After much futzing around and researching I bit the bullet and tracked down a Stanley 2101A Bit Brace which some nice gentleman in the South East was willing to part with for the princely sum of $45 delivered to my doorstep sometime later this week.  After still more poking about and researching the functional differences between Jennings pattern and Irwin pattern auger bits and choking in surprise on how much a decent set of these things cost and then being even more shocked by modern reproductions of these particularly the Jennings pattern versions, I settled on a 3rd option.

A Japanese company called Wood Owl makes a modern 3 cutter auger bit that looks like a viable contender for a non-stratospheric price tag.  The only real challenge is that they have a 7/16 hex shank rather than a traditional square shank.  Fortunately there is a company that makes a rather clever adapter between these two shank patterns so that is on order as well.  

I have a significant number of holes that need to be drilled for knockdown hardware on the bench I am building as well as dog holes in the top, legs, and sliding deadman so I am going to get a lot of opportunity to put all of these through their paces and provide a hands on review.  Stay tuned for the next episode of Michael’s Handtool Workbench adventures aka “How I discovered new and novel methods to require Band-Aids and NeoSporin”. 

On 7/18/2022 at 11:48 PM, StaticLV2 said:

How I discovered new and novel methods to require Band-Aids and NeoSporin”. 

Well Michael, if you truly are wanting to go retro, old school, you need to can the neosporin for some period correct, mecuricome, iodine or merthiolate. That's what us old geezers survived by and we're OK??.. In a real emergency our moms spit in a kleenex then treated the wounds.  Ah, the good old days.

Well I figured it was an upgrade from my former “rub some dirt on it, curse loudly, and walk it off” process of medical treatment

Came home with me, today..along with a new Camera...

Even has a gearbox...

A HUGE handle..

Drive wheel has a keeper, too..

 

All for $10?  Will need a bit of cleaning up...

That is a very nice find at a crazy price!!

Goodell Pratt Co.  No. 5-1/2 B.....last made by Millers Falls in 1936....G-P was taken over by Millers Falls in 1931...

Through the magic of modern technology part of my hand boring equation showed up.
It needs a bit of clean up but is 100% functional as is.  The chuck and ratchet mechanism are in great working order and clean up is surface only.  

 

On a separate but related note, the modern Irwin single cutter “speed bore” augers should only be used in framing applications and only in soft wood.

As a follow up, the Wood Owl bits came in and I wasted no time chucking one up and making holes in things.

The 2-jaw chuck holds these very solidly and no adapter is needed which is very nice.

Back on the bits, these things cut CLEAN. Even splintery Baltic birch ply cut very clean.

The 3 cutter design is excellent and I will have more feedback after a few deep holes are bored as part of this ongoing workbench project.

Performance in hard wood (Beech) for the wood owl bits is excellent.  I have been drilling holes for the knockdown hardware on my bench today and 1/2 and 3/4” holes are straight, clean, and fairly easy.  I have been using a combination square for alignment and freehanding these so far but I think I will need to make a guide block in the near future because my eyeball seems to be off about 1/32 to 1/16th over 5”.  It isn’t enough to matter but it is enough to annoy me.

Here are the 3/4” holdfast holes in the Front Left leg of the workbench build.

 

I can’t say enough good about these Wood Owl auger bits.  They are well made, cut easily and cleanly.

I will definitely be picking up some more of these in additional sizes.  The only real thing to be aware of with these is that with 3 cutters you will need a narrower file to sharpen these bits.  I picked one up and I will likely have opportunity to use it as I have a large number of 3/4” holes to drill in this bench.  I will review that when I get there but initial impressions, its an auger bit file, just narrower.

I haven’t been able to get any definitive specs on depth of cut per revolution but I will try to figure that out.

 

The 10” Stanley 2101A is great for anything up to 3/4” after that it seems to be a lot like work.

Eventually I will likely pick up a 12” if I can find one for a decent price, because mechanical advantage

 

 

4 hours ago, StaticLV2 said:

my eyeball seems to be off about 1/32 to 1/16th over 5”.  

Wait til you hit your mid 40's then start wearing bi-focals Those tolerances become pretty good then. 

8 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Wait til you hit your mid 40's then start wearing bi-focals Those tolerances become pretty good then. 

Mid 40’s was a while ago   If I’m not careful, one of these days I will grow up!