Boiling SO hard handles.....

[Matt_C]

So I just received two orange hard handles (the blades in them aren't SO) with a view to removing the blades and keeping the handles (original thought was to remove the black hard handles from my two trim lifter tools and swap them over)

Not having a vice and trying to avoid damaging the handles, I decided to boil them. Heated a pan of water to boiling, then lowered it to simmering, and kept the handles submerged for 3 or 4 mins, making sure not to let the handles touch the bottom of the pan. Grabbed the blade of each with a pair of mole grips, and with an oven glove, simply pulled the handle off the blade. Easy as pie.....

Only problem is, the handles don't seem to like it. Then went from this;

To this;

Very white and chalky. The top handle in the 2nd pic is untouched from coming out the water - the bottom handle has had a WD40 bath. That still didn't remove the white chalky finish. I had to use a scouring pad and scour the surface, then T-Cut and finally clean with WD-40 again. They're both pretty much "chalk" free now, but still look pretty faded compared to how they were before. And the black logos and warnings are all but gone (which is a shame, as these handles don't have model numbers on them, so good for swap overs)

So beware about boiling them. They're not too keen on it!

 

[Matt_C]

Restored the logos pretty much

 

[4xdog]

Why did you use boiling water? Did you try "warm" water -- say 140°F/60°C or even 120°F/50°C? It would likely soften the polymer and be nowhere near as harsh as boiling.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

I think the bigger problem is that your a don't have a vise, even a small cheapo one would handle that job. Plan to go to a few garage sales (or something similar in the uk) this weekend and find you one for under $10.

 

[Matt_C]

Why did you use boiling water? Did you try "warm" water -- say 140°F/60°C or even 120°F/50°C? It would likely soften the polymer and be nowhere near as harsh as boiling.

Because I read a thread on here recently about submerging the handle in boiling water for a few mins to remove the handle. Granted it was on a softgrip handle rather than a hard handle, but I figured if it didn't kill a softgrip, a hard handle would easily take it.

I reckon once they're installed on something and used for a bit, they'll go back to looking normal. Trouble is, I don't know what to install them on!

EDIT - this one http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255071

 

[Matt_C]

I think the bigger problem is that your a don't have a vise, even a small cheapo one would handle that job. Plan to go to a few garage sales (or something similar in the uk) this weekend and find you one for under $10.

Trouble is I've no where to put it. A vice is no good sitting on the floor, as I'm sure you're aware. I don't have a shed, or a work surface to bolt it down too. Trust me, I want a vice - I miss having one like I used to in previous work vehicles. I even recently bought a proper heavy duty telescopic vice mount for my van, but then realised I simply don't have anywhere to bolt it up for a vice, nor space for the vice either.

However, vice or not, I didn't want to put any tool marks on the handles prying the blades out. So I'd have had to have heated them anyway. The main problem to not having a vice is when it comes to fitting a blade into a handle - that's a struggle! When I did my #4 phillips swap from old black handle to new orange handle, I pretty much destroyed the old black handle removing it (I didn't heat it in water first) and because I didn't heat the orange handle either, trying to get the blade into it was very difficult. I ended up putting the old black handle over the tip end of the blade, and turn it upside down and smacking the orange handle onto the blade with a mallet. It worked, but would have been easier had I heated everything and had a vice on a bench....

 

[espyking83]

You could make a vice stand. Just use an old rim and affix a pole to it. Be creative then post some pics.

 

[Matt_C]

Yeah, I don't think that's gonna look too good in the middle of my (open) garden

 

[espyking83]

Yeah, I don't think that's gonna look too good in the middle of my (open) garden

You either want a vice or you dont.... Never said I was Martha Stewart.

 

[t4runner]

Can I ask, What made you think that the blades were not Snap-On?

 

[Matt_C]

Firstly, the guy I bought them off said so. Secondly they weren't a great fit, and thirdly the bolsters weren't particularly Snap On like.

 

[Strouty]

You could go all camarotoolman and make some nice harbor freight/snap on hybrid ratchets.