Читать книгу The Handyman's Book of Tools, Materials, and Processes Employed in Woodworking - Paul N. Hasluck - Страница 127

The ordinary forms of this small but essential tool are the twist gimlet (Fig. 366) and the shell gimlet (Fig. 367); but other forms are the twist-nose or Swiss gimlet (Fig. 368) and the auger gimlet (Fig. 369). Gimlets are found suitable to bore end grain as well as across the fibres; but in boring near the end of a narrow strip of wood, the pointed screw, drawing the tool rapidly into the compact wood, acts like a wedge, and splits the wood quickly. The way in which to hold a gimlet in use is shown by Fig. 370, p. 104. When a gimlet gets rather the worse for wear and slightly rusty, the shank (providing the handle is quite tight) can be sharpened and the tool made as fit for work as a new one. For sharpening a twist gimlet, fix a piece of oak, about 1 1/4 in. thick, in the vice, and make a hole, 3/4 in. deep, in its top surface with the gimlet to be sharpened. Fill the hole with flour emery and a few drops of oil, and then reinsert the gimlet and screw down well into the wood, until its point just shows on the other side. After working it backwards and forwards for a few minutes, supplying fresh emery and oil at intervals, it will be found, on withdrawing it from the hole, to be quite free from rust and perfectly sharpened. Another piece of wood, this time soft deal, is now taken, a hole bored as before, filled with fine dry flour emery (no oil), and the gimlet worked well into it, until, on being finally withdrawn, it should have a good polish, the edges of the spiral groove being sharp and capable of cutting a clean hole. Besides bringing the shank into good working order, the vigorous screwing backwards and forwards in the hard wood fully tests the strength and tightness of the handle, for after passing satisfactorily through that test it may be safely reckoned to stand any amount of ordinary wear. Though a gimlet is a comparatively unimportant tool, it by no means follows that it should not receive attention.

Fig. 365.—Boring Hole with Bradawl.

Fig. 366.—Twist Gimlet.

Fig. 367.—Shell Gimlet.

Fig. 368.—Twist-nose Gimlet.

Fig. 369.—Auger Gimlet.