Probably cheaper to get a new one, but this old thing was Boeing surplus, and has enjoyed literally thousands of rivets in my shop. Sentimental value.
Today it decided it didn't want to stop, even though I released the trigger, tried lube, looked in there, etc. Borrowed a cheapie from a neigbor and finished up.
But I would happily fix it if I knew how. Cleco, made by Dresser Industries. Are there folks who fix these old things?
I think with a big name like Cleco, there might be. I sent an air drill off to ATS and they returned it to me saying it wasn't worth fixing...it was a little over a year old. I know my Desouter drill that got dropped was fixable by the factory. Chances are, if you can get it fixed it'll live forever!!
Good luck and I'll be interested to hear what you find!
John
I got a bunch of air tools rejected from Hill AFB, took the duct tape mods off the triggers, put oil in them, and hooked up the air. Work fine....?
What brand is it? Aero Tool Services in Ft Worth advertises rebuild of several types............ on ebay of all places.
......... It doesn't cost any more to go first class! You just can't stay as long.
Most times just needs some O-rings replaced in the trigger ,
or get it repaired here
https://www.yardstore.com/
Last edited by brown bear; 12-10-2019 at 10:09 AM.
How do I get in there? There is a slotted screw in back, but it seems locked in place, and I didn't want to break it. Thanks for the link; I will use them for a quick replacement or repair.
Pictures would help us
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Picture.
I bought an Atlas on eBay a few years ago. I really like it. It seems to make riveting a lot easier.
Hope the Yard can fix you up if the o'ring won't fix it. My old blue Snap-On drill that I bought in a pawn shop 25 plus years ago locked up recently. My favorite drill, always loaded with a good #30 drill bit. Never bought a new drill or rivet gun. Was always lucky enough to have access to the surplus stuff out of the aircraft plants. Great tools that have served me well drilling and shooting tens of thousands of rivets.
A friend posted this recently, I thought it was a great read:
What I see when I find an old wrench...
��*��
Imagine it's the 1950s, and a young man only about 19 or 20 is just starting out in the very difficult and looked down upon field of mechanic work. It's a passion of his, and he sees a small chance to do something he loves and get paid for it.
He's making $0.50/hr but needs tools.. he saves his money for weeks on end but can only buy one or two wrenches at a time. The week before, it took him 2 hours to pull the engine out of Mrs. Smith's car on a hot July day. While pulling it out, one of the wrenches he borrowed from a coworker slipped and caused him to bust his knuckles open on the side of the engine causing blood to soak his already sweat and grease covered hands... so when he pays for that wrench that cost him $1.00 from Montgomery Ward, he literally paid for it with his own time, blood and sweat... and he stamps the first letter of his name on it to mark it as his...
And he uses it every day for the rest of his career.
With that wrench and others he buys over time he pays for his first car that needed some work... but he owns it. He pays for the house that he carries his new bride across the threshold a few months later, and in a few short years, starts setting money back in a college savings account for the new baby that is due in 2 months.
Fast forward 50 years...
His kids are all grown, went to college so they didnt have to be grease monkeys like their old man, had kids of their own and now their kids are grown and just starting their own lives. He passes away from cancer (probably caused by his exposure to all sorts of carcinogens as a mechanic in his 50 years of wrenching) having lived a long life. His kids find all his old tools in the old musty garage and decide after no family members want them, that they might get a few bucks off the tool box at the pawn shop. They load everything up in the truck and take it in and get $100 for the toolchest full of tools. It'll pay for their gas this week, and they're thankful that even now deceased, dad is still finding a way to help out in a small way.
The pawn shop cleans out the chest, cleans it up a little and lists it for sale. They sort through the box of tools they just pulled out and don't see much value, but they might make a few bucks on em at a dollar apiece. So into the dollar bin they go. The wrench comes full circle here, starting out at a dollar, making hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, and being back at a dollar in a bin somewhere...
Only to be rediscovered by a young mechanic who is just starting out himself, and always looking for tools to help him in his trade. He rummages through the box and finds that old 3/4" box end wrench once bought with another young man's blood, sweat, and tears. Its almost like the young man can read the story in that wrench with every dent, ding, scratch, and rust pit in it. He sees the letter "H" stamped on the head of it, and wonders if it stood for Harry, or maybe Henry.
It made someone a living once, and very possibly worked upon many hundreds of classic cars that this young gearhead could only dream of touching. For $1, it's worth the story, and will once again be making money for a young man just starting out in life.
That's what I see when I find an old wrench in a bin
�������������������������������������������������� ����������������������
Yeah. I almost cried when my Binks 37 died. My Thorsen hand tools came from Mr. Craig in Rosemont Pa in 1957. Rusty, but I will die with them in my hangar. Yeah, I use Snap-ons most of the time.
how do I get access to said O rings?
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I still have some of the tools my grandfather, railroad machinist, gave me. And some specialized machinist's tools that a childhood neighbor, Convair toolmaker, gave me. This hits home. Thanks Steve P.
Bob, check McMaster Carr for o-rings. https://www.mcmaster.com/o-rings
I have O rings. Just realized that the bottom of the trigger handle comes out. Duh. I have not yet attempted disassembly. Bad O ring sounds about right, except this thing may pre-date O rings.
That's a great story Steve, teared me up thinking about my Dad who died a few years ago from cancer after 50 years as a heavy equipment mechanic. For the last few months of his life he'd come over to work on the Bearhawk with me and bring a tool or two from his box -"just keep it here for a while, I'll come get it later" he'd say. My box is full of his old MAC, S-K and SnapOn tools, engraved with DL.
Last edited by Bearhawk Builder; 12-11-2019 at 06:03 AM.
I have a few of my Dad's tools , worth more than gold to me .
Doug
Pulled it apart - easy. A simple yellowed piece of plastic had crumbled. I am checking with Yard, but it looks like a couple leather washers would work.
I found a like new $150 1/4" B&D "Hole Gun" in a pawn shop for $10 about 50 years ago. Only had $5 so drove home/back almost 40 miles to secure it. Was my favorite electric tool ever. Dropped it and broke the chuck off a couple years ago and almost cried.
My dad was NOT a mechanic but Marcia's was. My box is half full of his tools with RT etched on them. I like the Wrights. Whenever I pull a -6 line I see his RT on the old 11/16" Wright and smile. Same with the 3/4" on plug leads........
His tools have saved/made me many $1000's
Jack
Last edited by n40ff; 12-13-2019 at 07:09 AM.
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