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One of the most exciting new tools that my students and I got to try and use this year was the 6 Piece Bushcraft Survival Auger Kit with T-Handle and 5 Auger Bits in Tool Roll from WoodOwl. The new tool (practically it is a nice brass and wood handle) allows you to employ your own muscles to bore substantial holes using the high-quality WoodOwl 6000 series bits, instead of relying on an electric drill.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000122-1024x683.jpeg)
The handle and bits all wrapped nicely in the canvas roll that is part of the kit.
Drilling by hand is satisfying, safe, and is a common practice in green woodworking, bushcraft, and other outdoor-related woodworking such as rustic furniture making. The safety aspect of hand drilling is two-folded: drilling by hand is a slow activity that provides plenty of time to circumvent a catastrophic accident, and the second issue is that hand drilling saves you from a sudden kickback that can happen when a drill bit is held in a drill gets abruptly jammed in the wood.
The other important factor that I like about hand drilling is that the slower drilling process, where the drill is propelled into the wood by the young student’s own strength, is a meaningful learning process that teaches the students a lot about wood hardness, grain, alignment, and accuracy. While a Brace & Bit can be used with some success, it is harder to find good bits that will fit into its traditional trapezoid chuck. Plus, most young students will find a Brace too long, uncomfortable to use, and will not be able to exert enough torque to drill a wide hole. A T-handle and bit configuration, on the other hand, was always the gold standard for drilling wide diameters holes and therefore the new handle from WoodOwl is a blessed comeback that I believe would benefit many.
What is in the “box”:
The kit includes the following diameters of the 6000 7-1/2″ Standard Spurred Combination Augers: 3/8″,1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4”, and 1”. It’s worth noting that the widest bit that the handle can accommodate is the 1” bit.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000155-1024x683.jpeg)
The handle’s brass bushing can accept both 1/4” and 5/16” hex shanks.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000147-1024x683.jpeg)
Drilling in green hardwood.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000132-1024x683.jpeg)
Drilling in dry hardwood.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000124-1024x683.jpeg)
Drilling in dry softwood
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000127-1024x683.jpeg)
Notice the sole spur that preempts tear out by cutting the hole’s circumference prior to its excavation.
![](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/p1000129-683x1024.jpeg)
The new handle from WoodOwl is a blessed innovated yet simple tool that I believe would benefit many.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.