Making a clamping T-handle for vintage auger bits | Hand tool woodworking

In the hand tool era, augers and gimlets frequently came with permanently attached T-handles for use mainly in carpentry and green woodwork. A few companies made special handles that could accept brace bits interchangeably (such as the Millers Falls No. 2 and No. 3 auger handles), but these are quite rare nowadays. I thought it would be fun to make a compact clamping handle out of oak to use with gimlet bits and smaller size auger bits. This design was inspired from some 19th-century patents. It's working solidly and I think I'll make another version for large diameter augers in the near future. 0:05 Making the handle body 3:56 Making a dowel for the jaws 5:12 Preparing the copper end caps 7:35 Attaching the caps 10:03 Installing the fixed jaw 10:55 Preparing the floating jaw 12:47 Installing the floating jaw 14:01 Tapering the handle 17:16 Test drilling in oak