What's the best cleaner for tool kit bags?

[Martin Benade]

My father said that on his WW2 military base they would send new guys out to get a bucket of prop wash. That was the wind off a spinning propeller.

[Steve Hatfield]

Navy vets will know about three such whimsies:
- mail buoys
- striped paint, and if carrier-based,
- pad eye removers

Now back to the subject at hand:
Can someone tell me the approximate going cost of a t-5 vintage green tool bag in good shape, slight removable rust stains, shortened strap but with nice original buckle hardware/rivet and best of all nice original stitching, no holes/tears/abrasions?

[Benjamin Abraham]

356A & 356B TOOL BAG & BELT RESTORATION


As I believe this topic is suitable for Tool Bag cleaning and also restoration, I am going to continue to include new information I gather including Cleaners, Repairing/Restoration and Replacement leather straps, buckles, and rivets. I am hoping to share with the community and not profit from the community. We have gone through so many variations of types of leathers, various belt production, dies, and all types of hardware… this represents many, many hours of research and a lot of $$$ spent.


I have another bag that I will start a new cleaning test soon:







If anyone has any other suggestions for cleaners to try, please let me know. So far, the only “new” cleaner to test will be the following:

-a paste of baking soda, water, and some dishwashing liquid


STRAPS and BUCKLE update:

In addition to the 356A Tan leather Belt, we have also produced a 356B Black Leather Belt which originally has slightly different dimensions than the 356A Belt






HARDWARE

356A Tan Belt Hardware in “Polished" Finish (Rivet is specific to 356A)


356B Black Belt Hardware in “Patina" Finish (Rivet is specific to 356B)


NOTE: Hardware for either belt is available in Polished or with Patina.


RIVET SIZE

356A Tan Belt Rivet Cap is 9mm


356B Black Belt Rivet Cap is 11mm



BELT THICKNESS

356A Original Tan Belt thickness is 2mm (brittle belt)


356A Another Original Tan Belt thickness is 2.3mm (pliable belt)


356A Replacement Tan Belt thickness is approximately 2.3mm


356B Original Black Belt thickness is 2mm


356B Replacement Black Belt thickness is 2mm



BELT WIDTH

356A Original Tan Belt Width is 16.5 mm


356A Replacement Tan Belt Width is 16.5 mm


356B Original Black Belt Width is 17mm


356B Replacement Black Belt Width is 17mm



Some side-by-side of Original Belt and reproduction:




UPDATE on Totals for straps and/or rivets (I am only keeping a tally because I will fulfill these requests first before I post in classified section, you will each be contacted by email, or please email me directly so I can confirm your order, Leather Belt; Tan/Black, Hardware; Polished/Patina):

10x TA (updated number)
2x BS (updated number)
2x VI
5x JK (updated number)
4x GK (updated number)
5x AH
3x RA
2x MF
3x DS
3x JR
2x T
2x SH

Total: 43


I decided that If people post questions to me, I will respond to them. Any posting of items “for sale” I will post in the classified section of the registry.

[George Hussey]

if anyone wants a new reproduction to use while saving their original I have a bunch of blue bags I had made years ago, that have a couple of scrapes on them. $24.50

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[Benjamin Abraham]

if anyone wants a new reproduction to use while saving their original I have a bunch of blue bags I had made years ago, that have a couple of scrapes on them.

I think this topic is best suited towards original bag restoration, repair, and cleaning. May I suggest posting your ad in the classified section, along with measurements of the bag? Sincerely, Ben

[Benjamin Abraham]

Started on cleaning up this bag:

Before Cleaning

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Before Cleaning

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Before Cleaning

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I decided to start with this one, instead of the one I previously mentioned.

...more to come today...

[Benjamin Abraham]

Washing the Interior Cloth

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3x application (each 30 minutes in duration) of tide pod detergent with some hand massaging to help soapy water penetrate the cloth <- this step will vary depending on how dirty your bag is... I kept doing it until I was left with clear, not dirty, water
1 application of GooGone brushed in one direction following the fibers with a soft toothbrush
4 applications of wink, with bag in a container and one end tilted up about 1" to allow the solution to drip off and away from the bag (flap should hang down on lower side with cloth side facing up), again, CAUTION with using Wink!
all this followed by another 1x 30 minute wash with Tide pod (My wife is going to kill me... i used all the Tide pods)... and then let hang dry upside down with flap facing downward for a few hours

NOTE: These bags are 60+ years old...take care not to agitate too much. When I applied GooGone, I used a toothbrush and brushed in the direction of the fibers in both directions... Although I was very careful, some of the original stitching weakened and pulled apart (this will be repaired and I will try to show a "how to" on this)

This bag would probably have benefited from a few more applications of Wink... I will consider doing that after cleaning up the vinyl in the next step...


NEXT UP: Cleaning the Green Vinyl...

[Benjamin Abraham]

Cleaning the Green Vinyl- Testing Baking Soda Paste (with dish soap, and water), WD-40 against GooGone

What we are starting with

Showdown: Baking Soda Paste and WD-40 vs. GooGone

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First Challenge: GooGone Vs. Baking Soda Paste

Baking Soda Paste

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GooGone cleans up after Baking Soda Paste!

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Conclusion: GooGone wins and Baking Soda Paste made an absolute mess of my bag.... getting into every crevice, poor and hole in this bag. It seems to have a kind of "compound" effect. I do not recommend this, but if it works for you so be it. Use what you works for you.

Second Challenge: GooGone Vs. WD-40

WD-40

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GooGone cleans up after WD-40

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Conclusion: As you might be able to see from the photos, WD-40 seems to have done a decent job... although, GooGone did clean up a bit after the WD-40 treatment. No overall winner here...it seems that WD-40 works. I will be trying this again in the future, and giving the WD-40 the chance to "clean up after" the GooGone.


NEXT UP: Cleaning the inside and cleaning techniques

[Tony Aprile]

Awesome info

[Benjamin Abraham]

Cleaning the inside and Cleaning Techniques:

The Inside. Make sure to protect the cloth/material with a clean Terry Cloth

What we are starting with (Forgot to take the photo before I sprayed GooGone)

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All the Terry Cloths I use I bought on Amazon (Kirkland Brand)
https://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signatu ... 89&sr=8-10

Need I say more?

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After GooGone Cleaning

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Some Details:

Don't forget the Messko flap

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Much Better!

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Technique for cleaning and not disturbing the threading and the seam:

Take the time to flip the bag and wipe away from the seam

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move towards you and away from the seam

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Getting it?

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Got it? Good!!

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take the time to flip the bag around...do not be lazy...always keep in mind that these threads are 60 years old.... do not stress them... wipe away from the stitching and towards you... when you are wiping over the stitching ease off on the pressure a bit. Always support the bag with your other hand... and apply pressure on the bag with you non-wiping hand on the SAME piece of vinyl you are working on. ex. Do not hold the flap of the bag and put pressure on the large piece of vinyl on the outside portion of the bag. Hold the outside portion of the bag with your non-wiping hand. If this does not make sense, and you need clarification, just ask me and I will post a schematic.

NEXT UP: More Detail work and we get more aggressive with the cleaning... Bio-Paint Thinner, Wax and Tar Remover, and regular Paint Thinner!

[Benjamin Abraham]

I aggressively went after a few spots with (1) Bio-Paint Thinner, (2) Wax and Tar Remover, and (3) Regular Paint Thinner.


1) Bio-Paint Thinner, (2) Wax and Tar Remover:

Bio-Paint Thinner, Wax and Tar Remover

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I had no positive results from using the Bio-Paint Thinner. The Wax and Tar Remover worked well on caked up grease/oil.... this with the tip of my fingernail helped dislodge dirt from the bag. A note here, I was not "aggressive" with using my nail... I would bend/flex the bag where I saw debris if the bag did not flex in an area where I saw dirt, then I knew this debris could possibly be removed with my fingernail. I used Q-tips to apply the material, and you can immediately see if it was cleaning the bag bc the q-tip would get brownish in color.

(3) Regular paint thinner diluted 1:1

Paint Thinner

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Make sure to dilute! I used this solution on Green Vinyl bag... NOTE: I suggest you test in a spot that is inside the bag and hidden to see if the color comes off first. Do not use this "blindly" and I am not responsible if you damage your bag. Be conservative in your approach. This is only for touching up small areas. Why am I mentioning this option if it can damage the color of your bag? Because it worked very well. I could have gone for a higher concentration but I decided not to push my luck. Again, PLEASE NOTE: I did not try this on Grey, Blue, Red bags... only on Original Green Vinyl Bags. Your results may differ.

I would dip a clean Q-tip into the solution, then dab it on a towel so it would not "run" on the bag.... wipe an area/spot on the bag with up to 5 passes, all the while turning the Q-tip in a move counter to the motion I was rubbing the bag (higher friction and chance of removing debris). Then I would quickly clean up the spot with a clean towel that was premoistened with water. DO NOT let paint thinner just "sit" on the vinyl.

My Results after "spot" cleaning:

Back

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Front

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Flap Open

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NEXT UP: Belt Replacement with Patina Hardware...

[Benjamin Abraham]

Belt Replacement with Patina Hardware:

Tools you will need (Vintage Hammer Optional)

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Belt Assembly: Retainer Loop

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Belt Assembly: Buckle

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Belt Assembly: Rivet male end (Bottom/Inside)

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Belt Assembly: Rivet male end

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Belt Assembly: Rivet male end into Bag

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Belt Assembly: Rivet female end (Top/Outside)

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Belt Assembly: Rivet Sandwich

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Belt Assembly: Rivet meets Hammer

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Installed

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NEXT UP: Filling up with tools and Obligatory "Money Shot"

[Benjamin Abraham]

Filling the Bag (Proper Placement of Tools):

All The Tools

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Filled

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Filled

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Rolled

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Detail shot

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Notes on Tools:
Spark Plug Tool is a reproduction
Tommy Bar is 15cm for 356C kit instead of 12cm needed for 356A kit
Messko Gauge is dual scale for 356B 60-61 Tool Kit

[ThibautBoey]

congratulations,
cheaper than a restored toolbag that shines. This is how I prefer to see them, beautifully patinated.

[Allen Henderson]

Tool geeks,

I received two staps and harware/buckle from Benjamin. I must say all of it is nice. I don't have my caliper here in Texas with me right now, but the buckle is very close to the original (I used my original one but now have two good spares) Thanks !

-Allen-