Antique Rusty Cast Iron Tools - Many of Them... (w/pics)

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

I don't mean to disappoint the metal detecting folks, but I bought these out of a decrepit smokehouse from an old timer today for $25.00

People love these things for some reason. They like to hang them up in their lake cabins, workshops, and barns. I'm really not that into them but I need some items like this to put in my booth.

The old man said that to remove the rust I should soak them in a 50/50 mix of diesel and kerosene. Anyone ever heard of this method? It sounds dangerous.

I got some pipe wrenches, an old Stanley bubble level w/copper box, RR spikes, 2 meat grinders, old doorknobs and locks, pulleys, some kind of hand propelled grinder(?), clamps, files, a t-square, old bucket, tin snips, a vise, socket wrenches, and a bunch of other stuff. Some stuff I don't even know what the heck it does. Got a nice weather vane and two old wooden boxes as well...

If anyone sees anything I am overlooking please let me know. I don't really know a lot about this stuff other than people will buy it at the antique mall.

Y'all like pics around here so here ya' go...

 

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[Born Free]

The weather vane is awesome! Nice bucket, too.

Born Free

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

The weather vane is awesome! Nice bucket, too.

Born Free

Thanks! He said the weather vane was purchased in 1967. Not that old, but still a pretty cool item.

 

[LukeTHr]

Nice haul, especially the weather vane. Look thru the tools and see if you have any brands like Winchester or KeenKutter. They will bring more money than unmarked stuff

 

[romeo-1]

Tools are nice...weather vane is phenomenal!

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Nice haul, especially the weather vane. Look thru the tools and see if you have any brands like Winchester or KeenKutter. They will bring more money than unmarked stuff

There was one old Snap-On double-headed socket wrench I sold to a buddy for $20 right after I bought these. Any other names I need to be on the lookout for?

 

[windage]

the tubing cutter looks to be a Rigid...good one, Blue point is also sold by Snap-on so watch for those. As for the 50/50 mix...not much point, kero is just more volitile petrol...diesel has more oil in it....wouldn't hurt anything, but certainly won't "remove" rust...just slow it down. A little time on the wire wheel/ bench grinder will work wonders on most of that.
The grinders are just that...."arm-strong"meat grinders...hard to work and slow production.

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

I thought about just dowsing them with WD-40 and giving them a good rubdown with an oily rag, but the old timer was insisting his 50/50 mix was the cats pajamas.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

That is an awesome score for 25 bucks!!! I have an old brace and bit that I still use and would LOVE to get hold of those auger bits alone for 25 bucks! Another nice piece it the hand crank bench grinder, a friend of mine has one and it's so much better for working thin metal with than an electric grinder.....

You did really well on that lot!

 

[sonny61]

CLR does a really good job on rust. Fo und a pair of sidecutters rusted shut. Used CLR. Nice set of cutters now .

 

[truckinbutch]

If you just want to resell don't fix what ain't broke . I see 150% recovery minimum as is .

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

If you just want to resell don't fix what ain't broke . I see 150% recovery minimum as is .

I just want to clean them up good enough so that if a customer picks one up they don't get rust all over their hands.

 

[gleaner1]

Maybe a little rub with triple 0 steel wool, just enough to knock off the loose rust. That is a heck of a nice haul of goods right there.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

If you just want to resell don't fix what ain't broke . I see 150% recovery minimum as is .

I just want to clean them up good enough so that if a customer picks one up they don't get rust all over their hands.

Soft rag and some 3 in 1 oil, leave em a bit dirty so they'll appeal to collectors

 

[High Plains Digger]

Bristle broom brush, no oil, no nothing else. Start taking the old off and they won't sell as well. I promise you. Makes them look like they belong in the garage. Just get enough of the dirt off that the customers don't have dirty hands after handling them. Leave the rust---adds tons of character. Brown is in!!

I was detecting a burned down barn years ago and kept hitting buggy wrenches. Couple of dozen of them. Rusty, and I couldn't imagine who would want them. I was very young and very stupid and left them.

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

I don't want to make em' look new, just not overly dirty. I know after I handled them all today I considered going and getting a tetanus shot. lol

 

[floodcitykid]

The weather vane is soooo cooollll. ALso check the railroad spikes, some of them can be of value to collectors if the heads are marked.

TFCK

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

These old levels seem to do alright as well. I will check the RR spikes.

 

[fishbone3d]

If you want them really clean, use electrolysis. It is easy, and inexpensive. all rust will be gone. Then use light oil to keep them preserved. There are a lot of videos on how to do it. I use an old car charger. Good luck my friend!

 

[clovis97]

I love old tools...mind if I make a few posts, so I can go back and look at the photos?

The bits for the brace:

If you look on the tang, you should see a single number, 1 thru 16. Those bits are measured by 16ths, so a 3 is a 3/16th, a 4 is 1/4, an 8 is a 1/2, a 5 is 5/16th, a 12 is 3/4, and so forth to 16, which is a 1 inch bit.

BTW, the seventh bit down in the right hand row is an adjustable bit, but it looks like it is missing the cutter. Was there a spare metal piece in that box, held in by a screw.

If you want torque and power, a brace and bit is best.

I actually prefer a brace and bit...I almost always grab my brace and bits over an electric drill.