Thread: Mortising Tool

Sorry, can't help with finding the left hand bit for you. However I suspect that the brand name on the tool might give you a better indication of intended use than that you gave it. Based on the background (newspaper racing guide) the mortice would be quite narrow and probably more suited to accommodating a sash pulley than a modern or old fashioned mortice lock.

I think you'll find inside is a set of 3 gears. As the gears rotate, they inturn rotate the cutter bits drilling the holes which would then require only a small amount of chisel work to tidy upthe mortice.
The bit should look like one of the existing ones.
If you can get a pic of one on its own, put out a call on the Metalwork Forum, as someone may be able to make a replacement for you.
Kryn

Murphy's law insists it had to be one of the anti-clockwise bits that went AWOL! I've seen similar bits (similar business ends, that is), amongst the sort of hodge-podge bit collections you see at flea markets etc., (there must be a name for them!?) Provided your bits are a standard size, one of those could probably be modified to fit in the gadget without too much sweat & look like the real deal, but they'd all be clockwise action, of course, so that's a dead-end road. I have no idea of the actual steps involved in making the auger end, but I do know it would be well beyond my skills, & my (very) basic metal lathe's capabilities. KB's suggestion is probably your best bet, unless someone comes up with a genuine part...

Good luck,

Thanks chaps,
The bits are 1" so I guess you're right Malb, after all it is by the SASH Mortising Co. I opened it up and, as Kryn said, there are gears and the difficulty of making a replacement are compounded by the L/H bit also having a L/H thread where it locates into the socket. One of the lead points is a lot shorter than the other also. I wouldn't be surprised if the thread inside the socket of the missing bit is damaged too, I'll have to have a better look later.
This sudden interest in a tool that's been languishing forgotten in a box at the back of the shed was brought on by a photo a friend sent me of the tool display by the SAHTA at the recent National Machinery Rally at Murray Bridge. In the photo, on the fourth panel from the left, can be seen two mortising tools, one carrying four bits and the other five. (better quality photos can be seen on the SAHTA website)
Obviously if it had ...wait for it.... a square tapered tang to fit a brace it would be a lot further up my importance scale and to be honest I'd forgotten all about it till I saw the photo.
Cheers,
Geoff.