Replies

1. 
   RalphBarker | Sep 03, 2011 11:05am | #1

   non-dental braces

   Traditional Woodworker has a (currently-manufactured) French-made brace listed. Various bit styles are also available from various hand-tool sources. For non-boutique braces on the used/flea-market circuit, look for Stanley, Millers Falls. Irwin Tools still makes auger bits, as well.

   The amount of work involved depends, as you might expect, on the quality and sharpness of the bit. Drilling large holes in hard maple is likely to take some effort, though.

1. 
   fausonj | Sep 03, 2011 03:52pm | #2

   Re: brace and bits

   Thanks for the response, Ralph.  I had found that French-made brace at the traditional woodworker website.  I believe it has a 10" swing and apparently I'm in the market for one with a 14" swing - at least based on what Schwartz discusses in his book.

   Better question is: do you have a brace and bits?  If so, I would love to hear about your experience with them, what you typically use them for, and whether you've ever used them to create mortises.

1. 
   RalphBarker | Sep 03, 2011 07:52pm | #3

   Brace unused

   I do have a brace that I inherieted from my father, but haven't had an occasion to try it out. I use a Powermatic mortising machine.

1. 
   9619 | Sep 24, 2011 07:18am | #6

   Powermatic mortiser

   Ralph,

   I am thinking of getting a benchtop mortiser.   How do you like your Powermatic?  Do you use it a lot?  What are its strong and weak points?    Any recommendations?  POwermatic, General, Delta, ??????

   Thanks,

   Mel

2. 
   retired08 | Sep 24, 2011 01:45am | #5

   Brace & Bit

   For many years I taught middle schoolers to do mortises with brace and bit.  Although we didn't use hard maple and they were no larger than 3/4" it was a good experience that most were able to accomplish.  Learn how to sharpen them with the appropriate files, take your time and enjoy the work.  It's all about the process isn't it?  Admittedly, when I build my one of furniture I use a hollow chisel mortiser but for what you seem to be doing it would be pleasureable -- especially when people admire your bench and you tell them you made it by hand!

2. 
   Rich14 | Sep 07, 2011 07:14pm | #4

   There are lots of ways to get around using a mortise chisel.

   An auger bit is a great way to create large holes in soft or hard woods and is an excellent way to waste the wood for a mortise before finishing the job with ordinary shop chisels. The larger the hole, the more an auger bit shows its advantage over typical twist drill bits or spade bits - especially in hard woods.

   Compared to other bits, including router bits and end mills used in routers, an auger bit used in a brace does not use up energy grinding away at the wood, to produce a hole at the expense of an equal volume of wood dust. Instead, it very effeciently just raises a long, spiral chip as the bit plunges. The only effort is that required to raise that chip.

   The auger has 3 major components: 1. A center screw that accurately locates the bit and pulls the bit into the wood 2. Usually two, but sometimes one spur at the periphery of the cut that creates a perfectly round hole and very clean, straight sides 3. One or two radial knife edges that dive into the wood surface and lift the continuous spiral wood chip, freed at the hole sides by the scoring action of the spurs.

   It takes some practice to use a brace and bit and to hold it perpendicular to the wood surface. The center screw must have wood to bite into. Often, all that's neded is to crank the handle around and the bit will self-feed (sometimes alarmingly fast!). Often, the center screw loses its bite and one must lean against the chest piece to drive the bit into new wood.

   If you intend to drill all the way through, DON'T let the bit exit the back side without clamping a block there to accept the emerging center screw and the following spurs. The beautifully clean entrance hole will be contrasted by ugly tear out at the exit without the backing block. With it, the exit will be equally clean. An alternative is to stop at the VERY first sign of the emrging center screw tip, then come in through the back side, slowly and carefully, allowing the center screw to gently reengage in the small amount of wood tissue left. The spurs will score the exit surface cleanly and any potential tear out will happen inside the hole.

   While the auger makes very clean hole sides, if you want a clean, flat bottom, you must learn to pull back slightly at the right depth to break the bite of the center screw and let the radial cutters just turn without biting any deeper to scrape the hole bottom clean and flat.

   Lastly,, if you don't intend to bore all the way through, you must make allowance for the length of the center screw so that it doesn't break through when the hole is the correct depth. In thick pieces there's no problem, but if dimensions are tight, sometimes the mortise needs to be figured a tifle more shallow than first planned

   Good luck,

   Rich

3. 
   RalphBarker | Sep 24, 2011 10:05am | #7

   benchtop mortisers

   Among the "sortafordable" units, I liked the Powermatic specs the best. Its 3/4hp motor, solid build, tool rack, etc. won me over. Plus, Powermatic was running a sale at the time I bought mine.

   I don't use it frequently, but enough so to justify the investment. The initial motivation was a couple of projects that had more mortises than my patience level for hand-chopping. If I were making mortises every day, I'l probably go for an even larger, floor-standing unit with tilt. Those, however, require a healthy budget.