Watch: How to Restore Old Tools Like New
Russ Chastain 11.02.16
Jimmy DiResta knows how to make junk worthwhile; he proved that on the TV show Dirty Money, which showed him transforming cheap stuff into useful things that could be sold for a profit. And then there was the “Gattar,” which is an electric guitar that he transformed too look like an AK-47. He even added some strings and pickups on the “magazine” of the gun-looking guitar.
This time, he’s showing us how to make junky old tools look good and work well.
He starts by putting them into a bath of white vinegar. After they soak for a while, some brushing with a small wire brush removes most of the rust.
Brace yourself as you approach the 1:47 mark; when he coughs off-screen, the high-speed makes it sound a bit like a choking chihuahua.
Next comes a wire wheel on a bench grinder. I’ve used this method many times myself, and I know it works well.
He goes farther than I would have when he takes the fencing pliers to a belt sander; I would have preserved the old dents and dings in the steel. But hey, he ain’t me!
After the belt sander treatment, he paints the handles of the shears and moves on to creating handles for the wood chisels. He glues a couple hunks of wood together and turns some handles on his lathe, which looks even more impressive at high speed.
Back to the lathe again, to make brass rings to cap the chisel handles so they can stand up to the hammering that wood chisel handles must endure.
In the end, we see him shape up the chisels and then use all of the overhauled tools, which look and work great.
