This well-used antique wrench was owned by my great-grandfather and handed down to me. I couldn't think of a better tribute than to restore it to its nearly original glory (while leaving in some of the original dings and dents for posterity's sake). This was one of my first ever restorations. There are many things I would do differently now, but I like looking back on how far I've come since then.
This wrench is a Whitman & Barnes ("W&B") "Regular Wrench", which was first produced around 1897. This particular wrench is stamped with "Chicago, USA", which dates the production of this particular wrench to around 1920, the year that the Whitman & Barnes Manufacturing Company acquired two drop forge facilities and a wrench factory in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This timeline matches exactly with the time and place that my great-grandfather would've purchased this wrench.
For this restoration, I wanted to remove some of the dings, dents, gouges, and original manufacturing defects, but only the ones that would not completely diminish the original character of the tool. You'll notice a scaly or porous surface in some spots on the wrench - this is how the original surfaces of the wrenches looked fresh out of the molds or forging dies . Except for some key areas where the casting or forging dies came together or significant gouging from 100 years of use, I left the left the original surface intact and just lightly removed any surface oxidation. With careful maintenance, this wrench could easily last another hundred years.
Timestamps:
0:00-1:00 Overview
1:01-3:23 Disassembly
3:24-5:01 Cleaning and electrolysis
5:02-7:56 Wire wheeling all parts
7:57-9:12 Handle sanding/oiling
9:13-15:30 Grinding/sanding casting defects and dents
15:31-15:50 Final wire wheel
15:51-16:34 Reassembly
16:35-17:36 Before/After
17:37-17:52 Thank you and please consider subscribing!
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Some of the tools and equipment I used in this video:
(I may receive a portion of the sale of these items, but they do not cost you any extra. These are a great way to support my channel without any increased cost to you!)
Wire brush set: amzn.to/3o6jO74
Camera: amzn.to/3EbiQfo
Angle Grinder: amzn.to/3loMFSp
Flap disc sandpaper for angle grinder: amzn.to/3dkKTNX
Dremel rotary tool: amzn.to/3o3FOQ1
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