A brace is a

hand tool A hand tool is any tool that is powered manual labour, by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutter (disambiguation), cutters, File (tool), files, hammer, striking tools, chisel, struck or hammered tools, ...

used with a bit (

drill bit A drill bit is a cutting tool used in a drill to remove material to create holes, almost always of circular cross-section. Drill bits come in many sizes and shapes and can create different kinds of holes in many different materials. In orde ...

or auger) to

drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...

holes, usually in

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

. Pressure is applied to the top while the handle is rotated. If the bit's lead and cutting spurs are both in good working order, the user should not have to apply any pressure other than for balance: the lead will pull the bit through the wood. Bits used to come in a variety of types but the more commonly used Ridgeway and Irwin-pattern bits also rely on a tip called a snail, which is a tapered threaded screw that pulls the bit forward. The U-shaped handle is a crank. It gives the brace much greater

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

than other kinds of hand-powered drills. A brace and bit can be used to drill wider and deeper holes than can a geared hand-powered drill. The cost of the greater torque is lower rotational speed; it is easy for a geared hand drill to achieve a rotational speed of several hundred

revolutions per minute Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 de ...

, while it would require considerable effort to achieve even 100 rpm with a brace. The front of the brace consists of a

chuck Chuck () is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV produce ...

spindle with V-shaped brackets or clamps inside. Turning the spindle of the chuck in a clockwise direction tightens the

in the chuck; turning counterclockwise loosens the bit for removal. In most modern braces, immediately behind the chuck is a three position

gear A gear or gearwheel is a rotating machine part typically used to transmit rotational motion and/or torque by means of a series of teeth that engage with compatible teeth of another gear or other part. The teeth can be integral saliences or ...

release that allows ratcheting of the handle when in tight spots. Turning the gear release from the center position allows ratcheting the brace in the required direction. Turning the gear release fully clockwise lets it remove wood in a clockwise direction with the ratchet action going counterclockwise. Placing the gear release fully counterclockwise allows turning the brace and bit in a counterclockwise direction, usually to remove the drill bit from the hole. The center position of the gear release prohibits the ratcheting effect. The U-shaped crank has a wooden spindle on it and—along with the top spindle—is allowed to freely turn under the hands without stressing the hands, thus preventing

blister A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled ...

s. The earliest carpenter's braces equipped with a U-shaped grip, that is with a compound crank, appeared between 1420 and 1430 in

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

. The brace has other names. Bit brace is the most often used name, but Carpenter's brace, ratchet brace (if a ratchet mechanism is incorporated into the design), and swing brace are also commonly used.

Citations

General and cited references

* Adamson, John, "The Ultimatum brace: a feat of engineering", ''Furniture & Cabinetmaking'', issue 264, December 2017, pp. 52–5 * Eaton, Reg (1989). ''The Ultimate Brace: A Unique Product of Victorian Sheffield''. King's Lynn: Erica Jane Publishing * Russell, David R., with Robert Lesage and photographs by James Austin, cataloguing assisted by Peter Hackett (2010).
Antique Woodworking Tools: Their Craftsmanship from the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century
' Cambridge: John Adamson , "Boring tools: drills and braces", pp. 459–90 * {{Hand tools Hole making Mechanical hand tools Woodworking hand tools

See also

Citations

General and cited references