Hand braces

I’ve never driven a screw with a brace, a good yankee screw driver is a much better bet for that operation.

Also I’ve never been impressed with the modern braces in operation. Add to that the fact that I literally trip over vintage ones with life left in them at the local junk stores and I say buy a 2 dollar vintage one.

Even Chris Schwartz who recommends new hand tools over old ones doesn’t really like the modern versions.

Lee valley makes good products but for about a third or less of the cost of a new brace you can get an original brace on e bay they are very plentiful on e bay every one seems to use the newer cordless drills.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I have an old Craftsman brace (won it in high school). Used it to drive some phillips screws but it really didn’t work as well as I thought it would. It was kind of difficult to keep in vertical on the screw at all times. Maybe square drive screws would work better- or more practice!

Lew

Depends on the screws you’re driving. Slotted screws done’t take to being driven well with anything but a screwdriver. Phillips are a little better with a brace and best with a drill motor. Square drives are the easiest of all, but I’ve never driven those with a brace. My choice would be a drill motor or cordless screw driver; then, Yankee screwdriver; then, by hand and a brace last of all. They are hard to keep straight, When you are drilliing, it is easy to see the bit starting on the wood straight.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Just curious, why do you feel you need a hand brace with all of the available options in electric drills, etc? Will it serve a particular purpose that drills can’t? Totally honest question.

I looked a little closer and might have answered my own question. It might be an option for making rustic furniture. It still seems like it might be more efficient and overall less expensive to get the tenon cutter that fits onto the electric drill. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

-- Behind the Bark is a lot of Heartwood----Charles, Centennial, CO

Thanks for the responses guys.

Dun – not barking up the wrong tree. I’m thinking of a hand brace because I’ve been trying to do more hand tool work. I just couldn’t see doing screws with it though.

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

I,m using a new stanley brace, which is identical to the record and lotus brace that were also in the store, and it,s ok, if a bit sloppy. The lee valley looks good and Garrett wade has one with interchangable chucks that take screw tips and sockets, but does look the same as the stanley so 99.9% it,s chinese. Not had trouble driving screws with it and it,s easier on your wrist when driving the big screws than a screwdriver because of the torque you can get. I only use this as I have an unpowered shop, actually i,m broke and I work outside! but I enjoy all the same and can,t see me getting a cordless any time soon. Compared to a cordless there,s no advantage in useing a brace unless you just dig the handtool thing, like I do.

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

I have my grandfather’s wood handled brace. Don’t know how old it is. I have another I bought 20 years or so ago. I just introduced some Boyscouts to using it with auger bits. A couple of them love it even though they’ve used power drills and like to practice with it. I tell them it’s a cordless drill.
A brace is still required for the woodworking merit badge. They say it gives a better feel for the wood. I think they’re scared of boys with power tools.
A brace does give a certain satisfaction that a battery drill doesn’t.

-- Father of two sons. Both Eagle Scouts.