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The Carpenter's Brace
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 The
modern carpenter's reliance on expensive cordless electric
power tools would be scoffed at by medieval Flemish craftsmen.
Around 1400 they were commonly using the carpenter's brace,
or wheel brace, and it quickly became the universal rotary
tool for most woodworkers until the late 20th century.Consisting
of a cranked handle and a swivelling chuck or socket,
the brace was the first complete crank. It could be used
almost anywhere, in a shipyard or on a construction site.
By the 19th century the brace was used to rotate a number
of bits, such as an auger for boring long, wide holes,
smaller bits for general drilling and screwdriver bits
for fastening |
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