# How is this fixed together?



## cosmarchy (3 Jun 2021)

Does anyone know how these small spanners are fixed together? Could it be a rivet?





I want to clean these up properly, possibly plate them for rust protection perhaps, but in order to do a proper job I'd like to separate them. Trouble is that I don't know what that is holding them together. I suppose if it is a rivet, I'd have no way to put it back either 

Any ideas as to what I could do here?

Thanks


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## TFrench (3 Jun 2021)

Chuck in evaporust and leave well enough alone! Looks like they're riveted to me. There's a lot to be said for patina....


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## clogs (4 Jun 2021)

just a fancy headed rivet......
early English made from cheese....


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## cosmarchy (6 Jun 2021)

Thanks for your replies, guys.

I'll have a look at Evaporust...


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## AES (6 Jun 2021)

As well as Evaporust, I've heard on here (not tried myself) that brake fluid works well. Otherwise, elbow grease (especially if separating each tool).

Yes, it's riveted.

So if, as above you want to do a real "pukka" clean up, just drill that rivet out. Replace it with any "big-headed" rivet, and after starting the head forming process, insert a couple (or more) shims (ali beer can for example) cut into a "U" shape with the ID slightly larger than the OD of the chosen rivet and with a small pull tab opposite the "U" side on each shim.

If you haven't gone too heavy-handed with the final closing of the rivet then you should be able to pull the shims out by their tabs, leaving each tool free to swivel independently on the rivet. Tend to the slack side when closing the rivet and if after removing the shims the tools are a bit too floppy on the rivet it's easy to add a few more hammer taps on the head until you're happy.


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## hawkeyefxr (7 Jun 2021)

Those spanners are Mag spanners, used to use them on old bikes


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## AES (7 Jun 2021)

Yup. I inherited a set just like that from my Dad. Made by Terrys of Birmingham I think.

But if you're a bodger like me they can still come in useful today sometimes - to save graunching the spanner flats on small nuts (even Metric, etc, nuts, although I think they were originally intended for "Imperial" like BA, etc). BTW, because I was into aeromodelling I still have quite a bit of BA stuff (which, incidentally isn't really Imperial at all, it was "designed" by ETH in Zurich under contract to UK (IEEE I think in about 1900) for a new system for small electrical gear. But as ever, I digress).

So some of my BA Terrys spanners seem to be exactly the same as my Mag spanners set. But a couple of others in the Mag set are larger (2 I think) & 3 smaller (I think), so as above, IF you're a bodger like me that set is worth holding on to.

But apart from such "now and again" usage, I don't think those little sets have any monetary value these days


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## Fergie 307 (7 Jun 2021)

Find someone who can bead blast them for you, don't grit them you will never get the grit out of the joints. Or try just using a wire wheel on a bench grinder. You don't want a new wheel it will be too sharp and will scratch them. If you have to get a new wheel then use it against some scrap to get some wear on the bristles first. Another good tip is to have a jar of diesel and an old brush and keep the surface moist with an occasional wipe, if you've not done this before you will find it gives a much better finish than using the wheel dry.


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## J-G (7 Jun 2021)

AES said:


> But as ever, I digress


I'm pleased you did, AES, - as soon as I saw you link 'Imperial' and 'BA' I reached for my keyboard 

The original specification was created in 1884 but only became BS 93 in 1903, so your 1900 ish was a good memory.

I still use some BA threads - had to make some 10BA x 4mm Brass C/Sunk last week and do have 12BA Taps & dies. As an apprentice in the late 50's I remember having to chrome plate 20BA ring gauges.

I would agree that Terry's are the most likely manufacturer of the subject spanners.


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## AES (7 Jun 2021)

J-G said:


> I'm pleased you did, AES, - as soon as I saw you link 'Imperial' and 'BA' I reached for my keyboard
> 
> The original specification was created in 1884 but only became BS 93 in 1903, so your 1900 ish was a good memory.
> 
> ...



Thanks J-G. I'm glad to hear that my "memory" still works "more or less", and "now and again"! I'm impressed with your 12 BA taps & dies - I think the smallest I can go is 8 or 10 BA. But I do have a few 16 BA brass nuts & bolts left in stock from when I was trying to help a model railway friend out some years back. They're so tiny I can hardly see them - WITH specs - these days.


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## Dee J (7 Jun 2021)

Overthinking... Original finish would have been oily black oxide. Quick rub with some fine wire wool and an application of oily rag. Perfect.


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## stuart little (8 Jun 2021)

AES said:


> As well as Evaporust, I've heard on here (not tried myself) that brake fluid works well. Otherwise, elbow grease (especially if separating each tool).
> 
> Yes, it's riveted.
> 
> ...


You could end up with a headache !


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## AES (8 Jun 2021)

OK, OK stuart! QUOTE: " it's easy to add a few more hammer taps on the head ... " UNQUOTE: and now added - "on the head OF THE RIVET"!

Guilty as charged m'lud.


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