Show your conservation/restoration projects

[aquarius31]

Hi, I've seen a few different threads with people asking whether or not to restore their items. Here are a few that I've had done. Actually, the boxing supplement was not restored at all as obvious from the staining right down the center but I did have it matted to take out some of the visible imperfections on the edges.

Would love to see what other people have done with their items.

[mcgwirecom]

Bought this 1924 original Four horseman photo on Ebay years ago. Was missing edges and corners, torn in half and glued to a piece of cardboard. But it had real autographs. I sent it to a conservator in Philly. First picture is after they got it mounted and back to gether with missing parts filled in. Second is after painting it to match. Sorry they are blurry, they were taken from tiny pictures off a data base. i sold it years ago.

[aquarius31]

Wow, they did an awesome job...thanks for sharing!

[Runscott]

nice items.

[drcy]

I've never restore anything, but once had some stuff including am 1880s die cut Sweet Caporal sign stored at my parents while I was moving. When I stopped by their place, my mom (who is an amateur artist, craftperson, quilter, seamstress, house painter, jewelry maker, flower arranger and all the things many moms do) said she accidentally broke off the top of the sign and carefully glued it back together. She did such an excellent job that, if she had not told me, I may have never noticed.

She later she liked the sign, so I gave it to her and it still hangs in a hallway at my parents house.

[pariah1107]

Steve Abramson restored this bat for me; a Wenatchee Valley College stamped Yaz Bat Model 125. Nothing special about the bat, other than local sports history. As can be seen in the before/after pics it was in terrible condition. Looked like someone had driven nails with it and into it, but Steve did a remarkable job. Thanks again to many on the board for recommending him.


Before....
http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w415/pariah1107/DSC01423_zpsbd12d6f4.jpg

After....
http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w415/pariah1107/DSC01451_zpsd60d9e68.jpg[/QUOTE]

[Goudey77]

Bump

[steve B]

Not all sports stuff, but I restore the occasional thing. I don't usually call what I do restoration, as most can be reversed with ordinary hand tools.

I collect bikes, usually ones ridden by pros or at a pretty high level. Some I have to make parts for, since they were team only and just aren't around to be bought.
1920's? Bike built for motorpacing - basically having a motorcycle run on the track ahead of you to draft behind.
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=25786http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=15693

Built for the US team pursuit team at the 1983 Pan-Am games. I had to make the front hub and handlebars. The wheels are 24 inch, like on a biggish kids bike, and not easy to find.

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=25787http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=25788

And a couple random things. That are "restored" A lawn chair that was probably 1950's, and a bench. Both scrounged from the curb. The bench was pretty much just the ends when I got it, all the wood was mostly rotted away. The chair was pretty rusty, completely derusted/repainted, and reassembled with stainless hardware. (Ok, not a textbook restoration, but better that what the trash truck would have done to it)
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=26987http://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=123&pictureid=26986

[sicollector1954]

Here are a couple of before and after pictures of my Ruth 1919-1922 professional model bat. Thanks.

[Exhibitman]

Before:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/Exhibit%20Machine%20Before.jpg

After:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/P1010050.JPG

[ooo-ribay]

Great work, Steve and Adam!

[perezfan]

Adam...

That's some truly impressive work. Usually these restored machines are too shiny and new looking, and stand out like a sore thumb. You managed to clean it up perfectly, while maintaining a great vintage look. LOVE the deep green color... great job!

[Exhibitman]

Thanks guys. Rust-O-Leum hammered metal finish. It was the closest to the matte finish of the original. I basically took it apart, polished the chrome, hammered out the damaged areas, then cleaned, sanded, painted and reassembled. And printed out a scan of my favorite header for the display. The planning and prep was about 1/3 of the total time I spent. It is incredibly important to organize a project like this and have a full game plan before touching it. I had baggies for every type of part and extensive photos of every part of the machine before I touched it.

[steve B]

Thanks guys. Rust-O-Leum hammered metal finish. It was the closest to the matte finish of the original. I basically took it apart, polished the chrome, hammered out the damaged areas, then cleaned, sanded, painted and reassembled. And printed out a scan of my favorite header for the display. The planning and prep was about 1/3 of the total time I spent.

I really like the hammered finish.

And even if it's not original, it's well in the range of what an arcade or amusement park maintenance worker would have done once it got a little shabby looking.

I haven't seen originals, but other stuff I've seen from the era has been done in stove enamel. It changes to a very Matte finish over time from oils drying out of it. The good news is that if it's in good shape, it comes back just by rubbing some oil on it with a paper towel. The result is more semi-gloss than anything, a look that's really hard to duplicate without resorting to the same sort of paint.

[ooo-ribay]

An American Pickers "sweaty restoration." Bobby Bonds' travel trunk. Just wanted to clean it up a bit.

[jsage]

Speckled Red/Orange Paint.
Jerry Sage

[Exhibitman]

Nice . Shows how long these Ideal model machines could go on being used.

[perezfan]

Beautiful, Jerry...

Same restorer as Adam used? They look equally vintage and true to the era.

Amazing work!

[jsage]

Beautiful, Jerry...

Same restorer as Adam used? They look equally vintage and true to the era.

Amazing work!

Mark -
Sounds crazy but I used Easy Off - the oven cleaner.:eek:
Removed the years of "grime" without harming the paint.
It was recommended by the guy that detailed my car.
Jerry Sage

[perezfan]

Wow.... good to know!

I have passed on so many of these machines (at great prices) just because the condition appeared too far gone. You guys have done some great work!

[Exhibitman]

Beautiful, Jerry...

Same restorer as Adam used? They look equally vintage and true to the era.

Amazing work!


Definitely not: I did all the work myself.

[hanes1111]

Not sports but some cool history. My great grandfather was a big fur trapper and when I was cleaning out a barn I found this nailed to a wall covered in coal dust. I had it professionally cleaned and framed. I took it on Antiques Roadshow to try and see what value it had but they said almost none probably survived and couldn't give me a value.

https://i.imgur.com/LiUuP1e.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/c8QM4HS.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/jAGiN65.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/jAGiN65)

[bigfanNY]

When I got this almost 45 years ago it was in 12 pieces. I sent it to a poster restorer in Canada who put it back together. Been on my wall ever since. It would have been a shame for it to have been lost.

[Shoeless Moe]

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[ooo-ribay]

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Love it, Diddy!.....but I kinda liked the colors "before." Is that just a camera issue?

[ullmandds]

great stuff everyone...funny there arent any "cards" in this thread!

[Shoeless Moe]

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[aquarius31]

It's been a while since I've had any item conserved but given the importance of this one (at least for me), I wanted to get it done. The conservator did an amazing job imo and entire publication is now in tact including some great write-ups from Henry Chadwick himself.

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