Tool Transformation

[Shaun 69 E]

A typical, sad set of tools. Owner wanted them restored and with more of a satin finish than the original glossy finish zinc gives, so I went with cadmium. You can get a matt-satin finish with zinc, but it doesn't look natural and is very blue these days with the brighteners that platers are using.

It's very interesting that the metals are slightly different with the duplicate set of 3 wrenches.

[gled49]

The wrenches look good but screw driver bits, pliers and what is a late model alternator wrench are just too flat.

[Shaun 69 E]

Thanks! Here's a better pic of the pliers (zoomed in) and I wish I had taken one of the outside handles, those have a nice sparkle to them. I think it's more the way each one reflects light, but as a satin set, they are exactly what the owner hoped for.

I will test some clear zinc on a few pieces of my next batch to see what they will look like.

[t6dpilot]

Shaun, those look great. Are you doing that in-house or farming them out to a local plater. I would love to hear about your process.

[Shaun 69 E]

Thanks Scott!

Both. Like paint, plating is all about surface prep. I do powder coating in-house but bright dip+anodizing and zinc and cadmium plating are done by the same plater that Paul Russell uses. So I can guarantee some of the best plating in the country. I am considering bringing chrome in-house though.

For these tools, I stripped the old plating off. Then I tumbled them in a moderate abrasive to condition the surface and see what I'm working with. Then a combination of wire brushed and bead blasted them. Then I tumbled them with a fine abrasive with a little burnishing compound to prep the surface for plating. Then I had them plated. Each tool was then individually wrapped in paper and shipped off to the customer.

Here's the tumbler with some ceramic media. I also have 3mm ceramic beads for polishing Mg and Al.