Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Good people/good friends
McKay
>I just had the metal shop teacher give me his grandfathers brace and some bits to go with. I feel a little embarrassed because all I gave him was some homemade chocolate. As in the subject line--good people/good friends. Life is good when you have them. By the way, I have learned a lot from all of you. Thanks and have a great Christmas.
Re: Good people/good friends
Greg B�tit, Vergennes, VT.
>The best think you can do is respecfully clean an oil up the brace, and sharpen up the bits and put them to good use. Each time you use them, imagine the old guy using the tools back in the day, and try to live up to what you'd expect would be his level of honest workmanship.
Greg
Sharpening bits
Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA
>Having the "twist" cleaned up, both at the perimeter where it rubs the hole and in the flutes where the chips clear, makes a big difference.
Auger bit files, still available from Lee Valley I believe as well as your better local tool stores probably, are the best way to sharpen the bits. Any number of books will show you how; it's pretty simple.
Nice gift, and it's clear that you'll use it with respect for your friend and his grandfather. Having an emotional connection with the tools adds a nice fillip to using them - I have quite a few tools from my uncle, and find myself saying a silent, "Thank you, Uncle Charlie" every time I use them.
Re: Sharpening bits
Dave Chatham
>Treasure and use that brace, some day you will wish you could get such a magnificent piece of toolery. I hefted a "brace" (msrp $19.95) at the local china tool house (HF) and was appalled at the degeneration of the tool. I would have better luck twisting a rod bare handed through a rough hole using gravel as a lubricant. I have tested rusted braces at the flea mkt (avg $3.00)that worked many times easier. All one could say is it did resemble a brace in style.