Tinting Chrome Tools

[pony]

Is there a way of color tinting my chrome sockets? Kind of like blueing a rifle barrel? I keep getting my metric and SAE socekts mixed up, cause I'm always to lazy to keep them separate, and was hoping I could add some color to my toolbox. Not as much as these but that's the idea

 

[wrenchr]

Buy matco sockets!! The standard have red numbers and metric are blue. Duralast has copies of these as well, these are sold @ autozone part store's in the states.

 

[Fedwrench]

I'm not too sure about tinting but, duplicolor has several products that may help you. You could add a band of brake caliper paint, their metalflake paint, or the chameleon paint that changes color with light to identify one type of sockets. You could also buy those socket size decals off of Ebay.

 

[pony]

The problem I run into is the product need to either "soak" into the metal or etch it. Any paint type product I use scratch off. I was thinking of putting my metric sockets into the blast cabinet and removing the shine on them. They are cheap craftsman type tools. For my impact sockets I just applied that white metal marker to the engraved numbers and scratched off the surface paint once dried; now I can read them.

 

[Cashed]

You could do some kind of a system like this. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/colorcode.html

You can also buy plastic tape that is different colors at almost any hardware store.

 

[Abodyracer]

How about powder coating?

 

[Merkava_4]

I don't think there's any way to color chrome. What I would suggest is separating your sockets into some MTS holders of different colors:

Click on "Click to purchase" for the different ones.

http://www.mechanicstimesavers.com/shop/intro/caddy.asp

 

[mikester]

I used the socket holders from Hansen that have the marked posts. Worked for me and I got them from Sears when they were on sale.

 

[MarkH]

My mix up comes when they are on the bench, ground, etc. I do have them in different color holders.

To make it easier putting them back, I just have each in a different brand so I can tell by looking if they are std or metric. Has worked well for me since each brand tries to look slightly different.

I did see the set in the Sears catalog that had blue for metric and gold-yellow for std or vise-versa in the titanium section. Thought that the different colors was not a bad idea.

 

[eschoendorff]

I don't think there's any way to color chrome. What I would suggest is separating your sockets into some MTS holders of different colors:

Click on "Click to purchase" for the different ones.

http://www.mechanicstimesavers.com/shop/intro/caddy.asp

Yeah, but that won't help when the sockets are out of the holders scattered under a dark car....

 

[pony]

I usually have them scattered in a drawers in my tool box What I should do is just be a bit more organised like other people. Just looking for an easy way out, that all

 

[eschoendorff]

I usually have them scattered in a drawers in my tool box What I should do is just be a bit more organised like other people. Just looking for an easy way out, that all

Seriously dude... just use a paint pen and let it highlight the size markers on each socket, the same as you did on your impacts. Just hit the area with some brake cleaner first. Red for SAE and Blue for metric. Just like Matco. .

And after all that brake cleaner and paint, be sure to post here so that we can all make fun of you for posting under the influence

 

[Merkava_4]

Yeah, but that won't help when the sockets are out of the holders scattered under a dark car....

I'm always using cardboard trays (from costco) to keep my tools in when I'm under the car; either that or a plastic tray like you see at the fast food restaurants; I don't like scratching my tools on the concrete.

 

[rsanter]

how about doing a quick plating job if gold or black cad over the crome

look at the web for tips, get a kit from eastwood, or send to plating shop. I used to get a 5 gal bucket of bolts and brackets done for $50-$100

bob

 

[ImportTuner]

Or .... you can buy the metric Craftsman Titanium blue sockets ...

 

[nissan_crawler]

I just take the magnetic socket tray with me. If you take a socket off the ratchet, it goes back on the tray before you grab another one. No confusion, no sockets rolling around.

 

[Hip2u77]

You said Craftsman?

I thought all Craftsman metric sockets had the band of vertical lines around the base?

 

[Red Green]

You said Craftsman?

I thought all Craftsman metric sockets had the band of vertical lines around the base?

They did away with the band that was easy to see when they went to the lazer etched sockets.