Tool Restoration
12-19-1911 Patent
A four-dollar flea market find becomes a handsome restoration while teaching me the difference between a monkey wrench and a pipe wrench.
My First Monkey Wrench
Back in mid-December I posted about some Trimont wrenches I cleaned up. They were pretty simple cleanups and turned out nice - and it seems I really like these old wrenches, then again - that's probably a surprise no one! A little before that, December 9, 2023, I went to The Tool Box and picked up Trimo monkey wrench for $4.00! Let's get into it!
Monkey Wrench vs. Pipe Wrench
It wasn't until the past year that I came to understand that a Monkey wrench isn't the same as a pipe wrench! In my defense, there's a couple reasons I didn't know (this is my excuse anyway): 1 - Monkey wrenches and pipe wrenches look the same to the untrained eye, and 2- the names are often used interchangeably.
- The monkey wrench has a smooth, flat jaw, while the pipe wrench has serrated teeth on its jaw.
- Pipe wrenches have a stationary lower jaw and movable upper jaw, while monkey wrenches have a stationary upper jaw and movable lower jaw.
Now we know, and my wrench here turns out to be a Monkey wrench, technically my first!
That alone made this little four-dollar purchase worth bringing home. Every collection has a "first" of something, and until now I didn't own a true monkey wrench. It wasn't especially rare or valuable, but it represented one more chapter in learning about the history of old hand tools, and that's reason enough for a spot in the workshop.
Removing a Century of Rust
Like I said earlier, this piece is a $4.00 purchase from a second hand tool store so, while it was in good condition - it wasn't in perfect condition.
The patina was pretty heavy on this wrench
So - into a little pool of Evapo-Rust for about 24 hours!
Monuments are anchors in time. Epochs pass, weather erodes, people lose interest. This cannot be helped. But patina itself is worth appreciating. Patina is the value that age puts on an object. It’s what makes an antique antique. It is experience, maturity, the soft sheen of time. Patina wasn’t present at the spanking-new creation. It comes from a life lived. --- John Yemma, On Thanksgiving: the memorial that time forgot, November 2, 2006
After all, one man's patina is another man's dirt, sweat, grime and rust!
Wire Brushing and Dremel
That Evapo-Rust worked like a charm! After cleaning, I took the two main parts to the bench grinder with the wire wheel, which really made the wrench sing!
The I used a couple wire brushes on the Dremel tool and brought the whole tool to a brushed finish. I think the two phases (bench grinder and Dremel) took maybe a total of about 15 to 20 minutes!
Restoring the Original Finish
After the wrench came out of the Evapo-Rust bath, it was clear that black was the original color of the wrench. And, as you know if you've been around 173 for a little while, red is the signature color around here. But this time I decided to go with the tool's original look.
So I applied two coats of Rustoleum Satin Black. Instead of taping off different parts of the wrench body, I just sprayed the whole thing. I had a plan. But, because I got all excited about my plan, I didn't take the right progress pictures so we'll come back to that in a couple minutes!
Old tools have stories; I feel connected with their history through the handles polished over years of use, the patina of wear, and an owner’s or maker’s name stamped onto the tool. ― Garrett Hack, Classic Hand Tools
Cold Bluing the Adjustable Jaw
Now we come to the moveable jaw. I'm not a fan of painting this jaw because it's the piece that goes through the adjustment nut. That's a recipe for just boogering up the threads of the nut and ugly-fying the teeth on the jaw. What's a man to do? Cold bluing of course! I cold blued the entire jaw to start, then sanded it off the high spots that I wanted to shine.
Which brings us to the master plan!
Revealing the Lettering
While not at all an original idea, my master plan was to have the body of the wrench and the lettering in the handle be bare metal.
So, after the paint dried, I sanded off the paint on the key areas, leaving the wrench looking like this!
Its Natural Habitat
With that done, I needed to decide where the wrench would reside. I considered putting it with some of my small wrenches on the tool board in the workshop annex (he says wryly!), but it just looked too "fancy" to hang with those boring old guys.
So I decided this, my first monkey wrench, had earned a spot on the pegboard over the primary workbench! And here's my "new" Trimo in its natural habitat!
Hey, thanks for stopping by and, because this is the first post of 2024 - Happy New Year!
I have a confession.
I clicked because of the patent date.
I stayed because you chose black instead of red.
For anyone who has followed House 173, that was the surprise of the post. The easy thing would have been another beautiful red wrench to match the others. Instead, you paused long enough to ask what the wrench originally wanted to be. That small decision showed respect for the tool rather than your own preferences.
The exposed lettering is my favorite touch. It's understated, but every time you walk past that pegboard you'll read "TRIMO" without even trying.
And that's the thing about restoring old tools.
Sometimes you're not rescuing steel.
Sometimes you're rescuing a name that almost disappeared beneath a century of rust. - A Fellow Tool Collector
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a monkey wrench and a pipe wrench?
Although they look similar at first glance, they're designed for different jobs.
A monkey wrench has smooth jaws intended for gripping flat-sided fasteners like nuts and bolts without intentionally biting into the metal. A pipe wrench uses serrated teeth that dig into round pipe to prevent slipping while turning threaded plumbing fittings.
The movable jaw is also opposite between the two designs. On a monkey wrench, the lower jaw moves. On a traditional pipe wrench, the upper jaw moves while the lower jaw remains fixed.
Why use Evapo-Rust instead of grinding all the rust away?
Evapo-Rust dissolves iron oxide without aggressively removing healthy base metal. That allows stamped markings, crisp edges, and original machining to remain intact before mechanical cleaning begins.
After soaking, the wire wheel and smaller brushes simply remove loosened residue and brighten the surface instead of fighting through heavy corrosion.
Why didn't you paint the adjustable jaw?
The adjustable jaw slides through the threaded adjustment nut every time the wrench is opened or closed. Paint in those areas quickly wears away, clogs the threads, and often leaves an untidy appearance.
Cold bluing provides corrosion protection while preserving smooth operation. By lightly polishing the high spots afterward, the jaw keeps a traditional working-tool appearance.
Why expose the metal on the handle after painting it black?
Many vintage wrenches originally featured raised lettering cast into the handle. Sanding those raised areas after painting highlights the maker's name while preserving the darker finish in the recessed portions.
The result emphasizes the tool's history without making it appear overly restored or artificially aged.
Is it better to restore old tools or leave the original patina?
There isn't one correct answer.
Some collectors value untouched tools because the original finish tells part of their history. Others prefer carefully restored tools that remain functional and protected from further deterioration.
My approach usually lands somewhere in the middle: clean away active rust, preserve the tool's character, and restore it so it looks like a well-cared-for working tool rather than a museum piece.
Keywords
Trimo monkey wrench, monkey wrench restoration, vintage wrench restoration, Evapo-Rust review, cold bluing steel, monkey wrench vs pipe wrench, Trimont tools, antique hand tools, tool restoration, vintage adjustable wrench, House 173 workshop