Hey Everyone,
Here’s another antique (I think) that might be used to drill bench dog holes, the ol’ fashoined way! Actually I’m told that this was used to drill peg holes in timber framed buildings, i.e. barns. It would be interesting to know how old it really is. I searched the entire device for markings that might help to indentify it as to who manufactured it, but to no avail.
It belongs to the latest donator to my ever growing herd of hand planes, the new batch with the carriage makers plane.
Yes I suppose it would be better to post this on FHB (Fine Home Building), and I will tomorrow. I wanted to share it with you folks first though.
Enjoy,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Replies
Bob, that looks like a beauty. Just what you need to keep the grand kids busy with a 4x4x2' and 1 1/2" auger chucked up. Paddy
Paddy,
I'm almost tempted to give it a go.
I need to drill some 3/4" dog holes in my bench in preparation for a Veritas Twin Screw that should be knocking on my door any day now. I'll have to get the children busy so I can have grandchildren for help! I started way too late as I'm nearing retirement.
Do you know any energetic youths with strong arms that would enjoy helping an old fart in upstate New Hampshire drilling umpteen holes in his benchtop?!
Best Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/6/2007 9:24 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob
If that came with a carriage maker's plane. Perhaps it was used to drill the holes in the rims for wheel spokes.?
I've used a similar boring machine (a Miller's Falls) for timber framing. Not for peg holes, we used a brace for that, but for wasting out mortices, then squared them up with a 1-1/2 socket firmer chisel.
iirc on some later ones you could set the depth and when they reached the stop, they would retract from the hole. Nifty.
David C
David,
From my I-net research so far it was used for both pegs and hogging out mortises for post & beam structures.
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hi,I didn't mean to imply it wasn't used for peg holes, I said when I was using one (at a timber framing workshop) we used a brace for drilling the peg holes, and the boring machine for most of the mortises.The mortise work was done with a 1-1/2-inch bit and each one required three or more holes drilled to the same depth to waste out. it was a simple matter to sit on the drill crank away and after the bit had retracted, shimmy the rig forward or backward to get the next hole.
Because usually the mortises were stopped, you didn't worry about blowing out the backside.With a peg hole, which is nearly always through the timber, and was smaller, 1-inch diameter, the boring machine (what we called it) would be very cumbersome to use. To use it you have to drill from the top face, so to avoid blowout on the exit, you'd have to dismount periodically, once the lead screw had pierced the bottom face, flip the timber over (try that with a 24-ft long green oak 8 x 10), locate the lead hole, set the lead screw in the hole and finish the hole. With a brace (or even a T-auger) you tip the timber on its side one time and bore out all the peg holes one after another working from both sides of the beam at will.The boring machine doesn't work at all for draw-boring a peg hole in a tenon where once the peg hole for the mortise is finished, you set the corresponding tenon in place, ram the brace-bit into the hole in the cheek of the mortise, using the lead screw as a transfer punch to locate the position (moving 3/16 or so offset from the mark toward the tenon shoulder iirc) of the tenon peg hole.So I didn't mean to suggest the beam drill was never used for peg holes, I just doubt, based on my experience, that it was often used for peg holes in building timbers.Best Regards,David C
David,
Thanks. What you say makes total sense. I've never done any timber framing.
Then again, would you think that I could use it to bore 3/4" benchdog holes in my workbench? The benchtop is a recycled 1 3/4" solid core birch door perched on top of a 1 1/2" laminated softwood plywood bench. I know that sounds a little strange.
I can provide a pic if you think it's necessary.
Best Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/7/2007 9:42 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
"Then again, would you think that I could use it to bore 3/4" benchdog holes in my workbench? The benchtop is a recycled 1 3/4" solid core birch door perched on top of a 1 1/2" laminated softwood plywood bench. I know that sounds a little strange."I sure it would work just fine as long as the bit is in good shape. But there might be easier ways to do it (unless you already have the machine or really want one). For instance, you could make yourself a drill guide by drilling a 3/4-inch hole through a chunk of 4 x 4 straight and true on a Drill Press and clamping it to the bench top to get you started true with a brace. Or you could freehand it with a brace and have a helper sight you for square (do it twice, 90 degrees apart) you'd be surprised how accurate this can be.Seems to me there was a tip in a recent FWW about drilling round dog-holes with a plunge router. Go as far as you can with the 3/4 bit from the top then follow it all the way through with a 1/2-inch brad point and then using a 1/2-inch router bit from the bottom with a pilot bearing at the end to follow the 3/4-inch hole (like a template). Your bench top may be too thick for that.Lots of ways to do it.Best Regards,David C
Hi David,
Thanks for the advice regarding drilling bench dog holes. I first have to install a Veritas Twin Screw vise on the end of the bench B4 creating dog holes.
Which reminds me, I have a front vise and will soon have an end vise, but I haven't got a back and beginning vise?!
I have a ¾", very sharp auger bit that would/should work that I can mount in my ½" drill, so I may go that rout. I was trying to figure out how to utilize my bench top drill press, but the apron presents an issue.
As you said there have been many suggestions so one should work for me.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/8/2007 12:15 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 2/8/2007 12:19 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Would anyone happen to know what this ting is called?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
It's called a beam drill.
John W.
Thanks John
I posted on Breaktime and got the same response over there. Found one on the Inet for $295!.
Thanks again,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
At $295.00 I'll have to think about selling mine. If you really want one let me know.
At the prices you can get for collectable tools these days, my shop is more valuable as a tool collection than it is as a place to make money by building furniture.
I just sold a somewhat rare Stanley plane that I never found useful for $200.00, I doubt if I paid $5.00 for it at a tag sale years ago. Now I'm going through my tool boxes to see what else I can part with.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
Oh Geesh!
Haven't created a monster have I? :-) :-) How 'bout putting up a list and let us Knothead's have a crack at them first? We'll do our best to rid you of the excess baggage so you can get busy coming up with more useful jigs/fixtures, etc.
It's the least we can do................
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/7/2007 7:51 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
We had two of those back in the 1990's when we had our antiques store. They're pretty neat. Didn't keep 'em though, no plans to build a cabin. Not a big market for them, LOL, took a long while to sell.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Nice to see you again. We just got another collie puppy!
Anyway, I searched the Inet and found one selling for $295! Yes, a limited market I'm sure.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"I searched the Inet and found one selling for $295!" I don't think we had quite that much on ours, LOL!!
Congrats on the puppy. I would love to have seen our Boo when he was little -- at 95 pounds, he's no longer cuddly, but he's still cute. Did you know we got a Golden Retriever too? They're great buddies.
Have fun with your new doorstop. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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