German brace chuck

[RickCarpenter]

I have a German brace that looks made for export, it is stamped "Made in Germany". It doesn't look old at all, no name, wooden wrist handle and pad, maybe 1970s+? I'm curious about the non-ratcheting, non-adjustable, jaw-less chuck though. It is a 1.75 inch long conical sleeve with a rectangular hole with spline grooves to about 1/3 way down on the short sides (like the shape of a small Stanley logo). There is a thumbscrew into one long side. I've never seen a bit with a mating shank for this chuck.

I'm only curious though. I bought it to modify it, I'll remove the chuck and weld on a .25 inch bit holder. Thanks.

 

[Evergreen]

Sorry, can't help you much with the brace but it sounds like a Spofford type arrangement to hold the bits. Can't seem to find a decent image on the web but it's worth googling "spofford" to see what you can find out.

I believe your brace may date back to the 1960s because at that time, German industries were trying very hard for exports and often just copied established designs. I have an unnamed German hand drill (aka wheel brace) that I bought in the late '60s and it's a very close copy of the Stanley 803 with an even higher quality of finish.

 

[RickCarpenter]

Thanks, but it's not a Spofford chuck. There are no jaws, it's a friction fit with a thumbscrew as a retainer. I said "1970s+" but the stamp 'Made in Germany' (not 'West Germany') proves that badly inaccurate, it surely has to be later than 1990 because it doesn't look pre-WWII.

 

[wjordan]

You probably talk about this kind of chuck. It is designed to hold two different kinds of drills, with square shanks and with flat shanks.

Although your brace does not look old it certainly is, because they are not made anymore for a long time.

Wolfgang

 

[Evergreen]

Wolfgang

I've never seen a brace like that before - was it intended for any special trades e.g. chairmakers?

Great photos, thanks for posting.

 

[RickCarpenter]

Thanks. That's it almost exactly, except that mine is inline with the chuck not at 90 degrees like the pics. What's it called? But now I'm curious about the age. It has no makers' or identifying marks except for being stamped in English "Made in Germany". So pre-WWII maybe?

 

[Alf]

Ah, blessed relief - I couldn't get a mental picture of this at all. Thank you, Wolfgang. The flat tang is a new one on me.

 

[Evergreen]

Rick

It may be different in the USA but German exports to this country in the decades post WW11 were usually marked simply "Made in Germany", "German made" or just "Germany". It wasn't necessary to specify West or East Germany because East Germany wasn't exporting consumer goods to us at that time.

 

[Shrubby]

Rick
To help with dating - is there a design registration mark DRGM or DBGM anywhere.
R - Reich
B - Bundes
Matt

 

[Peter Evans]

Interesting brace. Regarding the mark:

The "Made in Germany" mark started after 1887, in response to British legislation, and continued at least until the USA entered the war in 1941. In the interwar years many German made goods were exported to Britain marked "Foreign" to counter anti-German feeling resulting from WW1.

Immediately after WW2 products were often marked "GERMANY, BRITISH ZONE" or "OCCUPIED GERMANY" or something similar. Later most products were marked "Made in W Germany" or some other variant of "West(ern)".

In Oz and I think US, rare to see "Made in Germany" without the "W(est)ern).

The brace illustrated could well have been made early 20th century, and I would not muck about with it!