Vintage & home made auto body tools

[tcduncan45.70]

Recently acquired these 2 Proto mfd era (60’s) for a paltry sum of $30 total

Killer score! Seems as if they went to the right garage to live the next part of their life

 

[Smokeshow69]

Killer score! Seems as if they went to the right garage to live the next part of their life

I was super excited to find them! The old timer I bought them from said he has some plomb ones as well! I have his contact info.

 

[MP&C]

Had a commission to make a long reach curved chisel hammer, so we started with a BF614 and added a bit of crown to the face and polished. Then we used a chisel end from a BF618 (it had been made into a ball end hammer) and notched for the point for maximum weld, using 312 rod. Then we added some curve to the end, the tip is about 1-1/8” offset from the vertical centerline. He wanted a regular length handle, so a fresh SnapOn handle was sanded down, thinned through the neck, and re-stained. These hammers look so much better when you can see the character of the grain.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Had a commission to make a long reach curved chisel hammer, so we started with a BF614 and added a bit of crown to the face and polished. Then we used a chisel end from a BF618 (it had been made into a ball end hammer) and notched for the point for maximum weld, using 312 rod. Then we added some curve to the end, the tip is about 1-1/8” offset from the vertical centerline. He wanted a regular length handle, so a fresh SnapOn handle was sanded down, thinned through the neck, and re-stained. These hammers look so much better when you can see the character of the grain.

Your work is amazing. You should seriously consider starting your own line of body hammers.

 

[RTM]

Hey all, last year an 80+ year old neighbor gave me a bunch of body tools and sundry other tools from his father’s auto repair shop in S.F. from probably 1930s onward. Unfortunately, bad weather several years back leaked into the storage shed, destroying lots of stuff. Started digging into one of the boxes, and found a bunch of stuff that looks like Porto Power attachments, so I’m trying to decipher what I have, and what it can be safely used for. Hoping I can get some clarity, as I know next to nothing about auto bidy work, except enough to say it’s a skill I don’t possess.

First up is what I am guessing is the contact end from a Porto Power, or other similar hand tool. These are marked with a CP, offset like the Chicago Pneumatic logo. Each tool has a retaining ring down the shaft. It looks like they originally came in the wooden block they are shown in in this picture, as they are the only thing that fits in there. As you can see, very rusty, so they all got a long Evaporust bath, and then a visit to the Scotchbrite 220 grit radial bristle wheel. The finish is not perfect, but I’m not sure it needs to be unless I start using them for real auto body work.

All the pieces in this picture looks like they are sized to fit my Porto Power 4 ton ram (3/4” pipe?)





Here they are now, the individual bits and their part numbers as best I can guess them. Anyone have clues as to age, and specifics on what they should be used for? Part numbers, in some order, CP71187 CP70954 CP71168


The smaller cylinder is probably the worst for rust damage.

 

[yhprum]

Hey all, last year an 80+ year old neighbor gave me a bunch of body tools and sundry other tools from his father’s auto repair shop in S.F. from probably 1930s onward. Unfortunately, bad weather several years back leaked into the storage shed, destroying lots of stuff. Started digging into one of the boxes, and found a bunch of stuff that looks like Porto Power attachments, so I’m trying to decipher what I have, and what it can be safely used for. Hoping I can get some clarity, as I know next to nothing about auto bidy work, except enough to say it’s a skill I don’t possess.

First up is what I am guessing is the contact end from a Porto Power, or other similar hand tool. These are marked with a CP, offset like the Chicago Pneumatic logo. Each tool has a retaining ring down the shaft. It looks like they originally came in the wooden block they are shown in in this picture, as they are the only thing that fits in there. As you can see, very rusty, so they all got a long Evaporust bath, and then a visit to the Scotchbrite 220 grit radial bristle wheel. The finish is not perfect, but I’m not sure it needs to be unless I start using them for real auto body work.

All the pieces in this picture looks like they are sized to fit my Porto Power 4 ton ram (3/4” pipe?)





Here they are now, the individual bits and their part numbers as best I can guess them. Anyone have clues as to age, and specifics on what they should be used for? Part numbers, in some order, CP71187 CP70954 CP71168


The smaller cylinder is probably the worst for rust damage.

Those round anvil dies go on a Chicago Pneumatic planishing hammer. They go on the bottom.

Chicago Pneumatic Planishing Hammer (detail)

Hello everyone, I am in the process of making a replica of one of these, have all the parts except for a base and an original style air regulator. Does anyone recognize the type of regulator shown in this old illustration? It is the best one I could find. My guess is that it's an old Airco...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[RTM]

Those round anvil dies go on a Chicago Pneumatic planishing hammer. They go on the bottom.

Chicago Pneumatic Planishing Hammer (detail)

Hello everyone, I am in the process of making a replica of one of these, have all the parts except for a base and an original style air regulator. Does anyone recognize the type of regulator shown in this old illustration? It is the best one I could find. My guess is that it's an old Airco...

www.garagejournal.com

Thanks

Don't think I'll be running out to buy one of those anytime soon.

 

[MR.X]

Post 88 I showed some vintage spoons by L. A.’s A.G. Cooper. Here’s a pretty cool Fender Bumping hammer.

 

[beatcad]

A bunch of years ago I bought an old box off a retired bodyman. A lot of tools were in it. Says he used them in the 50s/60s. The only ones that get used are the 2 painted hammers. They were no name and broken or missing handles.

 

[Camerl2009]

Wow I haven’t checked in in a while and this thread has taken off. MP&C we might have to talk on a ball end hammer.

 

[MP&C]

Wow I haven’t checked in in a while and this thread has taken off. MP&C we might have to talk on a ball end hammer.

I've done a good dozen so far, and have a commissioned set (tall and short) that I'm doing right now.

 

[tcduncan45.70]

Thanks! I have an affinity for reasonably priced Proto/ plomb tool boards. I actually paid the most I have ever paid for a board for this body hammer board at $100 but I’ve only seen 1 other online. It’s one of my favorites and keeps the hammers within reach should I need to use one. I recently acquired these in the below post

I found one of those auto body panels!

 

[basedbb]

Do any of yall know what make this ******* is? Paid like 4$ for it at the flea market. Its unbranded, at first glance I thought it was a chisel but I was intrigued and took a closer look. I might try and blend that bent spot out and polish it. It's about 1" wide.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Looking at the hammered curled over end, I'd say it's a reworked chisel.

 

[basedbb]

Looking at the hammered curled over end, I'd say it's a reworked chisel.

I had thought about that, however I also thought maybe one of the previous owners thought it was a chisel and used it as one. Cause the curve is pretty consistent other than right at the end where there's a hollow spot to the curve and then a sharp bend, could be damage from being hammered on.

Although I still like it even if it's homemade (I hope it's a rare vintage tool though ), I made my first ******* spoon out of an old dull rasp.

 

[MP&C]

Had another commission for a pair of ball-end Snap-on body hammers. These were started using a BF611 for the shorty and a BF603 for the long version. S2 Tool steel was bored using a carbide cutter and the ends of the shank turned down for a press fit. ER312 rod is used to join everything together, and a belt file is used to clean things up. The side "casting marks" are added up into the sides of the ball end to make them look like they came there, and a slight crown is added to the faces on the lathe.



Handles are thinned slightly through the neck and refinished

 

[yhprum]

So, I have found a Proto 1421 hammer that looks to have an offset wooden handle.
Was this a thing? The photo looks like it may have been made this way?

 

[d42jeep]

I would say that the cracked handle was originally straight and has warped over the years.
-Don

 

[basedbb]

Just picked up a snap on bf615 off ebay and got the faces polished up. Didnt't realize it from the pictures but apparently the head is rotated 90 degrees from the blue point bf615. The round side is shaped slightly different too. Sure enough I go to looking at sold listings on ebay and there are two different types of bf615. Maybe more than that but I only saw 2.



Also another weird hammer I found, I think it's a streamline tools reverse curve from the googling I did, it's a fair bit larger than the bf615 is. It's a little too heavy for most stuff in my opinion but I like to use it sometimes.

 

[snapmom]

Blue Point 614A. Quite rare. Snap on took a 614, bent the tip, and stamped the A on it.
Blue Point BH16 modified