Swedish-Estonian style breast drill - part 2

In Part 1, I discussed the inspiration for and the first steps towards building a unique breast drill that I found in the classic "Woodworking in Estonia". This post continues that project.

With the lower body completed I moved on to the pad, the part to which chest pressure is applied to both steady and advance the auger bit. The book shows that the chest stock is made from a piece of tree branch. The hole for the stock tenon is bored through a knot, enabling the grain to flow around the hole which should help prevent splitting.

I selected a likely looking piece of maple from my firewood pile and started after it with a variety hand adzes and hatches.

Pretending to chop the knot swell flush to the rest of the wood.

Boring the hole

Bark removed and rough layout lines drawn on.

Starting the work with a hatchet

More work, now with cooper's adze

More adze work, getting close now.

I love the texture left by the adze. Some of this will remain.

All in all, a very successful attempt. This is after one quick coat of my preferred finish for tools, a blend of pine tar, linseed oil, and turpentine. Several more coats will be applied after all other steps are completed.

Next up, I'll be choosing and fitting an auger bit to burn into this stock and pouring some pewter. It's about to get smoky in the wood shop (usually a very bad thing).


- Zachary Dillinger