S O S - Need Help from Downunder NZ OZ

RennieK · Mar 28, 2013

So I've been looking for a Norton related piece for quite some time now and finally found it in Oamaru, NZ. Trouble is Trade Me doesn't sell to Canada and I can't even communicate with him.

I need a friendly in NZ or OZ who can buy this smallish item and ship it to Canada for me. Preferably you have paypal but I can send payment other ways if need be. Anyone care to volunteer, plz PM me.

Dkt26 · Mar 29, 2013

You sorted yet?

RennieK · Mar 29, 2013

Nope, you're the 1st nibble.

EDIT:
Ooopps, I need to pay attention, I had 2 PMs already (still none from NZ though)

I'll PM you some info to see if you are in a position to help out.

EDIT (again)

Big THANK YOU! to everyone who responded. This is truely a great community! Dkt26 is helping me out. I'll let you all know how it works out when the dust settles. Wish me luck!

Brooking 850 · Mar 30, 2013

Hi have just seen your post still need help i have a trade me account? I am also registered with paypal
Regards Mike

RennieK · Mar 31, 2013

Hey, got it covered and came out on top. I'll wait till I can post a couple photos. It may not be all that interesting to a lot of folks, just something I had a long on going desire to get.

A big thanks to everyone who offered to assist and special thanks to Dkt26 who helped and won the auction.

RennieK · May 11, 2013

OK so this was what all the fuss was about. I hate to get all squishy but I promised to follow up on this thread.

In the 70's when I got into brit bikes my mentor steered me to the local tool supplier who was a Hazet dealer so I ended up with Hazet wrenches and 3/8 sockets in whitworth. Back in the 80's when I was working in a remote area and gone for 8 months or more all my tools were stolen so 4 years ago when I gathered up my bikes from 35 years storage I had to start finding tools again. I had one 1/4 W socket and wrench that were on one of my bikes and they got me feeling kind of sentimental. It wasn't long before I started missing my other Hazet tools. (a bib hole in my heart kinda thing). I've searched hi and low for the last 2 years and finally found this complete set during a google search on NZ's TRADE ME site:

I could see that they were a little rusty but I'd purchased a couple wrenches off ebay just prior that looked about the same and I was surprised at how nice they actually were. This was the 1st full set I'd seen in at least 2 years of searching so I got a little excited and sent out the SOS. Dkt26 Dave responded 1st., bid and won on my behalf, then re-shipped the prize to me in Canada. Dave has been rock solid to have dealt with throughout this long process so a HUGE THANK YOU DAVE!!!! and I owe you man.

The wrench set was a different vintage from my old set but pretty much identical except the older font on the name. Unfortunately the rust on the wrenches was far worse than I'd suspected. Several of the wrenches had tiny 1/8" bubbles under the chrome in places and some big areas of chrome were ready to "come off".

I decided to soak them in vinegar which I know eats rust down to bare metal. I knew if I touched them with a wire brush I was going to lose lots of chrome so I figured if the vinegar eats the rust I'll only lose the chrome from the rusty areas. Maybe then I could try the rub them with tin foil trick and they'd shine!. Most the wrenches were uncomfortable to hold as they were. You can see how the vinegar brings the impurities to the top if you look carefully you can see the pattern of the wrenches on the surface.

Well, the vinegar really did it's thing and made me wish I'd left well enough alone. The large areas where those 1/8" bubbles under the chrome were lifted right off and there were lots of places where chrome was flaking off. Must be a lot of sea air in NZ! :cry:

:cry:

Forget the tin foil thing they need hard chroming but these babies have cost enough already. I got to thinking, my original 1/4" whitworth socket had been groud down 40 years ago to fit on the head bolts and it's never had a speck of rust on it since. I had nothing to loose at this point so I hit the biggest wrench with a wire wheel on the bench grinder. The old chrome basically fell off. Nothing like trying to remove chrome from an aluminum part someone had chromed.

Here's the wrench after a bit of polishing :

I did the 5 worst ones the same way. The other 2 are ok to use as is without getting cut by flacking chrome. Maybe some day I'll do them too.

Here's the set with the 2 that I didn't have to work on:

This was a lot more than I bargained for, I'll have to keep them wiped with an oily rag and a watchful eye on them but but I'm quite happy with them now.

ntst8 · May 11, 2013

Nice find and great job on the clean up.
Being for a Norton they will no doubt get plenty of use, which will keep them in good nick.
I have a set for my 16H which i inherited from my father - i suspect he forgot (

) to return them when demobbed from the Royal Signals after WWII. Definitely not chromed but still going strong.

concours · May 12, 2013

Good job! Did you have any kids to help you lose wrenches? :mrgreen:

RennieK · May 12, 2013

Thanks guys, no kids helped, I lost welding gear, 6" vice really torqued onto the bench too, tool boxes, parts cabinets, tons of hand made and antique log building and carpentry tools, chainsaws etc etc. Even furniture. I lived in a rural area with no one watching the house too closely for 8 months so it was easy pickins. At least I had the foresight to take my bikes to my brother's farm and store them and most my spares (packed in grease) in his barn. Now that I'm getting back into it I'm pretty well caught back up with mechanic type tools so it's all good now, I just need more time. :|

Throber · May 12, 2013

RennieK,
Sorry dude, just saw this now.
I would help out but I see you have it in hand.
Next time.

RennieK · May 12, 2013

Thanks Throber, it's good to know we can link up with another member here 1/2 way around the world and do each other a favour like this. In this case it seems like a lot to go through for what's on the table but it meant a lot to me and I'd never live it down if I hadn't tried doing this. I'm real pleased now for sure except for one thing that still is bugging me. I still need to find replacements for my old 3/8 dr. hazet whitworth sockets :wink:

After my experience I'll be more than happy to do likewise for anyone needing a similar hand from this end of the globe.

Dkt26 · May 12, 2013

Rennie, they turned out amazing!!!
I had only seen the pics on trade me but what you have done with them is nothing short of fantastic. I am so glad to have been able to help mate!
Cheers
DKT

RennieK · May 14, 2013

Thanks for the kind words Dave.

Update: I stripped the 5/16th and buffed it now as it was peeling pretty bad so there is only the 7/16 that is left original.

I was looking at a commemorative set of 22K gold plated wrenches I picked up real cheap and I've been wondering if I could use them as donors in an electrolysis tank and get that 22K gold to migrate to my Hazet wrenches. I'd really enjoy working on my Norton with a set of gold plated wrenches!

Bernhard · May 14, 2013

May I ask how much you actually paid for them :?:

Do they have to be Hazet tools and no other well-known brand name :?:

There is a weekly second hand market near where I live and there is sometimes old tools like Whitworth spanners available……me thinks I will have to start looking through my tool-box and see what I will require for my Dommi :!: :shock:

B+Bogus · May 14, 2013

Bernhard said:
Do they have to be Hazet tools and no other well-known brand name :?:

I'm a 'King Dick' man, myself :lol:

RennieK · May 14, 2013

Bernhard said:
May I ask how much you actually paid for them :?:

Do they have to be Hazet tools and no other well-known brand name :?:

There is a weekly second hand market near where I live and there is sometimes old tools like Whitworth spanners available……me thinks I will have to start looking through my tool-box and see what I will require for my Dommi :!: :shock:

Are you sitting down? I think it all ended up costing around $100 and Dave wouldn't take anything for helping. I expected the wrenches to clean up by wiping them with an oily rag so there was some disappointment there in the beginning.

They have to be Hazet because I'm all sentimental about my old ones I lost.

Once you have a good whitworth set you won't need to buy a lot of the sizes in metric or sae tool sets because they're so close to the whithworth sizes. :twisted:

Here's a good cross reference chart:

http://classicmechanic.blogspot.ca/2011 ... chart.html

Throber · May 14, 2013

I frequently go through the junk shops here in NZ and pick up spanners of all useful sizes made by decent manufacturers.
I'll start collecting and offer them for sale, at cost price, to dudes who need them.
I have a huge selection of tools in my shed.

S O S - Need Help from Downunder NZ OZ

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