Tool Talk
Classic Auto and Motorcycle Tools => Classic Auto and Motorcycle Tools => Topic started by: lauver on September 05, 2012, 08:44:04 PM
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Gang,
I did a quick dredge of the local pawns this week and could not find much to like. I did manage to pick up an vintage Blue-Point 12oz ball pein hammer that caught my eye. It looked "rough and grimey" when I found it, but I figured it would clean up nicely and could go back in service with a little TLC.
So, I removed the head from the handle, gave it a good wire wheeling, dressed the faces with a file and 220 grit sand paper, and called it good. I cleaned up the handle using "galoot mix" (1 part paint thinner, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 1 part paraffin) and very fine steel wool. The handle is now smooth but still retains all the pre-existing scars and patina. I cut 3/8" off of the top of the handle, recarved it to fit the eye snuggly, and remounted the head using the old wedge. About 2 hours work in all.
Here's a few pic's:
(http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/lauver_photos/BluePointBallPein6.jpg)
(http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/lauver_photos/BluePointBallPein2.jpg)
(http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/lauver_photos/BluePointBallPein3.jpg)
(http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/lauver_photos/BluePointBallPein4.jpg)
(http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/lauver_photos/BluePointBallPein5.jpg)
It's a very comfortable well balanced hammer. OAL is 13", head weight is 12oz, made ca. 1958-1967 (maybe a year or two earlier or later).
It always amazes me how cheaply good quality tools can be had at pawn shops if your willing to overlook some roughness. If it aint all shiney and new, pawn shops just seem to want to unload them quickly.
And yes scottg, the pickins were slim here too.
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Good find and nice job on the cleanup. I agree the rusty dirty stuff is generally a better buy than all that shiny stuff and generally better made.
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Good job, Gary!!
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Thanks guys.
I enjoy the hell out of these little salvage projects; good clean fun and quality time in the shop. And the best part... I end up with a great tool that's good for two or three lifetimes.
My two girls like to watch me working and ask questions I can't seem to answer... i.e. Why do you have so many hammers? How many hammers is enough? Does mommy know about this one? Should this be another little secret?
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I agree with the others, good job on the clean up and I too tend to to look for the rusty,grimy,dirty tools that a lot of people usually overlook but you can,sometimes, find a real treasure
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Nice, Gary.
How did you date it? I have the same hammer as a 2oz.
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Nice, Gary.
How did you date it? I have the same hammer as a 2oz.
LG,
That's a small ball pein you got there. If your's is a BP-2 you can use the same date range (1958-1967) I posted above for kxxr or mine.
Collecting Snap-on site, catalog search. He doesn't have every Snap-on catalog but he has enough of them to reasonably date just about any SO or BP tool. It's time consuming though.
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Yep, a BP-2; the smallest I have & I bought it simply because it amused me...
I figured you may have waded through Frank's collection, but figured I'd see if there was another resource I was unaware of!
Thanks for the date range.
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That's a good job! I really like how the handle turned out. Well, I like how it all turned out, but the color and all the work nicks of the handle are wonderful.
>How many hammers is enough?
Just one more...
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Yep, a BP-2; the smallest I have & I bought it simply because it amused me...
Thanks for the date range.
I have a BP-2 myself. I picked it up because, well, it amused me, too. They border closely on "cute."
My thanks for the date range also.
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That's a good job! I really like how the handle turned out. Well, I like how it all turned out, but the color and all the work nicks of the handle are wonderful.
>How many hammers is enough? Just one more...
Branson,
My thoughts exactly. I love every scrape, cut, ding, and burn on that handle. And the color is all about age and heavy usage. There was no way I was replacing that handle, it just had to be salvaged.
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Yep, a BP-2; the smallest I have & I bought it simply because it amused me...
Thanks for the date range.
I have a BP-2 myself. I picked it up because, well, it amused me, too. They border closely on "cute."
My thanks for the date range also.
Branson,
I have an old BP-4 that belonged to my dad. I used to think it was small until I saw the BP-2 in the catalogs.
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I buy every USA small Ball Pein that I find.
Don't know why.
Only have 2 hands,,,,,
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I used to think it was small until I saw the BP-2 in the catalogs.
Scale in centimetres:
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/lbgradwell/BallPeen003.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/lbgradwell/BallPeen002.jpg)
And posing with its 24oz. cousin:
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/lbgradwell/BallPeen001.jpg)