# Brace issue



## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

Have a Millers falls brace with a 10" swing. I notice the bit wobbled when I turned it. Thinking I had a bent bit, I tried another. Same problem. I put the brace down on a straight edge, and found that the pivot of the knob didn't line up with the chuck. 









The thing doesn't look bent, so what gives? I have another that needs some work to be functional 









It appears to be fine in this respect. I wasn't on the lookout for this issue when rust hunting. Is this common, and what else do I need to look for in a good brace?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

It is hard to see, but the chuck does not appear to be centered on your straight edge.

If it is indeed off then I would suspect that somewhere, sometime it became damaged. You could carefully try to bend back into alignment. But first check everything else. Intuitively I just do not think that the misalignment you see could cause the problem.

The problem could also be in the chuck. Have you checked to be sure that there is no "trash" in there that would cause the bit to be leaning to one side? Or some other type of chuck problem.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Take the chuck apart*

Clean out the "V" groove wedges that bite on the tang of the bit. Then, if you are willing to sacrifice and old, but true bit, cut it off above the spirals. Chuck it into the chuck ..... lol. Drill a hole into a thick block of wood with a drill press, the same size as the shank of the bit. Insert the Brace and cut off bit into the hole and slowly spin it to see if it's true.

OR using a battery drill, chuck it up and hold it upside down and slowly rotate it to see if the knob stays concentric and does not move in an eccentric.

I'm sure there is a fixture for checking the alignment somewhere, probably in the factory where they are made. If you can get the knob off, you could make a cradle the supports that end and the chuck end with holes or "V" blocks. All the other method of checking would seem to rely on the "eyeball" method that you show with a straight edge or line.

If the handle is bent...then what? I've always wondered how they got the wood handle on, but it must be 2 pieces carefully glued together. :blink:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

EastexToolJunky said:


> It appears to be fine in this respect. I wasn't on the lookout for this issue when rust hunting. Is this common, and what else do I need to look for in a good brace?


I also would not have been checking the pivot to be out of true. I have no idea how this would be out so much.

The issue I look for in a brace is whether the spring between the jaws is broken. I purchased a brace at a flea market, which had a drill bit in place. I did not think about why the bit was in place at the time. I got this home and found out the bit was stuck. I managed to get the chuck loose then found the spring which holds the jaws open and aligned was broken. When tightening the jaws, they would get slightly out of alignment and stick. This brace is now a dust collector, unless I am able to use it for other parts.

I also check that the forward/reverse is working, the top knob swivels, normal things.


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## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

I have put in several bits and sighted down the line formed by the bit and the chuck. The top pivot is definitely about 1/2" out. The springs and jaws in the chuck are good. Since I only paid $3 for it, I'll mess with it in a vise to see if I can get I lined up.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

"I've always wondered how they got the wood handle on, but it must be 2 pieces carefully glued together. :blink:"

You've obviously never heard of magic. I'm completely convinced my grandparents practiced magic and were pretty good at it.


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