Against expectations, I seem to have acquired a whimble.
No, this doesn't call for pills or an ointment. A whimble is a kind of carpenter's bit brace with an offset upper handle (the "pad" end), useful when extra torque is needed for boring large holes or in hard wood. Or they're run faster in softer woods, though perhaps with some risk of making less-neat hole.
No pictures of mine yet; it's pretty rough and will need some shimming where the chuck attaches, but it seems to be working okay.
A whimble was the last type of brace I didn't have. So now, if there is some urgent need for a whimble and a capable person to operate it it, I stand ready.
Had a whole bunch at one time. Along with buckets of bits
ReplyDeleteI think the ended up at a junk yard. I know the building they were in is long demolished
Have drilled more than a few holes with then
Who knew they would be valuable.
So, soon you'll be braced for action?...
ReplyDeleteSeems to me the "competent to operate it" part is important -- keeping the bit straight with merely coordinated movements of two arms would be quite beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI confess that I let an interested party take all the braces and bits that have come down to me, as I had never touched a one of them since decent cordless-electric drills came along. I might live to regret this is society collapses, but the side of the family they came from was on the "buy the cheapest" end of the quality spectrum, so if I had plans to use them for more than jury-rig repairs I probably would have purchased different ones anyway.
Douglas2
I have a couple of braces, but no offset handle version as pictured. Whimble - wonder how they came up with that name. I like working with braces - quiet and able to slowly drive in screws without buggering up the heads. And drive in 'just so', flush and plumb with surface.
ReplyDeleteYeah, takes more time , but I'm not working in an Indy pit crew. Keeping a spare brace with drill bit so no need to switch is plenty fast.
Used a bit brace to make a hole that was a perfect fit for RG-8 with attached PL-259. I was inordinately proud of myself. :-)
ReplyDelete"Whimble" is now my Word of the Day. Yay, I learned sumthin'! Thanks, Roberta.