Mirror Finish. I swore I wouldn't do it again. But I did!
2024 ж. 20 Мам.
6 073 511 Рет қаралды
I believe this Proto wrench is from the 1940's or 50's. There was a limited amount of information on it. Regardless, what a classic design. So did it turn out like a mirror? Well, you have to watch and see...but spoiler alert...it did! This is the second tool I have restored for my brother and he might not get this one back. I hope you enjoy this one!
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Make that 17 subscribers. Thanks for proving to my wife that I'm not the only OCD'r in North America. Keep up the much understood attention to detail. God bless.
I just watched a guy polish a wrench for 15 minutes. This is my life.
I just read the comment section for the guy polishing a wrench, I doubt I actually have a life!
@john costa ratchet you mean not a wrench a ratchet
Just because you watched it , it came as recommendation. I had to watch it. Guess we are living the same life on other side of world
Different people in different parts of the world.. Still having same life.. We all watched 15 min of wrenching.
You will never be able to look at a rusty wrench the same again 😂
Wow, I never expected this when I first started watching this. Just awesome.
Give this guy all the awards of a celebrity movie star, best music awards, etc. Standing ovation
No annoying music, no talking, plenty of info, beautiful shots, masterful work.
@Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche exactly what I was about to reply
@@loisoklm and me!
@DeeDah Amen!
I agree with everything except masterful. Detail is beautiful, and did a great job, but it's just disassembling 8 small parts, sanding, oiling, and reassembling. Great job, he put a ton of elbow grease into for sure, but he didn't rebuild a Ferrari, calm down.
@@nunyabusiness2444 since according to you you don’t need to be skilled to do this, I would like to see you do better
I should really go to bed, because I'm extremely tired, but I should probably watch this guy do stuff to this wrench, first. - Great job mind, thanks.
Of all the people to see here, Fluffy was not on my mind, wow :0
@@_gavimations I still find it amazing that anyone remembers me.
Same 😭 :D
@@oulakantola same
@@DJSubAir Same
What patience and skill. Simply a fantastic outcome.
Every time I thought you were finished another step was taken to make it even nicer. This wrench looks better than it did new. Not sure how old it is but I acquired one in the 1970s and it was well used by that time. Great Job!
That tool was made somewhere between 1942-1954 Proto used to be Plomb who in the 1930s changed the name from Plomb to Professional Tool Company or PROTO for short. The earliest versions of PROTO tools had "Los Angeles" stamped on them, which they stopped doing around the late 30's early 40's. But it wasn't until the mid 1950's they started putting the registered trademark symbol after PROTO®. So we can assume it belongs somewhere in-between those dates.
Painting the inside of the handle was the cherry on top, really makes it stand out!
Yeah it made the lettering look brilliant after it was sanded away
The curse of perfectionism. Good job mate!
That was a stupid move...the idea to spend that many hois to get back to the original shape a piece of history...not to custom design how you dreamed last night 😄
@@yourvidia5815 well restoration doesn't always have to be 100% faithful to the original item and I'd think after putting many hours into it you'd want to make it as good as possible but I do see your point
@@chrismorrislupb6681 More to the point, it is not unlikely that the original user would have done that to ID her/his tools in a very subtle way..... How many times have you found your tools in someone else's box? Read that any way you like.
A real My Mechanics disciple. No music, “no sharp edges”, no voice over. Thank you!
no it's not... imho. Not all the parts were disassembles and properly rebuilt or restored. In fact, none of them due to the excellent original condition of the wrench -- which made the task easy. There was just a wasted time for hand-made-polish and a big bunch of wasted sanding paper. Traces of the lifetime meaningless over-consumption.
@@sergek2172 what
@@sergek2172 you didn’t watch well enough to know he actually fixed some small stuff
@@sergek2172 The only thing I'd call meaningless here is your comment.
@@sergek2172 i was going to make a case of your not entirely wrong but i looked at your statement and relised that nothing of what you said was even remotely true except for "due to the excellent original condition of the wrench" that is the only true thing in your entire statement, will the finsh get messed up the first time it gets a hard days of work? yes, but its the attention to detail and even if it gets damaged, atleast it got him 5mil views which if ad rev was any good (if he is even getting ad revenue from this) then he probably made a net profit even after the bunch of wasted sand paper. he probably dose this partly to get views online and maby even sells the tools off? so combined with the mark up it probably recieved from bidders wanting it so badly because it went semi viral, not only that but those amazon links in the disc are probably afiliate links which means he gets a small cut of profit off it aswell from amazon. weather he dose this for profit or not it seems like he would easily be able to pull decent profit off anything he restors. also, enkitu was referencing the fact there wasnt any music, no voice over, just the sound of work and the lack of hard sharp edges, nothing really about the fixing of the tool
I can imagine how smooth that would feel in your hand and how satisfying to hear it click as you use it.
So this randomly hit your recommended too I see lol
It's educational videos like this that keep old tools in great shape and working order... And of course survival of these tools for the future for many more year to come... Fantastic job there chap). Ace.
Dad walks up to me and is like what are you watching. I tell him I’m watching a guy restore a ratchet wrench... he decides to watch with me. My mom comes and asks what we are watching, we both say a guy restoring an old rusty wrench. She rolls her eyes and says my dad and I are the same 😂😂
That is Great !--I can think of no higher compliment
Well she’s missing out big time
Well aren't we all like father like son
Do you guys adopt adults? ^^
Ahhhhh man, I thought I was showing my grandfathers ratchet some love by just wire wheeling it and adding it to my toolbox. Now look what I have to do.
How to look after your tools to the point you never wanna touch it even with gloves on lol
Your using his tools.. This Rachet could not be used and will allways need to be carefully oiled to stop rust.. Do you won't his tools to be an art piece or Somthing you can use with your hands like he did..
Incredible...don't think I'd have the patience to do that..but admire your work.
Freaking amazing! My father left me a workshop full of tools! Old, in various state of disrepair, and most rusted. This is going to help me immensely! Thank you!!!
anyone that loves and respects tools this much has me deepest respect.
0 ٣٣ ٣٣🚩بيييي
I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love with a ratchet until now
Same here . lol
Oh I have!
The little ratchet that could
I guess after all that time spent it is pretty priceless item but I wonder what would be cost of it after such condition
I have always loved the feel of a good ratchet.
THESE TOOLS are worth saving!!!! they looks so beautiful, with all those curves and lettering!
My god that looks amazing. You’d never believe it was the same one
This wrench was made by the Plomb tool company during WWII. WF stands for Wright Field (Now Wright Patterson AFB), a major supply point and destination of contracted items during WWII. 38 is the military catalog number for the tool. It is a 24 tooth ratchet and can be rebuilt with the same repair kits available today. It was likely rebuilt at some point in it's life and that would explain the springs installed backwards by accident. * Edit: ...or more likely someone "autopsied" it to have a look at the gears and reinstalled the springs backwards. Sounds like something I would have done to my dads tools when I was a kid.
The socket wrench says PROTO on it though not PLOMB
@@lancereid3390 alloy-artifacts.org/plomb-tool.html " (Readers new to Plomb Tool should note that Pendleton and Proto are later names for the company.)"
@@lancereid3390 someone did not do their research properly
Interestung
Am I the only one who saw your name and laughed out loud? Duncan McCockiner
Actually the "WF" designation is "Wright Field" - a wrench made for the US Army Air Corps from 1942-45 on a large contract with Plomb. This wrench helped win the war! They were not usually chrome plated - had a natural finish. I have a few of these tools I got from my Dad who served in the Air Force in the mid 50's - these tools were still being used on the flight line at that time.
Thats a pretty cool bit of info.
@@sledsgarage Yea it kinda bothered me seeing him take away the original finish after doing such a good job cleaning it, the grit it had helped hold it. I prefer my tools to have that finish.
There was no Army Air Corps in 1942, the Army Air Corps existed from 1926-1941, became the Army Air Force in 1941 and eventually the Air Force in 1947.
The WF-35 name carried, but with "Proto" stamped into the head, it is probably a late 1940s early 1950s model not produced under the original war contract. alloy-artifacts.org/proto-empire.html
I thought it indicated it was made in Wichita Falls, Texas as they had a facility there back in the late 70's to early 80's.
Thanks for the incredible detailed effort to make this tool look like new...work of art. I would not bother since I can get tools like this for near nothing so why bother but I do admire your patients and craftsmanship.
A thing of beauty. Nice job. I'll never look at a rusty tool the same.
Was not interested at all in watching this but couldn't stop watching from the moment I pushed PLAY. Great video
Which means you were even less interested in sleeping...me too 😩
Same; Clicked on it thinking it would be an interesting skip to the end/ before after but now fully subbed to the Chan😂
Same tho
In a world where everything is throw away... This bought a tear to my eye. Thank you.
there are still HUMANS in this world ............. i am glad not all is lost!
They dont make them like that anymore
@@garygluebag4825 No, they sure don't ... Everything is made in China now. (What a shame)
Amen to that... every time an old, but quality tool, is saved from the rust pile, it brings back hope. Tools of this era and older were made to outlast several generations... to see them restored is what makes it possible. No old tool should be left to rust away... not in today's world of, as you say, "disposable products". These MUST be preserved.
As they say "they don't make them like they used to" now parts are cheap material they brake so you can buy another one.
Unbelievably captivating! Nice production! And obviously a great sense of humor. But more importantly, mad skills!
As others have noted, excellent work. A beautiful transformation. I cannot imagine anyone actually USING that tool (and potentially dinging it) now that it looks so good!
I knew it ! .... KZhead restorers don't have actual hands, only endless layers of black gloves. @ Loved this sequence. @ I was half expecting a bedtime scene with snoring, yet still sanding it. LOL An amazing result, stunning. .... And definitely not, proto-typical.
Sanding is like picking berries everyday for a week. You pick in your sleep and sand logs.
Why are you just using random @ symbols? No one talks like that irl
@@nickcrane8329 That is a problem with KZhead. I copied the entire post with time stamps and pasted it into a new post with additional sentences. For some reason, the time stamps were converted to @ .
It has that unrealistic level of polish you would find in a video game, extremely impressive
Amazing work...in such a "throw away society" how a little time and effort can bring new life back into a great tool
Saving a classic American made wrench is priceless.. my dad loved Proto, Williams, Craftsman and he would be enjoyed this video..
while i love restoring old things... the time investment is very high. he describes 30 hours of sanding. if he makes minimum wage (im guessing he doesnt) this is already a 200$ wrench. not to mention all the materials. the only real reason to do this is the love of restoration or that wrench belonged to Henry Ford and is worth a few grand lol now if youll excuse me, ive got to go put in another few hundred hours restoring an ancient travel trailer that aint worth as much as the wheels that I put on it.
@@nlocflick4314 exactly. it's wonderful to see vintage items restored to like new conditions, but the costs often exceed the working value of such things. now, if he reduced the final aesthetical value and dropped a load of work, then restoration looks a lot more feasible.... it just wouldn't be as neat to watch a rough restoration.
A lot of patience. And just enough comedy to make you laugh but still keep it professional. Loved it.
Gotta love restorations so detailed that they even include a cat scan.
I see what you did there, lol...
Wish I’d thought of that! Well done.
What a relief ! No crappy and irritating muzak. No banal repetitive prattle. Well planned, with excellent camera work and brilliant editing. Nothing omitted so no lingering questions in my mind, and still made me chuckle. A masterclass both in your topic and in your film making. Why can't all videos be up to this standard?
So true especially about the horrid music people use as their films music
@@SteveStockmalMusic Yes! The cat...Can't forget the Cat. Great Cat... Got'ta love the Cat... here's another cat...plz excuse the bad camera work... kzhead.info/sun/ftCjm9xwrKqOqaM/bejne.html ...
In the next video, he'll restore your space bar functionality, Brian.
what the hell is wrong with your spacebar
I do not mind the banal prattering myself.
I am slowly working my way through a bunch of old tools thanks to inspiration like this. Beautiful.
Sanding and polishing both very time consuming things but make whatever your working on look amazing I learned this ever since I started owning a motorcycle
Mechanic: can I borrow your ratchet wrench? Me: hell no
Lend no tools, lose no tools. Restored tools like this are for exhibition only anyway. 30+ hours of work turned this $30 +/- 70-year-old antique into a $$$$ heirloom. Only a fool would throw this into a toolbox with a Craftsman or Kobalt set of wrenches to work with. Without chrome or electroless nickel plating, you have to keep a layer of protective oil or wax on the bare steel to keep it from oxidizing anyway. Absolutely beautiful work, this.
Everything now is sandblast and paint. I find this kind of hands on (30 hours 😬) restoration that focuses on bringing the metal back to life much more satisfying!
Problem is if you were to pay someone 30 hours of labor you're insane lol. Great work for sure but just not cost effective. This would have to be someone's hobby rather than business.
This was so very satisfying! Thank you for a cool project with such a well made video! I appreciate all of the work you put into both!
This guy have way too much time on his hands bit good job 😆
I can’t believe how different it sounds! Well done.
Did anyone else watch the video with a straight face, but smile during the final presentation?
I smiled at "Nooooooo!"
I smiled at kitty 😺
I laughed when the pile of extra fine sandpaper scraps dropped.
I smiled the entire time. lmao
I smiled at all that others smiled at.
I can’t believe I just spent 15 min watching an old wrench get restored... and loved every minute of it!
Lol 🤣 right
I use to care for my tools a lot more but never to this level. Good for you. Makes me realize I got to care for my tools a little better, they're buffing down.
Its 4:23am here and I'm fascinated
I watched it twice. Still better than uncut gems
A work of art. The beauty of it is amazing.
Just wow! Job well done. Turned out absolutely gorgeous!
That was one of the most satisfying restorations ever made!!
"Mirror finish is a lot of sanding" if u haven't been there u wouldn't know. All respect to u! Great work!
It's when you find out why so many grades of wet and dry paper are made, you also find out it's great for removing the tips of all your fingers, even 800+ haha.
First, you sand. Then, you paint. Then, you sand, Then, you paint. Then,......... You SAND!!!!!!! Then, you paint. Then, You S A N D,....... Then you paint, A month later, You have a larger and heavier boat. You show it off to a friend who comments, "Cool. Once you get some fresh paint on her, she ought to really pop."
I did that to motorcycle wheels...ONCE. that was it. Once finished, I purchased another set online, and put those on, instead. Wasn't worth the time of the upkeep, cleaning them, after all the hours I put into it. I was sore. I loved/hated those wheels. :D
@@vanpenguin22 y
@@JimmyDaBiker I don't know much about paint on boats .( the type of paint and such) But I do know that professional auto painters sand after every coat that's applied. It removes the imperfections of each coat. But for the same purpose. A mirror like shine on the finished product.
Stunningly beautiful work!
Wow. True craftsmanship
I usually shy away from videos like this where the demonstrator is mute, but you pull it off like nobody else with your fantastic sense of humor by keeping it interesting AND funny. Keep it up!
I often ask myself, how many restoration channels do i really need to watch? And then you come along. Well i guess one more shouldn't hurt.... Great job.
Seriously! Same here. I love this stuff!
The correct number is n + 1
It is turning into an addiction for me. Watching all these channels. Then I think I can do these restorations. Especially when I see polished tools on these channels
So relaxing, and informative. Thank you!
That ratchet NEVER looked or worked this good.awsome job Nice to see a restoration guy that isn't from Switzerland or Germany
Thank you for this. Tools can be rehabilitated. There's no need to throw everything away. Unfortunately most things are designed to be disposed of. Thank you for fixing that which was designed to be fixed. Beautiful.
Much more economical, even if extremely wasteful :( love seeing beat up old things get TLC.
In economics and industrial design, planned obsolescence (also called built-in obsolescence or premature obsolescence) is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life or a purposely frail design, so that it becomes obsolete after a certain pre-determined period of time.
Cat says: "This is what comes between me and petting?"
Said in a very cute way!
*meeeehwhh*
he must have four cats....voting sixteen times to subscribe ;).
Great job. I admire your dedication.
Wow!!!! Unfreakin'-believable!!! That was indeed a work of art!!!!
Saying thank you to 16 people... Such a nice gesture.
Did he really only have 16 subscribers when he made this? Looks like the KZhead algorithm selected him as the chosen one about a week ago.
@@MoneyManHolmes 😂 crazy
Countless hours of hardwork + ASMR + AMAZING RESULT + Cat This guy knows how the internet works. I LOVE IT!
WOW! Wonderful! Just amazing work...thank you!
Absolutely amazing! It looks brand new! Thankyou for the video 👍🏻
I'm retiring soon and folks keep asking me if I'm worried I'll get bored with nothing to do. I tell them I'll never get bored because I watch this guy on KZhead who restores wrenches. They think I'm kidding so they say, "You're kidding." I give them that look that says, "No, I'm not kidding, I'm serious." That pretty much ends the discussion.
Some people think work is all there is. "Will you get bored during retirement?". Some people however have passions and hobbies..
If I didn't watch you do it I never would have believed that this was a restoration project. That looks like you just brought it home from the store. Incredible.
Better than the store. AND the chrome won't chip flake off.
@@RalphSampson... Thats because there IS no chrome lol. But yeah, periodically polishing the steel will keep it in great shpe for a long time.
@@superrad1659 I realize that. That was my point.
@@RalphSampson... funny you mention chrome flaking off. A piece of chrome flaked off one of my sockets and sliced my finger. I can't seem to get the chrome out, so I 'll let nature do it's course. hahhaha
@@granadojl cut it out
Absolutely gorgeous , great work.
Awesome job - great patience and stunning results. Almost too beautiful to use it!
It was interesting to see the inside of the wrench. Every time I use one of these I'm curious about how it works but never look it up.
neat design huh
I thought that too. And I was kinda surprised and at the same time let down by how simple it is. I should have figured that out by myself...
There are actually a couple of different setups inside ratchet that are much more common to see than this one.
There are hundreds of different kinds most all of them are a little different
was surprise at how simple it was though!
03:22, Cat: " Let me just see how we're progressing...aaaaaaaaand....OK. Looks good. Proceed, human."
That is a real thing of beauty. Worth all the time spent! Looks great.
Always good to see a master at work
I love my 3/8 drive Proto ratchet. I rebuilt it once, about 50 years ago!
Just bought one at an estate sale two days ago!
Like that you're able to let your humor shine through in this video. Makes the video even more fun to watch. Really like your style Mr. Kilo.
Brilliant job, and thanks for the education. Cheers!
Perfect restoration!!! Really amazing!!!
Me: "I'm just gonna fast forward and see how it turns out." Also me: * Watches every dam*ed second *
Nope...the END.
the trick is to watch it on 2x speed
It actually was a year later..that he finished
Swear those were my intentions, thankfully I watch it all 😁
Just gonna point out... who ever engineered that thing was a genius for efficiency.
Alloy artifacts all the information about ever tool made
Wow incredible transformation!
Now that is dedication and skill!!!!
I'm just impressed that it wasn't riveted together and /or clipped in a way that makes repair impossible. To this day I've been fixing my own tools so that if possible I'll replace with a machine nuts and bolts and washers or whatever it takes to be a bit more reliable and maintenance friendly
Older rachets were almost always serviceable. Tool manufacturers want our tools breaking so we have to replace. If they still sold tools that would last a life time who would be left to buy them. Almost nothing made today for regular people that actually gets used will be passed on like my grandfathers tools were.
I had Craftsmen ratchets because the Sears store was close and they kept the ratcheting part on stock and you could fix them yourself. Last time they took my old trusty 3/8 ratchet and gave me a new one that isn't half the ratchet the old on was.
@@tint661 Sad, the last one I turned in, they handed me a China made one with half the plating peeling off.
I salute this guy's patience and persistence. I am totally amazed.
FLAWLESS....Fantastic job..Amazing Skill
Turned out great , awesome job
theres no way that wrench brand new looked as good as this guy's end result
No, proto tools never looked that good
Lol its a ratchet. Not a wrench
Very few companies put that kind of effort into the finish, if any. Starrett is one that definitely comes close, or is as good as with some of their tools. But you pay the price for an heirloom tool.
@@travnicek as a professional mechanic I buy 200 -500 dollar ratchets with maybe even a scratch or two, if it's got lifetime warranty and a good quality no worries
Yup, that's because wrenches and ratchets are practical not pretty
This is one of the most satisfying videos Ive seen. Really well done work, and I appreciated the humor.
Wow, a really good job, man, thank you for showing ..
wow sir you are a true craftsman, that came out beautifully and your effort shows and thank you for preserving that piece of history
Beautiful job on the ratchet restoration. My grandpa taught me to wipe down/clean hand tools with a lightly oiled rag before putting them back in the toolbox/cabinet so they never rust
Great advice, Kevin!
Problem is though, you could never ever use that wrench again, or touch it in fact!
Why
@@jacobrodgers8146 Too much time spent making it pretty.
@@jacobrodgers8146 A joke, that is all my friend, making the suggestion that, after all that work, you wouldn't want to get is messed up again. I hope that this explanation of my comment makes it clear to you.. See other comments in a similar vein ie. r1273m who makes the same joke
Just another wrench bruh It would be well used if I had it
Second job of a ratchet is as a hammer.
Outstanding, a big fan of your work.
Fantastic resto 🙌🏻
the art of turning a rusty old wrench you'd rather not use if you could avoid it into a very shiny old wrench that you'd still rather not use if you could avoid it.
As an automotive technician, I would never use this ratchet. I would display it on a desk or a wall. Beautiful work!
My brother displays that in his workshop, he doesn’t use it. Thanks for the comment!
Perhaps the most beautiful wrench the world has ever known :) Love the kitty too lol.
Amazing eye for detail!
It probably looks better than the original when just freshly made.
Most definitely.
They were always crappy. My first professional half inch ratchet was a proto I bought off ebay. Same exact design, used it once and bought a Snap On. Proto is for big clunky oil field work so they never needed to improve. Extremely talented work here but will rust instantly so I guess it's a show ratchet forever.
Bruh. That is the original
@@D00M719 I know. I just missplaced some words. It should be like this: "It probably looks better now than when it was originally made"
@@LuisXGP no worries
I think this is art, just plain simple art. And craftsmanship, lets not forget
He put effort in it beyond the point to actually wanting to use the tool. (Regardless the care, the ratchet when in use will have scratches in minutes). Ultimately he converted a rusty, "working" tool in a useless one. The job is nicely and well done but pointless. So i think you are right and this is art with craftmanship involved.
I have said it before if not in so many words, but I am in awe of your patience, dedication, skills, and focus. Very very good job. Cheers.
Extremely satisfying. Amazing job as well!
"Impressive" doesn't begin to describe this.
You could do it too with a die grinder and a fine sanding wheel frankly. The before steps are just for the camera frankly
@JTettley hater.
@JTettley hater
@@TheFallibleWarrior yawn
Tbh it's an awesome hobby if youve got what you need
I think the fact that the springs were in backwards indicates that someone's been in there and that maybe they put the cover on backwards causing the slop. You corrected it be trying to fix what you thought was a wear issue. Nice work too.
Inspiring and educational. Can’t wait to start filling in my boredom with projects just like this!
Great job with beautiful result, well done.