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I recently got a good deal on a John Fray Spofford 112 Bit Brace. I’ve read a lot about how well these work, so I grabbed it.
I was curious about bits for it. Can I just use a standard Irwin/Jennings auger set? Is there an older type of auger bits that were used with this brace? Any information would be greatly appreciated!
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You can use "regular" brace bits in it, your Irwins will work just dandy.
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05-24-2021, 11:56 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-25-2021, 08:56 AM by Bill_Houghton.)
Spofford chucks don't seem like they should work at all on a conventional "modern" square tapered bit, because there's no shoulder in the chuck to keep the bit from falling out, but they work fine. Once you tighten the bit up in the chuck, it's held pretty firmly.
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Yup, I tried it out today and that thing has a death grip.
Did they make/sell bits with shoulders on them for that type of brace in the past?
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(05-24-2021, 11:25 PM)Yodascaretaker Wrote: Did they make/sell bits with shoulders on them for that type of brace in the past?
The shoulder to which I was referring is in the chuck, not the bit. If you look at one of the common brace chucks, you'll find that you can open it up and put the bit in, tighten slightly, then pull it down, to find an internal shoulder on the chuck that prevents the bit from coming out. Final tightening then secures the bit in place.
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Oh I see. I only have one bit brace in addition to my new Fray Spofford. It doesn’t have that retaining lip. It’s not a very good one I don’t think. It just says “Japan” on the brace bar. The Spofford feels and works so much better. The difference in balance and smoothness is huge.
I might get a nice ratcheting one eventually. Maybe a Yankee.
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(05-26-2021, 12:50 AM)Yodascaretaker Wrote: Oh I see. I only have one bit brace in addition to my new Fray Spofford. It doesn’t have that retaining lip. It’s not a very good one I don’t think. It just says “Japan” on the brace bar. The Spofford feels and works so much better. The difference in balance and smoothness is huge.
I might get a nice ratcheting one eventually. Maybe a Yankee.
Ratcheting is nice if you do close quarters work or work in an awkward spot; but your Fray brace may serve you well for a long time.
I love the simplicity of those Fray Spofford braces.
