Mike Marlow wrote:
Point well taken, and in fact it was one of the factors that I considered at
the very opening of this thread. Having extracted untold numbers of screws
with my cordless or my corded drill motor though, I have to wonder just how
much value that really is. (Point of diminishing returns). I've used brace
and bit before as well, so that makes me equally reluctant to acknowledge
what that says about *my* age too, but there are ups and downs to
everything. A brace and bit is quite unstable before it can really dig in,
which of course it can't do with a driver bit in it. With all of that body
weight leaning into it at a further distance from the object, it becomes
more unstable than a drill motor. Add to that that one has to apply a
rotation to it which does nothing to help add stability - in fact as most
who have used a brace and bit know - it tends to de-stabilize the tool.
Sure, with a small amount of practice it's easily enough mastered, as
evidenced by the existence of the tool over time, but that does not negate
the natural tendency for instability. The amount of leverage provided by a
3" or 4" offset is not all that significant as well - particularly in the
case of nasty stubborn screws. I see lots of potential for the very screw
damage that the OP was fearful of.
I wasn't suggesting that the brace and bit would not work, or that perhaps
it would even be a much cooler way of doing things. Heck - it could be a
lot like using a hand plane instead of a planer. There's much to be said
for some of the cool old tools. I originally replied just to suggest a
common, every day solution to the problem. It works and it really does not
suffer the pitfalls that have been posted so far. Of course - it is not an
elegant, neander, cool way of doing things - I gotta give you that. And...
I really do believe there is a lot of value in elegant, neander and cool.
--
-Mike-
I've been trying to follow your logic on this, Mike, and I've got to
admit I'm baffled.
For small screws - say #6 through #10 - and particularly in softwoods,
your electric drill is fine. So is a plain screwdriver, a Yankee-type
ratchet screwdriver, or even a brace and bit. With the larger screws,
though - #14, #16, even #24 - a brace and screwdriver bit is the only
way to go.
I just took a look at some #24 flat head wood screws. The head is 3/4"
wide, and a 1/2" Stanley screwdriver bit fits it pretty well. The bit
is actually about 5/8" wide but beveled to 1/2" at the tip. If I had a
lot of #24 screws to drive (or remove) I'd probably grind it back
somewhat to make it fit even better. I've never seen a bit for a drill
motor that will fit a screw that size - have you? Or even one for a
#14 slot, or for a #3 Phillips.
The bit brace is far more stable than an electric drill. It is longer,
and the pad is designed to be braced by not just your hand, but also by
your chest, thigh or even forehead if necessary. An electric drill is
difficult to brace in that way. And, that extra support from your
chest, thigh or forehead also translates into extra pressure holding
the bit in the screw slot - which keeps it from camming out.
An offset of 3" or 4"? Those 6" and 8" sweep braces are pretty rare,
although they are good for driving smaller screws. Most of the braces
you'll find are larger. I've got a half dozen or so, with sweeps
ranging from 8" to 14". The 14" brace is capable of driving a #24
screw into hardwood without any great effort. I'm guessing your drill
motor would have a tough time with that, assuming that you could get a
bit to fit it.
John Martin