Reach For A Stanley (January 2010)
The Chucks and Ratchets of Stanley Braces
Stanley, along with a number of other manufacturers, made an extensive line of braces.
Since nearly every brace made performs the same 
function, it is sometimes hard to figure out which brace would be the best for your tool chest.
The easy answer is that any one will do the job - but when it comes to a man and his tools that is never the whole answer.
The construction of the Stanley brace can is clearly illustrated in the 1911 catalog cut below.
The braces are laid out with the most expensive design on the left. The various elements are described in following paragraphs.
Chuck:
Stanley sold braces with four different chuck configurations. The most expensive was the Universal Jaws chuck (G in above cut).
The universal chuck holds round and tapered bits over a wide range of sizes. The next quality level of chuck was the Interlocking Jaws chuck (H).
This chuck was the best for tapered bits and was recommended for carpenters.
The third level of quality was the Alligator Jaws chuck (J) which would hold both round and taper bits from small to medium size.
The lowest grade was the plain chuck, not shown.
Ratchet:
The top of the line ratchet was the Concealed ratchet (D).
The concealed ratchet was completely covered and protected from the elements.
The middle grade was the Box ratchet (E).
The box ratchet had gears that were protected but of slightly less quality than the concealed.
The Open ratchet (F) was the bottom of the line and had gears that were completely exposed to the elements.
Pad or Head:
The metal connecting the wooden pad to the brace can be found in three configurations.
The top of the line, Metal Clad head (A) has a full metal plate under the wooden pad and rides on ball bearings.
The middle grade (B) has a much smaller connecting ring but still has a ball bearing base.
The lowest grade (C) has a small ring and no ball bearings.
Sweep:
The sweep of a brace is one half the diameter of the circle that the brace handle moves around in one rotation. Or in other words, the distance from the centerline of the bit to the centerline of the grip handle.
Stanley offered braces with sweeps from 3 to 16 inches.
Finishes:
Most Stanley braces are made of steel with nickel plating. Wood is most often cocobolo, a tropical hardwood from the rosewood family.
Some lesser grade braces can be found unplated and/or with hardwood handles.
Selecting a Brace
Stanley braces are not tools that are widely collected. So putting together a good collection or adding a nice example to the toolbox can still be done without breaking the bank.
If collecting is your goal; top of the line in the best condition you can find is always a good objective.
For the user the number available in used condition is nearly unlimited. But, if you like good tools you will want to find one with cocobolo grips that has been well taken care of. The chucks all work well and unless you going to put it to a lot of use or want to use round shank bits any of the three listed above will do the job. Plain chuck braces, as well as many of those made by other companies, Millers Falls being one exception, are not recommended.
Getting a brace for the bench should be easy.
Don’t be tempted by the many worn out $3.00 braces out there, you will be using yours for a lifetime.
Just go for the level of finish you like, make sure the chuck jaws are fine and that the ratchet is working and you will be boring holes for years to come.