A hand auger is a tool with which you bore a hole into wood, ground, or another material by hand — that is, without a motor. By turning the crank or handle, the cutting tip screws or cuts itself into the material. There are several types, each for its own application.
Types of hand auger
For wood
- Brace (bit brace) — a bow-shaped hand tool that drives a bit through a turning motion
- Hand drill — a small model with a gear drive for fine holes
- Auger bit or gouge — for coarser holes in beams
For ground
- Soil auger (Edelman auger) — an auger with a spiral or cup-shaped head to bring soil samples up from the ground
- Bailer — for boring in wet or loose sand
Applications
The hand auger is used where precision, convenience, or the absence of power is important:
- Pilot holes — making a small hole before driving in a screw, so the wood does not split
- Soil investigation — during a hand sounding or bore, the hand soil auger brings up samples to determine the soil build-up
- Fine woodwork — where a power drill is too coarse or too powerful
- Working without power — at locations without electricity
Tips
- Keep the auger straight to get a clean, perpendicular hole
- Apply steady pressure and let the auger do the work
- When boring wood, clear the borings regularly so the auger keeps cutting
Related terms
- Hand sounding
- Soil investigation
- Drilling
- Tool
- Foundation
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