Finish on Brink & Cotton C-Clamps?

[EngineerEli]

I picked up a couple Brink & Cotton NO. 143 - 3 IN c-clamps at an estate sale a few weeks back. I was trying to clean some of the rust off them with a wire wheel, wire brush, and WD-40 last night, and was seeing little flecks of silver coming off. The finish also doesn't seem smooth, it seems strangely rough, like it might be a degrading chrome plated surface and not the bare steel that I though it was. Anyone know what these were finished with. Sorry about the terrible pics, but that's the best I have at the moment to establish age.

 

[georgiadave]

I think they are galvanized. A very thin dip.

 

[EngineerEli]

That would make sense based on the way it feels and looks. Should I just get the rust cleaned up the best I can and use it as is, or would it be worth stripping the galvanizing and finishing it some other way?

 

[woody 73]

Hard to track their Company History down; some information for you:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=301180

 

[Cope]

I bought several pairs in 1968 that had a matte chrome type finish. These were 1"-3" size. The larger ones had the standard bare metal finish.

 

[Provincial]

I bought several pairs in 1968 that had a matte chrome type finish. These were 1"-3" size. The larger ones had the standard bare metal finish.

I have the same experience.

 

[orduna]

Bought one of these from goodwill couple weeks ago:

 

[orduna]

Wire brushed it:

 

[orduna]

And then applied three coats of rust oleum forged hammered antique pewter (just because I had some). Here is the result:



It should be more than enough to keep them going.