Massive Tap & Die Set ~ RESTORATION ~ Honoring a previous Craftsman's Tool Set
I got this tap & die set from a run down Machine Shop that I purchased, and it looked as if this set was cherished by its previous owner!
My goal is to honor that with the restoration of this set and it's box!
I also have some massive Dies that need attention, so I decided to restore them as well!
I'd love to know your thoughts on this project!
Materials used:
Cold Bluing - amzn.to/2TXawtA
If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please leave them below!
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#Restoration #OldTools #TapandDie
At 21:18 the die is in the holder in the right orientation, turn yours 90 deg. and it will be correct. The slits and screws in the dies are there to adjust how tight or loose you want the thread to be, or, on the larger ones, you can "sneak-up" on the correct thread dimension. Sometimes a threaded hole may be "wallowed-out," and if you make the thread larger than nominal, you can still use the hole. It comes in really handy when your other choice is to remove a 20-ton base with a wallowed-out hole. I'm 73, and I used these types of dies when working in shipyards starting over 50 years ago. Excellent job, they look great!
Thanks! The dies in the finished product are in the correct locations! These are definitely meant to be use on some pretty large projects!
I think somewhere out there, in the old tool room in the sky, Mr. Wilson is saying “Thanks for keeping my memory alive and great job.”
I never got to meet the man, but I hope I made him proud!
50 years ago, men marked their property like this. Today, tools are stolen within a week of purchase at most open shops. Make sure you mark every item. It won't prevent all theft, but it will make some people think twice. H. R. Wilson is all of our fathers and grandfathers. Thank you for honoring them.
@@jeffreycoulter4095 Yep sure as hell, my pops would be saying the same, them tools aint cheap. Like way you restored the box. Nice work. It's good thing you found them in stead of some dam Scrapper... Or they end up in scrap pile being turned into China Crap tools...
Not sure where abouts you are, but there's a "Wilson's" machine shop in st augustine florida, maybe the founder..
From a time when men were proud of their tools, their skills and their work. Well done Sir, well done indeed.
I couldn't have said it better myself! Thank you Gregg!
Excellent, Mr Wilson would be very proud and grateful.
Hi, really agree with Jimmy's comment below......I know he would be proud. It is really fantastic that there are so many guys doing restoration work on old and cool tools. To have kept that patina is the real hero in this as you just cant replace the years of hard graft and it is a credit to you that you have maintained this. I can remember when I was a young guy I would draw file other owners initial or names out of used tools I bought and now that I am retired I take so much pride in maintaining the heritage by preserving such details.....amazing what years can do. I love your channel Sir, you do awesome work and your content is always something I enjoy seeing. Cheers from Australia
I am glad you are enjoying the videos!! There was no other option for me when it came to restoring the tap & die box! The only tools I remove peoples names from are modern tools that I use for my construction business because I mark them with our business name, but I LOVE saving markings and owners marks on the old stuff! Thanks for watching my friend! Lots more to come!
Tool restoration? I don't know about other viewers. To me, this is a 100% wooden tool box restoration. And I give you 50 trillion likes for the job well done, if i could. Tool restorations are nice, you brought them back from tool hell. Toolbox restoration is holy, you brought the soul of the tool back. Especially like it when you put your own mark with Mr Wilson's.
The soul of Mr. Wilson's tap & die set is exactly what I wanted to preserve! Thank you for the tall compliment my friend!
@@SalvageWorkshop People restore for different reason. Some for fun, some for likes, some for hits, some for reasons i cannot understand. After i saw your shop tour clip, I realized you kept old things for the same reason i keep them myself. You have a lot of heart and soul. Keep it up and I appreciate what you bring to youtube. Cheers.
a banana is the only ANSI approved scale reference!
LOL.... The dogs had just eaten the last one!!
Can it be tapped?
I see you're a man of culture as well...
Great homage to this guy, who probably made a living using those tools. I collect and use a lot of old tools. And if the person's name is on them. I will just clean them and keep their name. So future people who end up with these tools hopefully will understand these people bought these to make a living, and keep taking care of these quality tools after we're gone.
I totally agree! Thanks for watching!
Your abiding knowledge of tools is a valuable asset; however, you also are blessed with a respect for those who manufactured them, used them, and added to the fabric of our culture. Your work is commendable for the ethic and craftsmanship, but as well and more importantly, the educational narrative you provide to all of us. Many thanks.
Thank you my friend! I do my best to honor those that have used the tools and machines I work on, but also help people who know NOTHING about them understand what is happening and why!
My grandfather had a beautiful (but much larger) set of taps and dies (and several other machinist's tools). I was so upset when my brother sold them at the auction after his death. He was supposed to give all the tools to our dad, who planned to pass them down to me. I guess that's what comes of making a collage grad with dollar signs in his eyes your estate executor.
Oh man, that would be frustrating! I don't have any inherited tools, but I try to honor whoever they're previous owners were!
A similar thing happened to my grandfather's blacksmith tools, a nephew of his, dad's cousin got them but never used them. At least I got the anvil. And his tap and die set. It's different from this one
One can only be blessed for honoring someone in this way.
Thank you Boyd! I truly appreciate that!
MAN!! I had all my great great uncle's HUGE tap and die set from when they worked on the oil fields in Oklahoma in the late 19th century BUT I took them to the scrap yard years ago for cash!!!!!!! SON OF A!
That's ok... I've gotten rid of my share of tools I wish I still had! We live & keep on rollin!
Excellent Craftsmanship 🙂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I'm late in finding this video but I am grateful to you for showing the respect you did by doing this restoration. A man who puts his name/Mark on his tools wanted others to know how much he treasured his tools. I know I did where ever I worked. They cost money so why not. On behalf of Mr Wilson I thank you.
I greatly admire the respect and tact with which you treat such restorations, maintaining their existing character and history but also being willing to not try to blend in aspects such as the patched wood, so that your restoration itself becomes part of the item's continued character and history. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful restoration and video.
Thank you Simon! When it comes to old tools and machines, many times I may improve them or change something about it, because for me it's not about getting it back to the way it was when it came from the factory, its about the story that tool tells, and I want the work I do to become PART of that history! Thank you for watching & commenting, I truly appreciate it!
My dad was a machinist for 32 years at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and retired in 2007, he still has a few of the tools he used there. Those taps and dies would have been small compared to some that he used.😁 (of course he used lathes and mills for submarine crankshaft parts)
I bet he used some MASSIVE ones!!
JUST FORMIDABLE !!! BRAVO very very nice work !
Sweet kit, totally worth the effort.
Thank you my friend! I agree!
I second what Jimmy Payne posted. And will add I would have loved to met Mr H.R.Wilson.
I inherited a set very much like this that had originally been some of the working tools of a Great-uncle, a Mr. Murray who'd emigrated from Scotland around 1865-1870 as a child. He was apparently an self-taught engineer of some skill - he designed and built both a threshing machine and a metal-working lathe - the latter using hardwood as well as iron. He also made a working model of the threshing machine, which has survived and is now in a museum. As you did, I repaired and cleaned up the wooden box for the smaller die stocks and the taps and tap wrenches. Then, a friend - a woodworker who's made some furniture for me - suggested making a larger case to hold the big dies and die stocks. For the largest ones, it was made so that the handles unscrewed and were stowed in grooves, with round-ish cutouts alternating at either end. This helped balance the box for carrying, and the appearance of the layout is pleasing to the eye. I think my great-uncle would approve! I did a lot of the internal finishing by hand, with a rasp, sandpaper and so on, and with my friend's help, we chose a finish that matched the original box pretty closely, but that sealed the wood so that it didn't soak up oil from the dies. In the end, it looked very good but not 'brand new', and "complemented" the original smaller box. The finishing touch was to make a nameplate for the larger box, in the style of the older, smaller one. This was done with a flat piece of copper (a section of 2-1/2" copper pipe slit lengthwise and opened out flat), and from the back, the name was punched in with a small, dull cold chisel and a rawhide mallet, to produce raised lettering on the "front." I touched up the top of the raised letters with a bit of off-white paint, like the original, and fastened the "new" name plate down with brass screws. We'd cleaned the grime off of the original nameplate, (evidently made from copper sheet with the same technique), and then I gave both a shot of matte clear-coat - the only place where that was done. The result was very satisfying, and looks very much as if it had been made the same way as the original. The taps and dies were very good quality and still sharp, made by a company in eastern Canada (possibly in Montreal). Not all had identical markings, although they were all the same Company name and brand, so I suspect that pieces were added to the set as needed, or when there was money to purchase them. The whole think is now on display in a local historic site, along with blacksmiths' tools made by my Great-uncle and a close replica of his original forge. The craftsmanship of the people who made the taps and dies is very evident - the tolerances are very precise, and the parts fit perfectly. It's no wonder a special case was made for them! They're better than almost anything you see these days. A lot of pride went into their manufacture. Thanks for showing this. Now, if I can just find myself a big old vise....
Thank you for sharing that my friend, and for preserving that set of amazing tools! You should see the BIG OL Vise I just picked up! Go over to my instagram to see it! 8.5" jaws!
Fantastic way to honor Mr. Wilson, I'm sure he's proud of your careful restoration.
Nice Work, nice Dogs!
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting! Lots more to come!
Beautiful dogs..................................oh! and the restoration wasn't too shabby either.
Lol... Thank you Kevin!
Mr. H. R. Wilson would be Very Proud.. I love your dedication to restore and mend items.. Peace..
I hope so, because I have MANY other tools and machines from his old Machine Shop to honor!
Wonderful restoration.
Much appreciated!
Love the Videos and the Dogs.
Thank you!
Now that is what I call a die set, fantastic.
I would have to agree!
Mr. Wilson ... who knows, he managed to acquire those tools with a lot of effort. Therefore it is no coincidence that they have ended up in their hands "Salvage Workshop" ... Now he has come back to life and Mr. Wilson ... from Heaven, he must smile. I loved it ... it's a beautiful story, if you think about it ...
Thank you my friend! You would be interested to know that I acquired Mr Wilson's entire run down machine shop from the family that bought his house many many years after he passed! I plan to bring life to MANY of his old tools and machines! Thanks for watching & commenting! Lots more to come!
My dad handed me down a similar set many years ago, wood case and all. I still use it regularly.
I think you did an outstanding job on this project. The box fix was great and the prior owner [Mr. Wilson] would be proud.
Thank you my friend!
Excellent video. No yakking, just action. EXCELLENT
Thank you Larry! I like to let the work speak for itself!
What a great restore! I use Acetone to clean wood like that, I too like the old character. I'm so glad you restored the wood case and kept Mr. Wilson's name alive. That was awesome. the bluing turned out great. Great restore.
I think that you’ve done Mr. Wilson proud! Very nice touches with the box. Excellent job. Thanks for sharing
Turned out awesome!
Thank you!
Great set of tools
Thank you Brad!
Mr. H. R. Wilson would be proud. Nicely done!
Much appreciated!
Id say you’ve done Mr Wilson proud! Last I heard he was lost at sea...” I’m sorry Wilson!!!” (lil castaway humor...) But seriously I love the blueing, it adds character and they’ll look good for another lifetime! They’re monsters too, plenty o leverage threading and tapping that’s for sure. Nice work😉 ✌🏼🤟🏼🤞🏼
WILSONNNNNNNN!!!
Very well done. Since you asked, I'd suggest Murphy's Oil Soap for cleaning up old wood that's got a lot of oil and grime soaked into the grain. It's what I used to clean up old gun stocks, especially military surplus ones that are typically over oiled, and I've always had good results. Mix with hot water, scrub with a nylon brush, rinse in warm water, and it dries quickly, especially in bright sunlight. It opens up the grain nicely for fresh linseed oil to go on. Damned fine job, I've subscribed.
Thank you Kurt! I'll give Murphy's oil a try! I already have some!
I admire the care skill and loving restoration of Mr H R Wilson's property. Jolly well done!!
Thanks for keeping Wilsons tools clean ,nice bluing
Thank you James!
Saw the title and thought about the tap and die set I have at work that weighs 15 lbs, then I saw this video and was blown away, I've never seen a set that large. Great job, thanks for keeping it original!
You should see my FULL collection of taps & dies!
@@SalvageWorkshop I could only imagine, I work in a hospital doing IT support, our engineering department is my wonderland. The place is about the size of a football field and that's just the storage room. I rent and only have my apartment so I'm limited (NYC) closets are packed like tetris cubes!
That's what I call a beautiful preservation, not simply a restoration. Anyone can "restore" a piece, but it takes special care and loving attention in order to preserve something like this. Besides, we never really own these old tools. We are merely custodians. Caring for things so the next generation has something to use that isn't just disposable. Well done, my friend. Well done!
Thank you my friend! I try my best to honor the previous owners of my tools & machines!
I think Mr Wilson would be very happy with the restoration ... good Job Sir ... 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you Joe!
Mr Wilson would be proud and I am sure he would say thank you for that great restoration of his tap and die set that is a wonderfull tap and die set a true part of history. And I love that blueing !!! Great restoration as always fine work !
Thank you Robert! I think he would enjoy the finished product as well!
Beautiful job.
Thank you Tara!
wonderful
i love that you took the time out to restore the box instead of just replacing it
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting! Lots more to come!
Very nice. I liked the way you kept the box original! Beautiful workmanship...
It had WAY too much history to sand it all away!
Mr. Wilson appreciated what you did.
Thank you Aaron!
An awesome restoration, You nailed it my friend.
you did that just like I was hoping you would. A little safety tip for you, set your table saw blade to a height where it just barely comes through the wood. Everybody messes up sometime, it might save your thumb or something, it did mine, so I swear by it. know, you get to working and don't want to bother, but do it every time. You never know when the mind can wander and your body pays for it.
Thank you my friend! I completely agree, and I'll definitely be more mindful of the blade height... I like my hands the way they are!
@@SalvageWorkshop they do good work, woulnd't want to see that stop.
I really enjoy watching you clean up the old tools. You have a true passion and caring for them as well as their history. My father and grandfather have a lot of old hand tools and you inspire me to do something with them. Thanks a lot. Take care. Tim
I do enjoy old tools, and I'm glad to have inspired you to take a second look at the old tools you have!! As always, thank you for watching & commenting!
6 dogs? :D That's an awesome job!
Yup! 6 Weimaraners!
Awww :D
That is something well worth putting on display. Excellent find and restoration. You can't buy tools that good anymore or anywhere. Keep it up.
Thank you Ferrell! I completely agree!
You did it justice.
Great job! Old man Wilson would be proud. 👍🏼
Thank you David, I sure hope so!
When you show respect to a mans tools that he cherished,You show respect to the man that previously owned them.
You are killing it with the amount of videos lately ❤
Thank you my friend!! I am glad you are enjoying them!
Good job,man.....now you gotta make a BIG matching Case for them BIIG wrenches....that would be cool
Thank you! That's a great idea!
Well done mate. A great quality old school tool rescued. I wonder if old man Wilson is still around....? Respect from Australia.
Thank you my friend! Old man Wilson is no longer with us, but his memory lives on through the tools & machines I acquired from his old machine shop!
@@SalvageWorkshop good on ya, mate!
I really appreciated that you restored the box as well.
Wonderful work..
Thank you!
Excellent job brother from Tarpon Springs Florida God Bless America. PS I would just like to know how anybody could give a thumbs down to this video I give you a 10 x thumbs up. I guess some people are just miserable myself I give credit where credit's due. My dad always taught me the last 10% of a job is the most important part all. Those little extra things you do is what separates you from the rest of the herd. I have many customers that I have had for 25 years or more. Because I have attention and an eye for detail. And people really appreciate that and they call me back every time.
Ooòoooò what a big won
You got that right!
The doggies. The resto. The blueing. That just made my whole day! Thanks :-)
I am truly glad you enjoyed the video!! Lots more to come!
@@SalvageWorkshop :-)
I’m glad you didn’t remove the name like some others suggested. You do that and it just becomes another old tool. This is Mr. Wilson’s tool. Great job.
Removing his name was never even a thought!
Threw the years I have used tools the same as you just honored here! God Bless You! Yea I'm sure the owner is smiling down on you.
They are great tools, and I also plan to put them to good use! Thanks for watching & commenting!
I think Jimmy said it best!
Much appreciated!
very soothing video !
I'm glad you enjoyed it Mark! Thanks for watching & commenting!
Great job sir!
Thank you my friend!
Nice work. H.R. Wilson would be proud.
Thank you! That was the goal!
Good call on the brass hinges and clasps. Making the patch stand out was the right call too. There’s only two ways to deal with defects: conceal them completely or draw attention to them.
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Dude well done. I think Mr. Wilson would appreciate the work you did and the respect you gave to his old tools. Great job.
Thank you Tim! I tried my best to honor these old tools!
@@SalvageWorkshop you did well
Great job! Here’s to Mr. Wilson, wherever he may be!
Thank you! Hopefully he's looking down with a smile on his face!
Good work my friend, I watched a 2nd time.. Intense attention to detail. Kudos from the Mountains of Western Pennsylvania 🇺🇸
Mr Wilson will DEFINITELY be proud of the restoration. Well done 🙂
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting! Lots more to come!
A perfect preservation i can tell ! Congratulations and thank you for respecting and honoring previous owner !
Thank you George!
A nice honest restoration & conservation... 🇬🇧👍
Thank you Glenn! I did my best to repair it without losing the history that set has!
nicely done, you did Mr. Wilson proud
Much appreciated Tom!
CONGRATS on being today's Creator on the Rise! I'm totally stoked for you.
Thank you my friend!! Not sure how they choose em, but now we've both been here! I'm sure both of our channels will keep on growing!
Nice job on restoring the wooden case too. I like that.
Thank you Josh! I appreciate it!
Really liked the patch you did on the corner of the box - perfect -
Thank you Ken! I could have made it look more original, but I wanted the patch to add additional character!
Hello SW, another beautiful restoration. As others have mentioned Mr. Wilson would be very happy his tools found their way into your shop. The corner fix on the box is probably exactly as Mr. W. would have done if he had had the time. Regards, Dave
Thank you Dave! I have MANY MANY other tools & machines from his dilapidated machine shop to honor and bring back to life!
Beautiful restoration 👍👍👍. Thanks for sharing.
Much appreciated!
Now this is what I love vintage machining tools this tap and die set is amazing quality busty to last forever thanks for restoring it god bless
You are absolutely welcome!! I'm Glad you enjoyed it! You should see my whole collection of taps & dies!
Love seeing the dogs! 👍🏻 And that was a big set of tap & die.
I totally agree!
Most probably Mr Wilson (or his soul) is feeling very happy about the restoring of his tools.
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting! Lots more to come!
Someone get this man a brad nailer and some pencils.... STAT! Haha Love the use of the repurposed wood. It matched the patina of the rest of the case. Awesome result!
Thank you Anthony! I've already god plenty of both! For me, I enjoy restoring wooden boxes old as that one with the tools that were most likely used to make it to begin with!
Great job, as usual !
Great video!
Thank you!
Beautiful restoration. So glad that you repaired the toolbox, as well as restored the tools. Is there someway to cover the writing with a laminate or glass? Would really honor Mr. Wilson.
Thank you Donald! I'm sure I could cover it somehow, but it's lasted all these years, I don't think it's going anywhere! I wont be abusing it, plus it's on the inside!
Glad you left the box the way you did. Outstanding!
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting! Lots more to come!
Love your videos I admire this kind of stuff
Thank you Mario! I truly appreciate that!
love your channel. Dogs are an added bonus, reminds me of my Grandfather when ever I see one. After WWII he was in Austria and was one of the first Americans to have one. His dog was the mother of the Shaw of Iran's Puppy and I have all his papers on the subject. Would be interesting to see how your dogs relate to his. Thank you keep up the hard work!!!!!
I'm glad you enjoy the projects & the dogs!! Lots more to come!
Good work man
Thank you Ronald!
simple and pure restoration, bravo sir, i'm sure Mr. Wilson would have been stoked.
Much appreciated!
Very well done.
Thank you Frank!
BAD ASS DIED SET. AWSOME JOBW O TH THE SET. Especially with the Box great job
Thank you Hector!
Im sure H R Wilson aprooves this restoration..
I would have to agree!
Well done bro. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 Beautiful Weims too.🐶
Thank you my friend! Lots more to come!