don long
Well-known member
A little more tool polishing today to finish off a couple of Blackhawk tool sets
BEFORE & AFTER....A Tool Polisher's Haven
- Thread starter JMLangford
- Start date
A little more tool polishing today to finish off a couple of Blackhawk tool sets
That’s a hell of a ratchet.
Happy Thanksgiving Polishers! I wanted to share this picture because it illustrates how effective Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish is. I started using it and it works miracles on both aluminum and brass. It shines it up easily and quickly and will help take your tool polishing to the next level. I should have used it on that mallet I restored last week. 
Here's my Burr King Model 562 resto from a few months ago. It was one of the earliest 562's they manufactured (year 1954) after Burr King bought the MacCarthy Mfg Co SandingMaster design and added the improved belt tensioning ratchet mechanism, with the original Baldor (one of the first TEFC motors ever made). I painted the motor with 2-part epoxy paint, but the paint on the machine is the original Burr King grey from before they switched to green (wow the lead in that paint works wonders-- it cleaned up great after 70 years). I didn't need it since I restored two model 760's on pedestals like yours, but it was too cool to pass up. At the time, Burr King didn't sell them with baseplates---they were intended to bolt directly onto your workbench. Mine was complete except for one specialty washer, which they still had in stock 70 years later (and still use one one of their models).
Very nice, I'm jealous! I do some amateur knife making and I'd like to have a better grinder but they're hard to come by used.
New here, just looking around and had to chuckle when I saw the first post in this thread. This was in a shed on a property we bought, welded to a piece of 1/2" plate and forgotten to rust. I cleaned it up while I was working night shifts a few years ago and it just sits on my garage desk now. Not "polished", just saved.
don long
Well-known member
I think that this would qualify as a polished tool
Before
After a little love
Before
After a little love
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Bowtie4life
Well-known member
Where they aluminum or steel the pieces that you polished? Whatever they were you did an excellent job on them.
Bowtie4life
Well-known member
They look very nice for your 1st attempt at polishing!!!!I had to add these as this was my first attempt to polish anything with my new wheel and stand setup:
Before:
After:
don long
Well-known member
Thank you Bowtie
The tubes are steel and the gun is aluminum. I have one machine set up for steel and another set up for nonferrous material so I don't have to change the wheels
don long
Well-known member
It's been a few months since I polished anything but today I found myself working on an old Blackhawk Tire wrench
Before
After
Then I hung it in the BPG
Before
After
Then I hung it in the BPG
Loose Ctrl
Well-known member
don long
Well-known member
It was plated a grey color
Bowtie4life
Well-known member
That thing is beautiful Don.........awesome job as usual.
don long
Well-known member
just punched out another shinny tool. This time it was a grease gun that goes on a nice display board
The gun before (have 2 of them) I picked the worst one
The process
1. take it apart and degrease it
2. sand blast the outer parts
3. wire brush the knurled parts
4. start the polishing of the smooth exterior parts by grinding out all the flaws with 80 grit paper and finishing with 1200 grit paper
5. using the buffer wheel polishing all the sanded parts to a mirror finish
6. reassemble the tool
Finished gun
The tool board before
The process
1. straighten the board
2. remove all the tool holders
3. sand blast the board
4. prime the board
5. remake the oil can mount and other fasteners.
6. send the new oil can mount and the gun holder out to the chrome shop
7. take the board and pictures of a finished board to the sign shop for them to make a decal of the board lettering.
8. when the decal was ready I mounted it onto the primed board.
9. buy new mounting clips and bolt them to the board.
10 when the chrome returned I mounted it and the tools that I had been gathering over the last few months onto the board
The primed board
The finished project
The gun before (have 2 of them) I picked the worst one
The process
1. take it apart and degrease it
2. sand blast the outer parts
3. wire brush the knurled parts
4. start the polishing of the smooth exterior parts by grinding out all the flaws with 80 grit paper and finishing with 1200 grit paper
5. using the buffer wheel polishing all the sanded parts to a mirror finish
6. reassemble the tool
Finished gun
The tool board before
The process
1. straighten the board
2. remove all the tool holders
3. sand blast the board
4. prime the board
5. remake the oil can mount and other fasteners.
6. send the new oil can mount and the gun holder out to the chrome shop
7. take the board and pictures of a finished board to the sign shop for them to make a decal of the board lettering.
8. when the decal was ready I mounted it onto the primed board.
9. buy new mounting clips and bolt them to the board.
10 when the chrome returned I mounted it and the tools that I had been gathering over the last few months onto the board
The primed board
The finished project
Here’s a chemical cabinet I did. I just got the handle plated last week so I need to add it on still. This came out of the Cessna factory in Kansas where the guy told me it had been for the last 40 years at least. I saw that logo in an aviation museum awhile back and had it reproduced. It was from the 1940’s. 
don long
Well-known member
I like your cabinet alot. Nice piece to work out of in the shop.
Bowtie4life
Well-known member
Very nice work again!!!! It's a work of art!!!!
RedRambler
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2024
- Messages
- 34
Very impressive polishing skills, I don't have anything that I have polished recently, but I did a hammer for my dad last fathers day. I saw the hammer over this weekend and he had not put any oil on it. Which lead to rust spots. I plan on repolishing it for him but in an effort to keep things from rusting, do any of you use a rust preventive coating, besides simply rubbing with oil? My initial research has lead me to Dry Coat as a solution, but it appears to only be available in 5 gallon buckets and up (which makes it a no go for me). I did find another option Rust Veto which is available in aerosol and up to 55 gallon drums. Curious if anybody has used one of these products or has a suggestion for another product or alternative to keep rust at bay for polished steel items.
Oh no, another Rabbit hole to explore, and Thankyou 
I'm a compulsive polisher, I like things clean and rust free. from 50 year old plastic inserts, Acetate screwdriver handles, steel and cast iron.
A lot of trial and error over the years but have found ways to bring stuff back that works for me. Will be adding a few methods from here as well, Thankyou again, The Dremel flappers I haven't seen before, but will be adding as my Dremel is the most used tool by far, excellent with a scouring pad and degreaser on plastic, and a quick hand polish will bring the shine back if you go too far.
Just finished polishing a Railway anvil today, but have probably gone too far as I got it to panel beat some small toolboxes, will sand it back I think, a couple more photos when the sun comes out tomorrow.
I'm a compulsive polisher, I like things clean and rust free. from 50 year old plastic inserts, Acetate screwdriver handles, steel and cast iron.
A lot of trial and error over the years but have found ways to bring stuff back that works for me. Will be adding a few methods from here as well, Thankyou again, The Dremel flappers I haven't seen before, but will be adding as my Dremel is the most used tool by far, excellent with a scouring pad and degreaser on plastic, and a quick hand polish will bring the shine back if you go too far.
Just finished polishing a Railway anvil today, but have probably gone too far as I got it to panel beat some small toolboxes, will sand it back I think, a couple more photos when the sun comes out tomorrow.
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don long
Well-known member
What a wonderful display. Thank you for sharing it. I've never heard of Sidchrome tools before
Thankyou, I've been thinking the same about all your masterpieces, just finished the thread with a few detours to your projects and probably going to start on some more rabbit holes with the Party Garage (assuming it's a thread) and the one @drivesitfar started (255 pages or so)- will have to go back and find it again.
Sidchrome is Aussie- 1942 to present, owned by Stanley since 1991, made in Taiwan/China since 2000/1, , I have another cabinet with the Sidchrome Proto (1998-2001, Needed something to do so started with Sidchrome 3years ago, like bringing them back up, a lot of trial and error but can get the plastic inserts close to new now. Oh and yeah only do the Aussie made stuff- none of the overseas stuff apart from having a thing for the Sidchrome Proto
I've fallen into the vice rabbit hole 18 months ago and mainly do them now -mostly Dawn, also Aussie 1917 to present.
I'm tempted to post a few of my methods and techniques as I while I'm not in your league (who is ?) I've had to find ways to do things differently- maybe some of it could be relevant ? to those of us that don't have garages and have close neighbours. no petroleum products etc.
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
Uh, that may have taken this thread in a different direction and whole new level.
Nice work, I shudder to think how long that took thou, or is it chromed ?
just clicked on the link-looks even better there.
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
Thank you
Sanded starting with 60 grit and worked up to 3000 grit. Polished, buffed and waxed. About 16-20 hours.
Bowtie4life
Well-known member
Wow.........that's all I can say!!!
harley jim
Well-known member
Nice job on the vise.
harley jim
Well-known member
An old stone Masons hammer, I didn't know for sure what kind of hammer it was until I posted it here on GJ, then a friend verified it.
Not a big project but satisfying anyway.
Here's an old hand plane I polished up. Normal process of sandblasting and polishing; then I painted most surfaces in gloss black. It is a Christmas present for my brother in law. It belonged to his great grandfather. 
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
Cooking Tools
One of my Weber Restorations
Skyline Edition
Also This is one of my Redhead Restorations
One of my Weber Restorations
Skyline Edition
Also This is one of my Redhead Restorations
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Garage Junkie
Well-known member
I learned to drive on this tractor, and spent many hours running it. Great job!
jhn9840
Well-known member
Your Massey looks fantastic. Any more pictures or a restoration thread somewhere on the internet?
jhn9840
John
jhn9840
John