Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
barn auger
Carl Smith
>I recently won a barn auger off E-bay. Approximately two inch bore. Since I've never had the pleasure of using one before I'm asking the experienced members of the board, for any tricks of the trade that might hasten the learning process. Thanks in advance.
Carl
Re: barn auger
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>First, it's probably going to need to be sharpened before it will even begin to make holes. For this, you will need an auger bit file, for example the Nicholson carried by Lee-Valley:
Leonard Lee's book, The Complete Guide to Sharpening will explain how to sharpen it and everything else in your shop, tool shed, barn and kitchen.
Re: barn auger
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>I recommend Dunbar's "Restoring, Tuning and Using Classic Hand Tools".
With smaller augers, you can get away with dull edges, but not bits this large. Those cutting edges should be clean and razor sharp, otherwise the effort to turn the beast will be too great, the wood will tear, and eventually the lead screw will clog (because you are not keeping up with it) and stop the cut. So clean and polish the cutting edges carefully with your new auger bit file. (buy two)
I'd like to add my controversial view: I think you should file the lead screw to sharpen the threads and smooth and clean the root. I do this with nicholson needle files.
Controversy aside, lead screws clog for reasons that you CAN ferret out: Dull lips are one reason, dull lead screws are another. Know that you can figure it out and you'll be able to bore wood easily and quickly without clogging.
An auger this large has limited use in my shop. I've used mine to create the hole in my oak shave horse for the dumb head. It can be used to make holes for legs in "rustic" furniture, and I've done some of that. As far as mortises go, mortises this big are really only appropriate for building sized mortises.
But I've called on this tool to make holes for wooden vise screws in my workbench. In that case, I was working quite hard, air dried stock. Inevitiably, your auger was probably designed for building construction in softer or greener woods. So the lead screw is probably quite coarse. So sharpen the heck out of it so it can work for tasks like this when you need it.
One last tip from me: Boring usually heats up the business end some. Immediately after I finish a hole, I plunge the hot bit into a crock of solid beeswax. I invert the bit, and let the molten wax run down the auger. For a bit I don't use often, this has really helped stave off rust and the wax coating makes the next hole easier to bore.
Its a good thing
Martha Stewart
A question Adam...
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA
>Do you dip all your auger bits in bees wax? Or just the big boys that don't get used that often?
Thanks for the neat tip!
Protecting Tools- HIJACK
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>For no good reason, I only wax the tee handled boys. (I have a beautiful set of ship augers in a wide range of sizes). Don't know why. I may not get that sort of heat with the other bits. I similarly wax my wood taps.
And I tend not to routinely protect anything else (like saws, planes, other bits etc). Not sure why. What do the rest of you do?
Adam
HIJACK continued...
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA
>My planes, chisels and saws get waxed on occasionally. Bits and other stuff rarely if ever.
Re: waxing barn auger
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>I have this great vision of you waving a pot full of bee's wax overhead when the hot auger gets stuck just before inversion, then have to wonder how you get it down in one piece before the entire pot supply melts. To say nothing of warm wax running down your arm. Of course, that's an easier way to remove arm hair than chiselling. :)
Pam
Re: waxing barn auger
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>To say nothing of warm wax running down your arm. Of course, that's an easier way to remove arm hair than chiselling.
Drat! You discovered another of my pesky mysteries, Pam. It has been said, that technically, I am in fact, a cross dresser.
Adam