Brace & Bit Rack

Hi Gang: Before all those fancy cordless drills and impact drivers craftspeople used what is called a Brace to drive drills and screw driver bits. Dad always called it a Brace & Bit. ( That's Dad's Brace on the far left! ) Now I see old Braces at sales all the time, and even sometimes in the trash. So I decided to out fit each one with a special bit so they would be ever ready to use. From left to right the bits are:

1) Screw Driver Bit for Slotted Screw. The chuck works well on this Brace so it is easy to change bits.

2) Counter Sink Cutter. Nice for deburring holes or even counter sinking for flat head screws.

3) Repair Reamer. Use this one to line up two holes or just make one hole a bit bigger.

4) Pipe Reamer. Meant for deburring the end of plumbing pipe, but useful in other ways.

5) 1/4" hex bit holder. Takes all those bits you use in the cordless tools.

6) 1/2" square drive. Great for spinning down nuts on big projects.

Step 1: Make a Rack

So I had all these Braces on one peg. When I wanted the Brace in the back I had to pull all the others down too. So I cut some 3/4" plywood to make a rack. I drilled holes that would clear the stem under the top cap. They were spaced a bit farther apart than the diameter of the Pressing Caps on the Braces. Then I cut a slot a little smaller so the frame could pass through. The workshop wall had a ledge I could screw the plywood to, so the project was finished. You might need to add your own ledge for your rack. As soon as I finish the rack for 6 Braces I found another! But 6 is a nice number.

Step 2: Caps All in a Row

So even though they are all different sizes and colors they are very useful.

Hope you can use this idea in your shop.

Good luck, Carl.