Painting hand tools - Does it work out?

[Bennylava]

I have an old rusty pair of pliers I was thinking about painting. Maybe knock all the rust off, mask off the inside of the jaws, and hit it with some rustoleum paint + primer from a rattle can.

To clarify I'm not talking about hand tools where it's clear that most of the paint would never see any abraision. I'm talking about things like ratchets, wrenches, pliers.. things where the paint might need to be pretty tough.

Anyone done this kind of thing? If so, did it work out, or did the paint just come off during the first usage?

 

[RTM]

I'd give a thought to BLO. as it is easier to repair when wear occurs. I see lots of used tools with half a paint job left. Don't know how many years it took for the paint to wear off.


BLO = Boiled Linseed Oil

 

[Old tool guy]

How does blo adhere to zinc plated pliers?

 

[Shiftless]

BLO might work fine. It sticks well to my old vises once it’s cured. Another option would be gun bluing.

 

[Bennylava]

Thanks I'll take a look at BLO

 

[RTM]

How does blo adhere to zinc plated pliers?

Never tried

 

[Old tool guy]

Never tried

Fair answer.

 

[i84x]

I’ve sprayed plenty of old rusty spanners with direct-to-rust spray paint and had no issues.
Just wire brushed, cleaned with some parts cleaner and sprayed them.
Maybe if they're chromed or plated roughing them with some sand paper would be a good idea.

 

[neophyte]

How does blo adhere to zinc plated pliers?

Probably like ****.
The zinc would likely chemically react with the oil, forming a microscopic layer of soap under the rest of the oil, resulting in a non-durable finish, because the finish layer of cured linseed oil is on top of soap.
This is actually a major issue with certain metals and paints, many of which are oil based.
Metal primers exist to properly bond to underlying metals, without the problematic chemic reaction.

 

[JradM]

I hate the smell of gun bluing - it's kinda like cat pee. Seems to fade over time, but not fast enough. I don't want my hands to smell like that.

Paint might be fine - and I'm not discouraging you from trying, but two other finishes are relatively easy:

• Rust bluing. For best results there are professional products, or you watch the "Backyard Ballistics" fellow on Youtube for instructions on making your own (he's a chemist and developed the process for restoring antique firearms). Basically though, you apply a slightly acidic solution with dissolved salt with a cotton swap, leave in a moist area, then boil it, then rub it off with steel wool - and you end up with a surprisingly durable and black surface finish. You would oil it and wipe it dry just like a blued firearm. Touch ups are also possible - just rust the part again, boil and rub.
• Nickle plating. Less time consuming and super durable. Not hard either - but you do need more "equipment". Basically you first create a nickel solution by placing two strips in 5% vinegar and attaching each to a positive and negative from a power source. The power source can just be a low voltage wall wart. Once you have the solution, you attach your tool to the negative terminal, submerge it in the solution and keep a nickel strip on the positive side. How long you wait depends on your voltage and how thick of a coating you want. It can look like a warm chrome when done if you start with a polished tool - or it can come out dull and textured if your part was a bit rough or you plate too fast. Either works as a protective coating though.

 

[ChefRex]

Clean them up a bit and then use them daily with greasy hands and they'll be good.

 

[Bert_]

I'll sometimes paint a tools a certain color to indicate what truck they go it.

I don't care if I paint the whole thing and I don't care if some wears off. As long as some of the color stays visible so you know where it belongs

 

[lund]

BLO might work fine. It sticks well to my old vises once it’s cured. Another option would be gun bluing.

Gun bluing works well for bare steel. But the rust protection provided, while better than nothing, is not that high.

 

[lund]

I have an old rusty pair of pliers I was thinking about painting. Maybe knock all the rust off, mask off the inside of the jaws, and hit it with some rustoleum paint + primer from a rattle can.

To clarify I'm not talking about hand tools where it's clear that most of the paint would never see any abraision. I'm talking about things like ratchets, wrenches, pliers.. things where the paint might need to be pretty tough.

Anyone done this kind of thing? If so, did it work out, or did the paint just come off during the first usage?

I would use something else like bluing or nickel plating, but if you do paint, I doubt Rustoleum is a good choice for a tool. It tends to cure a little bit tacky.

 

[Beerhippie]

Remove any and all rust. Rough-up any remaining plating with 150 or so grit sandpaper--the rougher the better. Get the tool cleaner than clean, finishing with acetone--use disposable gloves to handle it now so you don't contaminate it with finger oils.

Use Rustoleum Paint+ Primer. Apply several, thin coats with about 15 minutes in between. No need to sand. Let dry for an hour or two, until the paint isn't tacky to the touch. Bake at 225-250F in a toaster oven or whatever you have for an hour or two.

That is the best you can do with rattle can--and no, it will not be tacky to the touch. Depending on your choice od colors, it may still be tacky, 'though.

We used to (like high school and later) paint our tools just to keep track of whose was which when group-wrenching on our rigs. The paint would last well enough for a year or so, but, we didn't care about full coverage, just ID. My "cresting" was red/blue.

 

[strutaeng]

Never thought about painting mechanics' tools TBH.

Abrade the rust, clean with acetone and hit them with a Rustoleum spray bomb. Easy, fast and cheap. Sounds like they are utilitarian tools, not some collectable that belongs in a museum. A 2k urethane or 2k epoxy paint will be a lot more resistant to abrasions and rust, but also expensive. Around $45/qt?

BLO is commonly used on woodworking tools wood handles. But on bare metal, you'd probably have to constantly reapply because it won't get absorbed and doesn't form a film. No different than a wax or 3-in-one. Probably better off with WD-40.

I've got some Crescent wrenches and Stillson vintage wrenches for plumbing duties and they are kinda rusty. Doesn't affect the use of the tool.

 

[Beerhippie]

BLO is commonly used on woodworking tools wood handles. But on bare metal, you'd probably have to constantly reapply because it won't get absorbed and doesn't form a film. No different than a wax or 3-in-one. Probably better off with WD-40.

I finish that shovel blade (and handle) with BLO about once a year. I use the shovel--mostly for latrine duty. The picture is near the end of the summer, so it's been used a fair amount. Sure looks like a "film" to me, and excellent rust preventative for a tool that lives outdoors 7/24/365.

Five years later:

 

[MovingAlong]

I have an old rusty pair of pliers I was thinking about painting. Maybe knock all the rust off, mask off the inside of the jaws, and hit it with some rustoleum paint + primer from a rattle can.

Go for it, the rusty pliers probably look bad already and a rattle can is under $10. Take the risk, seize the adventure! @Beerhippie has the process down.

The paint will last quite a bit longer than you think and take all of 30 seconds to freshen up as it's worn off.

One thing you didn't mention is the color. Gloss white is going to show wear pretty fast, flat black could be half gone before you even noticed...

I'm very comfortable painting anything that sits still long enough for me to spray it. Degrease the pliers, put on some nitrile gloves and give it a final wipe with acetone, spray 3 or 4 very light coats. Don't even try to cover it 100% with the first two, just enough to get it sticky and start the color change. Watch your cure times and recoat within the initial windows.

And post pics!!

 

[no704]

Got a shop mechanics set for the engineering team to abuse instead of using mine. “Painted” them with red spray Dikem. Held up pretty well.

 

[BTL-A4]

We sprayed the tool set for each machine at the adult school machine where I sub. They are painted in sets; for example, the red ones go to the read lathe, etc. The paint has worn off a bit after about 5 years, but you can still see some. I'd go ahead and paint your tools with the expectation that you'll have to freshen them up in a few years. Might want to add a clear coat as well. You could also try engine enamel. I used that on my mill vise and it's still holding up.

 

[tamaraw]

I would not recommend rustoleum for anything that gets handled. It is a fairly soft enamel and can take a couple weeks to cure and be less tacky. Still wouldn't want it as a grip.

For old tools I find, I normally just scrub them down with scotch brite or maybe a mild wire wheel and then polish. Could also blue if you are feeling fancy.

If you need hi-viz for locating or organizing, then yeah, go ahead and hit it with some matte spray paint but be prepared for it to wear.

You could also try plastidip (the dip in can variety) on the handles if you want to add a little color or improve the grip.