The Handyman's Book of Tools, Materials, and Processes Employed in Woodworking. Paul N. Hasluck
out of its handle, and will last until either blade or handle is broken. Care must be taken that the tang is driven only just past the hole bored for the brad, and the brad driven to increase the bending of the tang. For this purpose, when the bending is sufficiently started, it will be best to drive the blade home and then the brad; but if the tang is inserted too far when the brad is driven, instead of increasing the bend the brad will diminish it, and the desired effect will not be produced. The method of boring a hole with a bradawl is shown by Fig. 365, the edge of the awl being across and not in line with the grain of the wood.
Fig. 360.—Bradawl.
Fig. 361.—Flooring Awl.
Fig. 362.—Brass-capped Bradawl.
Fig. 363.—Fixing Bradawl Blade.
Fig. 364.—Bradawl with Fixed Blade.
GIMLETS AND HOW TO SHARPEN THEM.
The ordinary forms of this small but essential tool are the twist gimlet (Fig. 366) and the shell gimlet (Fig. 367); but other forms are the twist-nose or Swiss gimlet (Fig. 368) and the auger gimlet (Fig. 369). Gimlets are found suitable to bore end grain as well as across the fibres; but in boring near the end of a narrow strip of wood, the pointed screw, drawing the tool rapidly into the compact wood, acts like a wedge, and splits the wood quickly. The way in which to hold a gimlet in use is shown by Fig. 370, p. 104. When a gimlet gets rather the worse for wear and slightly rusty, the shank (providing the handle is quite tight) can be sharpened and the tool made as fit for work as a new one. For sharpening a twist gimlet, fix a piece of oak, about 1 1/4 in. thick, in the vice, and make a hole, 3/4 in. deep, in its top surface with the gimlet to be sharpened. Fill the hole with flour emery and a few drops of oil, and then reinsert the gimlet and screw down well into the wood, until its point just shows on the other side. After working it backwards and forwards for a few minutes, supplying fresh emery and oil at intervals, it will be found, on withdrawing it from the hole, to be quite free from rust and perfectly sharpened. Another piece of wood, this time soft deal, is now taken, a hole bored as before, filled with fine dry flour emery (no oil), and the gimlet worked well into it, until, on being finally withdrawn, it should have a good polish, the edges of the spiral groove being sharp and capable of cutting a clean hole. Besides bringing the shank into good working order, the vigorous screwing backwards and forwards in the hard wood fully tests the strength and tightness of the handle, for after passing satisfactorily through that test it may be safely reckoned to stand any amount of ordinary wear. Though a gimlet is a comparatively unimportant tool, it by no means follows that it should not receive attention.
Fig. 365.—Boring Hole with Bradawl.
Fig. 366.—Twist Gimlet.
Fig. 367.—Shell Gimlet.
Fig. 368.—Twist-nose Gimlet.
Fig. 369.—Auger Gimlet.
THE BORING BRACE.
The brace supplies the most useful boring tool; from the variety of bits that can be used with it, it serves many purposes. It is better to buy the bits fitted to the brace, as they are more truly centred than those bought separate are likely to be, and the centreing of the bits is essential to their proper action. To try for centreing the bit, fix the brace in a vice by the head or cap; then rotate the brace, and observe if the bit turns concentric. The brace and bits are used for boring holes for nails, screws, or pins, for cutting circular holes, such as the circles for coins in cabinets, or for bottles in chemical cabinets, or for test-tube stands, and for making circles to serve as ornamentation. Wood may also be cut away in roughing out carving, frequently more quickly and certainly by the aid of a brace and bits than by any other means. Mortises are often better cut by first boring away the bulk of the wood; such a proceeding prevents splitting. The brace can be used to bore vertically or horizontally. The greatest force is obtained in the latter position, holding the cap with the left hand, and pressing with the stomach leaning against the tool. It is quite possible to break a brace by pressing on it too strongly. An iron one may bend, and if bent the bit is made eccentric. To bore vertically, the work should be low, so that the operator may lean over the top of the brace, and, holding the cap in the palm of one hand, press on the back of the hand with the right shoulder and turn with the other hand. Braces suitable for the woodworker’s use are illustrated by Figs. 371 to 374. Fig. 371 shows the simplest type of wooden brace, a thoroughly well-made though somewhat expensive tool, but it must be remembered that its life is very long. The body of the brace is of beech, but the head, where there is constant friction and wear, is of lignum vitae. Steel braces, much cheaper than wooden ones, are very largely used, and Fig. 372 is a type of them. The handle and head are of hard wood, and the body and jaws are of steel, the handle being strengthened with brass rings at the ends and the head turning on ball-bearings, as shown in Fig. 373. The form of the jaws is made quite clear; they are opened and closed by screwing the milled cnuck off or on respectively. Practically the same tool is shown by Fig. 373, with the addition, however, of a ratchet; by means of this it is not necessary to complete the revolutions of the sweep in awkward places where there is but little room in which to work. Having turned the sweep as far as it will go in the same direction as clock hands move, it can be brought back without the bit being twisted out of the work. The simple steel brace illustrated by Fig. 374 has a tapered square hole for the reception of the bit, the thumbscrew serving to tighten the split end when the bit has been inserted.
Fig. 370.—Using Gimlet.
Fig. 371.—Wooden Brace.