Should I clean or restore my tools?
The conventional wisdom with old tools and antiques has always been to leave the patina so as not to affect the value. Well most of the BCTW tools were made in very large quantities and therefore you should not worry about cleaning them up if you do it properly.
What is Juara wood?
Juara wood is a man made wood that is basically a domestic hardwood like birch that is infused with colored phenolic under heat and pressure. It was an environmentally responsible and beautiful substitute to using rosewoods in tools; the side benefit was that it was dimensionally stable.
Why have my tools corroded?
Unfortunately and unknown at the time, the phenolics in the Juara wood reacted to the adhesives that held the wood into the tool and over the years, some but not all of the tools made with Juara wood can end up with unsightly corrosion as the off gassing of the two products “eat” the brass.
Can I clean them myself?
Yes! If they aren’t corroded, a good paste wax applied with 0000 steel wool on the brass and wood portions will bring back the beauty of the tool. Couple things to keep in mind; polish in the direction of the original scratch patterns, mask off areas where scratches would look bad, don’t use steel wool on steel, aluminum or painted surfaces.
How much do you charge to repair tools?
The shop rate is $50 an hour with a half hour minimum plus shipping.
Where are you located?
I’m repairing tools in St. Paul MN
Are you a part of Bridge City Tools?
No, BCTW Legacy Tools LLC. is an independent company with a friendly relationship with both the current and previous owners of Bridge City Tool Works.
How can I check that my square is really square?
Joint the edge of a board and place the square against the edge, draw a line, flip it the other direction and draw a second line next to the first; any error that shows up is twice how much out of square your tool is.
What is my tool worth?
This is a tough question, but checking auction sites like eBay can be a good way to find out.