| Spofford Brace FF - Price: SOLD |
Description |
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The
malleable cast iron frame of this brace is smooth and unpitted, save a
small area visible in the right-hand image at left about one-third of
the way between the pad and wrist handle. The pad has an eighth-inch ding on its lower edge not visible in the images, and is somewhat wobbly on the frame from long use. All the brace asks of its user are a few drops of lubricating oil on the ends of the wrist handle, at the pivot of the pad, and on the threads of the thumbscrew, followed by wiping overall with a cotton rag. |
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The top view of the pad shows another eighth-inch ding near the center, clearly visible in the image. The wrist handle is assembled in halves with two original and undamaged pewter rings. There is some wear of the edges of the rosewood halves. The No. 108 model number is stamped alongside the marks of the manufacturer, John S. Fray, and the location of his factory in Bridgeport, Ct. The date of Spofford's March 23,1880 patent is clearly stamped on the opposite side of the upper arm of the frame. |
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The
original thumbscrew is slightly bent from somewhat excessive twisting
force applied by an uninformed former user who was attempting to grip
the unsuitable shank of a bit ... not as badly as some I have seen. My belated discovery of the "doctored" chuck receiver led me to reduce the asking price of this brace, but it looks worse than it is, as the standard auger bit's shank is securely gripped and secure edgewise as well as against sideways wobble. The brace satisfactorily rotates this bit on its own axis. |