Saving a 1930s Soda Salesman's Sample Case | Restoration
Restoration of a 1920s Bathroom Scale - • 1930's Bathroom Scale | Restoration
Late 1800s Handsaw Restoration - • Repairing a 120 Year Old Rusty Broken Hand...
The project in this week's repair and restoration video comes to us from a subscriber in Ohio. It is an early 20th century all-metal bottle carrier/cooler used by door-to-door soda salespeople. It was manufactured by the Universal Container Company and was branded as the PolarPak. This model was most likely used from 1920 up until the Second World War when it was replaced with wooden carriers because of the rationing of metal for the war effort. The light green color of this piece indicates that this one was probably used by a 7-Up salesperson in the 1930s.
This piece was very rusty and pitted but overall in good condition. There were some minor dents in the heavy gauge sheet metal but since it had been resprayed sometime in the past, it was mostly protected from the elements.
The original lead paint was still intact under the respray so I had to use stripper and manual removal of the paint. After stripping the paint and using electrolysis to remove the majority of the rust, I hammered out the dents and straightened the lid. A phosphoric acid rust dissolver was used to remove the deep pitted rust that the electrolysis process could not get and the pits were filled and sanded smooth with metal body filler. The bottom of the inside was plated in zinc and the entire piece was coated with a rust inhibitor, primer, hard enamel, and a protective clear coat.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro, testing for lead, and color matching
01:14 Removing paint and rust
03:52 Hammering out dents
05:01 More rust removal
06:00 Zinc plating
06:45 Cleaning small parts
07:59 Body filler, primer, and paint
10:55 Final reveal
If you would like to try the tools (or similar) you see in this video, check out the following links. As an Amazon associate, the channel earns a small amount from qualifying purchases.
Navel Jelly Rust Dissolver - https://amzn.to/3F5wv9P
Bondo Automotive Body Filler - https://amzn.to/45bF6m7
Rustoleum Rust Inhibitor - https://amzn.to/3Q8FUUN
Rustoleum 2 in 1 Filler and Sandable Primer - https://amzn.to/459S2Jb
Paint Scraper - https://amzn.to/3wUA26V
Ryobi Rotary Sander - https://amzn.to/3HABNLl
Nail Puller Tool - https://amzn.to/3X4dlId
Titan Mini Pry Bar - https://amzn.to/3HY3LlC
Pin Punch Set - https://amzn.to/40r01k3
Clamps/Spreader - https://amzn.to/40mKkdH
Bent Nose Pliers - https://amzn.to/3YpelYi
Paint Stripper - https://amzn.to/3JBbxmV
Putty Knife Scraper Set - https://amzn.to/3DFePS9
Chemical Resistant Gloves - https://amzn.to/3Yq88eD
Dewalt Cordless Drill - https://amzn.to/3Y90dCT
Coping Saw - https://amzn.to/3DEsJnE
Gorilla Wood Glue - https://amzn.to/3Y2FYXx
Wen Wood Lathe (not the one in the video) - https://amzn.to/3YkoPZ4
Wood Rasps - https://amzn.to/3wT3xWC
Wood Glue Dispensing Applicator Kit - https://amzn.to/3jx5Xao
Benchtop Vice - https://amzn.to/3jyLh1V
4 x 36 inch Belt Sander - https://amzn.to/3Ylm8qi
Irwin Wood Chisel Set - https://amzn.to/3lbql1e
DAP Premium Wood Filler - https://amzn.to/3kYpSzq
B & D Mouse Sander - https://amzn.to/3Y6YFJC
WEN Jigsaw - https://amzn.to/3Y2MRbr
Combination Square - https://amzn.to/3jvM7MQ
Rustoleum Gray Primer - https://amzn.to/3X64O7z
Textured Black Paint (not used in this video) - https://amzn.to/3l38PMJ
J-B Weld Clear Epoxy - https://amzn.to/3WXLbhW
Minwax Polyshades Wood Stain (not used in this video) - https://amzn.to/3YpAiGI
Thanks for watching and I will see you in the next one!