Need help w/ Custom Wrench Door Handles

[Jeff]

I came up with an idea using wrenches for handles for my shop wall cabinet. My idea seemed simple: get 2 wrenches and have some bolts welded on the back, then attach to the doors.

I can't weld, so I sent the wrenches and bolts with my best bud who knows a welder. $20 later and this is what I got back.

Can I remove the heat/weld discoloring on the front? Is there a better way to have done this?

I used cheap Sunex wrenches because of the shape. I want to use a S-style or Half-moon.

If what I have totally *****, is there a member who can make what I need? I can send new wrenches and pay for all labor and materials.

 

[dittle fart around]

Have you tried metal polish? Nice penetration by the welder.

 

[Jeff]

Have you tried metal polish? Nice penetration by the welder.

Polish didn't work. I also tried a buffing wheel. Nope again.

 

[ng8264723]

How about taping from bolt to bolt with elec tape. It sould look pretty good

 

[CAOS]

Instead of welding bolts to the back for attaching to the door, why not epoxy two bolts into the box ends of the wrench. Then drill holes in the door to correspond with those bolts?

Just an idea!

 

[PaulsGarage]

Instead of welding bolts to the back for attaching to the door, why not epoxy two bolts into the box ends of the wrench. Then drill holes in the door to correspond with those bolts?

Just an idea!

I like this idea too, and the original idea is awesome!

(hundreds of GJ members are now in the garage sizing up the wrenches in the bottom drawer for handle duty!)

 

[Brentocool]

Have them rechromed.

 

[Duker]

Do you have enough depth to tap them with a few threads? If so then you can drill and tap then buy some aluminum tubing for the spacer between the wrench and the cabinet door. You can also drill all the way through and use some chrome acorn nuts as a decorative accent. I did something similar for a country cabinet in a kitchen with some knife and forks for handles for a client.

 

[t100]

this can totally work. you are making door handles not some load bearing mechanism. put the wrench on a wet towel, using Tig, just put 3 tacks on each bolt, shouldn't be any problems. I would grind off the chrome first, and the welds will be facing inside, nobody can see them anyway.

 

[Jeff]

How about taping from bolt to bolt with elec tape. It sould look pretty good

Nope. I like the chrome look.

Instead of welding bolts to the back for attaching to the door, why not epoxy two bolts into the box ends of the wrench. Then drill holes in the door to correspond with those bolts?

Just an idea!

Holy **** Batman! Cool idea.

If I end up replacing the wrenches then this will be my option.

Have them rechromed.

Whats a good price for this?

Do you have enough depth to tap them with a few threads? If so then you can drill and tap then buy some aluminum tubing for the spacer between the wrench and the cabinet door. You can also drill all the way through and use some chrome acorn nuts as a decorative accent. I did something similar for a country cabinet in a kitchen with some knife and forks for handles for a client.

Cheap, thin Chinese wrenches...no way.

this can totally work. you are making door handles not some load bearing mechanism. put the wrench on a wet towel, using Tig, just put 3 tacks on each bolt, shouldn't be any problems. I would grind off the chrome first, and the welds will be facing inside, nobody can see them anyway.

I can't weld, and my friend's friend only does Mig.

 

[Jeff]

I just had an idea. A spin on the epoxy the bolt in idea.

Could the bolt be welded/tacked in from the underside?

 

[ng8264723]

Pk epoxy the bolts into the open ends of the wrench. That way no weld makrs. It might look cool.

 

[t100]

I'm going to my shop on monday for some government work, I'll try weld couple see how it works.

how thick are these wrenches and size of the bolts?

 

[Jeff]

Pk epoxy the bolts into the open ends of the wrench. That way no weld makrs. It might look cool.

I'm going to my shop on monday for some government work, I'll try weld couple see how it works.

how thick are these wrenches and size of the bolts?

Hold on a sec....new concept is coming.

 

[Jeff]

Since the other wrenches are pretty much ruined.

What about these with only one bolt epoxy'd or welded in?

The bolt head would be hidden. Imagine it turned 90 to the right.

 

[srmofo]

Personally I like the colors that welding produces. I would heat the entire thing up so it matches.

 

[t100]

sand off the chrome you will be fine with epoxy, nothing sticks well on chrome and they puff and smoke when welded.

 

[CAOS]

Stick with the boxends and bolts, seeing the head of the bolt will add a bit more detail.

Personally I would have tig'd them, but in your situation the epoxy will be just fine! In the end they are just cabinet handles and will be plenty strong.

Edit: If you dont want to use an epoxy and dont want to chance tacking the bolt. You could drill and tap a set screw into the boxend and tighten it against the bolt.

 

[gorilla]

You might try soft soldering the bolts onto the wrenches. Use a propane torch and some acid flux and some 50-50 solder.

 

[Davo J]

I think these could have been welded without damaging the face chrome, they only needed a few tacks each end.
He just put to much heat into it for the job they are going to be doing and didn't keep them cool.
I would do them, but a bit far to send them to Aus.

Dave

 

[4v shane]

If you weren't stuck on having them in chrome finish the set of handles ship them to me and I'll gladly powdercoat them for an excellent price --yes powder will stick to chrome

 

[welder4956]

Try soaking them in vinegar overnight. Then rinse with water and rub the heat tint with a shop cloth.

 

[fatboy99]

Check at a motorcycle shop they make cleaner for removing bluing from chrome exhaust.don't know if they have it in small amounts or will give you a dab to use.

 

[ibedayank]

heat colors crome....look at the pipes on any motorcycle its normal...use epoxy

 

[Tool Maker]

If you would have used Snap On wrenches the stunned look on your friends faces would have been priceless.

Mac

 

[Wackerjr]

personally I would have not welded them... long stainless allen with a spacer, a good hole with a drill press, and bolt them on easy peasy...

 

[EdT]

The blueing doesn't look much different than what you get on chromed bike headers (especially if you're running a bit lean). Simichrome polish used to work. It seems to me that there may be a specific blue chrome polish as well, but I don't recall the name. Check out a bike shop.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Forgive me if someone already suggested this...
How about just drilling and countersinking holes in the wrenches? Then use threaded rod couplings between the door and wrench. Drill corresponding holes in the door, and run bolts through the backside of the doors, into the threaded rod couplers. You can get the threaded rod couplers zinc coated so they look nice, and use countersunk allen heads on the wrench side.

 

[gumbudah]

Paint a little 1" wide band perpendicular to the wrench where each of the discoloration spots is, just make sure it's neat and clean, with the same color as your cabinets or accent color for the walls. Think of it as racing stripes!!!
I was thinking of some way to just cover up the discolored area, maybe cut a socket in half and epoxy it over the area, or cut the head off of a bolt and epoxy it over the area. That sounds kind of hoaky though...

 

[bigblockford79]

How about using a torch to heat up the rest up the wrench to the same effect, I think the Heat affected chrome looks sweet.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

Easy job. Just cool down the amperage. They look stronge though haha

 

[fitz11]

I just did this on my new bolt cabinet. I drilled 2 small holes in each wrench and used small 4mm bolts with spacers behind the wrench and a nut on the backside to hold it on. Its not a structural piece so there is no need for large bolts

 

[-Brent-]

Check at a motorcycle shop they make cleaner for removing bluing from chrome exhaust.don't know if they have it in small amounts or will give you a dab to use.

Do this.

There's no need to do all of those other things. That bluing can be reduced if not completely removed, I'm sure of it. I like Wizard's products for this since I've used it successfully but it may be no better than the others. There are a bunch though, like Blue Be Gone, Blue Job, etc.

If you give up on the project, send one (or both) my way and I'll do a little experiment and tech write-up here on removing the blue. Then I'll pass them off to whomever wants them. All you really need is some product, a buffing wheel, some soft non-abrasive pads/rags, and patience.

 

[Brad54]

If it were me, here's how I'd do it:

Method one: Soak just the heads of the bolts in vinegar for several hours (but not overnight) to remove the plating. A welder has to burn through the plating before it can get to the metal below--building up heat.
Sand/grind the plating off the wrench where you're going to weld it.

As someone else suggested, I'd lay the wrench on a wet rag, and then put three good tack welds where the head meets the wrench.

Then I'd hit the welded area with a silver paint pen to seal it so it doesn't rust.

Method two: Drill a small hole all the way through the wrench, and use a stainless button head allen bolt, with a piece of aluminum tubing as a sleeve for the threaded portion going between the wrench and the drawer.

Method three: Drill a blind hole from behind, stopping before you poke through the front. Get a bottoming tap, and cut some threads into it. Now run machine screws in from the back side, with the head of the screw inside the drawer. Aluminum tubing for the spacers. Lock it with thread locker in the threaded hole.

-Brad

 

[AussieDan]

Good ideas Brad

 

[t100]

just for shits and giggles, I welded one this afternoon. only crappy wrench I could find at the shop was this little 1/2".

as for any welding pieces, prep is 90% of the work. I ground off some of the chrome with a die grinder, also removed the cad plating on the bolt by dipping it into muriatic acid($4 a gallon at pool cleaning supply stores) for about 2 seconds.

it's not necessary to weld all around the hex head, but what the hell.

 

[koditten]

Nice braze job,t100. I knew this could be done. I was about to go do one myself, but you beat me to it.

 

[riceburner]

Heated and bent Snap-On wrenches, heated and bent them back, hit it on the scotch-brite wheel cant even tell they got hot.

 

[NUTTSGT]

^ reported

Reported ? Seriously ? For what?

 

[AussieDan]

Looks like the reported post got removed