All

This tool was found in a box of very rusty tools.  You can see it here in
the midst of a pile of tools, kinda greenish, and without any definition.
This was cleaned without any mechanical advantage, only soaking and
scrubbing.  I figured it was completely trash as it sits there, so almost
anything was fair game

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Woodworking-Tools/i-wrQRMww


The after effect of using a razor blade to knock off the really gross
stuff, a bit of Simichrome, and scrubbing with a coarse Sand-Flex block,
got it down to the point where I could read the Central Tool, and Germany,
so I figured it was worth a bit more effort.  Could not get the slider to
move, so tried tapping it a bit, only to create a ding in the slider, far
right.  Decided to throw it into my Simple Green bath, and let it soak for
a few days.

After the first few days, it looked pretty good, but the slider still
wouldn't move.  So I clamped it by the bottom in a rag, in a vise, and took
a small punch, and since I could now see the dovetail outline of the
slider, I was able to deliver a few gentle taps, and it started to move.  A
few more taps, and it was out.  The mating surfaces were still quite gross,
and not wiping clean, so I threw it back into the SG.  Took it out a night
or two ago, and scrubbed it a bit more.  Still not perfect, but it moved.
As I started to clean it, I could see that the finger nub was going to
create a shadow where I couldn't clean very well with Simichrome. So I
tapped it out, and it bounced out of my catch bin, to disappear into the
crap on the floor, so I needed to make a new one.  Took a bit of 3/32" rod,
ground and filed the end to be finger friendly, then tapped it back
through, kept tapping until it was a good height.  Then trimmed off the
back, and filed it flush.

The final picture is here, and I decided not to take it any further.  The
blotching is seriously deep pitting, and I don't want to work on it any
further.  The markings are much nicer than the cheap India-made one I
posted a while back
<https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Measuring/i-cZkLFRw>, when Bill
Ghio stirred everyone up with his cool calipers.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Measuring/i-KXM6pzG

Thanks for looking, and apologies for over cleaning, but this was a
resurrection, so he doesn't need much patina.

-- 
Kirk Eppler in Half Moon Bay, still moving about  and cleaning tools.

Impressive rehab, Kirk, both the cleaning and the clever repair--especially
since I know you were probably also on an international conference call at
the same time!

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 12:07 PM Kirk Eppler  wrote:

> apologies for over cleaning, but this was a resurrection, so he doesn't
> need much patina.
>
>
Here is another sad case, a Starrett 8" #36 Lock Joint Transfer External
Caliper (p272 of the 1930 catalog).  It's provenance is
quite clear, a relic of Aladdin's cave from back in 2009.  That will have
to pass as my before picture.  Obviously an intimidating tool if I haven't
touched it in 10+ years.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Woodworking-Tools/i-XQQ5DWR

I have an "in the midst of" picture, below.  This puppy had crusty rust.
Looked like it had spent a long time partially submerged.  But it was a
Starrett, and complete.  Quite similar to the tool that Erik fixed a while
back <https://m.swingleydev.com/ot/get/271550/thread/#271550>.  And the
rust won't affect the work, too much.  But I do need to talk to Erik about
disassembling the fine adjuster, I am afraid of snakes in a can here.  His
tricks on the spring need to be thought through.

Here it is after clean up:
https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Calipers-Dividers/i-nDK4Kfs

Meh, not so bad, little flecks from rust here and there.

This is the other side.  After all sorts of unmentionable acts of torture
were performed on it.  Most of the caliper only got the Sandflex bricks,
mostly fine, and coarse where needed.  The rusty spots got the razor blade,
the blocks, the (highly caffeinated squirrel powered) brass wire wheel, and
a rotary version of the Sandflex rubberized grits.  And then Simichrome to
make it nice in the hand again.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Calipers-Dividers/i-xvkN5SB

Here are a couple of in progress pics.
Closeup of the leg, after a Simple Green Soak and wipe dry.  Most of the
loose flakey stuff is gone now. This is before the squirrel powered tools
got involved.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Calipers-Dividers/i-9RGgfnQ

And here is the heartbreaking part, the part of the tool that is really
destroyed.  The part that makes it a Transfer Caliper seems to be REALLY
rusted tight.  I suppose I could try some Kroil, Evaporust etc to see if I
could get it apart, and replace the nut and stud with new shiny parts that
might even fit, but I don't think it needs that insult.  I think I will
leave it be, as a non-transfer transfer caliper.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Calipers-Dividers/i-jXgDkwW

A fact for those that care.  The body of the leg is nominally 0.090"
thick.  After rust removal, there are spots that are as thin as 0.060".
But I think it will still be fine.  It is still much nicer than the no-name
divider I cleaned up while this one was soaking.

Thanks for looking, enjoy.
-- 
Kirk Eppler, trying to find a piece of equipment in the online company
storage warehouse, and striking out, badly.  Physical searching tomorrow,
what a drag.

On 2020-10-07 7:08 p.m., Kirk Eppler via OldTools wrote:
> I suppose I could try some Kroil, Evaporust etc to see if I
> could get it apart

Long soak in ATF & acetone maybe, with persuasive taps from time to time.

Don

-- 
On 9/11, 2,977 people died. By 10/2020, 210,000 and counting...

anarchist

  - One who promotes chaos and lawlessness; a nihilist.
  - One who resents outside control or influence on his or her life, in
particular a government, and therefore desires the absence of political control.

moral nihilism - Amorality, the belief that morality does not exist, that no
action, thought or behavior is morally right or morally wrong.