BEFORE & AFTER
|
1. Completely
original. These extinguishers are as they left the
factory. After 60 years or so, the lacquer is usually pitted with
corrosion forming on the unprotected brass areas. Also you can notice
the lacquer will tend to yellow with age. The label is loosing it's
color. If you are very lucky, you may turn up one that's been sitting
in storage, hidden from sunlight and in very good condition. Most importantly,
if it's dent free, it may be worth restoring. |
2. Cleaned with brass cleaner only.
This makes for a nice and shiny extinguisher but often
the label loses some of it's color due to the rubbing. Also, with
out applying a lacquer protection coat, the shine will soon be gone.
Notice the fade of color in the logo area. Often, when you are
using acetone to remove the old lacquer finish, you will remove the
coloring from the label. |
3. Machine buffed. The
entire extinguisher is completely buffed to a brilliant shine leaving
no label coloration. Then given a protective lacquer coating.
If you don't have the patience to restore a label, then this is
the easiest way to go. Yet the label coloring gives quite a bit
of character to these old extinguishers. Save it if you can. |
|
4. Show Quality Restoration.
The object here is to restore the extinguisher to the original
condition as it left the factory. The same rule applies to judging
the wooden boats if you want a perfect score. Parts should not be over buffed that were not intended to be. If the part originated out of a sand cast mold, then obviously it was not intended to have a super buffed and shiny finish. The brass used on these casings was your basic sheet brass with a lacquer coating to give it a protective shine. Remember, these originally sold for around $7.00. It wasn't intended to be a show piece, rather a tool for putting out fires. Refinishing the label is perhaps the most time consuming and test of patience you can have. To get the right colors back in the embossed areas and keep the label looking original is very difficult. Some labels can take up to six hours to restore. Finishing the casing is another challenge as not to over buff it. A show quality extinguisher should have full color in all the correct label areas. No major dings, that is a very minor scratch or indentation should be allowed to age. Buffed correctly to the proper sheen. Bead blast the parts that were made from the sand cast molding process to return the appearance to original. And lastly, two protective coats of high quality, non yellowing lacquer applied-without drips or runs. Definitely practice on two or three extinguishers before you attempt your final "show piece". But when you are finished, you will have a beautiful little piece of history that you have saved in your hand. |
| You can find these extinguishers at garage sales
and swap meets. Sometimes lying around in an attic or garage in a friend's
house. If you enjoy the restoration part of this, I recommend you go this
route. If you are interested in a quality restored extinguisher for your
show car or boat, contact me to see if your model is available. From my overstock
of collecting these and to cover my research I am now offering some for sale.
Please keep in mind, the ones I do offer have had the color put back into
the labels and are professionally refinished. These are "Show Quality". Contact
me with an e-mail with your request or
questions and I can send you answers and a price list upon request. Thank
you. |
