Millers Falls No. 51 Sill Borer

[lptools]

Hello, Another piece that I forgot about!! Info from "A Millers Falls Home Page"

Millers Falls no. 51 Sill Borer

Malleable iron frame; hardened steel gears and bushings; ball bearings; adjustable hardwood handle; frame is japanned.

Often referred to as a joist tool. Used in conjunction with a bit brace or breast drill for boring at right angles in cramped quarters. Especially useful for car builders and electricians.

[Bill Houghton]

Used in conjunction with a bit brace or breast drill and an apprentice...

Fixed it for you.  I don't see any way to run that alone.

[lptools]

Hello, Bill. Thanks!! All 4 hands would be needed!!  Regards, Lou

[Bill Houghton]

I suppose these would have been for production crews, rather than for a repair or smaller job, where a joist brace might make more sense (not my joist brace, by the way; I don't have a picture of mine):

[Lewill2]

Bill, isn't that style considered a corner brace?

[Bill Houghton]

Bill, isn't that style considered a corner brace?

I've seen them called both corner and joist.  The advantage of the style is that you can fit it between joists, studs, and so on in stick framed houses, so I think joist brace may make more sense; but see next paragraph.

There's also the style I've seen consistently called a corner brace (below), apparently designed with electricians in mind, suitable for drilling through, say, a floor plate.  I finally gave in and got one when I found it at $15 (previous offerings in my area had been much pricier).  For production speed, the fact that you could operate the crank handle continuously is probably what made this worth buying; it would have been faster than what I called a joist brace above.  You sure couldn't use it in tight spots.  I imagine electricians and plumbers might have had both styles in their kits.

[Lewill2]

Bill, The Stanley catalogs called both styles you have pictured Corner braces. I guess that is where I got that name from. I have one of the small ones in one of my shadow boxes.

[Northwoods]

Bill, isn't that style considered a corner brace?

I've seen them called both corner and joist.  The advantage of the style is that you can fit it between joists, studs, and so on in stick framed houses, so I think joist brace may make more sense; but see next paragraph.

There's also the style I've seen consistently called a corner brace (below), apparently designed with electricians in mind, suitable for drilling through, say, a floor plate.  I finally gave in and got one when I found it at $15 (previous offerings in my area had been much pricier).  For production speed, the fact that you could operate the crank handle continuously is probably what made this worth buying; it would have been faster than what I called a joist brace above.  You sure couldn't use it in tight spots.  I imagine electricians and plumbers might have had both styles in their kits.

Yours has a U-joint.  My Stanley Sweetheart has the enclosed bevel gears.  What is the make on yours?

[Northwoods]

Bill, isn't that style considered a corner brace?

I've seen them called both corner and joist.  The advantage of the style is that you can fit it between joists, studs, and so on in stick framed houses, so I think joist brace may make more sense; but see next paragraph.

There's also the style I've seen consistently called a corner brace (below), apparently designed with electricians in mind, suitable for drilling through, say, a floor plate.  I finally gave in and got one when I found it at $15 (previous offerings in my area had been much pricier).  For production speed, the fact that you could operate the crank handle continuously is probably what made this worth buying; it would have been faster than what I called a joist brace above.  You sure couldn't use it in tight spots.  I imagine electricians and plumbers might have had both styles in their kits.

1884 by Charles Amidon!  https://oldtoolheaven.com/galleries/Amidon/Amidoimg/corner-brace-lg.jpg
https://oldtoolheaven.com/galleries/Amidongallery.htm 

[Bill Houghton]

Yours has a U-joint.  My Stanley Sweetheart has the enclosed bevel gears.  What is the make on yours?

That's not actually mine; it belongs to some guy named Inter Net (strange name.  Probably Dutch).

Mine is hung way up in the ceiling joists, nine feet up, and I've got too many items on my to do list to climb up there; but mine has enclosed bevel gears, too.  The sheet metal cap over the gears is a little dented, but it makes no difference to function.