Auger Bit Extensions

This post is a bit long and is for those who have wondered how auger bit extensions work.

I'd been wanting to find an auger bit extension for a long time.  I finally hooked up with a guy from my tool collectors organization (PAST) and bought a Stanley #180, looking in perfect condition.  And he threw in another, very rusty one for good measure.  Total price: $10!  These tool collector guys are awesome! (He asked for $5 - I gave him $10.)

I believe the way these are advertised, they are said to "follow an 11/16" bit".  That means the end where you affix a regular auger bit will fit through an 11/16" hole.  So if you need to bore, say, a 5/8" hole that is greater in depth than your 5/8" auger bit is long, these extensions won't help you.  But if you want to bore a really deep 11/16" or 3/4" or greater diameter hole, this is the tool to help you.  For both of these extensions, the diameter of the large end is 11/16".

Diameter of the business end

In this post, I'll show how each works and what I did to clean them up.

Stanley #180 above, Craftsman below

The first one is a Stanley #180, in near perfect condition.  I think it's not that old, maybe from the '60s or '70s.

STANLEY
MADE IN U.S.A.
NO. 180 - 18 IN.

The tool is made up of three parts: the main shaft, a knurled and threaded sleeve, and the head into  which a regular auger bit is inserted.  I don't know if these are the proper names for these parts.

Yellow arrows are main shaft, red is the knurled sleeve
and green is the "head"

This photo shows the underside of the head (from previous photo).
The pen points to a key-way cut into the larger diameter part of the shaft.
Half-way up the head a key was punched that slides in the shaft key-way
and keeps the head from rotating on the shaft.

The portion of the shaft that is inside the head has a larger diameter than the majority of the shaft.  That larger diameter portion of the shaft has another purpose.  The knurled and threaded sleeve, which can slide most of the way up and down the shaft, butts up against that larger diameter so it can't slide further up.

Pen point shows the sleeve butted up against the larger portion of shaft

When the head is pulled down to the threaded sleeve, the sleeve can be rotated to engage the inside threads of the head, thus pulling the head towards the sleeve.

Red arrow points to the end of the shaft inside the head.
The sleeve's threads are just starting to engage the lower end of the head.

With the sleeve's threads fully engaged and pulling the head down,
the shaft protrudes further into the end of the head.
This forces the square shank of an auger bit up against the end of the head.

Now look inside the head so you can see the end of the shaft.  It accepts the square tapered shank of an auger bit.  When the sleeve is tightened, the head is pulled down and a bit is locked in place.

Note the square opening at the end of the shaft, seen inside the head.
Its orientation is important.

Here is an auger bit inserted.  Note its orientation.

When the sleeve is tightened, the shoulders of the bit's square, tapered shank
are forced against the inside shoulders of the head to lock the bit in place.

If the opening at the end of the shaft was not oriented as it is, the bit would not be held securely against the shoulders of the head.

The second bit extension works in a similar way, but with a different mechanism.  Here is my attempt to show the inscription on the shaft.  It was tough getting a decent picture of it.  These four pics are supposed to be shown side-by-side - hopefully that is how it is for your browser / phone screen.

   

It says: CRAFTSMAN on the top line and MADE IN U.S.A. A-I on the second line.  I'm not certain what the "A-I" part means, but it may be a code for whatever company made it for Sears.

This one was extremely rusty and totally locked up when I got it.  I oiled the moving parts several times and left it for a week.  When I got back to it, I wrapped a rag around the threaded sleeve and a wrench was able to loosen it.

Yellow arrow is the main shaft, red is the knurled sleeve
and green is the "head"

For this bit extension, the sleeve does not slide up and down the shaft.  It is fixed in position, but it can rotate so that its threads engage the inside threads of the head.  As it does, the head moves up or down the shaft.

In the above pic, note the L-shaped cutout in the head.  Through that cutout, you see the shaft.  At the far left of the cutout, you can see a pin that extends into the L from the shaft.  This pin limits the travel of the head.  But importantly, when the knurled sleeve is turned and the head has moved up, the pin locates at the right end of the L slot and allows the head to rotate 1/8 of a turn.

Sleeve threads fully engaged, head fully retracted, shaft showing inside.
Note how shaft's square opening is 1/8 turn off of head's square opening.

Here, sleeve threads are disengaged, pushing head up.
Now the pin is at the angle of the L

Here's a look down inside the head while it's pushed up.
Again, note how the square hole at end of shaft is angled from the head's square hole.

With head extended, turn the head 1/8 turn (pin slides in short arm of the L)
and the square holes will align.  This allows a bit's square tapered shank to be inserted.

After inserting a bit and rotating the head 1/8 turn, you tighten
the bit in the head using the threaded sleeve.  The offset square holes
of shaft and head force the corners of the bit's square tapered shank
against the inside shoulders of the head.

This allows a bit to be held firmly.  I've noticed that a little wiggling might be needed to get the bit into better alignment with the bit extender's shaft.  But when they're aligned, it really works great.

Here it is in use for a practice hole

As rusty as it was, this bit extender cleaned up nicely

This one took a fair amount of sanding to clean it up.  But it looks fine now and works perfectly.

So that's it on bit extensions.  I'm sure there are other designs out there with different mechanisms.  But at least now I know how these two do what they're supposed to do.