Were the first Blue Point combination wrenches chrome plated?

[Packard V8]

My 1936 Blue Point 11/16" combination was the second year of production. Two things make me wonder if it was ever plated:

1. It still shows factory machining/grinding marks. Plating would have been pretty ugly on something that rough.
2. No trace of any plating remains, and it doesn't show excessive pitting, even though it came out of Florida.

Who knows the facts about the finish on the early BPs?

thnx, jack vines

 

[snapmom]

The raised letter ones like yours were not chrome plated. But other bp were, not sure why.

 

[fleetline]

Jack,
Did you see my reply I posted on the earlier thread about OEX Blue Point raised letter combination wrenches? I have almost a complete set. I am looking for the 1/2 wrench OEX-16, you don't happen to have that one? I have never seen any of these wrenches chrome plated. That came later in the 40's. Mike

 

[lauver]

Packard V8,

Many 1930's and 1940's vintage tools I've picked up have a dull grey cadmiun plating on them. Sometime you can't even tell they've been plated. But, the fact that these cadmium plated tools are not rusted or pitted is a testiment to the quality of this type of plating. I don't know why this type of plating fell out of favor. Perhaps toxicity, expense, not flashy enough???

Long story short, I'm guessing your BP wrench could have cadmium plating.

just curious, have you, or anybody else, cleaned up that wrench (i.e. wire wheel, bead blast, Evapo-Rust, carb cleaner, etc)?

 

[chad s]

Packard V8,

Many 1930's and 1940's vintage tools I've picked up have a dull grey cadmiun plating on them. Sometime you can't even tell they've been plated. But, the fact that these cadmium plated tools are not rusted or pitted is a testiment to the quality of this type of plating. I don't know why this type of plating fell out of favor. Perhaps toxicity, expense, not flashy enough???

Long story short, I'm guessing your BP wrench could have cadmium plating.

This series of BP wrenches were not plated, as Snapmom stated. By this era of wrench, Snap on was pretty much done with Cadmium, and plated tools received a chrome plating. But due to the very good carbon tool steel used to make them, they resist currosion very well.

 

[Packard V8]

Thanks for the relies:

1. My 11/16" wrench shows no sign of plating. It is the only raised letter Blue Point I have. If I come across a 1/2", I'll let you know.
2. I did pick up a McKaig-Hatch Inc 5/8"-3/4" open end which showed signs of having been cad plated.

First one of these I'd ever seen. Betcha there's no one collected a full set of McK-H, is there?

thnx, jack vines