rehabbing a trashed socket chisel

[Tom Sontag]

A recent auction landed me two nice Witherby socket chisels in need of mild repair and handles (which were my target) plus a big 'ol 2" monster that received more chisel abuse than any entire set of chisels should endure: the socket had been hammered so much that there was no divet remaining, only a a flattened pancake of mushroomed metal. Add in the fact that the user/abuser must have misplaced the hammer long enough to whack some nails with the sides and flat face of the chisel. I'd post a closeup picture, but it really is too horrible and the chisel is now in critical care and cannot be disturbed.

I was going to ignore this monster but just first took it to a grinder the see if flattening the back would reveal any nice steel, and lo and behold it revealed that gorgeous fine grained edge tool steel that we all should know and would love. In other words, this thing could be cleaned up since there was no deep pitting in the steel, only a complete rusty looking surface "patina".

So I am faced with what to do about the handle. It might be easiest to grind that mushroomed 'socket' into a bolster and weld on a tapered tang. That sounds easier than trying to weld on a cone shape socket that I'd have to make. Any thoughts? Would that weld be a problem point?

(Thoughts about the economics of this endeavor will be ignored. The poor thing needs my help). It's the one at the top:

[Luciano Burtini]

There really should be a Society to Prevent Cruelty to Handtools!

I think I would turn it into a tang chisel as you have suggested. What a shame...

[Alan Turner]

I am not a welder and so can offer no advice. However, I find the steel in Witherbys to be about the best. It is my favorite brand, and my favorite chisel is a 3/8" Witherby socket paring chisel.

[Bob Smalser]

. It might be easiest to grind that mushroomed 'socket' into a bolster and weld on a tapered tang. That sounds easier than trying to weld on a cone shape socket that I'd have to make. Any thoughts? Would that weld be a problem point?



No need to attempt making a tang out of a socket, a difficult task resulting in a lesser tool.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3302197/40506067.jpg

If the mushrooming still leaves some socket depth, then simply grind it off , drill the socket a bit deeper, and mount the handle tenon using epoxy. Works fine.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3302197/40505193.jpg

If there's not enough depth remaining for the handle tenon, then grind an old bolt into a mandrel to fit the socket, wrap a wet rag around the blade, heat the socket to cherry red, pound it back into shape on the mandrel, silver braze any cracks as required, and clean it up using files, abrasive paper and the buffer. Use a blue finish to blend in repairs and any rust staining that won't buff out.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3302197/42016002.jpg

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5771&highlight=chisels

[Tom Sontag]

Thank you Bob. I was hoping you'd show up because I knew you would have an answer. I like the drilling idea for the big Witherby that lost some of its socket to grinding, but the chisel in question has too little for that. If I understand your last paragraph, I should basically mold the remaining socket steel back into shape over the shaped bolt. This might work! My fear is that the new socket will either be too thin or too short, but I'll give it a go.

[John Schreiber]

I think restoration is a fine idea, but we need to find out who did this to those fine tools and find out why. It hurts to think of someone pounding again and again on those empty sockets.

[Tyler Howell]

I hate it when that happens:mad:
Thanks Bob
Another day in school.:cool:
TJH

[Rod Sheridan]

Looks my father owned that chisel. He was an electrician, served his apprenticeship during the depression.

I have a couple of his old socket chisels, made by the blacksmith at the mine he worked in. Nice steel, however the sockets were damaged badly, probably by being hit with a linemans hammer to chop holes in flooring for wires.

A few decades ago I asked him about his tool abuse, his comment, "those tools did exactly what they were made for, fed my familly for 50 years".

Can't argue with that.............Rod.

[James Carmichael]

Yeah, I've got a few of those, too, usually $1 apiece from antique mall rust buckets. Kinda like when my daugther goes to PetSmart on one of those pet adoption days, I wanna take them all home (except the chisels don't mess on the carpet.)

Time to form the SPCVT (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Vintage Tools).