Restore or Refurbish

[snapmom]

Do you think a tool should be restored to original or refurbished to good usable condition.   

I use to try to restore,  but now I think refurbish.  Its like I do not want to use a restored tool,  but heck,  what is a tool for?

[bill300d]

I'm not a fan of taking all the patina off an old tool.

[J.A.F.E.]

Interesting question. Depends on the tool but in general I try to do the minimum required to make it useful and usable.

It's not that a restored one would be treated any different but in my mind it's just I would rather have something as it is.

The exception are two Snap-on ratchets I bought new in my teens and the chrome has seen better days and I've been considering rechroming them but then I plan on taking them with me rechromed or not.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

[highland512]

From my experience anything that is fully restored yourself, your afraid to use due to possible damage.

Thats my experience from restoring tractors anyways.

[fatfillup]

Don't know that I have ever restored a tool.  If I did, it would likely be for show not go.  I am not a big collector though I do own a lot of cool old tools but they will all get a price tag on them at some point. 

I do refurbish a lot of tools either to keep or sell.  I get (as I am sure a lot of you do) a sense of satisfaction of bringing a tool back to life.  Not always worth the effort but certainly the end result is reward enough

[bonneyman]

If a tool is a collectible, than I leave it as is or do as little as possible. If it's going to be a user than who cares what it looks like? I do the minimum to bring it back to good function.

That being said I love to fully restore things. lol

[goodfellow]

Mostly "refurbish" for my use and purposes. I hate dirt and rust, and will do my best to eliminate them and repaint when appropriate, but other than that I don't mess with the tool that much. 

[DeadNutz]

Any rust on a tool and it gets put in Evaporust. The biggest pain is cleaning sockets packed with grease and dirt. Clean the tools and make them users.

[fatfillup]

Sockets packed with grease are easy if you have a hot water washer

I just put them on a socket rail, spray a little degreaser the pressure wash them.  You will get a little blow back but they will be clean quick

[slip knot]

I usually dump dirty sockets in the parts washer and let them soak.

So what would running a wire wheel over them and oiling it down count as? refurbished or just cleaned? I still haven't gotten around to the evaporust stuff.

[jabberwoki]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

Bam !

[J.A.F.E.]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

For me that line is blurry I really try to use them all. Some maybe very gingerly but I want the experience of using them. I have my primary users but mix in what I can. Some I doubt I'll ever use - I have yet to find a use for my 1 1/2 drive ratchet and have no sockets to fit it but I'd love to if I could.

[snapmom]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

For me that line is blurry I really try to use them all. Some maybe very gingerly but I want the experience of using them. I have my primary users but mix in what I can. Some I doubt I'll ever use - I have yet to find a use for my 1 1/2 drive ratchet and have no sockets to fit it but I'd love to if I could.

Maybe if you did not have those little tiny arms.

[Andrewhr]

Sockets packed with grease are easy if you have a hot water washer

Or dishwasher and a wife away for the weekend

[Der Bugmeister]

The difference between theory and practice...

Theory - Restore collectibles if appropriate.  Keep users clean and functional

Reality - Don't have time for that.

 

[Rusty]

Living dangerous there.

[J.A.F.E.]

Maybe if you did not have those little tiny arms.

You making fun of my arms?

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

For me that line is blurry I really try to use them all. Some maybe very gingerly but I want the experience of using them. I have my primary users but mix in what I can. Some I doubt I'll ever use - I have yet to find a use for my 1 1/2 drive ratchet and have no sockets to fit it but I'd love to if I could.

Get some sockets and stop off at a farm or construction equipment dealer and look for stuff you can use it on.   

[J.A.F.E.]

Get some sockets and stop off at a farm or construction equipment dealer and look for stuff you can use it on.   

Have Ratchet Will Travel

Wire:JAFadin

[muddy]

Does brakleen count as refurbishment?

[strik9]

Recreating missing bits of broken wrenches, weld fill in rust pits (the alien has that Snapper) and resizing spread and filed out old wrenches....  Yup, I did all that.  More were left untouched after purchase and some straight to work after wire wheel magic.

  Worn 3/8" became spare 10mm and cheapo stuff was made into ROE combos to complete my set. 

  But no true pristine classics were ever sacrificed to the gods of rust.

[Uncle Buck]

I usually dump dirty sockets in the parts washer and let them soak.

So what would running a wire wheel over them and oiling it down count as? refurbished or just cleaned? I still haven't gotten around to the evaporust stuff.

This would be the closest thing to what I do when needed. I was raised with the wire wheel and cannot imagine not using it when cleaning rusty stuff.

[CRTDI]

I try to retain original finishes as much as possible. Also depends on what the item is, an old cast iron farm wrench that’s rusted might just get a wipe down to remove the dust and then a coating of oil.
However, an old cad finished ratchet that’s rusted over might get an Evap-o bath. I will use a hand held wire brush for some stubborn stuff, but never ever have I used a powered wire wheel for “refurbishing ” a hand tool.  I’m just to scared I that I’ll ruin it.

[skfarmer]

since  being named a collector, i prefer to polish all things ot a mirror finish.   

[hickory n Steel]

I do not restore, I refurbish.
I remove the rust with a soft wire wheel which preserves patina, give it oil where it needs it, then put it to use. If I wanted a brand new looking tool I'd buy a brand new tool, but I like 'em honest with patina.
Many many YouTube videos showcase what they're calling a restoration when it's not, most often they're removing the patina and polishing up a tool that never came polished to begin with.
They think everything has to be brand new looking.

[strik9]

I have an old German Bugle nrand hammer I polished to mirror finish.  Also a new Truper that came highly finished that is geyting the bejeezus beaten out of it without any concern of finish.
   
    My new vise of a decade ago looks like I dragged it behind a truck the entire time.  It works fine.

  I have weld filled rust pocks in wrenches as well as replaced broken parts of old DOE to make them pretty.  I have left new high end tools out in thr rain where I was working all day. 

I have old tools I bought used that were "work polished" back to patina with a cement floor the last few years.

  There is no one way to do it.  Some are destined to die after much use and some must be made new.

[J.A.F.E.]

There is a guy at the swaps that is (trying) to sell a set of Plomb Pebbles that was chromed and polished. They look nice but odd at the same time. As my friend Tonya from Alabama says it just ain't right.