Restoring Old Farm Tools or Machinery - FHC Q & A

[@douglasvantassel8098]

Pa Mac, one of the things I love about your channel is you do some deep thinking. Thank you for making these!

[@farmhandscompanion]

Thanks, as always, for watchin', Douglas!

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Good morning Pa Mac. Lots of great information on the do or don't restoration of Antique Farm Tools. You covered it pretty good , thanks for sharing the different points. You're doing a great service to lots of well meaning folks out here. Fred.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Thanks so much, Fred. I hope you're doin' well

[@KevinSmith-gh5ze]

I love the true wisdom at the end about future generations seeing your restoration as part of the story. Also, I'd love to see one of those pea threshers in action.

[@rawbacon]

Watching Pa go thru his inner conflict about restoring old farm tools just aged me 70-100 years.😂🤣 All I can say is that each piece speaks to me and tells me what to do and as the years go on it gets easier and I'm usually more satisfied with the results since my techniques are more perfected with experience of previous restorations/preservations.

[@Blake-r7f]

This is one of those topics that I think about quite often, and I know exactly how you feel about being torn. I love old tools, sort of like big old trees, it takes a while to turn into what they are today. I also appreciate when tools are brought back to new condition for the reason that people 100 years from now will be able to experience the same tools as us, and by restoring tools, we keep the interest moving through generations. Thanks for the great videos!

[@hobbyaddictions1998]

Just wanted you to know the pure joy that touches my heart when I hear the opening music to a new video 😊 Love all the videos all the time and of course your musical creations. Thanks And keep up the fantastic work. Keeping the knowledge of the sensible use and care of the tools that made the foundation of society around the world prosper!

[@farmhandscompanion]

I very much appreciate your kind words, hobbyaddictions1998.

[@jeffs5093]

I used to restore old tools as a hobby. Some turned out amazing, as you said, like they were just off the shelf. I still do restorations, but now I leave the old wood and metal if at all possible. They too look very nice when completed, but not the right off the shelf look. Milk paint and chalk paint can give it a much better look without looking totally new. You can also add crackle and other stuff to those paints to aid in the old paint look. I have many of my grandpa and great grandpa's tool. Those received a very thorough cleaning and left as is.

[@ladylocust1118]

Well I’m just a sentimental ol’ fool. I don’t have tools that have been handed down to me, but I get them and want them useful so do what I call a respectful restoration. I get the parts working that need to but try to keep them as close as possible to how I find them- like you mentioned with the saw. Enjoyed this episode 😊

[@HeikeWoolard]

Great advice. On your wagon.... I would repair what needs repairing to make it useable for your needs. You don't have to repaint it. Make it the way you like to see it.

[@georgeschmitt8205]

I get that way about old blacksmithing tools. I've caught it from people for refurbing blacksmith tools. Their belief is that a 100 year old swayback anvil or rusty leg vise is just there for looks. My belief is that if it's got a little life left in it and I can pass on my 100 year old anvil or leg vise then I think it does the tool an honor by bringing it back to life. That Sorghum mill is gorgeous BTW.

[@wren_jo]

Thank you! We take over the family farm next year and theres quite a lot of multigenerational tools demanding exactly these decisions. Really appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Very glad to help, Jo. I wish yall the best as you take things over!

[@martinparmer]

Fantastic video. I, unfortunately have few old tools from my family but I have several from my wife's family. I will use your ideas in their restoration (or not, lol). Thank you so much.

[@robertcotton8529]

I watch lots of polical and christian videos which can strain my brain but Pa Mac is relaxing 😊

[@farmhandscompanion]

Thank you, Robert

[@clarenceriffle320]

Great video well done I dont restore most of the tools I get I just use them and oil them saws I clean and get them sharp I am cleaning and painting a old wooden barrel washing machine i do clean and reseason cast iron and stamp steel cookware but please never regret painting or cleaning rust off or freeing a tool up just do it your way and smile bless you and yours and cant wait till the next video

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

I understand the conflict inside you about whether to restore an old, loved object or not. I’ve been through that with tools, furniture and clothing that was lovingly cared for in the past. Like you, I don’t think there is one right answer. It’s a case by case basis. And we don’t always guess right the first time. 🐝🤗❤️

[@Barbarra63297]

I was just getting ready to comment when you said about lightly oiling the metal parts. Moisture is inside old barns or covered porches so if it was mine I would give it some mineral oil to keep it from rusting more than it might already have done.

[@MarkWYoung-ky4uc]

Great tutorial Pa. I think it depends on what you want to do with it.

[@mleonard3163]

Thanks for all the info. I've got some of my grandpa's tools and I need to at least oil the handles and metal and sharpen the blades, especially the draw knife because it actually gets a good deal of use since I live in the woods and use the smaller cedar trees for posts, etc. For painted stuff that's going to be outside I would personally likely do a matte clear coat on it to help preserve it longer but that's just me. That way you preserve that flaking paint finish and still help it last longer in case you decide you want to use it again.

[@christopherpowell6135]

I have always enjoyed collecting anything old, I always try and keep the original patina, I have tractors, motorcycles tools and almost anything you can think of . I always put them back into fully functioning condition but avoid restoring them, original is a once only thing. That's all I have to say on that.

[@poorboyoutdoors6011]

I am the same way on restoring a tool, I have some of my gradads tools and a old ox yoke that one of them made. If I bought it I may restore it. I just love the old tools and history with them.

[@Bluegill_Hill]

Sometimes both! I took my bow saw off the wall last month and used it because chainsaw started acting up. I liked it so much that I've decided to restore it. Durability just superceded patina. If I had my way, I'd get to keep both...old looking but also trusty and functional.

[@TomTurner704]

I feel that continued use is the greatest memorializing of ancestors and/or the original maker of the tool.

[@farmhandscompanion]

I like that, Tom. Well said

[@IveysFamilyFactotum]

Another great Q&A and we can't wait for the fall festival...this will be our first year attending.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Great! Lookin' forward to meetin' the family and spending time with yall

[@IveysFamilyFactotum]

@@farmhandscompanion we will try and get out that way before then to...😁👍🏼

[@briangessler1046]

Nice segment! I used to want to restore everything to like new, but over the years I've concentrated more on how a tool, piece of equipment, or vehicle, might be serviced throughout its life. cleaning the rust off the blade, oiling wood, stopping deterioration and concentrating on the intended end use of the object in question. Not only is it far less expensive and time consuming than fully restoring something, but it allows the item to show its age and continue to age gracefully. I don't dislike full restoration when done well, but I also think that's a very difficult task, and I have far too many things on my to do list.

[@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695]

15:51 that's a case where the stenciled panel is removed and framed for display purposes to prove that it was indeed a john deere machine in the case of a full restoration

[@gretafields4706]

I would try a hand sander that holds sand paper and sand the wagon -- lightly. i use linseed on handles. I bet i could use walnut hulls.

[@Galfrid]

Great videos - love 'em all! 🤔Question: How are you irrigating your garden? Some folks have access to rivers or irrigation ditches, but others (smaller, more suburban) must be more creative, like rainwater gathering, etc.

[@farmhandscompanion]

I like this question, Galfrid! I think I'll feature it on an upcoming Q & A

[@lomax117]

Thank you, PA Mac!

[@farmhandscompanion]

You're more than welcome, Kirk.

[@markieproctorius]

I think one of the important things when taking on these tools is that you're looking to continue to use them, and to give them a new lease of life. If you bought a house and didn't decorate the inside then you wouldn't get the joy of leaving your mark on something which you care about and means a lot to you. Even if the change isn't authentic to the original, prolonging the life of the tool and continuing to use it for what it was designed for is a valuable thing to do. Leave your own touch of flair on it. As you mention, when you pass it on it will have added meaning to your loved ones when they see or use it themselves.

[@farmhandscompanion]

Well said, Markie. Thanks for watchin' and commentin'

[@bhamby9305]

Can you do a video about working your cow? What gear you use?

[@subdrvr]

My grand father would never tolerate any tool being unprotected by worn away paint and loose rusty bolts. It’s is only by neglect and poor maintenance do tools get left out to weather and rot. The idea of maintaining a tools value comes from the need to appraise the pedigree from minute details giving way to its origins. Anthropologist live for such conditions. I, on the other hand, love restoring tools to original working condition. Any tool can be found online in original catalogs.

[@cpthoward]

Hey Pa Mac, could you tell us how you built nesting boxes for your chickens? Thanks, Cpt Howard

[@Ray-r5j9u]

🖖

[@rickfrench5965]

Love this channel ! I have some hand tools with broken handles. Where can I get replacement handles?

[@farmhandscompanion]

One of the best sources: www.househandle.com

[@rickfrench5965]

@@farmhandscompanion thank you very much , l been following you for a few years.. True homesteader advice .

[@adrianricker]

On tools and vehicles that have aged paint, patina, etc: could one not use a matte clear coat to preserve the thing at its current state if that was the desired aesthetic? If you can stop moisture and UV exposure from causing damage that would produce the desired effect, would it not? I have a few tools handed down from my papaw (great grandfather) that I would love to either restore or preserve.

[@Barbarra63297]

Too bad you can't find some old barn planks, they would look great for that hay press.

[@seanold]

I only completely restore if it is almost gone. If it is rusted beyond belief, the patina is unsalvageable, that's when I just reset it. To get the rust off alone would damage the patina, so I say it's good, no loss

[@adamboone6864]

Yes be careful about refurbishing old tools. It’s addictive and I am a perfect example 😂.

[@57WillysCJ]

When do tools, I have the policy that neglect is not patina or work worn. I have no idea why the rust makes it valuable. It sure doesn't raise the value of my old pickup. Dad, Grandpa and Great Grandpa wouldn't have settled for it being rusty.

[@farmhandscompanion]

It's not the rust, Willy, but the age. The rust is just coincidental. Wish it were the rust, though. Then we could just leave new tools out in the rain and sell 'em for higher in a few months. And I might get more for my pickup, too.

[@Traderjoe]

In a way it’s a sad state that we have evolved as a culture into in this modern world. Honestly, kids today see anything old fashioned as completely meaningless to them. Like the rotary phone you might have grown up with on the wall in your kitchen. It can’t even connect with modern wiring. We aren’t going to go back to it. It’s a relic from a bygone era now. Unless you plan on using it as a prop in a historical movie, keeping it around just takes up space and collects dust. Other than sentimental value, it has no real actual value. Try donating it to a museum if anything. An old manual farm tool is really not going to be used as a tool by anyone our age and younger. Especially younger people. I am sorry if this upsets anyone, but think about the Romans. They probably had kitchen implements, farming tools, carpentry tools, jugs for oil and wine and water and as we modernized and found more sanitary materials like glass and whatever, keeping an old leather wine skin is really nothing of value other than a curiosity. Everything we have today has been really well documented and it’s not necessary to preserve old stuff as if 1970’s car jacks are going to be a mystery to people in 200 years. Declutter your life. Your kids and grandkids will be tossing all this stuff in dumpsters after we die. Why make them curse us for making their lives harder having to toss it all. Declutter. Don’t hoard things. Leave history to museums and archeologists. Seriously. Again, I am sad to say it, because I have the urge to preserve this stuff too. Only keep what is actually useful.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

Wow, you might be in the wrong place my friend. Most people here really like old things and we see them as both useful and beautiful.❤️🐝🤗

[@georgeschmitt8205]

HERESY!! Just kidding. I see the point, we had to clean out grandmas house and as any child of the depression she never threw anything away. Finding bags of silk stockings or cleaned aluminum foil seems very strange but after reading about the depression and the war years I understand how that could become a habit. Now while there is a lot that you shouldn't keep, there is a lot of tools that don't seem to lose value. High quality wood tools and blacksmithing tools actually seem to sell for more than what they sold for even taking inflation into account. They literally don't make em like that anymore because we've lost lot of the industry which have built them.