Eggbeater drills

[kmealy]

I have a number of these that I denote as "variable speed, reversible, adjustable torque, instant stopping, never need recharging."

One advantage to them is the very small diameter chuck compare to a corded or battery drill. It comes in very handy if you are doing something where there is limited clearance.

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[Herb Stoops]

Have you ever seen a Clothespin Brace? The chuck takes a square tanged bit,and to install and release the bit ,you pinch the back protrusions of the chuck like opening a clothespin.
https://www.jimbodetools.com/collection ... sior-95466
HErb

[Cherryville Chuck]

I had never seen one of those Herb. That's interesting. I have and use occasionally the standard brace. With a sharp bit it drills almost as fast as a powered one, just with more effort on the user's part. The ratcheting feature can be quite handy in close quarters.

[Herb Stoops]

I had never seen one of those Herb. That's interesting. I have and use occasionally the standard brace. With a sharp bit it drills almost as fast as a powered one, just with more effort on the user's part. The ratcheting feature can be quite handy in close quarters.

I have never either, I have the basic Stanley and a full pack of all the different auger bits. My Grampa was a millwright and he had a steamer trunk full of these long bits like auger bits and no worm on the tip. They used a hatchet to chop a notch to start the bit.They had a wooden "T" handle instead of a brace. Most of the bits were 30" or so long, and up to 2 1/2" in diam. like the ones in the picture (top two) without the worm on all of them.
Herb

[Herb Stoops]

When I was young we had the ones like Kieth talks about as our only drills. Only in a couple of sizes, small,medium and large. The large one was called a breast drill, I think, because you put it against your chest to apply pressure while you cranked it.
HErb

[Cherryville Chuck]

I had never seen one of those Herb. That's interesting. I have and use occasionally the standard brace. With a sharp bit it drills almost as fast as a powered one, just with more effort on the user's part. The ratcheting feature can be quite handy in close quarters.

I have never either, I have the basic Stanley and a full pack of all the different auger bits. My Grampa was a millwright and he had a steamer trunk full of these long bits like auger bits and no worm on the tip. They used a hatchet to chop a notch to start the bit.They had a wooden "T" handle instead of a brace. Most of the bits were 30" or so long, and up to 2 1/2" in diam. like the ones in the picture (top two) without the worm on all of them.
Herb

I've always associated that type more with timber framing, log house building, and ship building. I know the timber framers and log house builders still use them. If you're trying to use a power drill with a bit that big and long and it seizes up something has to give and that something is usually you. I remember a time when plumbers always packed a brace and expansion bit it their tool kits.

[Herb Stoops]

I remember a time when plumbers always packed a brace and expansion bit it their tool kits.

Yup.I still have the expansion bit with 2 cutters,a small and a large. It was easier to have one of those in the tool kit than a whole set of auger bits.
Herb

[Jon]

This is as close as mine get to being used these days. Still have a few auger bits left but my expandable one for cutting holes went missing on a job site years ago.

[Jon]

Just saw a catalog from Lee Valley. They are offering a "replica" of the egg beater drill for 76$ as a Christmas special. Watch your wallets.

[kmealy]

I don't think I paid more than a couple dollars for any of mine (5 or 6 of them). And I'm not one of those guys that does yard sales, barn sales, garage sales, and flea markets every weekend (I think I've done one in the last decade.)