Old Rusty 1902 Eyelet Press Restoration | Random Restoration

Welcome!
Today's restoration is an old rusty 1902 eyelet press, manufactured by a company called E.L. Sibley out of Bennington, Vermont. I found this surprisingly heavy rust covered cast iron beauty on the interwebs and just knew I had to restore it! I started as per usual with the disassembly, which went quite swimmingly up until I had to remove a VERY stubborn pin that refused to cooperate to say the least! After figuring out how to remove that I moved on to the paint stripping. I hated to remove the original antique hand-painted styling on the sides, but it had to go. :(
After that I went ahead and threw it into the rust remover and left it to work its magic. Then I quickly (well, actually it wasn't very quick at all) hit up all of the pieces with an abrasive buff, followed by the wire wheel on my bench grinder, which got them nice and shiny. After that came the sanding portion. I started by sanding down rough areas and then I applied a large quantity of body filler. Way too much body filler... So, long story short, I sanded the filler down over five or so hours. After that I prepped the parts for paint and gave them a couple coats of primer followed by base coat and finished off with a gloss clear coat.
Next I went on to work on the small parts. I started by bluing a couple of the components. I used a cold bluing solution, though I would like to start heat bluing in the future since it offers a bit more rust protection. After those were finished I moved onto electroplating. I ended up nickel plating all the rest of the small parts. I had noticed that two of the screws had been originally coper plated, so after nickel plating I went ahead and copper plated them. Now, with everything ready, I went ahead and reassembled everything.
Next up I decided I had better give it a test! I did record another eyelet press restoration in the past: The Bates Automatic Eyeleter. I decided to finally test the Bates eyeleter out on camera and show how it works. I also went ahead and fixed up a few loose ends, such as the recessed text which I did not repaint originally. All in all it may not have ended up as a perfect restoration, however, I was relatively happy with the end results. Though I would have liked to have been able to reapply the original decal. Restoring old things like this is always fun - I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed restoring this vintage little eyelet press!
Time Stamps:
0:00 Welcome!
0:20 Disassembly Time
3:36 Paint Stripping
4:00 Rust Removal Stuff
4:19 A Quick Clean
4:52 Wire Wheeling
5:34 Replacing the Pesky Pin
7:10 Many Hours of Sanding in Less Than One Minute
8:05 It's Painting Time
9:18 Tending to the Small Parts
9:50 Cold Bluing Parts
10:34 Electroplating Parts
11:32 Reassembly Time
14:54 Time for a Test
15:34 Testing the "Bates Automatic Eyeleter"
16:54 Before and After
17:34 Thanks for Watching!
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Thanks for watching the video Old Rusty 1902 Eyelet Press Restoration | Random Restoration

[@misterpatina]

Bro...Bro...the Part with the punches...totally made my day. I had to laugh so hard and loud 😄

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I went a bit overkill on the hammering. RIP, punches. You will be missed 😆

[@misterpatina]

@@randomrestoration6858 but if they bend, doesn’t that mean they aren’t hardened? I’ve never seen a punch that size bending 😄

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@misterpatina Yeah that's what I was thinking. I was honestly shocked when it/they bent like that 😆

[@jamesmoe9188]

Definitely not hardened, hardened stuff snaps like that drill bit, rather than bending like that. Perhaps that specific set was intended for softer stuff, like brass? Can't really imagine a scenario where you would want unhardened punches.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@jamesmoe9188 Right! I had no idea when I bought this that it wasn't hardened, but I suppose it made for some good footage hahaha. The next time I buy a set of punches I'll make sure to read the fine print!

[@samanthaojaniemi4518]

You'll probably never see this, but you're my favorite restoration KZbin. You're hilarious and you do such a good job. I've watched every video and now I'm having to start over rewatching them. Never stop doing what you do!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey I see everything haha. I really appreciate the kind words and support, Samantha! I'll definitely keep the videos coming. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@philipbaines3570]

@@randomrestoration6858 10:57 10:58

[@AtomicDreamz]

I love the work and I really love the humor. Mostly, I love how the goats are off in the background offering their opinions.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha thanks a lot! It's weird because I swear those goats start becoming more vocal than ever before as soon as I start recording. 😆

[@misterpatina]

The more I know this guy, the less I think that the goats do these noises...😄

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@misterpatina I promise that at least half of the goat noises were indeed from the goats 😁

[@colleenshook6407]

Yes, it was a fine and nice job and Yes!, the antique painting you had to remove was a tragedy! You have good humor.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! It was a shame removing that old design, especially since I wasn't able to successfully recreate it in the video - Though I do plan on getting the design reapplied in the future. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@davidoneal5399]

I enjoy your work thank you

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, David!

[@Multantechinfo]

very good job

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you!

[@JazzByDaBay]

That humour of yours. just great.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha thanks a lot!

[@TheJChava]

This guy is funny AF.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha thanks!

[@TheDeuceWins]

As the first video I’ve seen of yours, I can confirm with pleasure....I in fact, “read this”. Now you read this; I’m subscribed.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Matt - I appreciate it!

[@theskyehiker]

The restoration was first rate but even better is your humor. And the goats.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@hamroad1956]

Thank you, for the complete demonstration, following a great restoration.

[@randomrestoration6858]

You bet, Mark! This is certainly one of those pieces that’s hard to describe what it does without giving it a proper test.

[@JeriyantBaramcity]

Wow...!!! this is a difficult restoration 😨. Effort and Hard Work will never betray the results 👍👍👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

[@dannyhenson3141]

Very nice

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Danny! I wish I would have been able to get the decals reapplied, but it's a cool little piece of history nonetheless!

[@tomswindler64]

Enjoyed,at least I’m not the only one that has comical engagements keep doing what your doing.👍👍😎😎

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Tom, I appreciate it!

[@UnforeseenConsequences586]

great sense of humor, great job!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! 😁

[@davidmolloy4298]

Nice restore - love the humour in the presentation.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, David!

[@terripackard9292]

I have 2 Bates eyeleters. Sure wish mine looked as nice as yours!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha yeah it can be hard to find these in good shape aesthetically, but I'm sure they still work like a charm! Thanks a lot for watching, Terri!

[@amilcarmoncada1801]

Otro gran trabajo amigo, excelente esta Restauración de prensa de ojales Old Rusty 1902, mis respetos y saludos desde Venezuela.

[@randomrestoration6858]

¡Muchas gracias, amilcar! Fue divertido restaurarlo.

[@amilcarmoncada1801]

@@randomrestoration6858 👍👍

[@debbiespring6653]

As a suggestion to apply the design, maybe use the sticker to make a stencil and paint the design on?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I'd love to paint on the design, but I'm afraid that hand cutting the stencil is probably not an option. There are some really fine details that would be really hard to reliably cut out by hand without messing it up, but I reckon a stencil making machine of sorts may do the trick! Thank you for the suggestion!

[@jamesmoe9188]

Another fun video as always! Appreciate the bonus of seeing the previous projects come to play! The copper plate came out nicely, and I think adds a nice subtle touch to the aesthetic of the piece.

[@randomrestoration6858]

As per usual, thank you, James! After all this time it started to bother me that I didn't paint the recessed lettering on the Bates eyeleter, and that I never gave it a test. I figured now's the perfect time to do both! I've had some issues with reliably copper plating some parts, (mostly due to user error) so I was quite happy that this time round they turned out nice.

[@belmiromunck23ag18]

Excelente trabalho muito bom mesmo parabéns.

[@thebeard56]

Choose a bigger font for your comments!! Can’t see them

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry! I'll have to look into that for the next video. Thanks for watching!

[@misterpatina]

Totally agree on this point.

[@williamclark1633]

Very nice.. it's too bad the gold leaf wouldn't take. I believe my father in law ( an upholster for 63 years and still working) has one of these. Like that machine was made in Vermont. Our State.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I do plan on getting it redone at some point, but still haven't had time to work on it anymore, but it is bugging me haha. I have to figure out how I want to do it, but I'll redo it either with a stencil or I'll have to practice hand painting it back on. The original was hand painted on, so it'd be cool to re hand paint it, I just happen to be the least artistic person in the history of humankind hahaha. Very cool, I'd honestly be surprised if it wasn't working still after all these years - The one I have is seriously heavy duty!

[@williamclark1633]

There is a technique that was used years ago to paint trays and fancy tins etc. I think today it could be done with a stencil and airbrush. I remember my neighbor from many years ago used to do this. Another skill you could add to your repertoire.

[@barthanes1]

Mmmm... salty. Nice work.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha salty metal is happy metal. Thanks!

[@alantan6255]

Enjoyed the works good restoration and very nice

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Alan!

[@thenorthernrestorer4802]

Amazing jobs!! I really enjoyed watching this on my evening. Definitely subscribing! I'm pleased I came across it

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

[@ForgottenShineRestoration]

Great job! Let your punches rest in peace ...

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Haha yeah I'll have to give them a proper burial 😆

[@ForgottenShineRestoration]

@@randomrestoration6858 They deserve it! 😇

[@adriamiraguilar]

Excelente !!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

¡Gracias!

[@juliojosemartinezcastillo4981]

Bellísimo

[@randomrestoration6858]

¡Gracias!

[@vinceianni4026]

Hi Random beautiful restoration good job well done

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Vince!

[@beadowarrior]

Another brilliant job and humour, sorry, humor. What about making a rubber stamp for the gold pattern?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, man! I was thinking of a stamp, but all the companies that make them have restrictions on how small certain parts of the design are, and unfortunately it's too intricate of a design with details that are too small for their requirements. I think a stencil making machine is my best bet. One day I'll figure it out, and if I ever do I'll show it off in a future video. Thanks for watching!

[@pfadiva]

This was a hoot! Love the captions and your sense of humor. Good job! PS: something like a Cricut or Cameo machine might be of help withe designs. They can cut quite intricate decals.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Becky! I'll definitely have to look into something like that, thanks for the suggestion.

[@silvahawk7109]

Dude you're funny as hell! Shout out to the "let's get this out onto a tray, nice" Steve would be proud.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, man! That text went be fast and I wasn't really sure if anyone was going to catch it. I was just going to write nice after that pin was removed, but I read it in his voice and at that point it was a requirement to add it in hahaha.

[@silvahawk7109]

@@randomrestoration6858 It was definitely a fast move. I saw it for a split second. I was like wait did that say what I think it did. Rewinded and confirmed you're a man of culture. I can't say the word nice anymore without hearing his voice and having a sudden urge to put stuff onto a tray. Keep up the awesome work!

[@randomrestoration6858]

​ @KP Tube Well I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that does that! I wonder how many of his viewers associate the word nice with Steve. Thanks again, KP Tube!

[@MrDIY8]

you restore it like new

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot!

[@neptunekalka1576]

Stencils and spray paint! Please! It has to have the paint to match the singer sewing machines they would be going next to originally. Ps. I was so scared you'd left off the decals, thanks for not letting me down!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I’ll definitely get the decals applied at some point! I think paint would be best as well - it’s much better than a sticker/water transfer paper. Thanks for watching!

[@neptunekalka1576]

@@randomrestoration6858 I watched the whole channel in 3 days, thanks for making the videos!

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@neptunekalka1576 Thanks for the support - I appreciate it!

[@udkiannarajrajathinagaran4463]

After this the restoration guy became a serial killer leaving the eye letter as a clue :D

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha shhh. They won't connect the dots if nobody tells! 😆

[@debbiespring6653]

I love your videos! I know part of the fun is in trying to catch all of the captions, but sometimes they go by so fast that I can't even catch them on the rewind and pause. 😔

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Debbie! Some of the captions are extra fast indeed and are maybe a bit too hard to catch haha.

[@llenraybrown]

How have I only now found this channel??? Great work and you crack me up. BTW, I was reading the text under the acetone and paper towels. Lol

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Linda! It's good to know that at least one person read that hahaha

[@simonmuschamp4582]

Ah but we are reading the comments! Nice job. You could always try painting the decals on with your eyelashes. It might work! 🤪

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I'll have to give that a shot next! 😆

[@doriWyo]

Did you ever manage to replacate that pattern? If not, how about a stencil, and gold spray paint?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I have not yet. I had a recommendation for a machine that could help print a detailed stencil, but I have yet to purchase it as I don’t have much room for it. I would cut a stencil myself, but the details are so small in areas that it would be near impossible to make one by hand and have it look decent. One day I’ll get it applied!

[@huseyincengiz3344]

Güzel bir çalışma oldu, tebrikler dostum. Desenleri de yapıştırabilseydin sevinirdim.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Çok teşekkürler! Tasarımı gelecekte kesinlikle uygulayacağım.

[@nahaniyes]

I'm sure someone already said this, but why not stencil the design on? Do white and then go over it with the yellow.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Glad to see you made it over here from the Bates Eyeletter video! A stencil is probably the best option, and it’s definitely be preferable since I could use paint rather than using a sticker, which would look worse. Thanks for the suggestion, and thanks for watching!

[@melissagoings1]

I know. Late comment. "Now, that's what I call efficiency..." ROFL

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha well hey better late than never - thanks for watching!

[@chriscraft9681]

👍👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks!

[@subhadeepa1]

I really don't believe that you did that to that tiny Spidey..... At least now little Miss Muffet will be very happy 😁.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I have a great fear of spiders, but generally leave them be hahaha. Not only did I steal his home but I also sent him flying outta town. 😆

[@subhadeepa1]

@@randomrestoration6858 Mr. Spidey got a free flight ✈️ during this pandemic situation....

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@subhadeepa1 Hahaha he sure did! I hope it was a nice one. 😆

[@subhadeepa1]

@@randomrestoration6858 indeed 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Riyame]

I must admit the captions had me laughing harder than I have in a while.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha thanks for watching, Riyame!

[@imperialpresence3331]

this would make a great lamp...a wall sconce...a coat hook...as it stands...it's really just a dust catcher

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha yeah it's not particularly practical in modern day. Thanks for watching!

[@tikonc]

is the bluing done on metal to prevent rust?

[@randomrestoration6858]

You are correct, it is simply used to prevent rust, though sometimes it can be used for aesthetic purposes. Thanks for watching!

[@WorkshopDC]

Maybe I know the name of the vandal that write this, and I also know that he is Very smart and cute hahaha'. Awesome restoration Bro, keep It up! ❤️

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha Mom, get the camera, someone called me smart and cute! 😆 I appreciate the kind words, and keep up the good work with your channel as well!

[@misterpatina]

You could say things getting serious right now.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@misterpatina 😁 It sure appears that way!

[@WorkshopDC]

@@misterpatina 🤣🤣

[@randomrestoration6858]

Welcome! I hope you enjoy today's video! I'd love to hear some suggestions as to how to get the troublesome decal from this video applied to this piece let me know in the comments. I tried a few different ways, but unfortunately none of them worked out. Thank you so much for watching! :)

[@randomrestoration6858]

@Todd Minert Excellent idea, Todd! This is the best recommendation so far that I’ve seen.

[@wireworks616]

Go to the website Radio Daze. They have all kinds of decals for radios and ornate decals

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the info, Wire Works! I'll check it out 😁

[@kevinfoster926]

That was a lovely job, but a punch and die is a lot quicker and a lot easier to maintain especially to bang a couple of brass grommets through canvas or leather.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks, Kevin! I agree with you there, especially since you have to cut the hole and manually place the eyelet - That's not very efficient at all! That said, I reckon that the Bates Automatic Eyeleter I showed at the end would be ideal if you have to do a lot of grommet work since it cuts the hole itself and automatically feeds eyelets. Thanks for watching!

[@kevinfoster926]

@@randomrestoration6858 I was a rigger and sailmaker in the Royal Navy, I spent a lot of tme wwith Canvas and brass grommets.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@kevinfoster926 Thanks for the reply. That's a pretty neat occupation. I certainly won't get in a grommet setting competition with you! I bet you'd still win no matter what grommet related tool I chose haha.

[@spicynomad]

i was nodding off as usual and your got and cat woke me. so i imagine that your workshop is in your barn-on your farm? could be the neighbors but if you live on a farm your neighbors wont be that close. hmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Well unfortunately the barn is quite full of mostly hay, so no workshop in there hahaha. I wish I had that much space, as I would be able to acquire some new and better tools to help out in my restorations!

[@spicynomad]

@@randomrestoration6858 so its the garage then.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@spicynomad Haha another late reply, but it’s one of the few places that the goats don’t seem to wander around making lots of noise in

[@Waynesbusinesschanne]

I'm not sure if you already have an answer But you could have someone die cut it out of thin metal or that permanent vinyl sheets they have

[@randomrestoration6858]

I do have already had some possible answers, but this is another good possibility. There is a place near me that deals with decal related things, however unfortunately they've been very busy for the past eight or so months, so I'll have to wait and see what they can offer. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Waynesbusinesschanne]

@@randomrestoration6858 If you can't get any help I am an artist and belong to a large community of crafters. I know many vinyl artists who have circuts and would be more than happy to make you one!

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@Waynesbusinesschanne Thanks for the offer, Kimberly! I think the local place will be able to get it done eventually but we’ll see how long I have to wait before that happens hahaha

[@nickblakemore3643]

WHAT IF YOU CUT THE STICKER OUT AND USE IT AS A STENCIL?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I did think about this and it's hypothetically possible to do that, though there are some really small details in the design that would be very difficult to efficiently cut around. One day I may give it a shot, but I'd like to find a more automated way of making a stencil before that to save some time. Thanks for watching!

[@nickblakemore3643]

@@randomrestoration6858 yes that would definitely be beneficial. keep up the good work

[@JazzByDaBay]

Why dont you use golden paint instead of stickers

[@randomrestoration6858]

Ideally I'd like to maybe buy/make a stencil and use some gold paint, as I like that option way better than using a sticker since it was originally hand painted. Thanks for watching!

[@homeyshlitz]

Looks like the original yellow design was a stencil.. so you'd just need to make a stencil and use yellow/gold stencil paint with a stencil brush to make that design. No sticker needed. A lot of these early mass produced work tools that had designs tended to be stenciled or hand-painted.(think treadle powered Singer sewing machines)

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks for the suggestion! I did look at getting a custom stencil made online, but many of the places I looked had limitations on how small the details could be, or didn't allow a custom size for the stencil. It's the best option I could think of though, as painting it on is a lot more quality than a sticker in my opinion. This is an earlier model which was hand painted, but they did switch over to a stencil of sorts at some point later in production. That is way more efficient than hand painting it hahaha. Thanks for watching :)

[@homeyshlitz]

@@randomrestoration6858 You can make your own using transfer paper, An X-acto knife and a Manila folder.(or one of those Cri-cut machines) These projects tend to be one-offs so you don't need a stencil to last.. just to last for that project. Hope that helps. Little cheats like this can go a long way to helping out those with ether a not so steady hand or if you need to make multiples of the same thing.

[@randomrestoration6858]

​@@homeyshlitz True! Like you mentioned, I am very guilty of having a not so steady hand hahaha. I'll look into the machines you mentioned. Thanks again!

[@homeyshlitz]

@@randomrestoration6858 Your welcome.

[@murlthomas2243]

Put the stickers on a piece of plastic and cut out the design. You can use it as a stencil and add the design on in paint that way.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks for the suggestion, Murl! I thought about that, but it's such a small design that it would be very difficult to cut out all of the details. If I had a bit of experience doing that I'd give it a try, but unfortunately I don't have time right now! I really like the idea of having a stencil and painting the design on rather than a sticker though, since it would look way better in the end. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@Bender13]

Or maybe...put the decal on, use a razor knife to cut out the lettering and use that as a stencil. When the paint is dry, remove what’s left of the decal.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@Bender13 Thanks for the recommendation, Richard. I think the design would be best to apply after painting, as with my shaky hands there's no way I'd not mess something up hahaha.

[@johnhobson9165]

I suspect that instead of being painted, it was Japanned.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I'm almost positive that it was indeed originally Japanned. I'd definitely like to do some Japanning in some of my future projects. Thanks for watching!

[@FerretPirate]

Not only did I read the comments, I slowed the video down to 3/4 speed to be able to catch them.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha there's definitely a lot of text to read. Thanks for watching!

[@ibnMohamedSAly]

Make a stencil then paint it

[@randomrestoration6858]

That’s probably the best option so far. Thanks for watching!

[@Goldarr1900]

I’ll pay a whole $2.75 for that machine.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I’d argue that may be a bit too much! Thanks for watching!

[@zorbazorba1122]

Amazing job please do you have Instagram

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! I don’t currently hav an Instagram, but I have been considering making one, possibly soon.

[@chamarystigers8731]

Poor tool 😂🤣😤

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha thanks for watching!

[@chamarystigers8731]

@@randomrestoration6858 you funny poor poor tools