Should tools be restored?

[lucakiki]

What finish did you put on the adjustable Roger...?

PS....One of the "tool guys" on the gee is very touchy about "restoring" a wrench that was originally produced in one finish to a different finish....was that one originally cadmium or bare metal or what? What is the finish on it now?

Don't let him find out, he's sic the wrench police on ya!

Roger, I do not know who the touchy guy might be, since Chuck Lutz kept it vague.
Personally, I rate your job as quite a good job, just as I told you when I first saw the pictures you sent me. The scarcity of the tool made it even more interesting, as an extra bonus!

I started this thread as a very general conversation about restoring tools of any brand. I purposedly kept the title very general, in order to avoid an unwanted focus on just one brand, given the recent trends.

Here is, verbatim quoted, what I wrote earlier, regardless of what the touchy guy might think.

Restoring a tool to its pristine condition means just that : restore previous appearance. If it was a correct tool to begin with, it will be a correct restored tool: otherwise it will be just a restored tool. Pretty obvious.
However, at times, it is possible to change the original finish of a tool into a different finish. Whether this is acceptable or not I will not discuss. I know it can be done.
The main concept is that any used tool can be made to look better , to a certain extent. Miracles are not possible.

In the thread, barring some considerations that would have found a better place in other threads, some useful information was posted, describing in general what is what.


Painting, black oxidizing,japanning, parkerizing,plating et cetera : quite useful to know, in order to assess, restore, tell apart any tool and jeep tools.
I would have liked that at least this thread would not turn into a Williams thread, but apparently it is inavoidable.
I hope that guys interested in sharing useful information will keep doing so.
Roger, I am looking forward to see some other before and after pictures.

I am quite interested also in any further discussion on Williams Superrenches, but I would rather do it in one of the other (surviving) threads, or even in a new one.


P.S. : hopefully this thread does not need a C.O.W. caution, not yet at least.

[Chuck Lutz]

Check the "Cadmium Plating" thread....

Black Oxide, if it is called for as a finish for a WWII wrench, is not parkerizing.

Parkerizing, if called for as a finish for a WWII wrench, is not the same as "plain steel finish".

[lucakiki]

I have a Williams Alloy (Superrench here that somebody ID'd with a grinder. They also changed the 1/2" end to a 9/16 with a file In both places the exposed metal seems to match the color of whatever plating it has, no gold or copper color is visible at all as it all looks like pewter with worm polished heads. Due to all the damage I hope to fill the jaw with weld & then mill it back to 1/2" & then see if I can disguise the grinder marks just because it has no real value in it's present condition (other than hanging on a tool display board). It's a case of having nothing to loose & a display piece to gain....













Obviously there's still a little room for improvement, but it's a whole lot better than it was. To get rid of those grinder marks would take some fill (weld) & grinding/polishing which probably isn't worth the time & risk...but, in the interest of science if time pemits I may try that next. Obviously re-plating would help after all the repairs are done.

Jeff, that is a very apt post for a tool restoration thread.
I think that your idea of filling up with weld the missing metal is a good solution.
One suggestion, if you have around any similar wrench that you can sacrify, because already ruined or anyway not valuable to you.
Grind its handle into a rod, so you can better use it as a welding rod .
The built up metal will be absolutely the same as the wrench you are restoring, and undetectable once filed/ grinded/ sanded/ sanblasted or whatever else needed. Of course, use all necessary care if cadmium is involved.

As for parkerising, Ben Dover had posted about the issue, and I had answered there, but I cannot find the thread anymore for some reason.
As a general rule, as you already found out, google is a great help and you can find all the needed information on parkerising, oxidising, japanning, etc.

[lt.luke]

interesting suggestion about using a wrench for a welding rod. I guess I never thought that would work. Would there not be impurities that would make it difficult?

That might make it benificial to buy a couple of non-desireable wrenches.

[Chuck Lutz]

If one used a ground down wrench as a sacrificial welding rod to build up metal on a wrench they were restoring, I wonder if the type of metal in it would have to be compatible or if mixing types would be OK?

Carbon Steel = Carbon Steel
Cr-Mo = Cr=Mo
Cr-Al = Cr-Al
ALLOY = ALLOY

[lt.luke]

Chuck, I think we are in agrement...If one was going to weld wrenches with wrenches, the rod would have to be the same type wrench from the same maker to work?

I don't know squat about welding really, just stuff learned through reading and verbal instruction. I have done it once or twice too.

I think the process of collecting "welding rods" would be as frustrating as collecting the real thing.

By the way, IMHO:

Alloy = Alloy isn't correct, but should be
Alloy = ????

Here's why. In my view, alloy could really be any combination of things within tollerance. In respect of "welding rods" I think the EXACT SAME wrench would have to be used to avoid problems.

DO NOT want that to be C.O.W., so I'll narrow the parameters to a wrench used to repair another wrench in the name of restoration. We have had discussions on the meaning of alloy that can be searched, right?

[lucakiki]

My bad! I meant the rod you melt with a oxy torch, not an electrode.

And yes, use for instance a Fairmount "corpse" as a donor for a restorable Fairmount.
When a 723 is worth a bunch of money, it is worth the effort.

Jon once posted some Fairmounts he had doctored.

[lt.luke]

Luca, I suppose the only way it would NOT be accomplished with a torch would be with a TIG welder. I for one wasn't thinking use it as the electrode.

BUT, would the metal composition of the donor not mater to the same extent? What am I missing?

is the PM you mentioned yesterday forthcoming?

[JAB]

While it's always wise to keep things simple, as in not mixing all sorts of different alloys when welding to create unknown & inconsitant properties in the finished product we're not welding structural steel here, nor are we trying to restore the wrench to 100% original functionality. Hard-facing the jaws with weld, no matter what metal filler is used, will likely result in all sorts of metalurgial unknowns when compared to the original forged tool steel as even the forging proccess & resulting alignment of the molecular grain is affected by the weld. Although my repaired wrench is certainly functional, there's really no way to tell if it's "better" or worse than the original; maybe under a maximum load that added metal will literally fall off right where the two joined if they both didn't melt & meld due to their (possible) incompatible chemical compostion. In a sense it's really more of a cosmetic fix for the tool board or a display kit, not a true funtional restoration. The forging proccess is more complicated than simply stamping hot metal. But.....using a donor wrench of the same constitution would be an improvement over the wire weld method I choose, but I doubt that any method of weld repair will restore a tool to it's former level of engineered performance.

[lucakiki]

Jeff, I agree with you: it is a cosmetical thing. I suggested the use of a donor made with the same alloy to achieve a totally homogeneus aspect/ color when sanding down the weld. Maybe it is excessive, but for a scarce wrench at least it might be worth it.

[Roger]

Jeff, That is an amazing transfermation! Good Job!! I have had quite a few tools with the grinder marks. I wonder if one was to grind and get the handle smooth, if a metal shot blaster would bring back some of the texture on the handle. Anyone ever try that?

Now I wish I hadn't thrown the Williams 28S back because it was ground out!......

[lucakiki]

Jeff, That is an amazing transformation! Good Job!! I have had quite a few tools with the grinder marks. I wonder if one was to grind and get the handle smooth, if a metal shot blaster would bring back some of the texture on the handle. Anyone ever try that?

Grinder marks are a real evil way to turn a gem into junk, and unfortunately they are more common than we would like to. A discreet possession mark does not bother me much, but grind marks are a calamity.
I think some blasting after any welding will help a great deal to make the job more undetectable. Some wrenches are worth any possible effort.
I hope to see soon some good pictures of saved tools.

[Roger]

I hope to see soon some good pictures of saved tools.

"TED" Irwin got a face lift

[lt.luke]

Roger, since you already have an idea of the pattern for Irwin handles, would you be interested in making another set?

[Roger]

Luke, Those inlays are actually refinished. Not new. I don't have a pattern for making them. Rivits may be an issue if replacing wood. I have refinished some very badly damaged wood with good results. Unless your screwdriver is missing parts. Refinishing may be an option.