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polishing chrome Snap On wrenches, advise..

MD11

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Ok, after looking at the amazing work Crashbumper did on his Mac ratchet using wet sanding and buffing; restoring the ratchet to look as new.. I was wondering if anyone has ever been successful at restoring that new wrench look on their snapon chrome wrenches? I tried the standard chrome polish compounds and they do an ok job cleaning, but the hairline scratches remain... is there a buffing compound and wheel I can attached to a drill and bring that brand new look back?

Thanks
 
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crashbumper

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MD11,

I used a HF buffer with some HF buffing compund to restore these wrenches I bought from dede2897234 back in April.

These are the pics from his classified ad:

Snapon_Flank_Drive_1.jpg


Snapon_Flank_Drive_2.jpg


And these are the same wrenches after polishing. Time was probably around 20 minutes; almost 30 if I remember correctly. Most of the time was spent cooling the wrenches down since they got a bit hot to hold.

I will find out what compound it was that I used, but it was an aggressive compound and then a polish compound.

DSC06087.jpg


DSC06085.jpg


DSC06083.jpg
 
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MD11

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wow, what a difference... also, do you know if there is a difference in dealing with chromed vs unchromed metals? Let me know what compound that was when you find out.. I live on the other side of town from you btw... 67th Ave/Jomax area. :beer:
 

crashbumper

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I didn't know you were an AZ member! I am used to most of the guys being in the midwest & east coast. I have a few wrenches without chrome (or so it appears). I may try them out and see how this works.

Here is the buffer and compound used.

HF #94393 6" buffer. Compound had no identifying marks but I believe my dad said it came with the buffer.

DSC06091.jpg


DSC06089.jpg
 
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crashbumper

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How do you know what compound to use?

I don't! Haha.

These are what my dad had with his buffer. The sticker on them said they were for all types of metal.

Black is an aggressive cutting compound and the grenen said it's for final polishing.

I figured the wrenches were used and I didn't pay much for them so I didn't really have a reason to not try it out. :)
 

Rocket1

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Eastwood has a table that can help you choose a compound that's right for the metal your working with. I think they might have the table on their site but its been a while since I've looked at it
 

Stuart in MN

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Remember that the chrome plating is a pretty thin layer...if you polish too aggressively, you can buff right through it.
 

48548

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There are some of us who are also in the Valley of the sun. Of course none of us are close to anyone else. As I am in the 56th Street and 101 area.
 

LoneGunman

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Your standard everyday white grease base polishing compound is what you want, you can follow up with blue compound if you want. You need a wheel or 3 (depending on buffer size) for each compound. When you are done with the compounds Blue Magic on it's own wheel will really bring up the shine. White is not very aggressive at all but you can still go through the thin chrome, don't use anything more aggressive. You may still go through the chrome with the white, you'll see an area that doesn't look like the rest of the wrench, it'll look like a stain in the chrome, when you try to buff it out it will expand, STOP there and leave it as you are already through the chrome and just making it worse.

I've polished probably a couple hundred wrenches, my own and some local mechanics. I'm sure you'll get responses disagreeing with polishing, that's their opinion, if you want pretty wrenches by all means go for it.

One of the shop owners I've done work for said he gets it done because when he allows a customer into a bay to show him something the customer sees shiny Snap On tools in a clean garage, it shows he takes pride in his work.
 
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vc-onthepc

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One of the shop owners I've done work for said he gets it done because when he allows a customer into a bay to show him something the customer sees shiny Snap On tools in a clean garage, it shows he takes pride in his work.



your kidding right ?
 

chadster1

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One of the shop owners I've done work for said he gets it done because when he allows a customer into a bay to show him something the customer sees shiny Snap On tools in a clean garage, it shows he takes pride in his work.



your kidding right ?

Someone who takes pride in his tools of the trade (regardless of the brand) and keeps a neat and clean shop is more than likely someone who takes pride in his work.
 

LoneGunman

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No, I'm not, you may enjoy working in a pigsty, others do not. Impressions go along way in any business, think about it, would you hire the guy that keeps his tools/equipment neat or the guy with stuff falling apart, with everything else being equal. 99% of the time people will go with the organized and clean person. This mechanics shop also specializes in European cars and he does not try to compete with the pricing of his competition. The guy is a smart business man, there are still people who will pay for quality and his shop and personal appearance reflect his business ethics.

Would I go to him? Nope, I would not, can't afford him but like I said, that doesn't mean other people cannot. I've polished my own wrenches for one reason, to make a higher profit on the resale, stuff I keep doesn't get polished.

One of the shop owners I've done work for said he gets it done because when he allows a customer into a bay to show him something the customer sees shiny Snap On tools in a clean garage, it shows he takes pride in his work.



your kidding right ?
 

superautobacs

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Sounds like it doesn't take much effort for the compound to eat away on the chrome finish and thereby exposing the nickle underneath it.

If you've gone that far, that tool is inevitably going to be prone to chrome peeling and thereby making it more susceptible to rusting, right?

If so, without exercising caution, you will ruin the durability of the protective finish.
 

Zrexxer

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Decorative chrome - as opposed to hard chroming (which is used used to enhance wear surfaces such as crank journals) - is VERY thin, not exceeding .001" thick, but more frequently in the range of .0001". The Nickel strike below the chrome is usually about .0005". So yes, it's very easy to really pooch up your plating using any kind of abrasive process.
 

LoneGunman

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Yup................................


Decorative chrome - as opposed to hard chroming (which is used used to enhance wear surfaces such as crank journals) - is VERY thin, not exceeding .001" thick, but more frequently in the range of .0001". The Nickel strike below the chrome is usually about .0005". So yes, it's very easy to really pooch up your plating using any kind of abrasive process.
 
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MD11

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One of the shop owners I've done work for said he gets it done because when he allows a customer into a bay to show him something the customer sees shiny Snap On tools in a clean garage, it shows he takes pride in his work.



your kidding right ?

Aside from oil, air filter and other very minor stuff, I take my late model Mercedes Diesel and BMW SUV's to a german garage in the Phoenix area.. he's almost obsessive in his "White Glove" treatment of his customers cars.. This reflects also on his shop floor which looks more like a R&D lab than a garage where cars have major work done sometimes.. Pride in one's tools is a mark of a certain level of OCD, or **** retentiveness that I look for in a shop and mechanic.
 
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MD11

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Sounds like it doesn't take much effort for the compound to eat away on the chrome finish and thereby exposing the nickle underneath it.

If you've gone that far, that tool is inevitably going to be prone to chrome peeling and thereby making it more susceptible to rusting, right?

If so, without exercising caution, you will ruin the durability of the protective finish.

I guess I don't understand the logic of the chroming of Snap On wrenches and sockets then if they're just "decorative" .. are am I missing something? I would have though those wrenches would have near industrial strength chrome fishing.. oh well, "ASSuming" gets me in trouble a lot! :lol_hitti
 
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Packard V8

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FWIW, I buy whole tool boxes full of tools and many of them were used hard and put away greasy. Take it from first-hand experience, it is very easy to wire wheel/buff through the chrome on a used tool. Snap-on often does not have the deepest, hardest chrome. Some of the old S-K tools had better chrome than any Snap-on.

More often than not, before the engraving is gone, the chrome is long gone.

thnx, jack vines
 

superautobacs

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I guess I don't understand the logic of the chroming of Snap On wrenches and sockets then if they're just "decorative" .. are am I missing something? I would have though those wrenches would have near industrial strength chrome fishing.. oh well, "ASSuming" gets me in trouble a lot! :lol_hitti

The chrome finishing on Snap-on tools hasn't been entirely consistent (lack of QC standards there) over the last decade or so and it's not surprising to find new or NOS items with imperfect finishing treatment and even signs of rust! Maybe the EPA has something to do with regulating the plating processes, but the chrome finishing isn't as durable as it's marketed/perceived.

If you want durable finish (without the gawdy shine :D) look into German toolmakers.
 

Monte

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break the wrenches , warranty them and get new shiny wrenches ! :) no need to polish them ! :)
 

Zrexxer

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Maybe the EPA has something to do with regulating the plating processes, but the chrome finishing isn't as durable as it's marketed/perceived.
This is a common misconception. EPA does not regulate chrome plating processes. They regulate the wastes discharged from those processes. They do not have statutory authority to dictate processes to industries, except to the extent that industry must meet the discharge/emission limits. In some cases, that forces process changes indirectly. However, I don't think you will find any recent changes in chromium plating operations that were the result of environmental requirements that have any effect on the durability of current production tools.

You know what has the greatest effect on the chrome you're seeing on products now? Cost. Period. Manufacturers are applying the bare minimum amount that meets the product requirements. If people are buying product with .0005" of chrome on it, you can be assured that no tool manufacturer is going to apply 10 times that amount just for good measure.

Not to pick on Crashbumper, but his pic of that MAC ratchet head showed what I want to illustrate very clearly. The chrome was already gone from much of that surface. You see on my annotated pic below the yellowish looking areas denoted by the red arrows? That's nickel. The chrome has already worn off those areas. The bluish-silver areas denoted by my blue arrows is remaining chrome.
 

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pirana

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In crashbumper's pic of the polishing compounds he used the one on the left looks like tripoli which is very common in the automotive restoration business as well as jewelry. It's used to remove light to medium scratches before final polishing. It works especially well on aluminum.
 

crashbumper

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I've never been able to afford *new* tools. I bought a Craftsman set almost 10 years ago, and that is mainly what I was using up until earlier this year when I started buying used stuff on this forum.

I've always wanted SO wrenches, ratchets, etc. but have not, and may never have, disposable income that would allow me to buy them new. I clean these tools up because they make me proud to feel like I have brought them back from a hard life as everyday tech tools to a new comfy life as home enthusiast tools.

Even if these were used tools, now they're MY tools. This is the pride I want to take in my stuff. The chrome is thin, the finish isn't perfect, I'm sure it may flake someday; but right now they are very well cared for.

I would love it if more of my tools were industrial finish, but this is what I have and I am very happy about that.

:)

Now get out there and clean some ****.
 
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MD11

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Dude, God bless that attitude man! And if you've got a little mouth to feed (as I assume you do from your avitar), those tools are not as important anyway! Take pride and maybe someday you can place an order for a bunch of brand new shiny chrome plated SO's (hopefully before they're made in China!)... and treat yourself to something special.

btw, I had the misfortune of getting 15+ years of tools collected stolen from garage recently and as a result, I had the "fortune" of getting a significant insurance settlement to re-purchase these tools brand new... so if you ever want to play with new tools, hop on the I17 and come on up! :thumbup:
 

crashbumper

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...and if you've got a little mouth to feed (as I assume you do from your avitar), those tools are not as important anyway!

Picture is a bit old; kid just turned three! Since she hasn't been eating all that baby food and formula anymore, I've been able to get used tools, haha.
 

bushhawg73

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I have never polished any of my tools with a buffer. I am not against it but just never had a need. Older tools that I have purchased came with battle scars and they kept them. I am very careful to clean my tools after use and try and keep my boxes neet and organized. I agree that a clean and organized work area says a lot about a mechanic. Not that dirty tools would turn me away from a mechainc but half broken stuff and total disorganization would.
 

oldtools

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........Take pride and maybe someday you can place an order for a bunch of brand new shiny chrome plated SO's (hopefully before they're made in China!)...

You will get better chrome plating from China as they are less stringent than the US. I was surprise how thin SO chrome plating is. I have a flare nut wrench that just got barely scratch and I could see the yellow nickel base already.
 

vc-onthepc

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No, I'm not, you may enjoy working in a pigsty, others do not. Impressions go along way in any business,

Gollee you guys are sensitive ....

WHO SAID I LIKE WORKING IN A PIGSTY? certainly was'nt me now was it ? I own one of those shiny toolboxes full of shiny CLEAN tools. I have never and I mean EVER opened the drawer for a customer and said hey look at all my clean tools .....But maybe I was too busy working to stop and do that ...
 
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MD11

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No, I'm not, you may enjoy working in a pigsty, others do not. Impressions go along way in any business,

Gollee you guys are sensitive ....

WHO SAID I LIKE WORKING IN A PIGSTY? certainly was'nt me now was it ? I own one of those shiny toolboxes full of shiny CLEAN tools. I have never and I mean EVER opened the drawer for a customer and said hey look at all my clean tools .....But maybe I was too busy working to stop and do that ...

Well, don't take it the wrong way, but your post did say "you're kidding, right?" which infers that you don't link pride in one's tools with pride in ones word..

I will be the first to admit that if I take my car into a shop where the guys tools are thrown in greasy in a random fashion into a drawer, vs a guy who cleans off his tools and places them in some kind of organized fashion, it has a strong effect on whether I want my car serviced there.. But then maybe I'm just more OCD than some... however I doubt it.
 

wolfmt

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Dude, God bless that attitude man! And if you've got a little mouth to feed (as I assume you do from your avitar), those tools are not as important anyway! Take pride and maybe someday you can place an order for a bunch of brand new shiny chrome plated SO's (hopefully before they're made in China!)... and treat yourself to something special.

btw, I had the misfortune of getting 15+ years of tools collected stolen from garage recently and as a result, I had the "fortune" of getting a significant insurance settlement to re-purchase these tools brand new... so if you ever want to play with new tools, hop on the I17 and come on up! :thumbup:

I bought my first set of new snapon wrenches in 1989. I was injured and pawned them. My best friend forgot to pay my interest and they are long gone, I am still buying but a lot more is used than new. Someday I will replace that set of OEXL wrenchs
 

ndoran

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Even if applied properly? slowly and uniformly?

The challenge with electoplating is that it is not uniform, this is a feature o the electrochemistry itself. All the external sharp corners experience a high current density charge that promotes plating build up. This makes it impossible to maintain plating thickness to a uniform value. If you have a part that has tight tolerances that you need to maintain then you either have to use electroless plating and/or thin layers.
 
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