repairing wrenches

[1930]

I have some wrenches that someone has ground open to a larger size, I can weld them myself and grind them anew but I think I would prefer an experts touch, I dont want to know that they had ever been repaired, I dont want to see grinding marks all over the faces and I need the opening recut straight and symetrical with the rest of the opening, in other words I want it done right and flawless. I would also like the finish to match thru and thru. Does anyone here do this kind of work, I am pretty anal, not trying to be hard just want to forewarn, there are 3 or 4 of them in need of repair.
They are the flat stamped steel wrenches I collect. Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

[strik9]

What you are asking is a tall order.  These wrenches must be special to be willing to spend an experts fee on them.   I've restored and unbent a few forged wrenches and trust me, its a lot of work just to get them straight and true to original again.   Forget finishes on mine, I only want function.

No weld rod will be exactly the same mix of metals as any old wrench and the heat discolors all equally.  Then a polish to get all that off leaves you or me with an obviously fixed wrench because it looks better than new now.   How do I know?  I spent 10 hours restoring an acid and rust damaged SO combo wrench.  And it still is only half chromed now.  Welding in those rust pits was a touchy thing.  I had a less than perfect hand at it but it came out ok on them.

[1930]

Thanks strick9, does it make it any easier that they are stamped wrenches, I would think it would but what do I know, yes they are special to me.

[64longstep/Brian]

Post up some pics I might be willing to give it a go...
Brian-

[Aunt Phil]

If I'm understanding stamped steel wrenches to be the industry standard 14 ga soft steel that made a quick stop in a punchpress, I'D SAY IT'S DOABLE.  The expensive part would be retaining the color and grinding.  It definitely ain't a bench grinder job.

The brutal part would be finishing so the wrench appears original.  Plating or a finish like Parkerizing might be the only way to get where you want to go.

[strik9]

I'm with Phil, it is doable.  However to an exacting finish....?  Metal forming and filling is the easy part.  polishing will leave a too nice finish and may require artificial weathering to get them back to a well worn old look again.

Hand sanding (and lots of it) or a skilled hand at a fine grain belt sander will smooth out any grind marks.   Then a dip in acid to kill the polished face?   I've never faked a beat up wrench as the real ones are common enough.   May be worth experimenting with some scrap steel before any rare tools.

[1930]

This is the culprit, disregard the sizes written on it, that is what they are now, this little guy started out life as a 3/8-- 7/16. I have 2 others like it but I was lucky enough that this one came along because the butcher left just enough of a ledge at the bottom to see where it came from.
I can mig it or stick it but my concerns are that a line will be visible where the welding was started, yes that can be filled but then sitiing there pecking at it is going to cause some serious heat and I am concerned about deformity and then also the occasional pinholes would gave to be addressed so I was thinking that someone who has more experience with pretty welding would do a much better job.
Also I am concerned about the cut-out afterwords, getting that perfectly symetrical with the base, I am thinking that it is going to require some sort of quick fencing method on the saw top to help the saw cut the proper radius so it flows into what it needs to.
And then the grinding, I have done autobody all my life and am unfamiliar with equipment that isnt in my field but I was hoping that maybe there would be some sort of planer of sorts to knock off the high spots even with the rest of the body, like the planers we use in the woodshop, again that may not exist, I suppose maybe a large disk and not to heavy of a grit with subsequent finer grit might do it but I guess it would take time.
And then the finish, dont want anything filled with putty and then primed and painted, someday I may powdercoat them but that is a long way down the road and I may just leave them natural finish. I like the natural finish you see in some of the dark wrenches i have show here above.
The three on the bottom are the wrenches to be repaired, they are the early version of the 4 above them. Sometime in 29 it was decided that the sizes of the three bottom wrenches really made no sense for the vehicle they were asigned to so out came the 4 above it.
I like the natural finish of the 3rd wrench down from the top....time has put that there but is there a way to reproduce that, is it just a matter of dropping them in a solution as simple as salt water a few times and then a light cleaning, I dont know and that is why I turn to the experts

[scottg]

I dont want to know that they had ever been repaired,
I dont want to see grinding marks all over the faces and I need the opening recut straight and symetrical with the rest of the opening,
 in other words I want it done flawless.
 I would also like the finish to match thru and thru.

I am pretty anal

 You think?
 And will there be anything else??
You are already planning a white glove inspection? with a scanning electron microscope!
And the only things you'll be looking for are defects.

  I wouldn't take on this job for $5000 a wrench.
  Good luck
         yours Scott

[rusty]

> job for $5000 a wrench

Therein lies the crux of the problem, for the amount of labor, you could make a wrench from scratch indistinguishable from an original....

Plasma cutting machines have come a long way in the last 10 years.....

[strik9]

1930, I might suggest an alternative.  I am going to guess these wrenches are special because they are the tool kit of a 1930 Dodge car.  And that undamaged originals are rare as hen's teeth because they were crap new and 80 odd years hasn't improved them.

Is a CNC water jet cutter available in your area?  Scan the form and size into the compu and adjust via the software the openings.  Later stamp the numbers onto the wrench and you have a repro that will fill a space in the tool kit that has a flawless finish.  Any steel could do that gives the look as you are never going to use them.
  They could be made up in the USS sizes also and sold to other old Dodge car restorers to recoup the costs.  Your car will be complete (but not totally original), a potential source of income and gives you peace of mind until the undamaged originals show up in the market for you to buy.

 I personally would leave another mark that says "reproduction" discretely on the less seen side.  No need to induce fraud to the restorers market.

[1930]

This is a discusson forum, I appreciate being able to throw out my thoughts, being able to hear other opinions, comments like this are un-called for......
You think?
 And will there be anything else??
You are already planning a white glove inspection? with a scanning electron microscope!
And the only things you'll be looking for are defects
Got to get  back on your meds again it sounds like.
I like to pick others brains for tips, hints and advice, that is as far as I know what a discussion forum is all about, I could myself eventually repair to my standards because I have no limitations  but there are skilled people that could do it easier and faster than I could and if a deal is struck than great, if all I get are some suggestions like I have been given than prob. even better. Thanks for most of the comments.

[Wrenchmensch]

To save you from the dubious exercise of backfilling missing material on a cheap wrench, I spent part of this weekend past looking for 3, 4, and 5 wrenches at the local, friendly flea market.  Several key dealers were missing, so nothing to report. Not to worry. If it was made, it's out there.

[1930]

Thanks for that, by the way Strik9 you are correct, they made two versions of the number 1 wrench, they being Chrysler corp. an early version which was used 27-early to mid 29 and then the later version 29-36 if memory serves me, the wrench started out as a 30770  Maxwell wrench, then in August of 26 became a 41593 ( no-one cares about desc so I wont bother ) and then to a 51818, apparently they were not much use to the nuts and bolts on Chrysler vehicles so that is why there was a size change made sometime is 29 I believe.
I wont have new ones cut, I realze that is an option. Seems wrong to me

[scottg]

   Hello Jason
What you wrote about the wrench repair was high comedy.
 It is exactly what everyone else -thinks- when they commission a tool repair.   But no one else ever had the nerve to say it out loud. If they did, no one anywhere, would take on the job.

     Frankly, the skill involved in repairing a wrench would be considerable. Doing a fine job, highly admirable.
Doing a completely exacting perfect job is unlikely to the point of comedy.
 People barely put that kind of effort into restoring a Van Gogh worth 68 million dollars.

 I'm no pretender Jas. No newbie either. I started collecting, restoring, repurposing, customizing, designing and building tools before I was 20.  I am now pushing 60.
When I started there were no collecting clubs, no auctions, no newsletters or chat groups. Old tools were the sole domain of a few dirty men at the edge of town or at the corner of the swap meet and no one ever paid any attention to them. Used tools, especially old ones, were just mostly junk, that everyone else thought should be in the dump.

  I am acquainted and outright friends with nearly every well known modern "art" toolmaker on the planet, and nearly 1/2 of them I helped start.   Because I was already there.
I have restored, repaired and built tools for some of the most well known collectors the world around. 

Perfect handle restoration for instance? No one anywhere remembered how they were made when I started.
I researched, investigated,  experimented, and invented the common practice, and then freely gave to anyone who wanted it. 
  Cast in place pewter retaining rings was another "lost" technology I refound and brought back.  Again freely published for everyone's benefit.
 I published this just last week.  Its an invention. A little different from other methods, easy to make and greatly improved performance.

www.wkfinetools.com

  I could have just kept my mouth shut and made a career out of any number of things over the years.  But I never have.

 
 well.....
 I was howling out loud when I read your requirements list over something not 1 in a million collectors would care about,
and my answer was just as comical, if you choose to look at it that way. It was intended as comedy.
 
  If you do actually undertake these wrench repairs, and you are in my world now, so I know this for sure,....
    100 will merely talk about it, Puff and bluster is dirt cheap
  only 2 will even try to do something about it, but they certainly deserve recognition and praise
 and only one out of 100 will actually do a good job...... High praise
         perfect is longer odds still
 
If you actually do it?   I will be the first to cheer, however it comes out.  You'll be going into an uncommon realm and I try never to miss an opportunity to welcome a new colleague. 
   yours Scott     
   
   

[1930]

Thank-you Scott for the more thought out reply, its not high comedy to someone that is not in the know, put yourself in my shoes .........You are already planning a white glove inspection? with a scanning electron microscope!
And the only things you'll be looking for are defects
How would I or anyone know that you are kidding.
You make me sound to be a jerk...... the only things you'll be looking for are defects....
I honestly did not know this was such a big of a deal, to be honest I am still doubtfull that it is, sometimes people need to just give things a shot and see for themselves.
No problem here, I appreciate your talent, I dont have that sort yet, its not because I am not capable, I surely am, it is merely because I am not learned in the subject, have not had my hands in it.
Maybe some day I will be very capable at it, maybe not, either way I am happy with what I have done, anyone can do anything they choose to do if they would only put their mind to it