That’s genius. I wish I would have seen this video a year ago. I had the exact same problem. I happened to have a rebuild kit sitting around and I just used the newer style captured spring out of the spare rebuild kit.
Super Lube is a GJ favorite! I work with tiny parts more often than I like. If anything at all drops on my shop floor, it's essentially gone forever. So, I lay down a lightly colored microfiber towel - naturally sticky - to catch anything falling out of the tool. Helps. BTW, I dig the Stanley awl. Have a couple, myself.
Cool solution! I tried this on one of my old Craftsman. I got it back together, but on my first use it failed. I returned it for a replacement. Thanks Doc.
I’ve been using an X-Acto knife to depress the ball and spring on a batwing style ratchet as these are called, but it’s a inconvenience because the blade is straight although this method usually works I’ve had a few of those balls fly across the garage, never to be seen from again. After watching your video I will make a copy of your home made tool thank you sir.
Great video, I used a medium sized safety pin, the circle end, and some grease to hold the ball bearing on it, and pushed the spring in with the safety pin and ball bearing and lowered the Paw mechanism into place, and slowly pulled the safety pin out while keeping pressure on the Paw mechanism, worked like a charm.
Doc, good to see you taking time to use your tools to make new tools to fix an old classic tool. Glad it turned out well, without the superlube and your special tool, you might have been chasing the ball bearing across the floor
That was a very valuable video. Anyone who thinks up and makes tools is a level above. An excellent cheap tool. My brain would have totally over engineered that. It maybe worth measuring the ball bearing size. $20 if you loose one because you have to buy the whole kit again verses $3 for a bad of one hundred. Go one stage further, measure the spring as well.
I use G25 ball bearings to gage parallelism. For those who don't know, ball bearings are graded as 3-2000, with the number being indicative of the bearing's tolerance in microns. Inexpensive ball bearings typically aren't round with a variance of 1-2 thou. No idea whether this is important for such a project, but it may be something to keep in mind.
Done similar clean outs on many Craftsman “panel” ratchets, l cut an aluminum can and form a U shaped curve to depress the spring and bearing then just drop the pawl in and wiggle the aluminum up and out
Oh, those loose ball bearings drive me crazy. Snap-On used to make a little tool for precisely this purpose (SPP 744), but they don't seem to be available any more - why oh why oh why? Like another commenter, I found that a blackhead remover works really well - it has a tiny spoon shape at the end which holds the BB down without letting it ping off into oblivion.
Great video Doc, I have a repair kit on the way for a older Snap on 20 tooth 1/4 drive ratchet. I’ll make a video on it if it’s difficult to put together like this one.
Hey what’s up from the Middle East ! Today I grabbed two of these old style ratchets (body only) f936,fl936 from the flea market for only 4 dollars both I know they go for over 70$ each in my area so im excited to do the rebuild for them thanks for the information
I have one of those bearings rolling around somewhere in my garage from it flying away when I cleaned mine out. I hate this design. I took the bearing out of an old c man pro 1/4” ratchet. Funny enough both ratchets now work.
Nice on custom bearing holder. If you want another challenge, rebuild an S77A breaker bar ratcheting adapter.😂 I lost both pins at light speed on the first one I did forcing me to buy new kit.
I come across an affordable Snap On ratchet in good condition and modern enough to use about once every four months. Lately the supply of used premium tools at reasonable prices has all but dried up. In the before days, I could shop around and find almost whatever I needed/wanted in used condition within a month. Now it's exciting just to find something in ballpark.
If you call Snap-On customer service, they will send you repair kits, free of charge and shipping. I rebuilt all of my ratchets (circa 1988) within the last year... at no cost to me.
I will catch shit for this opinion I prefer the screw through design but I like the head shape of the mid 2000s t72 I like symmetry and the newer t72 is 43 thousands small as it tapers into the shaft but the screw through deign adds way more longevity if you strip the screws out of the body then you need a whole new ratchet or you need to make your own backing plate and drill through the ratchet and counter sink new screws to use the body again can this be done absolutely would I want to have to do it NO WAY
More than the nail punches. I would like to be able to tap on the sides of picks as well as on axis. Maybe a whole new tool direction, but would need more reasons in order to direction the evolution of a striking pick set.
You know if you email snap on they will just send you the kit and if they don't make it anymore they will replace it with a current version all for free
Your copper wire method saved me a lot of frustration. Great idea and great video 👍
I’ve rebuilt all of my ratchets over the last few years and I’ve found that an old blackhead removal tool works exceptionally well for this task.
Seconded! I've made just the same discovery, though I actually had to buy a new blackhead remover because I didn't have one. Works like a charm.
Thanks for the suggestion, after 30 mins of messing around with other stuff it took 30 seconds with the blackhead remover tool
That’s genius. I wish I would have seen this video a year ago. I had the exact same problem. I happened to have a rebuild kit sitting around and I just used the newer style captured spring out of the spare rebuild kit.
Super Lube is a GJ favorite! I work with tiny parts more often than I like. If anything at all drops on my shop floor, it's essentially gone forever. So, I lay down a lightly colored microfiber towel - naturally sticky - to catch anything falling out of the tool. Helps.
BTW, I dig the Stanley awl. Have a couple, myself.
I use Vaseline as a lube and glue. Vaseline also works. Take it easy.
Cool solution! I tried this on one of my old Craftsman. I got it back together, but on my first use it failed. I returned it for a replacement. Thanks Doc.
I’ve been using an X-Acto knife to depress the ball and spring on a batwing style ratchet as these are called, but it’s a inconvenience because the blade is straight although this method usually works I’ve had a few of those balls fly across the garage, never to be seen from again. After watching your video I will make a copy of your home made tool thank you sir.
Hello again Doc
Thank you for another Great Video. Nicely done my friend. Again thank you
Great video, I used a medium sized safety pin, the circle end, and some grease to hold the ball bearing on it, and pushed the spring in with the safety pin and ball bearing and lowered the Paw mechanism into place, and slowly pulled the safety pin out while keeping pressure on the Paw mechanism, worked like a charm.
Doc, good to see you taking time to use your tools to make new tools to fix an old classic tool. Glad it turned out well, without the superlube and your special tool, you might have been chasing the ball bearing across the floor
1ST.SNAP-ON TOOLS SINCE 1920 👍
That was a very valuable video.
Anyone who thinks up and makes tools is a level above. An excellent cheap tool. My brain would have totally over engineered that.
It maybe worth measuring the ball bearing size. $20 if you loose one because you have to buy the whole kit again verses $3 for a bad of one hundred.
Go one stage further, measure the spring as well.
I use G25 ball bearings to gage parallelism. For those who don't know, ball bearings are graded as 3-2000, with the number being indicative of the bearing's tolerance in microns. Inexpensive ball bearings typically aren't round with a variance of 1-2 thou. No idea whether this is important for such a project, but it may be something to keep in mind.
I have that same awl from my dad. That home made tool is better than the real thing that I have!
Done similar clean outs on many Craftsman “panel” ratchets, l cut an aluminum can and form a U shaped curve to depress the spring and bearing then just drop the pawl in and wiggle the aluminum up and out
That repair was difficult enough without filming it. The added difficulty didn't go unnoticed, Thanks for making the video.👍
I might make a video of outtakes.
Oh, those loose ball bearings drive me crazy. Snap-On used to make a little tool for precisely this purpose (SPP 744), but they don't seem to be available any more - why oh why oh why? Like another commenter, I found that a blackhead remover works really well - it has a tiny spoon shape at the end which holds the BB down without letting it ping off into oblivion.
Great video Doc, I have a repair kit on the way for a older Snap on 20 tooth 1/4 drive ratchet. I’ll make a video on it if it’s difficult to put together like this one.
Snap On would approve. They use SuperLube Grease from the factory! Stuff is amazing.
Hey what’s up from the Middle East !
Today I grabbed two of these old style ratchets (body only) f936,fl936 from the flea market for only 4 dollars both I know they go for over 70$ each in my area so im excited to do the rebuild for them thanks for the information
I am also a big fan of your bracelet
Ingenuity at its finest!
I can see why the village blacksmith was so valuable. Being able to pound out almost anything from soft metal is what broke us out of the Stone Age.
That's awesome! And the ball detent tool you made is Snap On green 😂
How did I miss that?
Thanks, that's good to know.
Could you check out the Channellock Speedgrip tongue and groove pliers? I'd be interested to see what you think of them.
I’m trying to find a pair.
I have one of those bearings rolling around somewhere in my garage from it flying away when I cleaned mine out. I hate this design. I took the bearing out of an old c man pro 1/4” ratchet. Funny enough both ratchets now work.
Nice on custom bearing holder.
If you want another challenge, rebuild an S77A breaker bar ratcheting adapter.😂
I lost both pins at light speed on the first one I did forcing me to buy new kit.
Use a dab of Grease for the ball bearing to stay on the spring
Time for me to hit up the pawn shops.
I come across an affordable Snap On ratchet in good condition and modern enough to use about once every four months. Lately the supply of used premium tools at reasonable prices has all but dried up. In the before days, I could shop around and find almost whatever I needed/wanted in used condition within a month. Now it's exciting just to find something in ballpark.
I just use a cut down index card and slip everything together
If you call Snap-On customer service, they will send you repair kits, free of charge and shipping. I rebuilt all of my ratchets (circa 1988) within the last year... at no cost to me.
I will catch shit for this opinion I prefer the screw through design but I like the head shape of the mid 2000s t72 I like symmetry and the newer t72 is 43 thousands small as it tapers into the shaft but the screw through deign adds way more longevity if you strip the screws out of the body then you need a whole new ratchet or you need to make your own backing plate and drill through the ratchet and counter sink new screws to use the body again can this be done absolutely would I want to have to do it NO WAY
Which super lube is it? The grease or oil?
Grease.
i used a Pick, with a magnet behid the ratchet head
Striking picks? You mean a nail punch? ;)... btw Midwest Tool Reviews may have one of those tools he may part with.
More than the nail punches. I would like to be able to tap on the sides of picks as well as on axis. Maybe a whole new tool direction, but would need more reasons in order to direction the evolution of a striking pick set.
rebuild kits don’t cost anything. Never been charged for one in 30+ years.
You know if you email snap on they will just send you the kit and if they don't make it anymore they will replace it with a current version all for free
Thanks. I’ll check with the Snap On mothership.