WAY inside the brace bit, and just let it pertrude about 2 cm out please help James what do i do? great video btw very helpful
Round M&T joints. Wooden screw and nut or pass through making hangers and racks of all kinds of asthenic designs. The list goes on. A woodworker is often boring all kinds of holes.
Garrett Wade dot com has a new brace with an optional three finger chuck (both together are cheaper than a quality vintage brace on eBay dot com) that works well with these WooOwl bits. Taylor Toolworks is the best!
Nice vid! Wondering if there is a way to modify the brace by removing the old chuck and placing the modern chuck that will take hexagonal or round bits...
as my arms atrophy i am less able to use my brace and augers. i bought a nice mid range set of forester bits. im excited about how little force these new augers seem to require and it seems like they leave a clean hole but that is a pretty small sample size. how would you compare these to forester bits with regard to the quality of the hole on average? also, are you still able to use the wedding ring trick with the new adapter?
as to the quality it depends on the bit. Some are good and some are not. but it the hole looks clean then it is clean. yes i can fit the ring on between the adapter and the chuck. there is not a lot of space but it still works.
I got the adapter, and several of those awesome Wood Owl bits, and I could not be happier with the purchase. Top shelf gear there! Now someone just needs to make a reasonable adapter/retrofit so you can use the occasional other size drill. (standard three jaw) Thank you!
Hello! Wonderful suggestion, many thanks! I have a couple of questions though: -Are the drill bits needed to be sharpened? And if so, how do you do it? -I entered the discount code, but seems to not work anymore. Is that normal? Is it expired? Many thanks!
Yes they can be sharpened. You do it with an auger bit file. I have a video showing how to do that if you want to see it. I'm pretty sure the discount code doesn't work anymore cuz it's over 4 years old.
For holes larger than about a half inch I generally just use a knife and chamfer it by hand. Smaller than that I have an old chamfer bit that I got a long time ago with nine blades. It works fantastically.
These will cut a hundred times cleaner hole. The speed bore are designed for power drills and will cut through 2x4 as well but they don't leave a very clean cut and comparison.
A guy who resaws white oak boards with hand tools for fun only has to use a pinky to turn it. The rest of us need 6 hours in the gym, 5 days per week to build the strength to turn it 1/4 turn? It's the woodworking equivalent of Ulysses Bow!
James, does no one sell a brace with a standard hex bit chuck, or the larger hex stem that seem to be on the WoodOwl? Yeah, you can't use your Dad's brace, but that seems to be the most connom-sense solution.
there are several new makers that sell them. but then you have to have a brace for just those bits. as the 3 jaw chuck won't hold the tapered square bits. and the adaptor is a lot cheaper then a whole new brace. Speed handles and braces look a like but are different tools. speed handles a re a lot of fun though.
some braces come with a three jaw chuck that works perfectly for the hex bits but the problem is then you can't use the tapered square bits. Most people just end up having multiple braces then.
Oh well... Here I go buy another tool. 😬 At least I'm not married. Otherwise I would be dead! 😬 Thanks a lot, James!!! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I know I'm commenting on an older video but I'm curious if you miss having the 2 smaller sizes (1/4" & 5/16") that were common in the vintage auger bit sets? Wood owl appears to range from 3/8" - 1 1/2" as far as I can tell
I have a brace and fairly regularly, the bit falls out. I finally realized that it has a broken jaw. So I'm thinking it might be better to look for a new one. Do you have any new braces you would recommend?
I do not have much experience with new braces. The antique ones are just so common and so cheap that I haven't had a need to look into new ones. But for the most part there isn't much to them and I've never heard of anyone really complaining about one unless they have a particular item they're picky about.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I don't have a good way to buy a vintage brace except through eBay, which is where I got my current one that has the broken jaw. At least I know now to ask about that to make sure I don't get another one with that problem. Thanks!
Anything with a hex shank should work fine as long as your chuck is large enough, but keep the speed down with auger bits or you will wreak havoc on your wood and the bits. Guess how I know that...
PSA for all. Not all folks are woodworkers and will understand the joke when you get a set of these for a present and you comment on them being a boring gift.
Sorry. I do not understand the question. if you are asking where to find old tools I would suggest to look on HandToolFinder.com most of the online sellers there will ship international.
I do not like to use the auger style bits in power drills. Mostly because the snail/pilot screw can draw the bit in faster than most people can handle because the speed pulls the bit in very fast, and that ends up making for huge amounts of torque on the drill which you are holding on to. In a Milwaukee Hole Hog, this actually becomes dangerous.
google doc link has restricted permissions and is not public readable, if it's not your version make a copy and re-link a readable version. otherwise the doc owner (I'm guessing TayTools) is going to get a zillion requests :) good to see the craft surviving.
I bought an 11 pieces set. It's about to arrive. And here, in Brazil, we pay more than twice your price. It's Very expensive. But I took my shoot and I know everything must be sharpened in Woodworking. So, help us all showing how to do it.
Frankly, it seems like it would be better to simply machine a brace with a chuck that fits modern bits. This solution just seems janky to me. My antique brace (used to be my great grandfather's, then grandfather's, then father's, now mine) was used in construction of rough-sawed timber homes from the early 1800's onward. So of course all I will use with that, is antique styled bits. You can actually get them smithed, if you want a new one. But they are expensive, since they are artisanal reproductions. For timber construction now, just get the tribits, and have a nice machinist make you an appropriate modern brace for them. I prefer using a brace on construction sites in many cases instead of a cordless drill. In my opinion there is little reason to be slavish about the antique technology. Many people prefer hand tools in quality woodworking construction for a host of reasons. That's why there are still so many hand saws made.
It really makes me sad to see this very active comunity of hand tools being driven away all the time by industrialisation. I enjoy unplugged woodworking a LOT and I try to emply it whenever I can, this week my school started again so I got very exited to be able to show off my hand toolage. First of all, no one seemed to care. Second of all, everybody thought I was crazy for using handtools.. If ever I need new auger bits I will for sure have a look at these. I'm using vintage ish irwin bits at the moment
Yes excactly. And it doesn't even have to take long. Sharp tools, propper set up tools, good technique, practice and experience. And you will be able to work with decent speed
I'm a little late to the party, but I have a Stanley 923 brace and WoodOwl Ultra Smooth bits and can attest that the alligator jaws Stanley put in this brace will securely hold the WoodOwl US bits. There is the same amount of wiggle as I have with the tapered square shank. That wiggle is from the collet. Like most braces, the 923 is made in the usual 8, 10, and 12 inch sweeps, and appear on used tool site relatively often. Hope that helps anyone who might not want to go the adapter route.
Addendum: The 911 also has the same alligator jaws as the 921. However, the 901 brace has the universal jaws that "hold round shank bits and drills from 1/8 to 1/2 inch, and taper shanks as large as a No. 2 Clarks Expansion bit," according to the Stanley No. 34 catalog.
My solution for using modern bits with my Dad’s old brace is to use a keyless chuck with an SDS adapter shank. It centres and grips well in the two jaw brace “chuck”. I can chuck up screwdriver bits (very useful) and smaller round shank bits.
Also cheap from hardware stores, Amazon, Ebay etc.
Wood Owl bits are definitely worth the money. I recommend testing the bit out in your brace before purchasing an adapter. I have two braces. One will hold hex shank bits tightly and the other cannot hold anything unless it is a tapered square shank.
Thank you for this post! Got the set of 3 Wood Owl bits from 1/2" - 1". Look expensive till you use them. Then you start laughing because it is that much easier to use. This adaptor is a really good idea and makes these bits that much better.
Thanks Tom glad I could help.
Brilliant
I hope I can get hold of these in England
I’ve still my original Jennings pattern I’ve been using all my life since I did my apprenticeship well over 40 years ago
I have a full set of these Wood Owl bits and was also able to buy a full set of NOS Jennings in the past. Can confirm the Wood Owl's are a superior design. There are also 3 jaw braces available on the market as new tools from several suppliers. I purchased on of these (in desperation) and if you are so inclined, it has proven to be a fine tool as well. I do like using the Jennings and will never part with them, they are still a lot of fun. But - I recently built a roorkee chair, using 8/4 sapele as raw stock. The old bits, bless them as they are, could not hold their own against the Wood Owls. If you are in the market, this is an awesome solution.
Thanks so much for showing this. I just put my order in for a set of Wood Owls and added in the brace adapter. I can't wait to use them. I learned a lot about vintage auger bits and maintenance from your other videos and am blessed with a large assortment of vintage Jennings. They require a bit of work so usually I still slam a forstner bit into my power drill and keep the project moving forward. The results are usually awful, so I'm thrilled to see how well these work and my brace is going to get used all the time now!!! It puts a little more fun into my hobby and makes me feel "old timey" all at once. These seem better than any drill money can buy and my projects will look better for it. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I look forward to all of your vids and have become a much better woodworker because of you. You're like the second coming of Roy and have rekindled my enthusiasm for wood unlike anyone else. Keep up the great work!
Always enjoyed using the brace & bits never touched power tools untill I finished my Carpenter & Joinery apprenticeship - 1980's...
I honestly believe the community needed this and tay should get a lot of credit here. You laid it out pretty well, but auger bits are really a labor of love to use. I've spent 2 years rounding them up and still don't have a complete usable set, this could be a life saver
@James I ordered a new set of auger bits and a brace with a 3-jaw chuck about 6 weeks ago. The bits arrived about 1 week later, but I did not even look at them because the brace was backordered from Lee Valley. The brace finally arrived a couple of days ago. I watched this video yesterday and bookmarked the Wood Owl bits, thinking that if I did not like the ones I ordered, I could get a couple of the Wood Owl ones in sizes that I will use most often. I finally got a chance to use the new brace today and when I opened the bit box, surprise!, surprise!, they were all the exact Wood Owl bits you recommended. 😊 Great minds think alike.
My Wood Owl bits came in the mail today. I've only drilled 3 or 4 holes to see how the bits worked. They are amazing! I totally agree with your review. Even a 1" diameter hole was not difficult to turn. It took more effort than a 1/2", of course, but was not a problem.
I also ordered the adaptor. I tried drilling a 1" hole without the adaptor. It actually seemed to work just fine. I may have wasted $17 on the adaptor. I was using a Yankee 2101 brace and the bit seemed very stable without the adaptor. I also tried it with the adaptor and it was also stable using it.
Thanks for the review and turning me on to the Wood Owl bits.
Just got the adapter and now I love my brace!
I don't understand why I don't see tapered square drill chuck adapters everywhere... I made one in about 10 minutes using an old drill chuck & a bolt that threads into it.
Drilled & tapped the end of the bolt for the locking screw, cut the head off the bolt, ground a tapered square on it, then threaded it into the chuck, inserted the locking screw, and done. 🤷♂️
James your videos are very informative. I have been involved with woodworking longer than I wish to admit. I was about to purchase a brace and started reading about difficulties with using newer auger bits with the hex shank. I wonder if the 3 jaw chuck secures the bits better? For the soul that is on a budget it appears they may be out of luck as Woodowl bits are pricey....worth it but pricey just the same. Please share your thoughts on the 3 jaw chucks.
Yes a 3 jaw chuck will work or you can get an adaptor. Here is a run down on what all I use. ruclips.net/video/1IfgVb4UmQY/видео.htmlsi=Wq2xKCOM-cVrzoN0
Thanks a million James! Keep up with those great videos
I'm basically a cordless woodworker, so I'm happy to see this improvement .
I bought a WoodOwl bit around 4 years ago to drill my holdfast holes. I have an old Dunlap brace with a 4 jaw chuck, but I'll still end up buying one of these
Thank you for this. I ordered the adapter and a few bits after watching this. They arrived yesterday and I am seriously impressed by how much of an improvement they are over the antique augers I have been using.
They are a lot of fun to play with. Good luck on the future don't have too much fun.
I recently acquired a new brace from Garret Wade which has a standard 1/2" drive, to which one attaches either a 3 jaw or a 4 jaw chuck.
Of course you can use standard socket, but they also have a few screw driver sockets.
Check it out.
Love this, i always feel this is above my skills, but i think i will try it
As far as torque goes, I used a brace plus socket to drive 7/16" lag bolts when I used to install satellite dishes and what I found was I HAD to drill pilot holes, first, or the bolt heads would tend to twist right off!
just incase you havent done it yet you could just put some wooden dowels in your brace bit holder for a spacer .......just sayin .......bye the way that is an awesome bit holder never seen one like that before
I have a screw driver that takes hex shank driver bits, i cut that off and filed off a square dimension so it could fit in my brace and ai could use the 4bladed auger bit design with hex shanks. The 4 armed chuck holds the bit itself so the adapter is really in the chuck.
nice! I love it when a plan comes together!
Lee Valley tools in Canada has a 3 jaw brace that takes round bits and hexagonal bits
My brace fits the woodowls just fine. Perfect torque.
Nice. Do you have a three jaw or a one of the nice 2 jaws?
Thanks James for the recommendation- bought the attachment
Have fun man. Those bits bite.
I actually have an old German made Craftsman brace with 3 jaws I got at a yard sale for a dollar. It has a little square hole in the bottom of the threaded spindle in the ratchet box for the tail of the square shank to sit in.
It holds round and hex shanks well, but I haven't done any hard use to see if the chuck loosens, which is apparently what could happen from what little I could find about it on the internet.
I still love using it as a heavier duty brace, but it kind of got replaced by a Yankee 2101A one, which could also hold round and hex shanks very well too.
I've been toying around with buying the adapter from Lee Valley, but that new Tay Tools version looks to be the one with a couple WoodOwl bits to fill out my meager set after trying out the Irwin version. I tried sharpening one too and, uh, kinda doable with a round file? It did get noticable sharper after a couple careful, twisting passes with it held in a vise. I don't think I'd dare attempt that with the WoodOwl versions though.
I remember seven-year-old Ryan having one of those not really ever getting the hang of it but man oh man I sure did use it a lot. awesome video James I love it thank you sir great content!!!
Those woodowl bits are an absolute pleasure to work with.
It's been sad to see the 'First Cordless Drill's', the braces, almost gone, but now we will be enabled to use them again!
I recently broke the screw point off a Greenlee 1-1/4" auger bit. Its still in the log. The rest of the bit is in the blacksmith possibilities pile.
Oh sad!
Definitely checking out. I have a roll of old bits, but even attempting to sharpen them seems impossible.
hi.
I have a huge set of vintage auger bit with single blade and square tip mades for braces, probably in 50's in france (my country). they are not so bad for wood working or joinery as you said.. they are very great if they are in old good steel and manfacturing, that why i've earn mine in garages sales.
I was thinking and i m wrong, that the avantage of the twin blade auger was cuttin 2x fast, but need 2x moretorque. but if i'm understand you, they cut the same depth for one turn, but with 2x less torque?
so if it true, the advantage of a twin blade auger is on large diameter and hard wood because they reduce the torque needed by 2 compared to a single bladed auger bit.
if you working with medium/small diameters on hard wood or big diameters on soft wood, the single auger do a great job.
but it true, on big diameter it need torque, it is physic. if it too hard with the brace, you can use the T handle auger.
the twin blade auger are not so essential.
One advantage over the twinblade auger is the sharpening.
single blade auger is sharpened 2x fast, and it is easier because on te twin auger, if you sharpen one blade more than the other, only one blade will cut. they need to be at the same accurate height
I just spent a fortune a few months back on some new auger bits and a holder like the original one you showed as I was fed up getting crap old style bits from ebay that were past their best. When I saw you using the wood owl ones a few weeks back I was gutted! The ones I have are loose fitting in the holder and not really great for a brace (they are still very nice bits). Looks like I'll have to check out the wood owl ones and spend another fortune!
They look great, but I don't think I can justify the price at the moment. I've ordered a new brace with a 3 jaw chuck and we'll see how that goes for now. Your video did inspire me to spend money though, so you've done your bit for consumer capitalism.
That's usually the way it goes for me too. I buy something in the next shiny pops up. But then my wife looks at me and I think about the cost of marital counseling.
that adapter did catch me eye a few weeks ago on another video of yours. Thanks for the great info
Glad I can finally talk about it.
I like that you continue to chip away on hand brace bits and your ideas on how to move forward. Have you ever heard of anyone replacing damaged or totally missing; tapered lead screw tips on hand brace auger bits? It is such a waste to just trash them when the lead screw is gone or damaged beyond repair. Looking for someone who does this kind of repair or how to do it. Have been on the web looking, but no success yet.
I have heard of some people welding onto the tip and filling a new screw. But I would guess 2+ hours of work to get it right.
Thank you for this, my mum bought me a similar one and i spent hours, and I do mean hours, trying to figure out what it did.
Thanks for posting this. I've been trying to find the "missing" bits in my auger bit set with little success. The adapter seems like a perfect solution.
If they only made an adapter to use WoodOwl bits with a boring machine(beam drill). Then we could switch WoodOwl bits from drill, to brace, to the boring machine! Right now I'm using a WoodOwl that had the hex shaft cutoff and round stock welded onto the end with a flat side ground into it. It works but now the WoodOwl bit can't be used in anything else.
Interesting. But would all bits fit straight into my beam drill as they require a half inch shaft and the hex shaft is 1/2 in from point to point. They're the one bit that I can use there every time.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo So you are using WoodOwl bits in your Beam Drill without an adapter and without modification to the bit?
yup. most beam drills have a 1/2" setscrew chuck and the bit slides up in there and the set screw sets nicely on the flat sides of the hex shaft.
Is there a reason you don’t just get a bit brace like the miller falls lion chuck that just accepts all types of shafts? I saw them for like $60-80 on eBay. I know that’s not cheap but it seems like a worthwhile trade off to not have to buy and use adapters. After some research I guess the Stanley 923s will hold the hex shank bits too and they’re only like $30-40 plus shipping. Hmmm, I may just go that route.
James, I am looking forward to seeing your new bit holder. I have an antique Jennings box that the hinges were vastly under engineered for that barely holds itself together. If you do build one, I'd love to see it.
I think that project is coming up some time in the next couple months.
Great tool, I want one. Such a shame, like a lot of tool companies, Irwin ( a major pioneer of American hand tools) has become so disappointing. 😞
Glad to see the oold design incorporated into 21st century, gives a new lease of life
Wow, nice. I've been wanting to get a brace for a long time and was considering getting a combo two and three jaw set. With the Japanese bits, however, I am thinking I might just go for the three jaw and use these modern bits.
Not sure about american models. But if I unscrew my braces, I think there's enough space in them to file a bitholder down and glue or otherwise make it stay inside. That might fix the problem. That, or a lathe.
I like how the two wingnuts line up in the same direction when tightened.
My brain feels aesthetically pleased..
Lol yes I had to torque one of the two of them down a little bit more just to make that happen. It made me happy.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Haha.. good stuff. Just know the extra effort was appreciated by us too!
Oh, I'm in trouble now Ka-Ching! Thanks for showing me this tool site. I too have been looking for a place to get bits that will work with my braces. This adapter and Tri-Cut bits are a Godsend!
Glad to help. I am sure I sent a few to the woodworking dog house tonight.
Very cool bits brother but my good CMT Orange Forsner bits in my drills press or hand held battery powered drill cuts holes just as smooth just 8-10 times faster but keep in mind I am lazy!! Very lazy I take the shortest and easiest and quickest path to over come any and everything in the shop lol love the videos though buddy I have learned a lot about hand planes and spoke shaves and scrapers and scraper planes all of witch I use when needed
Looking forward to seeing your new storage solution for these bits as I similarly just bought the set and am considering the best way to do that.
I have a modern 3 jaw brace, it has a square slot to hold the tapered head and the jaws grab the shank. It works well with hex but trying a smooth shank drill bit doesn’t work at all, not sure if there might be a keyed chuck adapter.
I probably need an eggbeater style, just haven’t come across one
Yep. There are several companies that have come out with three jaw chucks I've thought about getting one but just felt odd having multiple braces just for different chucks. Lol one of these days I'll probably break down and buy one.
i need help
i bought the little adapter you showed at 4:25 the quarter inch
my brace has 4 jock chuck
but i removed the top of the brace bit to expose the jock chuck and then *i see it has a square hole*
i want to put the square back of the adapter inside the square hole of the brace bit hole (all the way to the end)
im really scared to wear the jocks of the chuck of the brace bit because i already had it happened to me once when i tried to use a hex drill bit without adapter
(edit: since then i returned that worn out brace bit and got a new one)
but i see most people dont put the drill bits ALL THE WAY inside the brace bit, and just let it pertrude about 2 cm out
please help James what do i do?
great video btw very helpful
Sorry I'm not quite following. Feel free to send me an email I'd be glad to take a closer look at some pictures.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo ok thank you i will send
I'm not a plumber or timber framer, but what are the other purposes of the larger holes? Great information, thanks for sharing.
Round M&T joints. Wooden screw and nut or pass through making hangers and racks of all kinds of asthenic designs. The list goes on. A woodworker is often boring all kinds of holes.
My brace hold modern round bits without any issue.
Some do. It depends on the jaw type.
@@WoodByWrightHowToah so there are multiple types of jaws, good to know.
Seems i lucked out a bit when it comes to that.
Yes there are hundreds of jaw designs. But most made after the 30s will hold hex and round shafts
Garrett Wade dot com has a new brace with an optional three finger chuck (both together are cheaper than a quality vintage brace on eBay dot com) that works well with these WooOwl bits. Taylor Toolworks is the best!
ya there are a few three jaw chucks on the market. I have yet to get one, but I might some itme.
Nice vid! Wondering if there is a way to modify the brace by removing the old chuck and placing the modern chuck that will take hexagonal or round bits...
There a few with modern chucks.
I looked these over on their web sites. There was a difference. The adapters sown only had one (1) set screw.
yes I am not sure if it is a picture problem or not but mine came with both.
as my arms atrophy i am less able to use my brace and augers. i bought a nice mid range set of forester bits. im excited about how little force these new augers seem to require and it seems like they leave a clean hole but that is a pretty small sample size. how would you compare these to forester bits with regard to the quality of the hole on average? also, are you still able to use the wedding ring trick with the new adapter?
as to the quality it depends on the bit. Some are good and some are not. but it the hole looks clean then it is clean. yes i can fit the ring on between the adapter and the chuck. there is not a lot of space but it still works.
I love Wood-owl bits
You and me both!
I got the adapter, and several of those awesome Wood Owl bits, and I could not be happier with the purchase. Top shelf gear there! Now someone just needs to make a reasonable adapter/retrofit so you can use the occasional other size drill. (standard three jaw) Thank you!
Hello! Wonderful suggestion, many thanks! I have a couple of questions though:
-Are the drill bits needed to be sharpened? And if so, how do you do it?
-I entered the discount code, but seems to not work anymore. Is that normal? Is it expired?
Many thanks!
Yes they can be sharpened. You do it with an auger bit file. I have a video showing how to do that if you want to see it. I'm pretty sure the discount code doesn't work anymore cuz it's over 4 years old.
Here is the most important question: Where on the adapter and bit combo do you put your wedding ring? Before the adapter? or After?
right on I now put it on between the adapter and chuck. there is a bit more space there.
@James What bit do you use to chamfer the large holes after drilling? Thanks.
For holes larger than about a half inch I generally just use a knife and chamfer it by hand. Smaller than that I have an old chamfer bit that I got a long time ago with nine blades. It works fantastically.
How are you going to use your wedding band trick?
LOL I can fit it on there. There is less room for it to move around but that just means you have to respond faster to it moving.
How much better are these when compared to the irwin speedbor? Just starting out, so the irwin's price compels a lot.
These will cut a hundred times cleaner hole. The speed bore are designed for power drills and will cut through 2x4 as well but they don't leave a very clean cut and comparison.
A guy who resaws white oak boards with hand tools for fun only has to use a pinky to turn it. The rest of us need 6 hours in the gym, 5 days per week to build the strength to turn it 1/4 turn? It's the woodworking equivalent of Ulysses Bow!
Hey James, how well do the Wood Owl bits work in green wood?
Great. They are a bit over kill for that. But give a nice clean hole!
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Awesome, thank you for taking the time to respond and for all your excellent videos!
Can you post a video on sharpening the wood owls? There are none in the internet.
I might have to do that. they are a bit harder then the old styles.
02:32 I think Fisch-tools (Austria) makes them again.
James, does no one sell a brace with a standard hex bit chuck, or the larger hex stem that seem to be on the WoodOwl? Yeah, you can't use your Dad's brace, but that seems to be the most connom-sense solution.
We did use braces in the USAF, called "Speed Handles", but they ended in a square drive for sockets; don't know of a drill/bit option.
there are several new makers that sell them. but then you have to have a brace for just those bits. as the 3 jaw chuck won't hold the tapered square bits. and the adaptor is a lot cheaper then a whole new brace. Speed handles and braces look a like but are different tools. speed handles a re a lot of fun though.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thanks! After posting my question, EweTube flooded me with brace/bit videos and I'm a little smarter now! 😃
The adapter on the web site looks different from the one you have in the video.
yes for some reason mine came with two screws. they do come with two threaded holes, but only one thumb screw.
Does nobody make a replacement hex chuck for a brace? Then you can switch between bits with no need for an extension adapter
some braces come with a three jaw chuck that works perfectly for the hex bits but the problem is then you can't use the tapered square bits. Most people just end up having multiple braces then.
Hey, where's the ring? 😋
Oh well... Here I go buy another tool. 😬
At least I'm not married. Otherwise I would be dead! 😬
Thanks a lot, James!!!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I'm sure I have killed a few good men that way.
What is the black framed device with the square taper on one end and a holes at the other end?
Are you talking about these? ruclips.net/video/U9rcNiu6yw4/видео.html
Two years after making still replies. Thank you. Thats the gismo.
Found a brace in my grandfather's old tool collection, it only has 2 jaws, does that make it rare? old? or different purpose?
That is how most are it will grab the two corners of a tapered square bit.
Hey James. Does the wedding ring still fit over the adapter?
yes i can fit it on there. there is less room for it to move around but that just means you have to respond faster to it moving.
Thunder stealer :)
I know I'm commenting on an older video but I'm curious if you miss having the 2 smaller sizes (1/4" & 5/16") that were common in the vintage auger bit sets? Wood owl appears to range from 3/8" - 1 1/2" as far as I can tell
I use other wood owl bits for those. these just can not be made that small with 3 cutters.
James, can you add a link to Mike's tests to the description? Thanks.
I thought I had it but I do not have a link that everyone can use. as soon as I get that I will post it.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thanks, no wonder I couldn't find it.
I have a brace and fairly regularly, the bit falls out. I finally realized that it has a broken jaw. So I'm thinking it might be better to look for a new one. Do you have any new braces you would recommend?
I do not have much experience with new braces. The antique ones are just so common and so cheap that I haven't had a need to look into new ones. But for the most part there isn't much to them and I've never heard of anyone really complaining about one unless they have a particular item they're picky about.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I don't have a good way to buy a vintage brace except through eBay, which is where I got my current one that has the broken jaw. At least I know now to ask about that to make sure I don't get another one with that problem. Thanks!
What size shank is the woodowl bit in your video?
Cool!!! Thank You!!! 👍😎
Are woodowl bits sharpenable?
yes
Can the woodowl work with power tools?
Wood Owl's website says yes. I have never put them into a power drill, so I can't vouch for how the performance. There are RUclips video's out there.
I have used a couple of them in my drill and they work fine but I wouldn't want to take them too fast.
Anything with a hex shank should work fine as long as your chuck is large enough, but keep the speed down with auger bits or you will wreak havoc on your wood and the bits. Guess how I know that...
PSA for all. Not all folks are woodworkers and will understand the joke when you get a set of these for a present and you comment on them being a boring gift.
LOL I heald back from using that one int he video!
well now i know what auger bits i'll be grabbing when i grab a brace. not cheap though (£25 - £50 per bit) :(
Unfortunately good bits are hard to come by. But so much fun.
What brand/model is your bit brace?
Hey James, what european companies you have in mind? In Poland I struggle to find antique bits even in rusty condition.
Sorry. I do not understand the question. if you are asking where to find old tools I would suggest to look on HandToolFinder.com most of the online sellers there will ship international.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I mean what you say in 2:45 about new ones ;)
James, are these metric bits? I know the diameters on the descriptions are in inches, but I mean the real diameter.
They are imperial. You can actually buy them to the 16th of an inch.
Nice adapter, but it doesn’t look like you can use your wedding ring to level.
You can still fit it between the adaptor and Chuck. Not as much room but it still works.
I do not like to use the auger style bits in power drills. Mostly because the snail/pilot screw can draw the bit in faster than most people can handle because the speed pulls the bit in very fast, and that ends up making for huge amounts of torque on the drill which you are holding on to. In a Milwaukee Hole Hog, this actually becomes dangerous.
That is why I use a brace.
Link to the bits is not working
And there he goes costing me more money again :-p
Seriously cool tools though. Thanks for sharing.
I think I put a few guys in the dog house today.
Highland woodworking summer 2024 catalog.... Check your balance on your credit card before you look at the price of these bad boys
google doc link has restricted permissions and is not public readable, if it's not your version make a copy and re-link a readable version. otherwise the doc owner (I'm guessing TayTools) is going to get a zillion requests :) good to see the craft surviving.
Oh shoot. I put the wrong link up there I'll have to change that in a little bit Thanks for letting me know.
this is the correct one. docs.google.com/document/d/1lkEIc0EDAbbIqgkTCQHAzb5zuocknX-6t3BTtzcL7ng/edit?usp=sharing
So..... How to sharp them?
I have a few videos on how to sharpen auger bits. You do it with a file.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I belive I've saw all of them. But not the WoodOwl auger bits. That's what I'm talking about.
I bought an 11 pieces set. It's about to arrive. And here, in Brazil, we pay more than twice your price. It's Very expensive. But I took my shoot and I know everything must be sharpened in Woodworking.
So, help us all showing how to do it.
Here is a short on that one.ruclips.net/user/shortsuh4eM_Clk_4?si=w0z55LFBfWKwIdnI
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thank you, James.
Frankly, it seems like it would be better to simply machine a brace with a chuck that fits modern bits. This solution just seems janky to me. My antique brace (used to be my great grandfather's, then grandfather's, then father's, now mine) was used in construction of rough-sawed timber homes from the early 1800's onward. So of course all I will use with that, is antique styled bits. You can actually get them smithed, if you want a new one. But they are expensive, since they are artisanal reproductions. For timber construction now, just get the tribits, and have a nice machinist make you an appropriate modern brace for them. I prefer using a brace on construction sites in many cases instead of a cordless drill. In my opinion there is little reason to be slavish about the antique technology. Many people prefer hand tools in quality woodworking construction for a host of reasons. That's why there are still so many hand saws made.
It really makes me sad to see this very active comunity of hand tools being driven away all the time by industrialisation. I enjoy unplugged woodworking a LOT and I try to emply it whenever I can, this week my school started again so I got very exited to be able to show off my hand toolage. First of all, no one seemed to care. Second of all, everybody thought I was crazy for using handtools..
If ever I need new auger bits I will for sure have a look at these. I'm using vintage ish irwin bits at the moment
most people have no idea what it means to make things truly by hand.
Yes excactly. And it doesn't even have to take long. Sharp tools, propper set up tools, good technique, practice and experience. And you will be able to work with decent speed
Well, maybe October will be the month that I do not buy any new tools...
that is what I keep saying too.
Emphasis in "New" New new tools or new old tools ?
@@JohnColgan. Both!
Sharpen the WHAT off??? lol
Comment down below
This Mike guy is nothing if not thorough. He did a test of various sandpapers that someone else covered.