Orange ratchet

[Aquaticbob]

I don't know about anyone else, but does anyone ever wish they had some bright colored wrenches? I mean I am constantly searching for things in the engine bay sometimes cause it was dropped, I placed it in a random spot, etc... I've been considering actually powder coating my ratchet and my sockets in a bright orange.

What do you guys think? Good or bad idea? It would for sure lead to way more visibility of the tool in the engine bay. Might make the stamping on sockets harder to read, but worth a shot.

TL;DR
Bright orange powder coated wrenches, ratchets, sockets good or bad idea?

 

[monomach]

I've thought about doing it for ratchet handles and the middle of wrenches. It'd sure be nice to have them stick out like a sore thumb. Can't see it working on sockets, though. It's going to add to the outside diameter. Can't have that.

 

[Evan(CA)]

Try nail polish. You can color code metric/SAE and paint the sizes if you want to get really detailed about it. It's surprisingly durable but can be easily removed if needed.

 

[Aquaticbob]

I've thought about doing it for ratchet handles and the middle of wrenches. It'd sure be nice to have them stick out like a sore thumb. Can't see it working on sockets, though. It's going to add to the outside diameter. Can't have that.

True for the sockets it will add to the OD which wouldn't be so great. However if you were able to strip it of the chrome plating, then powder coat it wouldn't add too much to the OD in the end.

Try nail polish. You can color code metric/SAE and paint the sizes if you want to get really detailed about it. It's surprisingly durable but can be easily removed if needed.

Saw that HF does this for one of their socket sets. I think just sticking with one overall color would be better. I wasn't into the color coded thing for different sizes. Different colors for metric/SAE would be useful. Could do like orange and green or something

 

[4xdog]

High-visibility wrenches and other tools have been available for many, many decades in fields where foreign object damage can be a catastrophe, like aerospace.

Check Amazon for high-vis Williams wrenches, for example.

 

[3baygarage]

There were thousands of tools in the Buffalo area a few years back all painted red by the owner. He must have died, and his daughter and son in law showed up at the flea market under a canopy with all of these tools. Initially I thought they were airport confiscations because it was around that time period plus the sheer quantitly, but they said no, they were Dad's tools. Every hand tool imaginable and dozens of each one. Probably a tool hoarding contractor. I can't believe he took the time to dip every single one.
They got all gobbled up by the flea market vendors until everybody had a bunch of them. Many were even sold on Ebay and made their way elsewhere. I bought a few pieces that were identifiable as Craftsman and whatnot. To this day there are guys that say remember all the red tools?

 

[Aquaticbob]

There were thousands of tools in the Buffalo area a few years back all painted red by the owner. He must have died, and his daughter and son in law showed up at the flea market under a canopy with all of these tools. Initially I thought they were airport confiscations because it was around that time period plus the sheer quantitly, but they said no, they were Dad's tools. Every hand tool imaginable and dozens of each one. Probably a tool hoarding contractor. I can't believe he took the time to dip every single one.
They got all gobbled up by the flea market vendors until everybody had a bunch of them. Many were even sold on Ebay and made their way elsewhere. I bought a few pieces that were identifiable as Craftsman and whatnot. To this day there are guys that say remember all the red tools?

That would be awesome to see! I think orange for metric, and red for SAE is what I would do. I'm looking into buying a toaster oven and a eastwood powder coat gun to do some testing with this. I'll have to wait till after Christmas to actually get to try it out.