All About Hand Drills
Summary
TLDRThis video explores hand-powered drilling options in woodworking, highlighting the historical bitten brace dating back to 1425. It discusses the benefits of hand drills for precise hole-making, such as control over speed and depth, and the prevention of tear out. The video reviews Highland Woodworking's offerings, including the basic and premium 10-inch braces, and various hand drills suitable for delicate work. It also touches on maintenance tips for these tools.
Takeaways
- 🛠 The hand tool woodworking often involves tools perfected centuries ago, with the drill being a prime example.
- ⏳ The bitten brace, dating back to 1425, has seen minimal changes in its physical operation over the centuries.
- 🔩 The introduction of metal and interchangeable bits in the 19th century marked significant advancements in hand drills.
- 🪵 Woodworkers still utilize hand-powered drills for tasks requiring precision and control, such as pinning tenons and rabbets.
- 🔧 The auger bit, with its pointed screw, allows for precise control over speed and depth, minimizing tear out in holes.
- 🎯 Slow drilling enables small adjustments to the angle, which is crucial for accurate hole placement.
- 🔨 Highland Woodworking offers a range of hand drills, including basic and premium braces, and various sizes of auger bits.
- 🏺 The premium brace features a three-jaw chuck for secure grip on bits and a ratcheting mechanism for tight spaces.
- ⚙️ Geared hand drills are beneficial for drilling small holes without damaging delicate drill points, with a mechanism that transfers power through gears.
- 👶 Hand drills are suitable for children and are an excellent tool for educational and family woodworking projects.
- 🧰 Maintenance of hand drills is minimal but requires proper use and occasional oiling to ensure longevity.
Q & A
What is the historical origin of the brace and bit drill?
-The brace and bit drill dates back to 1425, as it was found in a painting by the Flemish artist Robert Campen.
How did the brace and bit undergo changes from the 15th to the 19th century?
-The brace and bit underwent few changes during this period, with the main change being the material transition from wood to metal and the introduction of interchangeable bits.
Why might a woodworker prefer using a hand-powered brace and bit over a power drill?
-Woodworkers may prefer a hand-powered brace and bit for tasks like pinning tenons or rabbets because it offers complete control over speed and depth, which is crucial for precision and avoiding tear out.
What is the function of the snail or pointed screw on the end of an auger bit?
-The snail or pointed screw on the end of an auger bit bites into the wood as it turns, keeping the cutting edge of the auger tight against the material and lifting waste from the hole, which helps in precise drilling and eliminating tear out.
How does the pointed snail on the auger bit assist in hole placement?
-The pointed snail allows for precision and placement of the hole, as it protrudes as the bit nears the end of the cut, enabling the driller to reverse the direction of drilling for a clean exit and avoiding bit wander.
What are the two variants of the brace offered by Highland Woodworking?
-Highland Woodworking offers a 10-inch brace with a two-jaw chuck and a ratcheting feature, and a premium 10-inch brace made in France with a three-jaw chuck, also including the ratchet feature.
Why are geared hand drills particularly useful for drilling small holes?
-Geared hand drills are useful for drilling small holes because they transfer power from a vertical hand crank to a horizontal pin gear, which allows for precise control and prevents damage to delicate drill points.
What are the three sizes of hand drills offered by Highland Woodworking?
-Highland Woodworking offers a small single pinion hand drill for small jobs, a medium hand drill with a larger crank for more leverage, and a heavy-duty double pinion hand drill with an even larger crank handle and a larger capacity chuck.
How does the breast drill differ from other hand drills in terms of usage?
-The breast drill allows the user to apply pressure with both hands and the chest, and it features a two-position crank handle for drilling at two speeds, providing versatility and added torque.
What maintenance is recommended for hand drills to ensure their longevity?
-To ensure the longevity of hand drills, it is recommended to periodically apply a drop of light oil to the crank, pinions, and in the chuck gear to keep the moving parts lubricated and functioning smoothly.
Outlines
🪵 Traditional Hand Drilling Techniques
This paragraph introduces the historical and practical aspects of hand tool woodworking, specifically focusing on the drill. It explains that despite centuries passing, the fundamental mechanics of hand drills have remained largely unchanged. The video aims to explore hand-powered drilling options offered by Highland Woodworking. The paragraph discusses the evolution of the brace, from its origins in 1425 to modern metal versions with interchangeable bits. It emphasizes the precision and control offered by hand-powered drills, particularly for tasks like pinning tenons or rabbets, where the auger bit and brace combination allows for meticulous control over speed and depth. The paragraph also touches on the importance of drilling slowly to make small adjustments and avoid tear out, and how the pointed snail on the auger bit aids in precise hole placement.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hand Tool Woodworking
💡Drill
💡Bitten Brace
💡Auger Bit
💡Snail (Pointed Screw)
💡Tear Out
💡Hand Drills
💡Geared Hand Drills
💡Breast Drill
💡Highland Woodworking
Highlights
Hand tool woodworking often involves tools perfected centuries ago.
Drills are designed to cut a sized hole by rotating a bit into material.
The bitten brace dates back to 1425, as depicted in a Flemish painting.
From the 15th to 19th century, the material of drills transitioned from wood to metal.
Interchangeable bits were introduced for standardization in the 19th century.
Hand-powered drills are still used for tasks like pinning tenons or rabbets.
An auger bit with a pointed screw offers precise control over drilling.
The pointed snail on auger bits prevents tear out in holes.
Hand-powered drilling allows for small adjustments to the angle of the hole.
Highland Woodworking offers two variants of the brace and various auger bit sizes.
The 10-inch brace is an inexpensive option with a two-jaw chuck and ratcheting feature.
The premium 10-inch brace is a high-quality French-made tool with a three-jaw chuck.
Geared hand drills transfer power from a vertical crank to a horizontal pin gear.
Hand drills are useful for drilling small holes without damaging delicate drill points.
Highland Woodworking offers three sizes of hand drills for various tasks.
The breast drill allows for two-handed operation and can apply pressure with the chest.
Hand drills require minimal maintenance and can be damaged by improper use.
For optimum efficiency, periodically oil the crank, pinions, and chuck gear of hand drills.
Highland Woodworking is a resource for quality hand tools.
Transcripts
[Music]
one of the many
intriguing facets of hand tool
woodworking is that many times
the tools themselves were perfected
centuries ago and little has changed
about
how they go about physically performing
their task
in the case of a drill that task is to
cut a sized hole
in your material and that's done by
rotating a sized
bit into and through that material in
this video we're going to take a look
at some of the hand powered options that
highland woodworking has to offer for
that task
the bitten brace dates back to 1425 as
it was found in a painting by the
flemish artist
robert kampen these tools underwent few
changes from the 15th to the 19th
century until the material changed from
wood
to metal and the ability to use
interchangeable bits was introduced as
the standard
but woodworkers continue to use these
hand-powered variants of the drill in
their work
in fine work faster is not always better
especially when it comes to drilling
holes
for tasks like pinning tenons or rabbets
or other dowel work
the auger bit and hand-powered brace
offers complete control
over speed and depth the snail or
pointed screw
on the end of the auger bit bites into
the wood as it turns and keeps the
cutting edge of the auger tight against
the material
while the auger lifts waste from the
hole the point of the snail will
protrude as the bit nears the end of the
cut
before the auger
this allows the precise reversal of
direction of the drilling
working in from where the bit would
normally exit thus guaranteeing the
elimination
of tear out in your hole drilling slowly
means that
small adjustments can be made to the
angle when you're starting a hole
whereas with a power drill things happen
pretty quickly and the angle can become
committed too quickly
the pointed snail also allows for
precision and placement of the hole
whereas standard bits and power drills
can wander around a bit
highland offers two variants of the
brace as well as a host of sizes of
auger bits
this 10 inch brace is an inexpensive one
and it gets the job done
it has a two jaw chuck made to grip
square shanked bits
but can also grip round shank bits it
also has the ratcheting feature for when
full revolutions of the brace aren't
possible
the premium 10 inch brace is a top
quality brace made in france
this brace features a three-jaw chuck
for either square or round shank bits
and also includes the ratchet feature
the fit and finish on the 10-inch
premium brace is quite nice
please do note that for long-term
durability purposes the manufacturer is
chosen to use
polymer handles rather than more
traditional wood handles
geared hand drills transfer their power
from a vertical hand cranked main gear
to a horizontal pin gear spinning on a
shaft connected to a device that holds
the bit
how many revolutions that bit makes per
turn depends on the ratio of the main
gear to the pinion
these hand drills are especially useful
for drilling small size holes without
damaging delicate drill points
the jaws on these hand drills are
perfect for securely holding smaller
bits that larger
powered drill chucks just can't grasp
they're also a great fit in kids hands
and are an excellent introductory tool
for fun family projects
hand drills are not singularly sized for
delicate work highland woodworking
offers three sizes
a small single pinion hand drill for the
small jobs
a medium hand drill with larger crank
for more leverage
and a heavy duty double pinion hand
drill with an even larger crank handle
heavier crank and larger capacity chuck
when a little more pressure is needed
the breast drill allows you to use both
hands on the drill
while applying pressure with your chest
a two position crank handle allows you
to drill at two speeds
from about five revolutions per turn to
two revolutions
for added torque a right angle side
handle is reversible so you can crank
with either hand
hand drills require little maintenance
but can be damaged by improper use
such as using the wrong drill bit or
placing excess pressure on the tool
for optimum efficiency periodically
place a drop of light oil on the crank
pinions and in the chuck gear
for these and other quality hand tools
be sure to check out
highlandwoodworking.com
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