Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Advice and guidance on repair and restoration techniques.
Post Reply
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by gameswat »

I know you all loathe a good before and after, but whatever..... worst alloy corrosion I've had to restore. Picked this up in the US weeks ago for a very bargain price because it looked so bad. About 5 hrs going slowly with a rust convertor (basically oxalic acid) and fine wire brushes. I prefer to go slow so as to document, or hopefully save the original paint. In this case the corrosion was under nearly all the paint so everything had to come off. And there were very small differences in the paint to the other one of these I did. Then to remove the final deep pitting I soaked in a bath of an alloy corrosion remover mixed with hot water for several hours, as sold here in auto stores for cleaning alloy bumper bars and rims etc. I also lightly sanded down some of the bad high points to remove much surface pitting. Obviously once painted the background will be mostly hidden. Very happy with the outcome. Once re-painted will come up close to this other one I did.
Attachments
Basket case!
Basket case!
Yikes!
Yikes!
wizard #2 casting 2.JPG
wizard #2 casting 3.JPG
wizard #2 casting 4.jpg
wizard #2 casting 5.jpg
wizard #2 casting 6.jpg
wizard #2 casting 7_1.jpg
Lightly hand polished ready for paint.
Lightly hand polished ready for paint.
Previously restored Wizard.
Previously restored Wizard.
User avatar
treefrog
Posts: 4813
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:46 pm
Reaction score: 31
Location: Suffolk

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by treefrog »

Very good !!THUMBSX2!! , although a small amount of the detailed artwork has been lost or damaged, because it is such a busy casting you're unlikely to notice.... On anything plain it is much more difficult to hide, especially when corrosion goes deep from my experience......

What are those strange figures on the right, looks like two babies facing each other, strange?
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by gameswat »

treefrog wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 4:06 pm What are those strange figures on the right, looks like two babies facing each other, strange?
Oops, thought you meant the two birds in the middle, in fact those are the astrological signs running down the rhd side, the twins being Gemini, it is a fortune machine after all.
User avatar
john t peterson
Posts: 1334
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: USA

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by john t peterson »

Gameswat,
I have some corrosion on my 1972 Ford Pinto I'd like you to address. When you have time, of course.

J Peterson
American Pony Man !COWBOY!
User avatar
radiochrissie
Posts: 209
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:03 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: The Iron Men

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by radiochrissie »

The time , effort and expertise really pays off. Another wonderful restoration.
I see you live in Perth, my daughter is in Cockburn, it’s a fine place to live.
!THUMBS!
widget2k4
Posts: 1385
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by widget2k4 »

Fantastic job mate we’ll done !THUMBS!
User avatar
watlingman
Posts: 92
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:44 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by watlingman »

Nice work and another one saved for another 80+ years !
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by gameswat »

The seller told me the story about it, he found in the basement of a circa 1900 pub in the US, laying face down on the floor which explains that terrible water damage. The back door was long gone and I can see why, someone broke it open as wood is missing at the lock latching point in the top wood. The base is also gone so I imagine it was sitting upright for many years until that rotted and it fell face forward due to the weight. The mech doesn't seem to show much wear and as it dates 1926 this probably happened late 1920's. As for the mech before trying to remove anything I soaked every nut and bolt with penetrating oil for several hours |/XX\| . They nearly all came out easily with just a couple stubborn ones - but nothing broke thank goodness! :D I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hand making replacement collared bolts that need very close tolerances to allow parts to be locked in place but moveable. And there are quite a few used in this mech. On really well worn mechs of course those collars are often worn away allowing too much slop eventually, and the machine finally stops working.
User avatar
bryans fan
Posts: 822
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2003 10:15 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: Somerset

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by bryans fan »

!!GOODJOB!! !WORSHIPFULL!
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5111
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by coppinpr »

very well done indeed !THUMBS!
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by arrgee »

Incredible job gameswat, there is something beautiful about that lightly hand polished faceplate, an ethereal quality that the final paint job cloaks. **xXx**
malcymal
Posts: 849
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:58 am
Reaction score: 0
Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by malcymal »

That's superb, well done! You had a lot of patience. :cool:
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7211
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 25
Location: East Midlands

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by badpenny »

An excellent job and proof that patience and skill are essential to achieve a result like this. Things that very few of us have in abundance, unlike you.
The lengths you got to are astounding ….. :o
gameswat wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 11:36 am ...… I soaked in a bath of an alloy corrosion remover mixed with hot water for several hours..........
….. did you cover your plums? !OMFG!

BP :woops:
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Mills "Wizard" alloy corrosion removal

Post by gameswat »

malcymal wrote: Wed Jul 17, 2019 8:09 am You had a lot of patience.
badpenny wrote: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:54 am proof that patience
Funnily enough I don't think I have a lot of patience.....which is partly why I've learnt to restore as many things as possible myself because I hate waiting for others. I'm no team player that's for sure. I also use a lot processes that set and dry really quickly for the same reason!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests