Does anyone know where i can find information on resurfacing tools? I inherited my grandfathers body tools. In the set are various Fairmont hammers , slappers , files, and lots of dollies. They have seen a great deal of use. I've begun adding some Martin spoons, and dollies to the set. And began to wander if I could have the dinged/abused dolly's restored. Can it be done, do people bother? Would like to here what everyones thoughts are
Yes they can and should be resurfaced.File the dings and dents then sand hammer faces and dollies smooth to about 150 grit or finer.Remember every imperfection on the tool transfers to the work. Not hard just time consuming.
Are you suggesting I use a belt sander? I'd think it'd be hard to maintain the original contour my self. In that case I understand the alternate.
when i went to body school after nam we got unfinished dollies and ground them on our glass grinder which is really a big belt sander better use a fine belt and cut to original contour they mostly need a polishing instead of massive grinding
Won a hammer auction recently, it needed some touching up to remove a few dings....... As the handle was loose anyhow, I removed it and chucked the head into the lathe to clean up the radiuses. I normally use a DA, starting at about 320 grit and go up to 3000 trizact. Cleeaned up the sides with a drum sander in the die grinder..... With fresh S-O handle installed Also had picked up this Fairmount about a month ago, cleaned up it's face as well... After the hammers get to this state I normally will just touch them up once a year with the 1500 then 3000 on the DA. These are used on a DA using hook and loop pad, and a 1/2" thick interface pad. This pad helps the abrasive sheet to follow the contour of the face of your hammer without leaving flat spots. A perfectly flat pad would have a tendancy to leave flat spots in a crowned hammer face, the second picture below shows how the interface pad helps the abrasive follow the contour of what you're finishing. I've seen others use buffing wheels on the hammer faces with similar results. As I use my buffing wheels for stainless only, I try not to introduce any impurities on the buffing wheels, so that's why I stick to the DA for touching up the tools.
The contour on a hammer or dolly can be modified to match the panel. Everyone gets favorite hammers over time due to balance and that will vary by person. Dolly's, it helps to have a lot of them to best match the work
Hey, The idea of mirror bright hammer, dolly & spoon faces sounds cool and all, but unless you're doing pick and file true metalfinishing with zero filler, which includes no hi-build primer, it ain't gonna matter! Over time, you'll add your own ''battle scars'' to those surfaces It ain't the tools, but the skill of the metalman that produces top drawer work! Think of those dings and scratches your granddaddy left in those tools as hard won victories MP&C gave some good advise on the reconditioning of tool surfaces if you're doing stainless work or are interested in museum display pieces. " A little putty and paint makes a bodyman what he ain't "
The Jalopy Journal
