Auger bit - is it any good?

[BluegillUK]

Evenin' all. Have been looking for a decent size bit for the brace I'm borrowing to bore some holes for legs on a stool I am making. I found this at a car boot last week for the grand total of 50p as it was the perfect size. However, having got it home and done a little reading, I don't think it's going to cut it (ha!). It lacks spurs, so it's just the flat cutting edges hitting the wood and although they're moving the material, it's tearing lots out and it's very difficult to penetrate through the stock (7/8"ish)

Any idea if it's just a non-suitable bit or if I'm just doing something wrong? Have attached pics of the bit which I filed after watching a few vids.

As usual, all help appreciated!

Nick

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[Phil Pascoe]

It won't enter cleanly without spurs and as your hole gets deeper it's just attempting to rip the wood out as it cannot sever it.

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

just buy a new one, they aren't even expensive 3-4pounds for that size from a decent brand.

 

[paulm]

I may be mistaken, but I think the spur-less ones are generally used on end grain.

 

[bugbear]

It's a Scotch or square nosed auger. Used for rough work, I think. I'll try to look it up later.

Even Paul Sellers doesn't know appear to know about them.

He thought the spurs had either been broken or filed off!!

Above the spurs are broken off or filed away as you can see.

Edit; looking in old catalogues, Buck and Hickman list them in 1935, Tyzack and Melhuish don't, and the 1897 Strelinger Catalog (USA) only has scotch patten in large, hand operated, T-augers.

So - certainly a minority pattern.

BugBear

 

[Bod]

What size is it?

Bod

 

[BluegillUK]

Thanks for the info chaps, most helpful and as I thought, worth a pop for 50p!

Bod- the size is 1", measured this morning


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[BluegillUK]

just buy a new one, they aren't even expensive 3-4pounds for that size from a decent brand.

Hi David,

I was sent a link not too long ago but I couldn't find any suitable for an old brace at 1" diameter. Any pointers?


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[Sheffield Tony]

Hah - you're struggling here to find a new one. I thought Woodsmiths store might have some Clico left, but they are all gone.

It's posssible, but you might not like the price:

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/hand-to ... 058?query=

You should be able to find a useable (with a bit of TLC) old one fairly easily though.

 

[matthewwh]

Just file the middle of each side down leaving a lump on the outer edges, file the lumps diagonally on the inside only to form a sharp edge. As long as the worm is OK the rest can be made to work.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

It's a Scotch or square nosed auger. Used for rough work, I think. I'll try to look it up later
.......

Edit; looking in old catalogues, Buck and Hickman list them in 1935, Tyzack and Melhuish don't, and the 1897 Strelinger Catalog (USA) only has scotch patten in large, hand operated, T-augers.

So - certainly a minority pattern.

BugBear

Agreed!

R.A.Salaman in the 'Dictionary of Woodworking Tools' lists it as Scotch pattern, used for hardwoods and rough constructional work. (Note - I think there's also a type called 'Scotch Eyed', which refers to the transverse tube-like top fitting through which the operator can pass a thick dowel to turn the auger. Easy to confuse the two, though I suppose you could have a Scotch Eyed Scotch Auger.)

Salaman also writes, "The first Twist Auger of modern type known to us is illustrated in William Bailey's 'The Advancement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce' (London, 1772) and is described as 'Mr Phineas Cooke's New constructed Spiral Auger. It has a screw lead. A Twist Auger of the Scotch pattern appears in Smith's 'Key to the Various Manufactories of Sheffield' (1816). William Bailey also writes that these tools 'require no picking with a gouge' to start them' and 'they do not want to be drawn out of the wood to discharge the chip which is also the occasion of much labour and loss of time in boring with a common auger'."

So there you go - the twist auger has been around since at least 1772 - much earlier than I would have guessed! One thought is that since they need more torque to turn them than centre bits and shell bits, they didn't catch on in the age of the wooden brace, but only really became popular once the metal brace became more widely available. That's a bit of speculation, though.

 

[bugbear]

I looked in several catalogues, but didn't look in Salaman. I'm a fool!

BugBear

 

[toolsntat]

As stated, these work best in end grain as demonstrated here
racksaw-rollers-t83520.html?hilit=%20Racksaw

But as Matthew says reshaping/filing works a treat.
Cheers
Andy

 

[BluegillUK]

Thanks guys- for the info and for the tip on how to file. Going to try that today!


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[bugbear]

just buy a new one, they aren't even expensive 3-4pounds for that size from a decent brand.

Link to an example pls?

BugBear

 

[Bod]

Thanks for the info chaps, most helpful and as I thought, worth a pop for 50p!

Bod- the size is 1", measured this morning


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I'll have a look, see if I've a spare.
No promises.

Bod

 

[BluegillUK]

Thanks for the info chaps, most helpful and as I thought, worth a pop for 50p!

Bod- the size is 1", measured this morning


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I'll have a look, see if I've a spare.
No promises.

Bod

Very kind of you for looking Bod- let me know if so and how much and we'll sort it out


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[Bod]

Thanks for the info chaps, most helpful and as I thought, worth a pop for 50p!

Bod- the size is 1", measured this morning


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I'll have a look, see if I've a spare.
No promises.

Bod

Very kind of you for looking Bod- let me know if so and how much and we'll sort it out



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PM me your address, I've got a working spare.

Bod

 

[Sam_Jack]

Got lucky at a market – found a ten inch Matheson 1” auger, paid about GBP 2.50. Lovely bit of steel, cleaned up well – the snail in really great nick; but no spurs. Someone had filed them off, (looked similar to BG's) - probably after one was broken. You only need 1/16th of spur to scribe; used a square file, flat, first to remove the ‘bulk’ then a fine triangular (saw) file to ‘shape’ the spiral, that ‘profiled the spurs nicely - you need to be careful though. An auger file is best (if you can find one). Anyway – took about 40 minutes to ‘draw’ the spurs, shape to the twist and put a sharp edge on the cutters; should have worked. Fail: stopped about 3mm into the hole; why? Well, I’d left a ‘square lip’ protruding at the end of the snail thread, maybe 1.5 mm, if that. Dressed that out very carefully and bingo; lovely clean holes. I like the ‘control’ you get with a bit ‘n brace, most satisfactory. No pix I’m afraid, sorry - must learn how to do that one day.