On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:37:29 -0700 (PDT), rlz
wrote:

I have an old handcrank drill (see link for similiar style)

http://ecoble.com/wp-content/uploads...ia-flickr1.jpg

I was thinking of trying to use it with some socket wrenchs. I'm not
sure what this type of drill is called. I've always called it an auger
drill, but I don't know the exact name.
It has two teeth which grabs the drill bits. I was wondering if

The two teeth are notched, right? That's to hold the corners of a
square bit.

omeone makes an adapter that would securely fit this drill that has a
3/8" square end for deep sockets

I"m not positive what the drive shaft for a 3/8" socket is (3/8"?) but
you could use a solid piece of hardened stock like that. Might be
hard to get at a mere hardware or tool store precisely because it's
not an quite an adapter.

I don't really like the idea of devoting your brace to this one use**,
and only partly because I think you could do this job better with a
set of 3/8 or 1/2" socket wrenches, or at least the ratchet or
crossover bar, the socket that fits, and possibly a 4" extension..

**It's rusty but you could clean it up like new with a wire wheel on a
bench grinder and some kind of lubricant if necesarr in the three
places that might need it.

I'll bet it's 10 inches or more from the handle at one end of the
brace to the other end, plus the length of the "adapter". For some
reason I don't understand, but it's related to leverage somehow, I
find better results with a socket wrench when I use either a short 4"
extension or no extension. I keep the palm of one hand on the the
ratchet where it meets the socket or extension, and crank with the
other hand. After having my good tools stolen out of my car a couple
times, I switched to almost all cheap tools, like 6 or 8 dollars for a
22 piece set (about 10 or 15 years ago) so sometimes I think I"m going
to break the 3/8" ratchet, and then I switch to a cross-over bar,
which comes in some ratchet sets, and can be bought separately. But
if you're on a ranch where the only thieves are the birds, I'd
consider a little more expensive set.

(I did break one ratchet, but only one, over the years, and I broke a
6" extension once. I turned the ratchet very hard, and the top of the
extension rotated while the bottom stayed where it was. There was a
thin line but not apparent break in the chrome where one part rotated
and the other part didn't!)


I know this is odd, but I sometimes work out on a farm putting in lag
bolts on fences. My cordless drills seem to die at the worst time.
Utilizing this type of setup would help in a pinch.

Robin