A completely seized pair of pincers, found in the forest and covered in a thick crust of dirt, soil, and heavy rust — that’s how this restoration project began. The tool was fully locked up and couldn’t even be opened. In this video, I show step by step how I brought this severely damaged pair of pincers back to life and gave it a durable industrial protective finish.
🔥 What to expect in this video:
✔️ Removing the rust crust — Rust remover applied and the thick layer of dirt, soil, and rust mechanically knocked off.
✔️ Completely seized joint — The pincers wouldn’t open at all; the pivot bolt was fully rusted in place.
✔️ First disassembly attempts — Bolt heads ground off, attempts to drive out the bolt with a punch, and heating the joint — all unsuccessful.
✔️ Drilling out the bolt — Only drilling out the bolt made it possible to disassemble the pincers.
✔️ Breaking it down — Two pincer halves and the original bolt, which was beyond saving.
✔️ Sandblasting — Both halves were fully cleaned in the sandblasting cabinet.
✔️ Weld buildup — Deep rust pits near the cutting area were rebuilt using a MAG welder.
✔️ Grinding the welds — The welded areas were ground flush to restore the original shape.
✔️ Reworking the joint — Drilling and tapping on the milling machine to achieve a precise fit.
✔️ New pivot bolt — A new bolt was made on the lathe with a head, a smooth bearing surface, and a threaded section.
✔️ Cold bluing — The new bolt was treated with cold bluing for corrosion protection and a clean industrial look.
✔️ Hand shaping — Files were used to restore the front contours affected by welding.
✔️ Handle repair — Severe pitting in the handles was filled with liquid metal, then filed and sanded.
✔️ Full sanding — The entire tool was sanded to create a consistent surface finish.
✔️ Black protective coating — To finish the restoration, the pincers received a durable black industrial protective coating.
This restoration was technically demanding, but projects like this are exactly what I enjoy most. Turning a completely rusted, seized tool into a fully functional one again is what makes these restorations so rewarding.
🔔 Subscribe to my channel so you won’t miss any future restoration projects!
📌 Want to support my work?
Become a channel member:
➡️ Join here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBnXlOxxt2MC5tZhyr2JQw/joinOr support me via PayPal:
➡️ Donate via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=C3NBENWZT56DGOr use my affiliate links:
🛠️ Materials I used:
🔹 Metabo straight grinder —
https://amzn.to/3QoisBT🔹 Metabo cordless drill BS 18 LTX-3 BL —
https://amzn.to/43833JV🔹 Metabo bit set —
https://amzn.to/3pzwV4n🔹 Sandpaper file —
https://amzn.to/3A3YqbF🔹 Knife sharpener —
https://amzn.to/4eo9XCc🔹 Polishing wheel —
https://amzn.to/4lpCWrI🔹 Plastic hammer —
https://amzn.to/4no01wM📷 My gear:
🎥 Sony AX-53 camera
💡 Ring light
🎤 Rode microphone
🎙️ Zoom H5 recorder
🎥 DJI gimbal camera
📷 DJI Osmo Action 5
💡 Affiliate note: These links don’t cost you anything extra — but I earn a small commission when you use them. Thanks for your support!
🎬 Enjoy the video — and let me know in the comments what you think of this restoration! 💬