Bucket-o-tools score from yardsale

[patman2]

I hit a couple of yardsales this weekend, and scored a bunch of hand tools at one of them. There were a few 5gal buckets around with different stuff in them, one with tools was spilled out onto a blanket. Seller said 'free bucket with purchase, take the lot.' The bucket was probably 2gal full with tools when they were all back in. Mostly no-name junk, english and metric, a few extensions, and a couple of ratchets. It should greatly reduce my "where the @*!$ is my 1/2" socket" rants. I spotted a few craftsman pieces, so even if I toss everything else, I figured it was a good deal. When I sorted it out, there was an Indestro 6470 1/2" ratchet with matching sockets. Not bad for $10.

Oh, and I got a box of allen wrenches (50 at least, haven't counted/sorted them yet) for $2.

 

[sscustom]

yep you ****.great score there

 

[Johnny chaos]

Major suckage

 

[rsieracki]

If you dont want the flex head cman wrenches id be a buyer for them

 

[patman2]

If you dont want the flex head cman wrenches id be a buyer for them

Naah...they look useful, I'll keep 'em. Besides, I already admitted I got the lot for $10, so there goes my pricing baseline.

 

[Tom2]

Definitely a great find. Keep all the Craftsman/U.S. stuff and sell any chinese stuff as a big lot on CL. Or keep as back ups/loaners, etc.

 

[patman2]

There's a couple of "I could modify a wrench to make this job easier" projects that I have in mind for the no-name stuff. I'll probably throw the decent looking ones in my toolbox and just use 'em.

Any ideas on cleaning these up? The dishwasher would probably work, but...not gonna do that. I was trying to think of some tumbler arrangement, not sure what abrasive to put in with it though.

 

[Ray-CA]

For cleaning, you can soak them in a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water for a couple of days. Just give the bucket a good shake twice to three times a day. If there is rust on the tools a day or two soaked in household vinegar works really well. Just don't put any black impacts in the vinegar (it will strip the black oxide right off.)

Ray

 

[patman2]

For cleaning, you can soak them in a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water for a couple of days. Just give the bucket a good shake twice to three times a day. If there is rust on the tools a day or two soaked in household vinegar works really well. Just don't put any black impacts in the vinegar (it will strip the black oxide right off.)

Ray

Thanks! I'll give that a shot. There's a couple of items with some light rust on them, but mostly they're just kinda gunky.

 

[woody 73]

You have some major suckage coming your way fantastic deal!!!

 

[Kirbot]

Naah...they look useful, I'll keep 'em. Besides, I already admitted I got the lot for $10, so there goes my pricing baseline.

What you paid doesn't have any effect on what there worth.


Oh, yeah... You ****!

 

[patman2]

Since they were in a bucket already...they're soaking in vinegar now. There are a couple of box ratchets (one is an old craftsman I think) that have a good coating of surface rust, plus a couple of older looking open end wrenches. The rest just has minor surface rust here and there.

So far I'm pretty impressed. I put one gallon in, then came back from the store an hour or so later with some more so it would all be submerged. A few things that were half covered with the vinegar for that time were already obviously cleaner.

Oh, and it turns out my free bucket has a slow leak in it, so now my concrete garage floor has a white stain where the vinegar puddle was. I might have to go ask for some money back...NOT! I dumped it all into another bucket, which was a good excuse to shake it all up a bit.

A couple of hours after I submerged everything I remembered that there was a cheapie set (jackknife style) of black finish allen wrenches in there. Oops! No great loss if it all comes off. We'll see what they all look like in a couple of days.