Pliers thread restoration - did anybody do it?

[Shelbylex]

Good evening.
I enjoy restoring tools. I sometimes come across pliers which have damaged/flattened threads (sorry, not sure what I should call it - may be groves - please let me know). Sometimes they are straight, sometimes crossed for better grip.
Please educate me if it's possible to do it and how you do it.

I know, it might be not worth the effort, but it would be nice to know.

Thank you

 

[Shelbylex]

I do not have the skills of some of the masters of restoration on this site and did not make before and after on majority of small things I restored. Here are some of the old ones I posted a wile ago.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388789
Ridgid was solidly stuck. It's not pretty, but it's a working tool now.
Some of my pliers and cutters were rusty and stuck and are now in working order in my toolbox (did not make any before pictures...)
The last two pictures are an example of some of the tools I recently bought and will try to restore.
The reason I asked for thread/groove restoration is I got couple of Crescent pliers during last tool acquisition and on one side of the plier the grooves are somewhat flattened - wanted to see if it can be improved.


… I know that you can restore files by sending them somewhere for extremely high power blasting (or something similar) , but was wondering if there is something which people do at home

 

[measuredtwice]

My grandfather used to file worn serrations. It was just a matter of keeping the tools useful. It wasn't considered "restoration".

I don't believe in "restoring" or "good as new". Buffing a bunch of metal off doesn't make it like new. It just makes it shiny. The buffed tools I see on Youtube and Ebay look like they melted away in the sun --haha!

But I have learned the value of keeping tools in working condition though. They don't need to be buffed to a mirror finish but just properly maintained. Today people tend to view everything as disposable but that's wasteful.

 

[Shelbylex]

I do not restore tools to shiny conditions - just working one. My tools are for work, not for museum.
Duckface, sorry to make it unclear. When you open the pliers, there are groves/thread inside which are helping to hold whatever you want to hold with them. It is those groves that I want to improve

 

[ChevyEFI]

Depends on the tool. A surface that's hardened may be best re-shaped rather than ground down. In the case of a vee shaped valley, where you're able to reach the surface straight on, a fairly standard chisel may get you fairly far gently shaping them, and allow for the original, hardened surface to largely remain. A pipe wrench is going to be simple. Smaller teeth, on pliers which open less than 90 degrees are going to be challenging.

 

[ChevyEFI]

are thread reshaping files applicable here?

 

[steaks&anvils]

I have had good luck trimming the tips of mangled needle nose pliers off. I cut back to "good" metal. These no longer have serrated teeth and are now "stubbies".

You can also use a dremel cut off disk to "shape" the tips for custom holding applications.

And a sanding always helps to remove years of scarring.

I have cut back round nose pliers with good results. The pair in the attached picture were frozen/rusted solid, $0.25 from the Habitat Restore. The tips were mangled too. I cut them back to clean un-blemished metal. They are Crescent tool company Crestoloy model #21/5 (I think from the 1940s).

I use them for jewelry making now. Nothing is better than giving a new life to an old tool.

There is a local used tool store that I go to. I always sort through the small pliers tub. I have about 90 pairs now.

I also added two pictures of a great pair of small Kraeuter pliers from that store. I think these were made between 1924-1939, dating from the hand grip pattern. Too cool huh? All I did for these was clean the grease off and lightly sand rough spots.

 

[Shelbylex]

Thank you, ChevyEFI
Unfortunately Crescent pliers are somewhat small and do not open that far...
I never used thread reshaping files. It’s a thought. May be somebody will share their experience.

I do not know why I fix tools - just makes me feel good and relaxes after long working day. I guess sometimes it saves an old tool from the dumpster and gives it a new life. It makes no sense money wise but I enjoy it.

 

[Shelbylex]

Thank you, Steaks&anvils. Your pliers look great!
Since I joined GJ I retired all Chinese pliers And cutters and replaced a lot of them with cleaned and/or restored ones. I keep fixing more when I find them on yard sales. Have a mix of Snap On, Older Craftsman, Xcelite, Fuller, couple of no name made in Germany, Japan (keep forgetting to post it for emblem identification, etc.
Will try to remember to make pictures on Mo or Tu after work...

 

[ganymede]

I do. I use a triangular file and re shape teeth that are worn down.
Sometimes they arent as hard and wear down again but surprisingly some hold up well.

 

[Rabid Badger]

I've reconditioned many pairs of pliers with Harbor Freight mini diamond files. With the variety of shapes you can do pretty much whatever you need.

 

[KnurledNut]

I modified a 8” Klein D203 long nose.
These have always been my favorite pliers in this style.
My goal was to make an-almost-perfect plier even better.
They have been fantastic, and the modifications have held up well to abuse, which speaks volumes of Kleins metallurgy.
If Klein made this style, id buy it. (Ahem...HINT!)

I added two gripping areas, small and large, with fairly aggressive teeth.
I also added a parallel “SO-style” pin-gripping zone, which has been very useful.
Also, a perpendicular pin gripping zone that is perfect for creating romex loops, holding small fasteners, twisting without marring, etc.

I used several files, including a small triangle file, and a taper knife edge file.

 

[steaks&anvils]

View attachment 1012435

Thank you, Steaks&anvils. Your pliers look great!

Thanks Shelbylex. I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates saving and using old tools (I think we are in pretty good company on this forum).

Since my focus is for jewelry making, I look for smaller smooth jawed pliers. New specialty pliers are expensive and economical ones are too cheaply made. I have found vintage examples of every USA maker and many European makers, unknowns and the japan made are also very good.

This tiny pair of watch makers pliers only needed the handles adjusted to be round again and as always, the rough spots sanded out. I doubt I'll use them much, but the cool factor can't be beat.

 

[Wamsutta]

If the teeth are mashed over, you can restore them by using a triangular file. Just find a file that's the same angle as the teeth. Push the file through the grooves between the teeth. Do not ever pull on a file.

 

[mr.lemons]

I modified a 8” Klein D203 long nose.

That's pretty inventive. Going to have a go on some of my pliers. Nicely done.

 

[Shelbylex]

Ganimede, I will have to try those. May be that will help.
KnurledNut, this is an interesting idea. I never thought about creating custom ones. This could be a great idea for the future project.
Steakes&Anvil - this is probably the smallest pliers I ever saw... I have some, other pliers, but am not even closer to your 90!!!

Here are some of my pliers and cutters
First picture: Top to bottom:
Fuller, England - from completely rusty and stuck condition
Craftsman - forgot from where, I think a neighbor found at a local metal recycling file
Craftsman - was quite rusty. Not sure if you can see, but I put an interesting touch restoring them: the Craftsman is "golden": cleaned with brass brush first and then stainless one
Indestro
Bonney

Second picture
Left top: Blue bird and no name above; to the right Xcelite, next two are made in Germany and no name. The one on the bottom is restored Utica Bell Systems

Third picture, left to right
Unknown (I wonder if anybody knows the emblem), Snap On Vacuum Grip, Klein cutters (found in recycling pile by neighbor - sometimes he finds things and brings to see if I can fix it. Could not even see the name till I removed all the rust), Craftsman, Made in Japan

 

[Shelbylex]

This is the picture from above:
I knew that the bottom one was Bell System. I lightly wirebrushed the ones which were too rusty and I could not see the emblem. The big ones are Kleins, the ones on top are H Boker & Co (this company is more famous for the knives, originated in Germany in 1869)

The other one is Damon Raike and Co Chicago USA Germany (interesting piece, more of a multitool with screwdriver on one handle and sharp end on the other)

Unfortunately I have no pictures of Crescent pliers which originated this post at the moment...

 

[steaks&anvils]

Shelbylex, nicely restored to usable status, old tools are so much better. My daily house hold and garage pliers are all mid-1980s craftsman, I bought them all back then. I really don't pick up any that are "normal" sized.

I use a tip that I found somewhere here on GJ for dirty plastic handles. If the plastic is grungy, wipe it with a rag soaked with acetone. You have to wipe fast so that you don't melt the plastic. This does leave the plastic kind of "dull" or a "mat" finish. But it sure cleans off grease and dirt.

I can't really see the logo on the japan pliers. Try looking through this list from Alloy Artifacts:

http://alloy-artifacts.org/trademarks-and-logos.html#logo-JIS-Logo

 

[Shelbylex]

Thank you, Steaks&Anvils
Unfortunately no luck on the page. Mine are most likely modern. I looked them over - no country of origin stamp. Here is another attempt of the emblem. Looks like a bird.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Thank you, Steaks&Anvils
Unfortunately no luck on the page. Mine are most likely modern. I looked them over - no country of origin stamp. Here is another attempt of the emblem. Looks like a bird.

Thanks for the better picture, looks like a swallow.

I looked for that logo for quite some time and never found anything on a tool (pliers etc).

FYI, some interesting things are found when you google "swallow"