Sharpening and restoring vintage auger bits | Part 2

[@alanmooney]

As a carpenter and joinery 71 years old, I used abrade and bit all the time, it's a great cordless tool. I still have my original stanley brace and all my bits as well all of my other kit from the old days. Although semi retired, I still do a little carpentry for income with hi quality battery power tools. I maintain that for hanging a door , installation of handle and lock a brace and bit is a fantastic tool in every carpenter's arsonal.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks for the comment @alanmooney, I agree!

[@bradford9129]

My dude- thank you for these videos! I love that there's only text and no narration- makes it really chill to watch.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Bradford, glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@larsfrandsen2501]

Best video on the topic! Really excellent in every way! Thank you!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks a lot @larsfrandsen2501 ! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ubioubiestveritas]

Great job on the Russell Jennings #8! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. This series is outstanding!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks @ubioubiestveritas ! Glad you found it helpful.

[@nickmastro9287]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on how to restore bits. Once I finish my brace then I can start on my bits. Thanks to your helpful videos!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Good luck!

[@roadtriplover.]

I am just beginning my woodworking journey and I’m taking a handtools approach. These 2 videos are SO helpful. Thank you!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Glad you found them helpful! Good luck on your journey!

[@bryanmcwhirter9945]

Nice to see dowel auger bits being restored which almost nobody understands what they are. Very hard to find even if they have been abused. Very nice. Thankyou.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Bryan!

[@charlesschuster7963]

Well done! I used the process shown in parts 1 and 2 when I recently re-sharpened one of an old set I'd gotten at a garage sale. My dad had a very nice set back in the day, Stanley I think, when they were still a respected name in hand tools. The wire wheel on a drill press (or in my case a bench grinder) will de-rust a bit well, but there are many other processes than can be used to remove rust from metal surfaces, including electrolysis. There are many YT videos on that process, with or without electrical current. I got a set of small files at Lowes which seem to cut the auger metal easily. It's not as tough steel as I thought it would be, but much of the restoration is simply removing old rust to achieve a smooth, sharp edge. One more thing to note is that the outer perimeter of the auger flights should be polished for minimum resistance and friction as the hole is bored deeper. This is easy enough with some wet-dry sandpaper and a flat surface. My bit now eats wood like a champ! Last note: drilling a small hole through the workpiece will keep the auger bit from blowing out the back side, or a wood backing will also prevent blowout. Question: how do you recommend keeping these bits from rusting up again? Lately I've used beeswax and turpentine, mixed to a stiff paste, which I rub on with a finger or bit of rag. Anyone who recommends Johnson Paste Wax has been out beyond radio for many years: the old yellow can is NLA or sells for over $100 if you can find it.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks @charlesschuster7963 ! My goal with derusting is to just remove loose surface rust but leave the underlying patina layer which protects from rusting and maintains the tool's collectability. electrolysis and chemical methods strip the patina and make the steel prone to rusting; i find these better for use on machinery and the like that will be painted after rust removal. The best way to keep auger bits from rusting is to wipe any saw dust off them after use, keep them in an auger bit box or drawer, and to not remove the patina. About twice year i clean and wipe down all my tools with paste wax (i use butcher's bowling alley wax, but you can still find minwax in stores) and/or 3-in-1 oil.

[@toddwheeler1526]

Minwax makes a pretty good paste wax. Home depot and Lowes. PB Blaster does a pretty decent job for light rust prevention. Saturate a piece of cotton or canvas and keep your bits wrapped up in the shop.

[@alanevans7900]

Thank you for shareing this knowledge, I have learnt a lot and most of this stuff is lost

[@thehandtoolworks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PatrickMcNealPuppets-n-Things]

Thank you for this video. I just picked up a handful of rusty bits at an estate sale thinking I might be able to fix them up. Looks like a challenging but fun project!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Sounds like fun! Good luck!

[@MrPete1x]

Excellent video. Thank you for showing this, I have a box of these auger bits to clean and sharpen.... one day!

[@rickmcdonald1557]

>>>DITTO

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Peter!

[@thisolesignguy2733]

Thank you for this video!!! My boss has a bunch of auger bits that I use when wiring up signs, they've gotten so dull from overuse and I had no idea how to sharpen them. Thanks a bunch! You just saved me a bunch of $$

[@thehandtoolworks]

@thisolesignguy2733 Glad you found it helpful! Good luck sharpening!

[@BuitenlevenmetBert]

Easily one of the most inetresting YT regarding this topie. I just started working wih these types of tools and got a lot of questions to ask...........These video's give me a huges start off, Thanks so much for uploading these video's!😊👌👍

[@thehandtoolworks]

Many thanks, glad you're finding the videos helpful! Best of luck with your hand tool journey!

[@JamesSmith-su3oz]

You da man. Now I can get a user set of bits and try tuning them. Thank you.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Good luck!

[@Ferndalien]

Thank you for sharing this. I inherited a brace and some rusty worn bits which worked poorly, and I simply set them aside and have used the brace as a screw driver - my portable, cordless, precision driver than never recharging - though sometimes the operator does. Your two videos have taught me a great deal about sharpening auger bits and I will be able to restore and more importantly use those tools (I'm not going to throw away my Porter-Cable hand drill though).

[@thehandtoolworks]

That is great! I'm glad you found the videos helpful. Good luck bringing your auger bits back into service!

[@DraganIlich-r1s]

Very useful.Thanks.❤

[@kelvinsparks4651]

Great video. I spent hours restoring my set of auger bits . I found that soaking in vinegar and water helped a lot, ok it was blooming messy but the results were very good.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Kelvin!

[@kozdavekoz]

excellent videos and facinating content! I now have the confidence to buy rusty old augers and restore em. And best part, I get to buy more new tools, auger and thread files! I immediately subscribed, of course.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks a lot Dave! Good luck with your restorations!

[@davestinyworkshop]

excellent pair of tutorials, thanks for sharing.

[@thehandtoolworks]

@davestinyworkshop Thanks for watching !

[@GT_Racer347]

Great 2 part video set! I'm going to try (again) and restore the bits that I have.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks! Let us know how it goes!

[@johnlarkin9815]

Great videos which I wish I came across earlier today before I ruined at least one auger bit:). While doing that I came across a number of issues which you addressed in the videos. A bit making a nice round edge but not advancing into the wood was the symptom of the bit that I ruined - I thought the spurs were too high and not allowing the cutting edge to reach the timber so I reduced them - it didn't help:). I did some work on the screw which did help but the reduced spur wasn't cutting cleanly anymore. I'll try your last straw solution. But after watching the videos I did manage to fix a couple of other bits which now bore well. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks @johnlarkin9815, Glad to hear you got some bits working well! Good luck rescuing the one with short spurs!

[@saurios]

Excelente la forma de afilar y recuperar esas brocas.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Jose!

[@rickmcdonald1557]

Great Video and now I believe I'm brave enough to try to sharpen some of my Dad's Bits that are pushing 75 yrs. old and they have different styles of the twists running up and down them as they seem closer together. (I don't know what you call this twisted part of the bit) You are a valuable "Show and Tell" Teacher and Thanks~!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Hi Rick, thanks and good luck with your sharpening!

[@henryrossouw930]

Have some of the same.Need a lot of TLC.This is my next project.Thanks for sharing.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Good luck!

[@federicoagosti3382]

Thanks a lot, very useful and clear tutorial!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MarkSWilliams27]

Excellent, informative video. I was given about 4-5 bits in bad shape. I hope to put them to use. Some appear to have no spurs. Most do not advance into the work and this probably means I have to address the snail. I had never heard of or seen a thread file. Very interesting.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks @MarkSWilliams27, Glad you found it helpful, Good luck restoring!

[@najizein1566]

Thanks for sharing this valuable info!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@louisaziz1235]

Can't tell you how much I appreciate these two videos. I have several old braces and auger bits and have been hoping to find a good way to sharpen them. Thank you. I do have a question, though. If the threads at the point cannot be saved, is it possible to replace it with a screw? To keep from over heating the cutting edge and spurs, I was considering brazing and not welding. I like old tools as that is what I learned with at my grandfather's side. Gives a feeling of accomplishment and pride to see a project completely done with no power tools.

[@thehandtoolworks]

hi Louis, Thanks for watching! I think it would be extremely difficult to replace a worn snail with a screw. The screw would have to be exactly centered or the bit will become unusable, the threads of the screw would have to transition correctly into the cutting edges, and it would be hard to prevent the cutting edges from losing their temper. It might be worth preserving as-is as a piece of history in your collection.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

This is helpful, thanks for doing it!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@einufo]

Thank you, I have learnt a lot about sharpening auger bits. Now I can try again to sharpen my bits. Gruß Tino

[@thehandtoolworks]

viel glück!

[@LitoGeorge]

I consider you to be the best resource on KZbin for sharpening. You have my respect for it. I also appreciate your calm manner in presentation. I do, however, find that the last test of the auger you sorted out, created some tear out. Do you consider that to be acceptable? There is no desire in me to be trite or sarcastic; I mean the question genuinely. Look forward to your answer. ps: thanks to you, I cleaned up several worn Forstner bits today, using these principles. I also learned that no matter how sharp an auger is, if you are within 5mm of another augered/forstener drilled hole, there will inevitably be tear out in the vertical spacing between the holes, if the grain is running horizontally. This is on dry SPF style soft wood.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Hi @LitoGeorge, I just tried that auger bit again in some oak and it left a stray fiber of tearout hanging on by a thread (not acceptable). I looked at the spurs and one was just slightly too dull at the tip. A few passes with the file sorted that out and it gave me a perfect result on the next hole.

[@LitoGeorge]

@@thehandtoolworks thank you kindly for your response. I also want to thank you for your tip on clamping workpieces when boring close to the edge/ end grain. I used your tip to cleanly bore holes without any splitting after applying the clamp. This was very gratifying. Where did you learn all your woodworking skills from? Tx, LG.

[@scotsman7626]

Mate thanks so much for these videos, youtube just recommended your auger videos and I had to watch! I'll be keeping these videos mind to be used as a reffrence later, I've got a decent number of augers(and other brace bits) and tbh some of them are getting on my nerves, I had a feeling the cutting edge was further then the spur and thankfully I now know what to look for, and how to correct sharpen them, and I've never heard of a thread file before, and was wondering how the snail on an auger could be repaired. Some of mind are also bent and I thought they would snap if I tried to bend them back or hammer on them. Thanks again for such an informative video.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your auger bits!

[@gunnyoorah1846]

Thanks for showing us your method and sharing your knowledge. I would like to know what it is that you mean by numbering the auger drill bits No. 2 and thru No. 8? Was there a numbering system ? .... A nieghbor gave me a box filled to remove the rust....Is it important. Thank you again...Deeman OORAH!!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Hi @gunnyoorah1846, the auger bits are numbered by 16ths of an inch, so a No. 8 would drill a hole 8/16ths or half an inch in diameter. A standard set has all the increments from No. 4 to No. 16. Bits larger than No. 16 exists but are much harder to find. Good luck!

[@donloughrey1615]

Thanks again.

[@brentallen15]

Thank you for your videos on maintaining these long-lasting tools. Do you have a preferred way of protecting them after the clean-up (light weight oil, wax, other)?

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Brent! I protect them with paste wax.

[@chaswarren7239]

Glorious. I have lots of inherited & purchased augers. Inspiring, thank you. Where can I buy suitable auger files please ?

[@thehandtoolworks]

Hi @chaswarren7239, it looks like Lee Valley sells a proper auger bit file.

[@donloughrey1615]

Thanks again. Subscribed.

[@thehandtoolworks]

Welcome aboard!

[@derjman]

Thanks a ton for this miniseries! I have a box of augers, some of which are bent. Your demonstration of straightening that Russell Jennings bit was very helpful. However, I was a bit confused by the step 'aligning the tang with the body'. How do you judge alignment, exactly - by eye or is there a more accurate way? Cheers and happy Easter!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Hi Julius, To check whether the tang needs alignment I would first check by eye then confirm it by chucking the auger in a brace (once you're sure the shaft and twist section are straight) and starting to drill a hole. The chuck and the auger should appear to spin around a straight axis line running through the center of the hole. If the tang is out of alignment, the chuck will wander around in a circle.

[@craigtanner6916]

Great video! I have some, I think they are called spoon bits I picked up in a tool roll of drill bits. Any advice in restoration, sharpening and use? Thanks again for the great content!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Craig! Spoon bits were typically used for chairmaking (see www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-very-boring-program/). They're still sought after and pretty rare so you're lucky to have them! Is there a maker's name on the bits?

[@marcosvallinipereira]

❤

[@Timber_and_Woods]

Great video, thanks! I have a bunch of auger bits that need restoration and this gives me some ideas of where to get started! Are there specific files you use, or just something small and flat to do the job?

[@Timber_and_Woods]

Never mind...I just watched part one where you answer exactly that question. Thanks again for the great info! Keep it up!

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks Sean! Good luck restoring your auger bits!

[@warrenwatson3105]

Thanks

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks @warrenwatson3105 !

[@soledude]

👌👌👌

[@frro28]

These old augers are finicky and a lot more difficult to keep sharp than a new drill bit. They are also made of very soft steel, yet if sharp, straight and clean, they bore such nice clean holes.

[@clappercl]

Great videos! Do you know of a way to restore a blunted snail? Or would you just sharpen it back to form a point?

[@thehandtoolworks]

Thanks! If the threads are good and the snail is still pulling the bit into the wood, I'd probably leave it alone. It can be difficult to sharpen a blunted tip back to a point using needle files without harming the threads, possibly making the snail worse off. If the snail isn't pulling, my preference would be to use a thread restoring file (if you can get your hands on one).

[@barabas02895]

Just an FYI, thread restoring files can still be found by several makers and at reasonable prices via Amazon.

[@brucebonkowski2139]

I thought we Not to touch the spur when do you and When NOT to

[@thehandtoolworks]

hi Bruce, we don't touch the _outside_ of the spurs since that would reduce the diameter of the bit. You should file the inside leading edge of the spurs when they get dull from use. To maintain the life of the bit, try to remove as little metal from the spurs as possible when you sharpen them so that they don't become too short.