Restoration of 120 Year Old Fire Extinguisher with Testing

I restore this fire extinguisher from 1900 and test it. The fire extinguisher has lots of damage, it's oxidized, the bottle on the inside is broken, the hose is unusable and there are some dents. I've wanted to have one of these for a long time because the mechanism they use is so interesting. Also they look really nice. These type of extinquishers are called soda acid extinquishers. They use water that has soda in it and a small bottle of acid. When the extiguisher is flipped upside down, the soda and acid mix generating CO2 that will cause pressure to build in the extinguisher and that forces the water out.
The hose and the lid were jammed pretty tightly because of years of oxidation. I used some oil to loosen them and on the lid I also had to use heat and secure the body of the extinquisher to my wise to I can apply enough force to open it. the extinquisher was quite unpractical shape for holding it in place during the operation so I used some straps and rubber mats to keep it in place.
Next I removed most of the oxidation with salt and lemon. I figured that would be relatively gentle way of cleaning it so I have less work to do when I need to polish it. Next I removed paint from the label with paint remover. I proceeded to hammer the dents to fix them. It's good to remember that after repairing the dents the chamber might not hold all the pressure it used to anymore (that also applies to a dented chamber).
The bottle holder on the lid was damaged. I assume years of corrosion from the acid in the bottle broke it and the bottle had broken too. Only lead cap was left. I decided to find similar sized old looking bottle for which I recreated the bottle holder. I made a simple wire bending tool and bent 4mm brass wire to create the bottle holder. I also made a new gasket for the top.
Next I started working on the hose. I thought it looked pretty cool and since it was unusable and I'd have to destroy a lot of it just to get the original nozzle, I decided to make my own with a lathe from brass. I might frame the old hose and put it on my wall next to the extinguisher. The nozzle was then connected to a new hose that's for high pressure. After all the extinquisher is rated for 350 lb and some of these similar extinquishers have ratings for up to 500 lb. So also the hose should be able to take high pressure.
Finally polished the extinquisher with metal polish. I also used a paint pen to paint the labels. That was a little messy but looked really good after I cleaned it up.
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#restoration
#repair
#antique
#asmr

[@acadia5898]

those small jokes that seem arbitrary are so funny. giving this channel an identity. incredible work

[@OddTinkering]

Thanks! Definitely the jokes are just stuff that come across my mind when I work and I decide to film it more for my own entertainment. Sometimes I think they're way too dumb to leave on the video like that spinach bit, but they if made me smile so maybe they do that for someone else too

[@cupcake_imposter4653]

​@Odd Tinkering I love your jokes you gotta leave them in!

[@commissarkordoshky219]

@@OddTinkering pompeij lied to us had me chuckling ngl

[@djfsbb]

Ducktor is highlight of every video 😂🦆🩺

[@azcheermva]

I love the jokes, just the perfect amount of humor

[@MariaTex3]

I'm glad that the Ducktor has a friend who would restore an entire vintage fire extinguisher to save his home. True friendship

[@joester610]

Until you realize he still burnt the house in the end scene

[@johncapps5044]

I’m a retired firefighter and have been restoring these for years as retirement gifts for my friends. They’re just beautiful when you restore them.

[@red_d849]

they made a lot didnt they? also heck yeah they seem cool

[@madaian369]

I didn't doubt the lemon and salt, but I was surprised by how *well* it worked. That copper turned so bright!

[@_Julie_Bee]

But there are striations all over. Oxalic acid would have been a better choice

[@ZuwedhanMirhyom]

@ChildWithaLighter me after 9 seconds:

[@JohnZombi88]

I use vinegar and salt to clean most metal

[@garbleduser]

I saw defined streaking, which screams Tarn X.

[@angelmessenger8240]

I use lemons and salt on copper pans, brings them up lovely.

[@coltmoney5177]

I can imagine there are very few people in this world that could restore that especially to the extent you did, crazy work.

[@RAMB0DJOHN]

coz its so hard to get a lemon. really hard job

[@dennismull9167]

Yeah, I didn't think it was possible to restore those old extinguishers. I wish it would be done more often.

[@coltmoney5177]

@@RAMB0DJOHN he did a lot more than using a lemon I’d like to see you do what he did or anything close to it

[@RAMB0DJOHN]

@@coltmoney5177 open my channel, degenerate, i repairing instruments with accuracy of 0.002 mm that cost 100 times more than this trash

[@hhaste]

@@RAMB0DJOHN Good luck making the new hose from scratch. Hope you have a few thousand laying around for the cheapest CNC milling machine and of course I assume you already know how to use it, with all of the measurements..

[@rigell2764]

My mom has had one of these sitting in her kitchen for 30 years as a decoration. I always wanted to know how it worked.

[@danyg4063]

My dad is a firefighter and there's been one as decoration in my parents' house for as long as I can remember.

[@Official_trendbot]

I make yt

[@2packrm781]

After watching him use it on a mini controlled fire set, I suddenly had a flashback to the movie The Green Mile & Persee was handed an exact fire extinguisher to put the fire out on the guy who became friends with a mouse.

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

I believe a similar one is sitting in my dad’s cabin: it’s now only for decoration, but it was originally bought by my grandfather for emergency use and retired when we bought a modern one later on.

[@megaaggron9778]

I grew up with one In my kitchen

[@Wolfshead009]

While this may be from 1900, this style of extinguisher was still in use in the 1950's. My mom remembers my grandpa spending time each summer taking these from the local school buildings, emptying them (by flipping and using), cleaning and then refilling. He was the chief of the local volunteer fire department and had kids in the schools, so he wanted to make sure their equipment worked. He did not want to see a fire like the Our Lady of the Angels School Fire in 1958.

[@Nohc]

Its amazing how he can repair an antique fire extinguisher back to working order in only 20 minutes so he can save the Ducktor’s house 😮

[@Dolmeca_the_Knight]

Save the Ducktor's house? Didn't you notice he burns It in the fireplace at the end of the video.

[@captaintalon4485]

​@Dolmeca_the_Knight Let's be real though the Ducktor probably has multiple houses. He has that KZbin money

[@damsen978]

Anyone else getting tired of comments making jokes of camera man and the ones in literal sense?

[@mdmithun-dt1me]

Really this is Amazon video 🤭#needsatisfying🤗

[@deletdis6173]

​​@@captaintalon4485 And he has a PHD in Cuteness.

[@idrawstudios87]

I could not imagine how long it takes just to edit these videos let alone make it

[@Revato]

Considering they are each posted about a month apart from each other that’s my best guess as to how long, it also shows how much dedication and time it takes to do these

[@GuardianWolf85]

I can’t imagine how many lemons he went through…

[@HanakoFairhall]

There's a trick or two that I've personally used that saves a bit of time but you're right, video editing can take awhile.

[@Arterexius]

@@Revato With a month apart for each video, it's also safe to say he definitely works more than 40 hours a week. Restoring stuff typically takes 2-3 times as long as building something new from scratch, with the main reasons being difficult to reach spots, areas that won't cooperate and bad surprises that extends the restoration process with anything from a few hours to several days (except for houses. Bad surprises when restoring houses extends the process from a few months to several years)

[@mariannepoirier2552]

As someone studying chemistry, I find extremely funny to think that people used these simple reactions to put out fires. That's ingenuity!

[@JohnZombi88]

Probably saved thousands of lives before modern extinguishers

[@g.l.swartz3157]

I found it a little funny that you had to use fire to open a fire extinguisher. Excellent work as always. 👍

[@measured.kadence]

I love watching these restorations, they're so relaxing and informative, and love the comedic bits he throws in too. Truly talented

[@chriswarden694]

My father has owned a fire system company all of his life & about 20 years ago my mother & I cleaned, polished & restored two of these exact extinguishers for him & made them into lamps. They are beautiful

[@Mike_330]

Another awesome restoration as always, your videos are soothing to the mind. My main concern is if the Ducktor is ok, if he needs a place to stay while his home is being rebuilt he can stay at mine rent free😊

[@subtlesraf]

he's a medical professional after all, very useful friend to have stay over 😁

[@djhev2787]

SO glad you changed from the gold writing and black background to the other way around. Looks MUCH better - great work, love the attention to detail!

[@samanthadean1083]

That was one slow burning fire… 😂 Awesome job, though I find it ironic that to open the fire extinguisher, you had to use fire! ❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@StealthDonut1]

The second that old fire extinguisher showed up on screen I KNEW it was going to be an ODD Classic restoration! Just beautiful work, sir!

[@AMFangirl1]

The genuine distress I felt thinking he was actually going to cut up ducktor😢 the relief when he got the lemon was unreal😂

[@Catchmyep3]

Very cool video! Not only did I get to watch an awesome restoration, but I also learned about how old fire extinguishers work! I love that!

[@scifisamurai7794]

It’s a good day when there’s a new Odd Tinkering vid! Cheers!

[@BeretBay]

Yup

[@ithinkmycatsdead]

Fairly amazed at how amazing the fire extinguishers looked back then, so much so, I may or may not have forgotten about Ducktor's little predicament while in awe.

[@ItsHyomoto]

I only watch Odd restorations, but I know the space is full of imitations and similarities. But moments like, "I'm going to remove the oxidation with a lemon and salt" is probably why I like these videos. There's an authentic humor and enthusiasm behind them which is much harder to imitate than the act of restoring random rusty trinkets. That said, I wonder if the part with Ducktor and cutting board was done separately from the house fire, because it seems out of place that Odd would joke about chopping up the feathered friend who facilities he's feverishly working to flame-out!

[@ShellShock11C]

As a Firefighter, I'm amazed they could do anything with these. Such a small stream lol, I'n glas Ducktor is okay!

[@pauljames9738]

Very nice work! I spent some 20 years doing lamp repairs and custom work, and converted two or three of these into lamps. Since they were conversions, not true restorations, I didn't have quite the mechanical challenge that you did. Anyone working with these needs to take care while cleaning/polishing the brass title-plates -- they look solid, but are actually as thin as foil, and can be crushed flat very easily.

[@CheryL333]

Thank goodness you saved the Ducktors' house! Nice restoration.

[@anchor2375]

Proof of time travel. A used fire extinguisher from ~1900 had a GoPro inside of it. What a massive discovery! Also, for copper/brass corrosion removal and shine restoration, soak some rags in distilled white vinegar and let them lay on it for like 30 minutes, then wipe clean. Should work just as well with less effort. The salt lemon method was super cool, still!

[@craigape]

So it was a glorified water gun? Very interesting to see how it worked, thank you. A valid use of the best chemistry we could come up with at the time. It really lets you appreciate how far we've come.

[@MidniteCatK]

I audibly gasped at the Ducktor's house being on fire and when you had him on the cutting board. He's just one of my favorite little quirks of your videos!

[@frankmayer559]

This is some rare content. Not only restoration, but explanation and education on how it works. Thank you so much for showing us some interesting history!

[@drizztdourden666]

This video & the one where you”pretended”to drink the nasty water filled with rust are your most hilarious videos(the ducktor’s house on fire in the middle of winter,the muching spinach sounds & popeye lying to us put me in a good mood.)

[@ivanleterror9158]

Serviced extinguishers for time. We used to call these 'soda/acid' extinguishers. Simply turn them upside down and when the 2 ingredients mixed the reaction took place and you pointed the spray in the right direction. They were in use in some places into the 70s.

[@heitorgdo]

Indeed, ODD TINKERINGS. I would never guess someone would do something like this, this channel has so much personality for a restauration one, it's so beautiful

[@fusedsins]

The personality combined with the level of detail will always keep bringing me back to this channel, love these videos and you are the best creator of them in my opinion.

[@mattdorsey1029]

I had no idea how those worked that’s amazing!

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

This should probably go to some sort of museum

[@stevedinosaur]

I love the blowtorch to the top. Really the hard core equivalent to running the jelly jar under hot water

[@brianaperry4043]

The wire bending tool you made had me floored the whole time 🫡

[@proaudiorestore8926]

I had no idea that this is how they worked! The more you know! Nicely done!

[@johnfish1194]

As a fireman, i loved these old CO2 extinguishers. Very old, very cool and retro. Great job restoring it to its former glory.

[@nova8747]

This looks like an elite fire extinguisher you’d unlock after defeating the final boss in a firefighting game.

[@garymucher4082]

Nice to see such an old fire extinguisher refurbished...and used. Thumbs Up! Glad you got it finished in time to save Ducktor's home. I'm sure he appreciated it too...

[@letsgoashe]

Today I learned about Oxidization vs Lemon + Salt... actually brought a "No way" smile to my face. That's awesome. Great video as always!

[@Thompsongs]

As an enormous Rush fan, I'm pleased at the length of this video.

[@armedandredee]

My grandma used to spend the whole weekend cleaning her cooper pots and pans with lemons and salt. This video brought back the memories.

[@HandfulofNoms]

This man works MIRACLES

[@IronLyca]

Love the old restored fire fighter helmet at the end and the knife, nice detail to previous projects!

[@r4976]

Superb! It always amazes me at your work . You ARE a genius. 👍 Rich 🇬🇧

[@blueitalia4100]

And this is the reason why I've been watching all these years... I can't comprehend how he does things sometimes, he make something out of nothing. He makes his own tools he makes his own parts I can't understand the complexity behind it and what goes on his mind but it must be awesome to have the power to take something broken and make it brand new again 👍 he's a genius 💯 I'm a tattoo artists but I wish I can do what he does 🙌 HANDYMAN IS TOO SHORT OF A TERM FOR YOU. HAVING THE POWER TO TAKE SOMETHING OLD AND MAKE IT BRAND NEW IS ASTOUNDING TO ME 🙏 keep up the good work ✊

[@DigitalForged]

The fact that in the end of the video, ducktor’s house is now in the fire pit, is just hilarious.

[@onisfury8264]

That's a really old fire extinguisher. Can you imagine if they still made fire extinguisher like this in this day and age imagine lifting this monstrosity off to put out a fire.

[@ox1s]

Класс!👍 Какое нужно иметь терпение для такой кропотливой работы. Молодец 👏.

[@DIGGER197]

Для Финнов - это обычное дело

[@styreneblood]

These things were still hanging in my high school in the mid 70's- I always thought you turned it upside down and the pressure of the water made it come out. Cool!

[@k9pirateslair704]

Beautiful work, belongs in a museum, or my living room.

[@darksong80]

My oldest son and I call you "The Wizard" because there seems to be no end to what you can do. Also, I was literally having anxiety about Ducktors house burning down in this video. In this house, we care deeply for the Ducktors wellbeing. LOL! We have seen nearly all of your videos. This fascinates me. I've been handling tools, building random stuff and taking things apart since I was little. I would love to learn console repair. Retrobrighting is my favorite part!

[@sixteenseven123]

I was most surprised at the number of tools this guy has for just a hobbyist😳

[@hildaheadge8213]

So amazing, I need to buy a few lemons and shine my antique extinguisher, but I could never restore the inside like you did, so impressed ❤

[@smickster]

Thanks for test firing this. I have one of these extinguishers but have never tried to test fire it. Cool to see.

[@babygoose8716]

The jokes definitely don’t go unnoticed. It’s a nice touch.

[@Madlintelf]

Now that turned out beautifully, love how you used the salt and lemon to get the old patina off. Looking at where it was made 404 Broome St made me laugh, I'm about 20 minutes away from that area. Fantastic job on the restoration!

[@dawneckert6622]

My grandfather had a restored one. Wish we had kept it when he passed

[@furrymessiah]

The problem with both copper and brass is that unless they're coated in lacquer, the surface of the metal will just oxidize again. I've never seen any restoration videos address this. I suspect in about six months to a year, that extinguisher will have to be repolished.

[@BazerrkInsaneAsylum]

We had brass work in the military, so it's not impossible it just has to be maintained.

[@justjason7294]

​@@BazerrkInsaneAsylum true, but for something that will probably sit on someone's shelf as an antique decoration for the next 50 years or so, I don't think much is in the way for maintenance for this item

[@just_a_pkmn_guy7666]

the amount of work and detail is so amazing. you truly show the pride you have in your work, keep it up!

[@sylvieseguin9057]

Patience as it's reward. 😲 You do amazing work! 👏Like you said. I don't think it could hold together at 350 lbs. It would be a shame to destroy it.

[@TrueBrit1]

You've turned it back into a real thing of beauty. Well done.

[@tomswindler64]

Very nice,took your time and did not skimp on crafting and workmanship.kudos.good for another 100 plus years.just keep on putting out these great videos.👍👍👍😎😎😎

[@lideadhead]

This was my favorite restore yet. Such a historic treasure.

[@MommyDontSeeMe]

I never get tired of watching you work - love your attention to detail!

[@Sonicgott]

Salt, lemon, blow torch, pry bar, hammer, this dude wasn’t messing around.

[@Left-handed-liberal]

1st, glad to see a new vid. 2nd, I never knew that's how those old extinguishers worked. 3rd, now I wanna go hammer some copper.

[@Vudeoguy]

@@hitmeuponteleegramOddTinkeringfake

[@lidet19]

One of your best! I just love watching you fabricate tools you need to fix something. It's so cool!

[@BITEBOC]

The demonstration makes the video that much better. Great restoration job.

[@Semenov777]

Hello! Good restoration 🛠👍 Best wishes :)

[@tobyjo57]

I remeber this type of extiguisher from being a kid in the 50's. Another version had a knob on top that smashed a vile of acid so there was no need to invert the whole thing. I've restored a good number of Primus Stoves, Blow Lamps and Tilley Lamps but never had one of these. You did a great job especially the paintwork on the lettering. Thanks for sharing

[@TheresaPowers]

You really amaze me with your ability to restore old objects and to make anything you need to finish the product.

[@MKF30]

Wow the power of the lemon🍋 and salt 🧂 😳 Didn't know the combination can clean that well. I love lemon.😃 Awesome video. That looks like the same extinguisher that the Doc uses in back to the future to put out the fire 🔥 his model causes.

[@thefez-cat]

It's a pretty good trick for removing oxidation. The lemon juice provides a weak acid and the salt acts as the abrasive. You could use sand or similar materials, but large-flake salt is the usual go-to since it's common around the house. It's not the same one but it's the same operating principle.

[@MKF30]

@@thefez-cat Oh interesting i remember reading lemon is good for cleaning standard surfaces as well as the pleasant smell but I admit I didn't know it could clean something like this with salt. Thats neat. I was going ask wouldn't sand paper be practical too if there was some on hand.

[@Wolfburns]

Very awesome video. Love watching you bring things back to life. Thank you so much for all your content!

[@Zohada]

Odd Tinkering: Okay, I’m gonna use this laser to remove rust efficiently. Also Odd Tinkering:🍋

[@standardcrazy8393]

That wasn't all just rust. It was corrosion because of a reaction with the air and copper.

[@RestorationVideo]

Awesome! Love your content and beautiful restoration as always 👍

[@terryingram6755]

Another interesting video. I'm glad ducktor survived the fire.

[@kcaprani]

Great vid! lovely to see one back to focusing on an antique object :)

[@tigman1972]

I almost fell over when you put the ductor under the knife 😮

[@uber-trooper4162]

I’m enjoying the new Lemon-arc of this channel

[@rondahiller8541]

12:01 only if you make a little plaque for it that says "Ode to Grossness." Great restoration, and that was an ingenious wire bender

[@KaiserRika]

You have no idea how much I was shouting 'NOOOOO' at the phone screen when you put the knife to the Ducktor's throat.

[@Flegz1]

Love your restoration videos! They are amazing!

[@jayfrm404]

I like your quick wits with the makeshift tools you make😂

[@markcumbriauk]

You saved Ductors house, He's so pleased now.

[@flaviakoch7378]

Love your videos. There is always something new to learn. Thank you!

[@mikedamico8902]

That CNC work is amazing, top notch content.

[@umbrellacorp.]

Guten Tag 👋 💓 🇩🇪 💓 Awesome video, you did great work. I like the rubber Ducky.

[@ColemanRG]

Amazing! I had one exactly like this one, never knew how it worked. Never expected the second paste polishing would make the brilliant copper finish, i stopped after the lemon & salt and I preferred the patina.

[@donaldfarr8162]

That was very interesting Sir. I knew about those extinguishers but have seen the insides of one. Great video. 👍👍👍

[@VitaHahn]

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today

[@jenningsrozzell7557]

I remember those from where I went to grade school in the 1960's. Bright shiny copper.

[@LoftechUK]

Your pipe bending skills are brilliant 😊

[@iseespots6014]

Great restoration as always!!!

[@illusiveartgames]

Прекрасная работа, отличный ретро-огнетушитель получился!

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

That's really cool!!! Beautiful finish.

[@michaelskinner896]

Beautiful work!

[@swampwiz]

For a second there, thought the rubber duckie was going to get it.