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This center bit is permanently mounted in a wooden holder, and similar bits of different sizes are mounted in identical holders allowing them to be used interchangeably. When a worker wants to drill a hole, the appropriate size bit is inserted in a brace and a hole drilled by rotating the bit with the aid of the brace. Before the introduction of electric drills, the quickest and most efficient way to bore holes in wood was to use a bit and brace. This style of bit is simple and easily made by a local blacksmith; the screw auger which is more efficient at drilling holes is more difficult to make and therefore more expensive even today.

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