Show Off Your Antique Sockets & Braces

[RTM]

@AntiqueBen - I would assume they were all designed to fit into the most common brace styles of the day, so it should follow that they would all be relatively the same size on the drive end.

Some of my auger bits have bigger tangs than others. My bigger ones won't fit in normal sized braces, only in a giant two handed Tee handle. I few are smaller too, but not to the point of not working.

 

[WisJim]

@Private Lugnutz, I wasn't home all day yesterday so didn't respond to the plaster bit. It was discussed on another group about vintage drills that I participate in, and a couple of people posted their examples a couple of years ago. I've never seen one in person, though. Great find!

 

[AntiqueBen]

My sockets & braces showed up today. All the sockets will fit my G.W. Smith ratchet so I am happy about that. I also got 3 more short sockets too. I'm not much of a brace person, but one of them is growing on me. When you loosen the wing nut, the brace is split down the end allowing it to open to any size you need. Neat design. This might be a common feature but it's new to me. Now the question is, do I build a bigger box that will fit my G.W. Smith ratchet with "all" the sockets, or build me a separate smaller box for just the longer sockets?? I included my Irwin drill set in the pics.

 

[WisJim]

@AntiqueBen , that brace is a Spofford patent, probably made by Fray. It's a common style and was made in sizes from 8" to 17" swing and in different variations of grips and pads, metal or wood. They are a simple and handy brace to use.

 

[AntiqueBen]

@AntiqueBen , that brace is a Spofford patent, probably made by Fray. It's a common style and was made in sizes from 8" to 17" swing and in different variations of grips and pads, metal or wood. They are a simple and handy brace to use.

Your right Jim. It's a Fray no. 108. Thanks for the info. I'm still learning about braces.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I found a dovetailed cigar box that the sockets fit perfectly in. So, I stained it & it doesn't look half bad. Not bad for free. So I decided to celebrate & indulge a little

 

[RTM]

a dovetailed cigar box

Actually finger joints, not dovetails. Just being pedantic.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Actually finger joints, not dovetails. Just being pedantic.

Your right

 

[AntiqueBen]

Now that I'm looking for these brace bit socket wrenches it looks like any that are pre-1900 are pretty scarce. Brace history is new to me. I always thought of braces as pre ratchet, which is not the case. So most of the "brace sockets" I'm seeing are usually from the teens into the 40's & 50's. Besides the G.W. Smith socket bit wrenches, anyone know who might have manufactured socket bit wrenches in the 1800's? I've bought some older ones that are cast, but they're unmarked.

 

[four.cycle]

 

[AntiqueBen]

Here's kind of a historical succession of sockets:
-G.W. Smith released 1890
-Auto-Cle released 1902-03
-Frank Mossberg released 1913
-F.H. Ayer released 1916

 

[AntiqueBen]

The seller called this a nut driver which I highly doubt. This would have to fall into the brace category with the rotating handle & chuck. I've never seen this Craftsman tool before. I'm guessing it's from the 40's. I'm still researching this but I haven't found anything online yet. Anyone ever seen this tool before or know anything about it?

 

[AntiqueBen]

I'm guessing it's from the 40's.

I found it in the 1948 Craftsman catalog. I'm trying to figure out the first & last year it was offered to see how long of a run it had.

 

[RTM]

The seller called this a nut driver which I highly doubt. ….. Anyone ever seen this tool before or know anything about it?

Streamlined eggbeater drill, hidden gears

 

[d42jeep]

I found what I assume is a pretty early brace with some antique woodworking tools on Saturday. I haven’t found any markings but perhaps someone will recognize it.


-Don

 

[Targa68]

I found it in the 1948 Craftsman catalog. I'm trying to figure out the first & last year it was offered to see how long of a run it had.

Nice, I have been looking for a reference

 

[RTM]

I found what I assume is a pretty early brace with some antique woodworking tools on Saturday. I haven’t found any markings but perhaps someone will recognize it.

I don't recognize it, but here is the best brace ID page I know. I would start looking at the chuck, and work your way back from there.

BIT BRACES

 

[WisJim]

Here's a neat one I just got, crafted by a blacksmith I imagine. Part of the jaws still shows that it was originally a file.

 

[d42jeep]

I don't recognize it, but here is the best brace ID page I know. I would start looking at the chuck, and work your way back from there.

BIT BRACES

Thanks for the link to that site. I now believe that it was made by Millers Falls. The jaws are a match.
-Don

 

[isb cornbinder]

This set may be nearly 100 years old. It belonged to my Dad. When I inherited it, there were pieces missing. Over 30 years of garage sales and secondhand stores, I completed the set and I have spares.

 

[goldtang]

My only two are screw drive bits (just diffident years) used in a brace , only thing I know is what is written on them and may be made out of beryllium

 

[Farmer J.]

This set may be nearly 100 years old. It belonged to my Dad. When I inherited it, there were pieces missing. Over 30 years of garage sales and secondhand stores, I completed the set and I have spares.

Nice one cornbinder. I like that adjustable engine valve lapping socket, not seen one of those before.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Nice one cornbinder. I like that adjustable engine valve lapping socket, not seen one of those before.

Did you notice the 8 point sockets? They were designed to fit square nuts and bolts. Dad bought his first SK ratchet and sockets in December, 1945. Dad bought SK tools to celebrate his wife giving birth to a boy. Now, what was his name???

 

[Farmer J.]

Did you notice the 8 point sockets?

Yes, I have a few small ones. My Britool .448 hex drive set has a range of square sockets. There's not many of us still have things with square head fasteners!

 

[isb cornbinder]

Yes, I have a few small ones. There's not many of us still have things with square head fasteners!

I find the occasional square nut on the old machines I have worked on.
Engels Coach Shop, on You Tube deal with these old square nuts in every video. I should not be surprised, but , these square nuts are still available.
I made a few from square bar stock. Almost a century ago, 12 pitch on 1/2" bolts was dropped for the new standard of 13tpi for the course threads.
One of the bent shafts for my WF and John Barnes camelback drill press needed to be replaced. The shaft was a non-standard size today, so I bought the next size up and turned it down. I had to make the replacement for the missing nut. I had to single point turn the threads. Luckily, my Myford Super 7 had gearing for 12 pitch. I made a souvenir nut when I turned a left hand thread/12tpi. This was good practice for getting the final thread right. (pun intended)
I shop built the (red) gear guard and the red crank for the ACME table lift. I sacrificed a socket to make the crank. A rare earth magnet, epoxied in the socket, holds the crank on. It takes a significant tug to pull the crank off. (you know what I mean )
I had planned to use an 80 year old GE electric motor to power the drillpress. My son took it apart so the motor could be super cleaned. After about 30 minutes in the ultrasonic bath, I put the armature in my lathe, on the highest RPM for 30 minutes. Lots of water and dirt came out. I put the armature out in the hot sun for a day. The motor was given new paint, lubricated and reassembled. Time for a test run. In less than a second the motor exploded and there were copper bits rolling around the shop and the loud humming stopped. A rebuild was quoted at $1K. I bought a new 1HP US MOTOR replacement.
I want to sell this 1100 pound WF and John Barnes drillpress. I have 2 grand into it, but, we can talk about this.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some billings socket bits

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Here's kind of a historical succession of sockets:
-G.W. Smith released 1890
-Auto-Cle released 1902-03
-Frank Mossberg released 1913
-F.H. Ayer released 1916

Great line up

 

[Eric Brown]

Randy put my auger maker list on his website. Click on the Eric Brown at the bottom to see list.

Auger Bit Heaven

Introduction to a study of American auger bits

oldtoolheaven.com

9/13/24 - I will be updating this list soon. Sorting bits now.

 

[WisJim]

great work, Eric! Thank you.

 

[Eric Brown]

great work, Eric! Thank you.

Your welcome. Any questions just ask.

 

[Eric Brown]

Working on sorting my auger bits. I have many different boxes of them, maybe about a thousand bits. One box I got from a co-worker. It was a metal box stored in his father's garage and was full of rusty bits. So, in my sorting, I have certain brands in their own piles. I sort the bad ones out. What do I call bad? Well, if the cutter or spurs are damaged, they will get recycled. If the square tang is cut off but cutter is good, then I will sell as a group or two to someone with an electric drill. Then I have one box for unmarked but probably ok bits. I will go through that box again later.

So here is the metal box. Most of the bits are good and just need cleaned up.





I will clean these two up for your enjoyment.

Your welcome. Any questions just ask.

 

[Eric Brown]

Benjamin Forstner had two patents for Forstner bits. The first, #155148 (Sept. 22, 1874), was designed to bore extremely smooth holes with flat bottoms. It was a solid ring design. At first the bit was apparently made by the Forstner, Sharp & Co., and later was licensed to Bridgeport Gun Implement (BGI) and Progressive Manufacturing Co. (PMI). The original design however was overheating in the powered machines being used by the gun makers. This resulted in Forstner re-engineering his bit into a split ring design. This was Patent #336,709 (Feb. 23, 1886) and is still the basic pattern in use today.

Note: All modern Forstner bits are designed to be used in drill press like machines. Forstner also had a patent (#280,026 – Jun. 26, 1883) for a Shell type bit with recessed lip.

The patent will be 150 years old on Sept. 22, 2024

Here are pictures of the first patent bits. A sample of work done only with “The Forstner Auger Bit”. It is believed that a display like this may have been at the 1876 Centennial Exposition where Forstner bits won an award

 

[choonks13]

Got this set at an antiques flea market today. Some of the sockets have and "E" inside a circle trademark on them. Think the set is Eberhard Mfg. Co. the large adjustable tap handle standing against the box came with it but I don't think it was original to the set

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Got this set at an antiques flea market today. Some of the sockets have and "E" inside a circle trademark on them. Think the set is Eberhard Mfg. Co. the large adjustable tap handle standing against the box came with it but I don't think it was original to the set

Man those are fantastic. I bought 6 last week. I like seeing how they are displayed and carried. Take more pics of the box if you would

 

[choonks13]

Man those are fantastic. I bought 6 last week. I like seeing how they are displayed and carried. Take more pics of the box if you would

I think the original owner just cut a piece of 2 X 4 and drilled some holes in it and put it in a wood box for something else. Not a vendor or factory box for this set

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

I think the original owner just cut a piece of 2 X 4 and drilled some holes in it and put it in a wood box for something else. Not a vendor or factory box for this set

Thanks

 

[B Halverson]

An uncommon bit brace because of a few details. The brace is stamped "G&A" which stands for Gunn & Amidon, the two men who had a factory making the brace. In January 14th, 1868 Amidon patented a new chuck that is used on this brace, then late in 1868 they along with a new partner formed the Millers Falls corporation. So the Gunn & Amidon "Barber Improved" brace with the Amidon chuck may have only been manufactured a few months in 1868 before that name was dropped and the first braces marked "Millers Falls" were made instead. The handle on this brace is Caribbean Lignum Vitae hardwood, one of the densest and hardest woods known, and after 156 years it is holding up fine. This brace was made in the old Greenfield, Mass. factory which burned to the ground in December 1868! A temporary shop was used in 1869 until the new Millers Falls factory was up and running in early 1870. Eventually Millers Falls bit braces were sold all around the planet for over 100 years.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

An uncommon bit brace because of a few details. The brace is stamped "G&A" which stands for Gunn & Amidon, the two men who had a factory making the brace. In January 14th, 1868 Amidon patented a new chuck that is used on this brace, then late in 1868 they along with a new partner formed the Millers Falls corporation. So the Gunn & Amidon "Barber Improved" brace with the Amidon chuck may have only been manufactured a few months in 1868 before that name was dropped and the first braces marked "Millers Falls" were made instead. The handle on this brace is Caribbean Lignum Vitae hardwood, one of the densest and hardest woods known, and after 156 years it is holding up fine. This brace was made in the old Greenfield, Mass. factory which burned to the ground in December 1868! A temporary shop was used in 1869 until the new Millers Falls factory was up and running in early 1870. Eventually Millers Falls bit braces were sold all around the planet for over 100 years.

Good stuff. You been a picker for a while haven't ya?

 

[RTM]

An uncommon bit brace because of a few details. The brace is stamped "G&A" which stands for Gunn & Amidon, the two men who had a factory making the brace. In January 14th, 1868 Amidon patented a new chuck that is used on this brace,

I've updated that patent at DATAMP to reflect G&A as also using that patent. Do you mind if I include your photos there?

US Patent: 73,279 - Bit-stock

US patent 73,279 Bit-stock was issued to Charles H. Amidon of Greenfield, MA. It was granted on 01/14/1868. A tool-handle with this patent is reported; the only marking is the patent date. Another is reported marked as follows: "Millers Falls, Greenfield, MA

www.datamp.org

While verifying the history you quoted, I also found another reference to a tool G&A apparently made, taking an assignment from McKinley. So double win, thanks for sharing.

US Patent: 9,939 - Socket for auger handles or braces

US patent 9,939 Socket for auger handles or braces was issued to Arshal H. McKinley of Higginsport, OH. It was granted on 08/16/1853. According to the 1873 "Subject-matter index of patents for inventions issued by the United States Patent Office", this patent was granted an extension

www.datamp.org

 

[four.cycle]

^ thanks. now I get what the 9939 is about, RTM.