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  1. #16
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    I've found a decent range of these Stanley bits made in Aus and still in packet never used. Has 1982 on the pack, so I assume thats the manufacturing date. I will get better pics and size details if anyone's interested. I've been using hand tools more recently so I will keep one of each size for use, the rest I will be selling. My father in law was in hardware for years and has stock left over. Do you think anyone would be interested or is it a waste of time trying to sell these? Do they still make them here? I can't find any info. I will send you a couple for free if your interested Vann, you helped me out with those planes recently so I owe you. I'll find out how many there are, I think he has boxes of them, all still in original pack/boxes.
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  3. #17
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    If they're made in Australia (as it seems to indicate on the packaging) they can't be too bad. The only two companies I know of, still manufacturing square tapered auger bits (i.e. for braces, not power drills), are Stanley Brazil - they make Irwin pattern bits, which are said to be not very good quality, and Clifton (UK) - who make Jennings pattern bits of very good quality, but at a price .

    I know I'd be interested in a set. I'll PM you.

    Boringgeoff? You know more about this line of tools than I.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  4. #18
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    Hi Ausworkshop,
    I've got a 3 or 4 like that which are also branded 1982 which I assumed was the date. I haven't got round to doing any research on Aus' Stanley bits, but I'm sure there are people here who have. I've got a few Titan auger bits (Aus' made pre Stanley)
    What I can say is that there are collectors who love tools in their original packaging, so my suggestion would be to document what you've got and put them up for sale in the Market Place / Auctions section of this Forum and see what interest you get.
    Geoff.

  5. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ausworkshop View Post
    I've found a decent range of these Stanley bits made in Aus and still in packet never used. Has 1982 on the pack, so I assume thats the manufacturing date. I will get better pics and size details if anyone's interested. I've been using hand tools more recently so I will keep one of each size for use, the rest I will be selling. My father in law was in hardware for years and has stock left over. Do you think anyone would be interested or is it a waste of time trying to sell these? Do they still make them here? I can't find any info. I will send you a couple for free if your interested Vann, you helped me out with those planes recently so I owe you. I'll find out how many there are, I think he has boxes of them, all still in original pack/boxes.

    What sizes????
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  6. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by pmcgee View Post
    Ah. I thought you were looking for models other than what you listed.
    My two were in your list.
    A78 10IN
    A144 12IN MK2
    I find the story on the braces interesting.

    I have three from Grandfather
    Stanley No 144 10IN
    Stanley No 73 12IN
    Also a Skinner Steel 10

    All well pre-war. Is it possible to date them? Have not heard of Skinner before. Any information would be welcome.

    Graham

  7. #21
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    Hi Graham,

    Your three were all made in Sheffield England but whether pre war I'm not sure. In the case of Stanley, Stanley USA bought a share of J A Chapman of Sheffield about 1936 -37 and owned them outright by the mid to late 40's. Chapman made an extensive range of good quality braces under their own name and for other British makers including Mathieson, Preston and W'm Marples. They are very common here in Aus'.
    At sometime after Stanley's arrival,they started branding their tools with both Chapman and Stanley name but continuing with Chapmans numbering system. Evidence points to Stanley badging tools with Chapman as recently as the 1980's.
    144 and 73 are Stanley England numbers (quite different from their US numbers) which I had assumed were post war but could stand corrected on that.
    Stanley used their same numbering system on their Australian braces when they came here in 1966, simply putting an A in front of the model No.
    The type of jaws used in the No 73 were patented by A Stowell in the USA in 1932.(1,880,521)
    Now to Skinner......what I know about this company apart from they are from Sheffield and I have a Skinner brace dated to 1933, is zilch, so if you, or anyone, knows anything about them I'd love to hear it.

    Hope this is of some help,
    Regards,
    Geoff.

  8. #22
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    A quick google turned up a surprising number of links for "Skinner sheffield brace" ...

    Some cuckoo on a uk website ... J A Chapman Sheffield info wanted. : Hand Tools - UKworkshop.co.uk
    Bastad's on here too ... https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/b...wanted-134702/

    And while we're in the UK ... here's our saw-filing buddy mate Andy ... The Humble Hand Brace - A Beginner's Guide to Restoring, Buying and Using #3: Part 3 - Cleaning and Restoring a Brace to 'Like New' Condition - by Brit @ LumberJocks.com ~ woodworking community

    Hmmm ... and it's contagious ... (**)
    Vintage Tool Rehab Projects #6: Rehabbing an English Brace
    Restoring a Skinner 6

    and ...
    Joist Ratchet Brace by Skinner Sheffield | eBay
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Ca...p2047675.l2557
    Skinner Ratchet Brace Narrow 6" Swing VGC | eBay


    skinner brace.jpg skinner ratchet.jpg

    and a chapman ... J A Chapman Pre Stanley Sheffield England Heavy Duty Ratchet Bit Brace Nice | eBay

    chapman brace.JPG

    Cheers,
    Paul


    (**)
    Of course there's the off-colour joke about the kid who had to make a sentence with the word 'contagious' ...
    "That's easy, my dad complains about the new guy at work. 'Ask him to do anything, it'll take the ____' "

  9. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boringgeoff View Post
    Hi Graham,

    Your three were all made in Sheffield England but whether pre war I'm not sure. In the case of Stanley, Stanley USA bought a share of J A Chapman of Sheffield about 1936 -37 and owned them outright by the mid to late 40's. Chapman made an extensive range of good quality braces under their own name and for other British makers including Mathieson, Preston and W'm Marples. They are very common here in Aus'.
    At sometime after Stanley's arrival,they started branding their tools with both Chapman and Stanley name but continuing with Chapmans numbering system. Evidence points to Stanley badging tools with Chapman as recently as the 1980's.
    144 and 73 are Stanley England numbers (quite different from their US numbers) which I had assumed were post war but could stand corrected on that.
    Stanley used their same numbering system on their Australian braces when they came here in 1966, simply putting an A in front of the model No.
    The type of jaws used in the No 73 were patented by A Stowell in the USA in 1932.(1,880,521)
    Now to Skinner......what I know about this company apart from they are from Sheffield and I have a Skinner brace dated to 1933, is zilch, so if you, or anyone, knows anything about them I'd love to hear it.

    Hope this is of some help,
    Regards,
    Geoff.
    Thanks for the information. Very interesting. The No 144-10 IN is in fact branded J A Chapman by Stanley Works GB Ltd.

    I also have a No 78- 10 IN

    Do the numbers give an indication of date first produced?

    Regards Graham

  10. #24
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    You've gone to a lot of trouble posting those links Paul, but has it increased our knowledge of Skinner? The answer is, of course, no.
    Your link to the Chapman brace on ebay is interesting, in his blurb the vendor says "..........1936 and lacking any Stanley markings this brace would be prior to this date." Not true for a number of reasons. Stanleys track record in other company takeovers show that they continued to make tools under the "victims" name for some time.
    Graham, in answer to your question re the age of your braces the answer is I don't know. I was tending towards post war but on the other hand Stanley may have started producing the 73 and 78 the moment they got a foot in the pommie door.
    They arrived there only 2 - 3 years before the outbreak of the war which would have curtailed development of new models as they buckled down to essential production for the war effort. There is such a huge number of "Chapman by Stanley" branded braces around that it seems to me that they (Stanley) were trying to ease their name into the market. Introduction of the dual branded No 144 followed by the Stanley 144 would have been their first move, I think, which is why I'm leaning towards the 73 and 78 being post war.
    There is a gent in UK who is writing a book about the history of Chapman, which I am looking forward to reading, that will, hopefully, shed some light on the subject.
    Forums like this are a valuable resource where you pick up grains of information about braces, hidden in the interminable chaff of planes, saws, chisels etc.
    And there are a lot of very knowledgeable people on this site. Take my friend pmcgee (please somebody take him) for example, he has a prodigious knowledge of the internet and is continually posting links to interesting sites, why right now, as we speak, he is researching my mystery tool posted in the Antique and Collectible Tools and Machinery Forum.
    Way to go Paul!
    Sorry about the levity and the brevity Graham and thanks for helping to keep this thread alive.
    Regards,
    Geoff.

  11. #25
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    Default Brace yourself

    Quote Originally Posted by Boringgeoff View Post
    Hi all,


    Any information will be gratefully received, thank you.

    Geoff.
    I don't collect them and no nothing about them however, if it is any use the information in the 1969 "Stanley/Titan Storekeepers price list states
    • A73 came with 10", 12", and 14" sweeps - (1968/69 McPherson's does not use the A but has the same number and sizes)
    • A78 came with the same as above - (1968/69 McPherson's does not use the A but has the same number and sizes plus an 8" sweep)
    • A144 BF came with 8", 10" and 12" sweeps - (1968/69 McPherson's does not use the A but has the same number and sizes)
    • 66B came with 10" sweep


    You probably know this already.

  12. #26
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    Hi Doggie,

    Every little bit of info helps I reckon. Now I'm wondering what the BF stands for on the 144.
    My notes suggest that Stanley may have sourced the 66B from their British works, which may also be the case with the 78 8" in the McPhersons catalogue.
    Thanks for your interest.
    Regards,
    Geoff.

  13. #27
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    Default Bf??

    Quote Originally Posted by Boringgeoff View Post
    Hi Doggie,

    Every little bit of info helps I reckon. Now I'm wondering what the BF stands for on the 144.
    .
    In the price list the A73, A78 are noted as "Nickel plated finish". The A144 BF is listed as "Polished Finish". The 66B is "Bright Steel" finish. Maybe this has something to do with it.

    Rgds Dick

  14. #28
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    Yes, must be Bright Finish.
    Geoff.

  15. #29
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    Hey Geoff,
    How about a show and tell of your collection?

    I've got a few braces, maybe 20 or thirty, but they all look the same to me. A bit of knowledge of the different chucks etc, would make them more interesting.

    Thanks

    Steve.

  16. #30
    Boringgeoff is offline Try not to be late, but never be early.
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    Hi Steve,

    That's probably something I should think about doing but I'm a bit dubious about posting photos of a brace unless it's one that someone has specifically asked about. At the moment the bulk of my collection is in crates and boxes waiting for the dedicated tool room I'm building in my shed, or ready to go to the next show. (Katanning 26th October) Once the room is finished and the tools more visible it'll be easier to do.
    Twenty or thirty braces makes you a collector too I reckon, and you're right, there are lots of chucks that look the same but when you come to use them you realise there are big differences in their tool holding ability.
    Stanley make good braces, and why wouldn't they? They bought up some of the best American and British brace making companies over the years.


    Geoff.

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