So I vaselined my ratchet wrench!

[SlowLearner]

Picked up a gnarly old 1/2" drive craftsman wrench for 2 bucks canadian (free US$). Still spun OK although a little notchy. I tore it down and cleaned it up, but didnt have any molyslip or lithium grease. Soooooo, I got out the petroleum jelly!
Now I wonder if the stuff will hold up or just break down.
Think it'll be OK? I got a lot invested in this thing. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[dusty]

I use the stuff on my trailer hitch ball. That way if you bunp it with your leg and you have your good threads on, Just toss them in the wash and thet will come clean.

[slazzen]

this post is just wrong Germ has infected all your brains

[Noname38]

Considering craftman comes with a lfetime waranty hmmm why not take it in and trafe it for a new one no questions asked?

[cornfieldrodder]

It will be fine. I've used it on gate hinges with good results.Been using it for storage of some machined parts, packed oil pumps with it in a pinch, plus hundreds of other things. The lady at K mart prolly thinks I'm kinky.

[burndup]

[ QUOTE ]
It will be fine. I've used it on gate hinges with good results.Been using it for storage of some machined parts, packed oil pumps with it in a pinch, plus hundreds of other things. The lady at K mart prolly thinks I'm kinky.




[/ QUOTE ]

Its easier to clean up than cosmoline...

I thought preparation H was specially formulated for gate hinges??? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Yeah, I had an ass-old craftsman 3/8 ratchet that I would curse at... never had time to get over to Sears... one day, I was changing oil, and went to put the drainplug back in. Accidentally dropped the ratchet into the tub full of used oil. Worked like new for another 6 months. Eventually exchanged it, tho felt a little bad cause it had been in the family for 20 or so years.

decided to migrate to 1/2 drive... went into a pawn shop and got a thrashed crapsman ratchet for 7 bux. Threw it into the the car, didn't touch it until I pulled up to sears and swapped it for a new one. Now, why didn't the pawnshop guys think of this?

[fancyboy]

The vaseline will be fine for a while untill it starts to harden like 20 year old wheel bearing grease. Soaking a ratchet over night once a week in motor oil works very well unless its a newer style sealed ratchet, then let the tool man take car of it.

[TINGLER]

Not that you asked, but a really good use for vasaline is as a masking when painting rims.

Smear liberal amounts around on the tire, being careful not to get any on the rim. Apply it right up to the lip of the rim (oh jeez this sounds bad) and spray paint the rim. All the overspray can then be wiped off of the tire. Wallah. New painted rim + your tire looks all clean and purty.
The end.
JT.

[bobbleed]

Cheater Chris likes to put things in his ass. He is a big fan of Vaseline lube.

[autocol]

will sears REALLY let you just roll up with a fucked up old tool that's you've dropped through a car-crusher and exchange it for a brand new one!?!

that seems inSANE!

[Rooster]

HAHAHA, Of COURSE They DO!!! I've traded tools that I've found in the yard after a couple years for non-rusty ones! Even was given some rusty, nasty tools that had been through a garage fire and sorted em for the Craftsman stuff. Took it all back for New stuff!!!
Of course the old style center release top dir. notch, bottom knurl ratchets are the BEST!!! And NOT replaceable, they give you the rebuild kit when those go bad. I think NAPA makes that style now that SEARS hasn't for 25+yrs., but My NAPA doesn't carry Shit for tools... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[tomslik]

kinda think "polygrip" might be more in line for what's needed for some of you...

[purple]

<font color="purple"> Technically they replace used not abused tools. But a lot of the employees don't know anything and will exchange them anyway. All they know is lifetime guarantee. If you find an old one, try to clean it up the best you can and get it to work. Many of them will work just like the vaseline one (I still wonder where you plan on storing it http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif). If you find a guy that won't swap it, take it to another Sears or Orchard. Orchard also carries Craftsman tools because they are owned by Sears.

I had a fire damage job that the victim tried to bring in her tools. She didn't want to claim too many things on her insurance. All worked fine, but were heat damaged. Sears said no way, it wasn't from normal use. I think because it was thousands of dollars worth of tools they freaked on her. </font>

[Noname38]

What are yah talkin about purple we used craftman screwdrivers as punches many o times took um to sears in bad shape. They never asked a question about why their screwdriver appeared to be hammered or why it was in 2 pieces just replaced um. They change their policy or somethin?

[Hot Rod To Hell]

I've put a 6 foot stick of roll cage tubing on the end of a 1/2" ratchet as a "persuader" and broke the guts, and they switched it out now problem. I've used regular sockets with impacts and everything. Never had any trouble exchangin 'em at all!

[Django]

I took my 2 year old Craftsman basic timing light in and traded it for the adjustable light. I wasn't sure they would exchange it since the packaging had changed. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

"When did you buy this?"

"About a month ago."

"Ok." http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Bugman]

The thing with sears is that the girl behind the counter was in housewares last week, and lawn and garden the week before that. Henceforth, she doesn't know used from abused.

When we honed Mel's wideblock, we wore out the hone. So, I took the worn stones and smacked the stones on the bench vise. We weren't satisfied cause the stones broke, so sears replaced the whole hone, even thoughthe SELL replacment stones. Gosh I love unconditional warrenties.

[old beet]

If they give you a rebuild kit, ask if its hard to do. "No its easy!" Well, I'll just do a little shopping while you do it. They give you a new one!!!...OLDBEET

[hotrodladycrusr]

[ QUOTE ]
will sears REALLY let you just roll up with a fucked up old tool that's you've dropped through a car-crusher and exchange it for a brand new one!?!

that seems inSANE!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ain't life in America GREAT!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The old guy on the next street died earlier this year, house sells and this week his kids are cleaning out the house with a HUGE dumpster on the driveway. (The BIG kind that gets dropped off by a truck.) Guess who went dumpster diving tonite after work?? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Found a whole bunch of tools, not to mention other treasures. The Craftsman ones that don't work right or are rusty will get ezchanged at Sears next week. Life is GREAT http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SlowLearner]

Thanks all you guys. If the guts break I'll for sure do the exchange thing. In the meantime I'll hang onto it (for the "patina"). Aaaaand keep that sucker well lubed! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[purple]

[ QUOTE ]
What are yah talkin about purple we used craftman screwdrivers as punches many o times took um to sears in bad shape. They never asked a question about why their screwdriver appeared to be hammered or why it was in 2 pieces just replaced um. They change their policy or somethin?

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="purple"> I just mean that occasionally ya get a stickler, just move on to the next guy. </font>

[burndup]

Tingler, that tip painting the rims and not the tires is the shit!

[purple]

<font color="purple"> Tingler's tip is also how people used to paint the holes only in mag wheels. Vaseline all the areas not to be painted... </font>

[Rooster]

Ah yes, but you have to wait a good LONG time after painting to wipe Vasolene off or you gotta clean up the mess anyhow cuz the paint dries Eeeextra slow over the lube based masking...

Oldbeet, I was referring to a ratchet long ago taken out of the catalog, best damn one they ever made. The SEARS I've been in all carry rebuilds for them, but finding one of them reatchets anywhere anymore is like finding hens teeth.

[Mel]

Yeah, the Sears girl just looks at you when you bring stuff back saying it broke like 'What the hell do you use this thing for anyway?' Then she tells you to go and find another one with that look of, 'Do we sell those here?'

I love it! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
~Melissa

[TINGLER]

[ QUOTE ]
Ah yes, but you have to wait a good LONG time after painting to wipe Vasolene off or you gotta clean up the mess anyhow cuz the paint dries Eeeextra slow over the lube based masking...

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that is probably true when painting delicate parts like the slots in mags (I have never tried that method), but I have had no problem with immediately wiping down a tire after painting. Just have plenty of rags present and wipe the hell outta that tire. I do, however, normally wait a few minutes before wiping it down. That helps in case you accidentally get the tip of a rag into the paint on the rim. It then doesn't smear anything.

Thanks for appreciating my vasaline tip. I think thats my first good technical contribution to the hamb.

HOLY shit I'm gay.......

friggen vasaline tips.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I quit.

Later, JT. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Rocknrod]

I'd like to see some pictures of this ellusive ratchet... I may wanna buy one if I ever see it! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I love cool tools!

[Rocknrod]

This it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=2431336932&amp;category=43 993

[Rocknrod]

Still looking...

Took me forever to find the thread though! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[sedan_dad]

So you lubed up your "Ratchet" with Vasoline and you want to tell us about it?Man,what you do with your "tool" is your own business.

[Rooster]

I wish I could show you. Unfortunately, every one of mine was stolen along with alotta other stuff back when I was younger and knew alotta shitbag pukes.

To describe it, it's a round head design similar to the eBay piece shown. However the knurled finger turner is on the bottom side rather than the top. It has a black or bronze finish to the directional lever on the top (depending on wearthru of the black paint) and it's a straight blade lever, not tripled like shown on that eBay ratchet. It also has a pushbutton socket release in the center of the top and the standard thick flattopped handle. Hope that helps you visualize what I WISH I still had 6 of.

[Rocknrod]

I'll be keeping an eye out...

Are they just skinnier then the rest? Stronger? Feel better in the hand? ... or just all around better built? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Rooster]

I'd say stronger since I only ever managed to need one rebuild kit after using a 5' pipe on the end of a 1/2" drive repeatedly for years. Just that one ever wore out and it was long after they quit makin them, though the totally different teardrop head design has the same handle and is proving "nearly" as indestructible! They felt good in my hand and many of their features have made it into more recent designs that nedd rebuilding more often. It's My understanding that they were the common design for a Long time. That an employee had designed the style and never recieved any royalties. Supposedly SEARS had to discontinue selling the design after said employee won a long drawn out lawsuit for royalties and rights to the patents Craftsman put on it, he filed upon retirement. I saw one hanging at a NAPA a few years ago, but it looked more like a Taiwan knock-off than a good tool. Maybe I like em best for the story, or because that's what our shop was stocked with when I was a kid, maybe I'm sore I don't still have em. But I believe they were a great design.

[Hellbound_Hootch]

i WAS the TOOLGIRL at sears all summer long,,,,

i KNOW my tools,,,
sears policy (my interpretation only,,,NOT to be considered as LEGAL representation of sears values),,,
if it works,,but LOOKS bad,,,generally will NOT get replaced,,,so keep the rusty patinaed shit at home,,,
anything that is not a non-powered HAND TOOLS (minus torque wrenches) are covered by lifetime warrantee,,,UNLESS the have been used for WORK,,,
now that i transferred the AUTOCENTER,,,as a mechanic using craftsmantools,,they are not covered if the break,,,
however,,best way AROUND that is to not TELL and don't show up in your WORK clothes,,,
as far as measuring tapes and ratchets go,,,you will get REFURBISHED ones if available BEFORE you get the NEW shit,,,

and yes,,,you can SOMETIMES get rebuild kits for the OLDER ones that you've had around for ever,,,
however,,,i'd just keep it and BUY a new one if the TOOL was SENTIMENTAL,,,,

cashiers and stock staff are NOT required to know anything about the department,,,HOWEVER,,,tool pro's or consultants are,,,,sears told me i had to go thru 75 HOURS of tool and paint training and test 100%,,,,all CBT now,,,,
oh and tool staff are NOT commission,,,LAWN &amp; GARDEN are,,,,

just a FYI for other tool FREAKS,,,

oh and FWIW,,,,the OTHER TOOLGIRLS,,,,have worked in tools for about 26 and 35 years each,,,,i would BET MONEY that they know more than alot of you DUMBASSHAMBBOYS about tools,,,,

MISS hellbound hootch

[Rocknrod]

Prolly a true statement hellbound... but I bet I know how to break em better! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif