Vintage brace and bits. Keep or sell?

[Kingcreek]

pulled them out of an old farm shed about to be bulldozed.
The brace is a ratcheting type, 2 directions plus center lock position on the collar, some rust but not beyond salvaging, wood parts good. A rough old wooden box with maybe 40 different bits of all types, some I've never seen before, tapers, screw drivers, twist bits, and other attachments. Some are unused but rusty, old craftsman with rubber tip guards or some kind of dipped coating, some keen Kutter with hardware store tags still on them. (Some were marked $3 and $3.50 which surprised me considering how old they are).
The rust is significant. I could soak all the bits in a white vinegar and of course remove the tags with the rust, I could sell it all as is, or I could keep it for the post apocalypse off grid Amish scenario.
I'm kinda struggling with it but thinking more to selling. Any thoughts here?

 

[Kingcreek]

Sorry, can a mod move this to vintage? Thanks

 

[RTM]

You won't find a huge market for the regular auger bits unless in complete sets . The oddballs like counter sinks and screwdrivers seem to move a little better. Nut drivers, die holders, gasket cutters are fun too.
The tip coating could be the results of a resharpening job, or came from new that way.

 

[AMcDowell]

I really like the ratcheting type braces. I have one but can't remember where it came from. Every now and then I'll pull the brace out to do some simple jobs with. I also that or a hand crank drill sometimes building stuff with my 5 year old son- he likes cranking it. If it was me I would save it and use it occasionally- especially since they aren't that valuable.

 

[Davefr]

You can post some images, but IMHO what you're describing has almost negligible value unless they're very unique and/or in pristine condition.

Just keep them.

 

[neophyte]

There’s not a huge market for vintage braces from a company like Stanley,
however, nobody really makes braces to the same quality levels any more, so if you might need one in future, keep it, or maybe sell it cheap to a used tool store or thrift shop, or give it to someone who might want to clean it up.

 

[toolmiser]

How about a picture or two just for entertainment sake?

 

[Kingcreek]

Haven’t figured out the picture thing yet.

 

[logical]

I've had one with dozens of wood auger and specialty bits and inherited a second that I sold on Ebay. I use it with a big flat blade screwdriver bit once every decade for pool table work.

They have to be pretty exceptional top be worth more than $20.

Sent from my garage.

 

[kctyphoon]

Haven’t figured out the picture thing yet.

Sign up to an image hosting site, like postimage.org
That’s what i use.

You can easily upload pics right from your phone/tablet/whatever.

On postimage, click ‘upload’. Click ‘Choose Images’ and then ‘Photo Library’ to browse the images on your phone/tablet that you took with the camera function. The menu will open of what’s in your gallery, and pick what you want to upload. (Just pick one picture for now) Once its uploaded, click the share icon, and a few different options will appear. choose/click the blue icon all the way on the right of the “direct link” address options. It’s the 2nd one down. Once you do that, you’ll get a notice saying “copied”. The image address is now copied and ready to paste.

Go back to GJ website and in the response window that opens to reply to someone, on the top of that window, click the yellow icon that looks like a postage stamp, or mountains (the one i circled in the pic i posted) once you click that, another window will open to then “paste” the image address into.

Just to note, when that window opens up, for me, its preloaded with the http in the beginning of every web address. Delete that. The address you copied already has it. If you don’t delete it, that will appear twice and the link wont work.

Click ‘upload’ (not upload by url)in the upper left corner of the screen, then Click ‘Choose Image’.

Click ‘photo library’ to pick images from your device. This will bring you to the photo section of your device. Choose the picture /pictures you want to host on postimage. Each one will get its own image address.

Pick the picture you want to post on the GJ forum. A choice of address options will be shown. Click the icon on the right, of the “direct link” address. The image is now copied.

Click this icon to insert your image on GJ

Delete the entire “http//..” in this window, then just paste the ‘direct link’ address you copied from postimage

Once the image address is pasted to that window, click OK. You are now back to the regular reply window on GJ, with the imagine link pasted in your response. Once you are done with your response, just proceed as you normally would..

Their might be easier ways - but this is the best method i found and what i use.

 

[bobemmerich]

I inherited a few of my FIL's tools after he passed. There's a bunch of different bits and a ratcheting brace. Seeing as how my house and barn are 290 years old, and soon I'm going to be re doing parts of the barn, I'm going to keep them, so I say keep it. If it's of no use to you, or you just don't want it, give it away or sell it to an antiques store. Or maybe you could maybe make a display out of them

 

[Kingcreek]

 

[kctyphoon]

Making progress?? Lol
I edited my post and clarified some of the steps .

Whatever image you have isn’t being displayed on the forum, but if people click on it, the image comes up..

Here :

 

[Robinson1]

I've got 2 and a full set of bits plus a pile of odd ball bits. Never used them. They look neat on the wall if you like that sort of shop decoration.

I see them all the time at flea markets around her for between $3 and $10. Full set of matching bits for under $20. Really no market for this type stuff anymore

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

When sharp, they are pretty effective drills, sure beat a spade bit in a cordless. A brace for driving large flathead wood screws is THE tool, much like a ratchet and socket are for bolts and nuts. Nice set of bits in the photo.

 

[The Cobbler]

Sorry, can a mod move this to vintage? Thanks

so done

 

[DadsTools]

I say keep. I've sold a number of these. First, the brace drill. They are very common. People who encounter these think how wonderful to find an old classic tool like this. Trouble is, EVERYONE kept their father's or grandfather's braces for the exact same reason. Nobody ever threw them away. And since back in the day they were THE drill that everyone need to own, there are a gazillion of them out there. Yours is a common design with rust and a very worn sweep handle. Many better examples exist.

The auger bits--again, something that no one ever threw away. These used bits have five key qualities to consider; straightness, the point, the spurs, the finish and quality. They need to be straight--you'd be surprised how many used ones are found bent. The point has to be sharp--if it's dull, worn down or the tip broken off, it's useless. The spurs trace the circle in the wood, cutting the grains so the cutting edges can follow. These spurs taper out some. If they are too worn, not only will they no longer trace a correct size circle, but the will be too short to get their job done before the cutters engage the wood. The finish has to be smooth to glide through the wood easily, not all pitted and roached. The quality has a lot to do with brands--OLD Irwin, Millers Falls, Greenlee and a host of other vintage makers are prized, while other makes are not.

Remember that braces and auger bits are still sold today. The only folks willing to pay a premium for older stuff are the traditional woodworkers. What they're looking for is the primo stuff, the best brands in remarkable condition, and there's plenty of that grade examples to go around for the few diehards seeking them out. You have a few specialty bits that are still in demand like the chucks designed to allow the use of round drill bits in spade-type chucks. The countersink is OK too if the edges aren't roached away. The screwdriver bits are good too. The rest of it is worth very little. Soak the bits in Evaporust and try to clean up the ones that pass the critiques. Then use them. If you have no use for them, donate the lot to a charitable reseller like Salvation Army or a church.

 

[RTM]

The brace itself was a decent one in its day, it has the metal clad pad (metal up the sides of the thing you lean on), vs almost to the edge, vs only at the center where the shaft comes in. It looks like the handle has been replaced, that block is really chunky.

The chuck is harder to identify, maybe later.

 

[Kingcreek]

Thanks for the great info!
I think I’ll clean it all up and maybe keep the better parts. There are flat head screw bits and nut drivers and some bits and parts I don’t know. Some look like a grooving chisel. Many are unused even though rusty.
At least I have nothing invested.

 

[RTM]

Keep the grooving chisels, or sell it to me, those are great because you can drill angled holes.

 

[Roberts210]

I still use a brace and bit for a few things, but I use Jennings bits, which cut better for some reason I've never figured out. Here I've started the first hole to mount a Baldwin mortise lock into a solid mahogany entrance door.
The blue tape is my depth stop, the orange clamp holds a level bar so I can judge level as I drill.

I knocked the holes out pretty quick--the Jennings bits, if sharp cut very easily.

Some chisel work and a few more holes drilled with forstner bits and an electric drill complete the mortise.

Mortise lock installed:

 

[Farmer J.]

I still use a brace and bit for a few things, but I use Jennings bits, which cut better for some reason I've never figured out.
Mortise lock installed:

Very neat, impressive job, that lock is unlikely to rattle around in it's door!

Your brace is very similar to one I have which was my Grandfather's, and luckily I have a set of short and long auger bits, some screwdriver bits and countersinks to go with it.

Jennings pattern bits are still available here new but they aren't cheap..
https://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/acatalog/Fisch-Jennings-Pattern-Auger-Bit.html

.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Japanese Owl brand are now the preferred ones. For bits the angle of cutting edge and the coarseness of the thread effect the cutting action, When I bought new ones, I couldn't afford Russell Jennings, I got Stanley over Irwin.

 

[Roberts210]

Thanks Farmer J. The brace has no maker's name on it, and belonged to my Pop. When I was in the army it fell off the wall of the barn and landed in the dirt, and stayed there for some years. When I found it the top handle/rest had rotted away, and so I made another one out of birch, saved the tool and have used it off and on ever since.

I think I bought this Russel Jennings set in the 1980's, at Andy Anderson's used tool store in Santa Monica, Cal. I probably paid $25 for it. The cutting edges of the bits are all in excellent shape and haven't been sharpened to nubs.

 

[DadsTools]

Thanks Farmer J. The brace has no maker's name on it, and belonged to my Pop. When I was in the army it fell off the wall of the barn and landed in the dirt, and stayed there for some years. When I found it the top handle/rest had rotted away, and so I made another one out of birch, saved the tool and have used it off and on ever since.

I think I bought this Russel Jennings set in the 1980's, at Andy Anderson's used tool store in Santa Monica, Cal. I probably paid $25 for it. The cutting edges of the bits are all in excellent shape and haven't been sharpened to nubs.

Now that's the stuff I'm talking about!

 

[RTM]

You aren't buying that set at the flea for $10. Just saw a set w the bits still wrapped in paper being offered at $225.

Maybe at a garAge sale...