Tool collection

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Float Float, after restoration

Braces

FLOTT brace, BUNDESBAHN-EIGENTUM

FLOTT (Friedr. Aug. Arnz), Remscheid · 1950–1979

Item passport

Maker
FLOTT (Friedr. Aug. Arnz), Remscheid
Country
Germany
Dating
1950s–1970s: a hypothesis, not a verified manufacturing date. Deutsche Bundesbahn existed from 1949 to the end of 1993, but the ownership mark could have been applied to an older tool.
Condition
Owner reports well-preserved metal after removing old oil and dirt, with slight rust on the upper-head fastener. Surface marks and wear remain. Operation in every ratchet mode has…

Hand brace (Bohrwinde) with a bent metal frame, a rotating side grip and an upper pressure head with a wooden handle. Four-jaw chuck; the reversible ratchet allows drilling with short oscillating strokes where a full sweep is restricted. FLOTT is readable on…

Read the story

History

Hand brace (Bohrwinde) with a bent metal frame, a rotating side grip and an upper pressure head with a wooden handle. Four-jaw chuck; the reversible ratchet allows drilling with short oscillating strokes where a full sweep is restricted. FLOTT is readable on the frame, together with the inscription BUNDESBAHN-EIGENTUM (“property of the Federal Railway”).

Dating. 1950s–1970s: a hypothesis, not a verified manufacturing date. Deutsche Bundesbahn existed from 1949 to the end of 1993, but the ownership mark could have been applied to an older tool.

Parts and their origin

Frame FLOTT (Friedr. Aug. Arnz), Remscheid
FLOTT
Bent metal frame with a rotating side grip, upper pressure head and reversible ratchet. Exact model unknown.
Chuck
Four-jaw chuck; the number of jaws is visible in the dismantled-assembly photograph and confirmed by the owner. Clamping capacity unknown.
Handle
Wooden grips. Wood species unknown.

Marks and stamps

  • documented

    FLOTT mark on the frame. The historic Friedr. Aug. Arnz firm, Remscheid (founded 1854).

  • probable

    “Property of the Federal Railway”. Probably associated with Deutsche Bundesbahn; specific workshop, inventory number and service use unknown.

Restoration

Cleaned with a clean cloth and a soft nylon brush. A completed oil or wax treatment is unconfirmed. Recommended: preserve marks and patina, remove only loose rust and apply a thin film of oil to the metal; avoid aggressive polishing.

Sources

Research status

FLOTT and the ownership inscription are readable in photographs; date and model remain unknown. Reversal requires functional testing. Unclear surface traces are not attributed as stamps.

  • FLOTT, Historie
  • Deutsche Bahn, 1945-1994: Auf getrennten Gleisen
  • Deutsche Bahn: The foundation of Deutsche Bahn AG (1994)

Purchase and price

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