Hello folks, I got a 400-4 and the handle was in very good condition when I got it. Well the USPS decided they’d like to put some dents in it for me. It didn’t help the guy I got it from packaged it in a bubble envelope with nothing else protecting it. My question to the guys who have restored them ever felt with dents and dings and were you able to find a way to eliminate or minimize them? I’m new to restoration I’m trying to find some information about how to get the best results. I was also wondering if you guys know where to find O-rings? I was looking and I’m having a hard time getting the right size. I’d really like a green one as I may gunkote the 400 in matte black if I can’t get a great result or if it helps fill in the dents and scratches. Thanks fellas.
Welcome to the Den, @Repr1. Sorry to hear about the dents. Hope you can resolve it OK. I will leave it to more knowledgeable members to answer your question.
I suggest you take it up with the guy who sold it to you for improperly packaging the thing. That's on him, not the USPS or you. If it was the e by the bay, you can file a claim with them. Just make sure you have pictures of how it came packaged. And if you paid with Paypal, you can also file a claim with them. Last of all, if the purchase was through a credit card, then you can always file with them if you don't get satisfaction from the other options. There really is no excuse for poorly packaged stuff. I've received many things from eBay and etsy and sometimes things will come way over wrapped. They could have been made of porcelain and run over by a truck and still been ok. Well, that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea. I wouldn't accept this. No reason you should be the one left holding the bag. And if it happens to be a BST purchase and don't get satisfaction, write a review.
This is kind of out of the box for most of us. I suggest you take it to an auto body repair shop. They will be able to help you out better, and they will have to tools to repair it, if it can be repaired. You might get lucky and find a guy willing to do it on his break for beer money. As for the o-rings, figure out what size you need in mm, then order some from a vaping supply place like fasttech.com. They usually have a range of sizes and colors that might suit.
It takes a bit of work, but I worked on an aluminum handle that had holes in it. I used JB Weld epoxy to fill them in, then sanded and applied thin layers of plastic wood, sanding between them, until I achieved a smooth finish. Then I applied self etching primer and painted it. The owner has told me so far it's holding up well. Ask someone to make sure, but gunkote should work out.
Thanks guys, the dents aren’t insanely bad, I bet some would buff out with sanding to restore it. But the job weld idea isn’t a bad idea. I’m not very familiar with sanding and such. I tried to upload some pictures, but it’s not letting me.
They don't look bad, but I know other aluminum handles are on the thin side over a wood core. I'd be real careful sanding it, I most likely wouldn't even bother.
Do you guys have any tricks to unscrew the head off of the rubberset brushes? I can’t get that thing off and I’ve tried soaking it in hot water, but I’m not sure what else to try without possibly damaging anything.
If you are replacing the knot, remove that first. Then use hot water, if needed, to loosen the ferrule. If you are keeping it, use two strap wrenches, one on the handle, one on the ferrule and turn it. I wonder if using WD-40 would help.
Yessir I plan on keeping the knot for now since this one is in pretty good shap and I can’t afford a new one at the moment. I want to unscrew the ferrule and clean out any built up gunk under it and have the ability to easily remove it when I get a new knot.
Those are not bad. I'd buff it a bit, smooth any rough edges, and polish it. Gives it character. When you said dented, I imagined something like this: But worse. If you can believe it, that's one of the least dented double duck brush handles I've seen. I come across them in antique stores from time to time.
Harbor Freight sells a pair of strap wrenches as a set. They got my R-400 apart without doing any damage to the aluminum. The threads are fine and probably have both soap crud and corrosion, but with patience and elbow grease the ferrule will come loose. When you get ready to think about shining it up keep in mind these are cast metal rather than milled billet like modern reproductions. They can have inclusions or imperfection from when the hollow forms were made. Those dents may be deep enough that you won't want to sand passed them. Starting with a 240 grit wet or dry sand paper can give you and idea if you need to use something more coarse grit. To reach an original type shine you'll have to work through a finer and finer progression (400, 800, 1200, 2000, etc) as each will leave smaller scratches until you reach a polish like Mother's Aluminum. Be careful not to burn off the edges and corners. There's a thread where folks have documented much of this HERE.
