Restoration Vintage German Watch Cleaning Machine - Re-Painting Elma Super Elite

Vintage German Watch Cleaning Machine - Restoration - Re-Painting - Elma Super Elite
This time I´m restoring my vintage watch cleaning machine.
It´s made by the german company "Elma" and one of my favorite tools in my workshop.
The motor is still working but the speed controller sounds really bad. Besides that, the heating function isn´t working anymore and the whole machine looks awful. That beauty is in bad need of a re-painting.
I´m removing the old paint with an acetone-bath for several hours. The cast iron parts get a layer of zinc for corrosion protection. The new basket frame by Elma is blue so I decided to re-paint the whole machine in that color as well. After the steel-parts are polished and nickel-plated I can reassemble the machine. I´ve also made a new dial-sticker for the timer and a new drying-chamber-lid with my logo on it.
I hope you liked this restoration, if so, like, comment and subscribe ;)
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Music:
"Sharp Edges" by ‪@halfcoolmusic‬
Link to the Song:
• Sharp Edges
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Diego Macias
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[@lucashipkins]

Are you sure you're not getting paid by Elma? Hey, Elma. Pay this man!!!

[@RedDeadRestoration]

Haha 😁

[@SeanBZA]

@@RedDeadRestoration Just thinking the base you should have tapped the holes for the springs, and used inserts in there. M4 recoil inserts with M4 capscrews would have looked nice in there.

[@ivan3584]

that elma is so pretty

[@joseluisgarcia4266]

😂😂

[@number19real]

@@RedDeadRestoration How long did it take you to complete this restoration?

[@tkindschi]

Excellent work! So many different processes and steps required, and you seem adept at all of them! The ONLY thing I didn't like about the final product was....those two un-restrained white wires running from the system to the basket holder. Seems like they could get hung up, or pulled. Understand they need to be flexible to allow things to work....but maybe if they were surrounded by a mesh wire wrap? Just a thought.

[@ECS-Dad]

That bothered me too. It was that way on the original, but may as well make improvements when you can. I am a retired manufacturing engineer for military electronics. I have several ideas for that "fix".

[@heatedwafflez5475]

I had the idea of running them up through the shaft the assembly swivels around but I haven't thought if that'd work so I wouldn't give much substance to this "idea" of mine here.

[@unicorn7938]

Same thoughts!!!

[@lumostoria8512]

@@ECS-Dad However, the wires you see in the video are not the original ones that came with the machine. When new, the machine had a black, rubber-insolated cable that contained (and protected) the two wires. However, due to the mechanical stress, they had to be replaced sometimes and in the case shown here in a "sub-optimal" way.

[@aceelectriccompany1181]

All of your videos are very entertaining. I especially like all of your video work with NO voice over and/or background "music". I like the precision of watch restoration. From your tool use in this video, I'm guessing that you didn't start as a watch restorer. Thanks for your great content providing.

[@kawasakiwhiptwo5821]

Very well done. I think even Tysy Tube, Rescue & Restore, My Mechanics, and Odd Tinkering would be impressed with how thorough you were with this restoration.

[@daviT_con_T]

Wu wuuu wut??? U follow all of them too??.. that makes us friends immediately!!

[@francescoparretti7793]

I’m absolutely agree, this is a first class restoration.

[@JackMartison]

I doubled it. There is also LADB Restoration, though my mechanics is still unbeatable leader here :p

[@francescoparretti7793]

There are also “not terrible restoration” in my playlist

[@esrAsnataS]

I think everyone follows these channels. We all love a good restoration.

[@bazzaham8552]

When machines were made of solid materials and quality workmanship good job.

[@Doubleoseven502]

Amazing job. I preferred the original cream colour but also love the new blue.

[@nzgraham5019]

Nice job! I reckon the 2 white wires should be in a sheath ... woven fabric would look good

[@pasttenseSara]

Awesome. Great job. I'd love to do that to my old Zenith It needs some TLC.

[@biskcuit]

You and "My Mechanic" should do a collaboration. Though both of your techniques and approach are different; it would be an interesting thing for us fans.

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

Could be one of the coolest restorations you've ever done

[@markehuss]

Great attention to detail, and very nice result. One nit, I think I would have twisted the motor wires into a tight spiral to keep things neat. I found it funny to contrast the screwdrivers normally seen on this channel with the "garage specials" used in this one. :)

[@chefchemist7343]

Dude went f'n NUCLEAR with the acetone! As a chemist...LOVE IT! ...GREAT VID...THANKS!

[@thebgt1254]

Amazing restoration even if I preferred the original color, but Elma's blue didn't leave you any choice.

[@E_Proxy]

Same I love blue, generally, but that machine looked better in that ivory/white

[@Jazzmaster71]

This machine must be worth a fortune itself. Quality item right there, like a good timekeeper.

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

I don't think it got this much love when it was built the first time. Very nice I really like the new color.thanks for sharing 👍.

[@henrystuckrath2701]

Elma got a spa treatment, and make over. Girl you look fantastic!!!!!!

[@allanrichards3752]

They ought to pay you for that advert. This machine looks better than new now - you really went to town on that restoration.

[@bryanpowell3724]

I love seeing paint used instead of just slathering on super-thick powder coat, as some "restorers" do.

[@HeLaNoR]

OMG I loved that creme color. It was the color of its era. i wish i could unsee that :(

[@slimakfoto]

Hi, great job! I have one suggestion about new basket, old one have 3 plow on top which push cleaning fluid down inside , new one (blue) doesn’t. In my opinion it will work worse now because fluid will create a vortex and nothing will push it inside. New Elma cleaning machines (from probably You took new basket) working with low rpm and use ultrasonic, so then this plows are not necessary.

[@Rich77UK]

I would LOVE one of these machines. But not only are they not that common, but when available total wrecks fetch silly money. Great job on the restoration. I'm very envious.

[@maxeliotttovar]

THIS is how a professional at work looks like, amazing level of detail and knowledge of every working aspect of the machine.

[@fordjavfordF100]

Eres un genio!!!!!!! Mi admiracion y mis felicitaciones para usted. Me gustan mucho tus herramientas y tus restauraciones. Saludos desde cordoba argentina

[@andersisacson8262]

Message to Elma: To support a professional craftsman is good PR, especially when he's really visable on KZbin. Full World coverage which doesn't cost you a dime. So give him the tools en sit back👌👌👌

[@stevensansone7502]

I really dig the little media blaster (10:10). Can't say I've ever seen one that small.

[@tobywan12]

WOW what a restortation love it..... HOWEVER, I cant believe after all that work you didnt re-acrylic the timer pointer!! You did the speed control knob but not the one on the timer.. Arrrrgh the OCD in me is now only looking at that :)

[@skigdividerx4991]

Shows that if you can restore a watch you can restore most anything. Great job!

[@XENONEOMORPH1979]

this guy captures the moment in slow motion cleaning a fantastic video sadly you never used the same colour to the original but i can see why as it sits with the rest of the Elma machines ,i was not endorsed to say them words .

[@royal__bunker5781]

Great job but i liked the "used look" more

[@mladenmarjanovic4848]

These days i'm restoring mine as well, a lot of work men! You made extraordinary thing with this. Big wow. Bravo, bravo!!

[@dusan.djumic]

Odakle si?😊

[@mladenmarjanovic4848]

@@dusan.djumic Beograd 🙃 #balkan_watch_restoration

[@dusan.djumic]

Zapratio sam te. #retrowatch.serbia

[@BarnOwl61]

Man of many talents, magnificent . And yes, you should get some sponsorship by Elma!

[@cpetroleite]

Isto não é um vídeo. É um presente de natal antecipado! Fantástico!!

[@Elder_Goose]

Estaba esperando este video hace tiempo, es impresionante el nivel de atención a los detalles. Cada restauración, aunque no se trate de relojes, es perfecta. Mis sinceros respetos por el gran trabajo

[@Jesusunderthebridge]

Looking at your usual restorations, this seems like the overhaul of a transatlantic ship!

[@christophresmerowski1824]

LOL - True.

[@angiwutzii9366]

Moin, wenn ELMA so eine hohe Qualität herstellt müssten die doch schon Pleite sein, weil keiner mehr was Neues braucht. Klasse Video, danke!

"I'm not getting paid by Elma"... Well, you should! Hahaha! Great video, thank you!

[@josedurbano2730]

German technology defies the passage of time. An amazing work of restoration my friend

[@christophresmerowski1824]

"Made in Germany" on the dial ... got a kick out of that. German thoroughness and attention to detail - beautiful. Liked the socks too :)

[@JSAC66]

The cobalt blue is gorgeous, but I preferred pale yellow.

[@MrX-ot4cv]

How do you feel when you unscrew the screws on the Elma? They must’ve felt gigantic to you 😂

[@CesarMorera82]

Loved the color of the restored cleaning machine. Waiting for a new one of a watch using this

[@abon1364]

Cleaning a device that cleans is the height of irony!

[@laurajackson6860]

I love to watch your consistently meticulous work. Facinating and thanks for sharing this.

[@JGV_IX]

Splendid! Elma owes you a massive sponsorship!!

[@kwanchan8709]

This person has access to all the equipment including a full spray booth to respray the parts. Quite a bit more gear than the weekend handyman for sure😅

[@cliffmolz8719]

Great Job of restoration. I just restored a 1938 L&R cleaning machine from top to bottom. Unfortunately, they don't make parts of it anymore. I'm currently looking for a rheostat that can replace the old one. Cheers

[@pradityapraditya5987]

Acetone and sandblasting ... Perfect combination 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@supergamerbros.1718]

Fantastic restoration, best yet. And it is about damn time for a proper watch cleaning machine! I like how you made it your own with the color.

[@luzak2501]

I will miss the old Elma :(

[@stevehen1000]

Fan..bloody..tastic.!!!!! You must have the patience of a Saint. Seriously, great stuff.

[@therodentryresistance95]

I demand a weekly video from this channel, quality is too good 👍🏼😉

[@MrLukealbanese]

Very nice work. I might have replaced the motor bearings and straightened the shaft myself, but in any event very well done 👍👍

[@aaf877]

Awesome video. TBH Elma was always one of my favorite aspects of your videos. I loved the vintage look, but totally dig the new update as well. Very well done. 👍🏽

[@m.brillon8808]

Been gone for a bit and look what popped on my You Tube page. I'm like I remember that machine. Lets check this out. Just WOW! What a amazing restoration. I love the new colors absolutely stunning. I'm sure glad I tuned in. It was worth the smile. Oh I think Elma should really consider sponsoring you. Yep! Alrighty. Take care from Canada eh!

[@djpflo74]

You are truly a Master and a DaVinci in restorations. Simply superb....

[@twin_o7m.364]

It’s unfortunate the original cup couldn’t be restored, I noticed the replacement was plastic; I hope it can withstand the high temperatures of the heat for drying. Nice restoration 💕

[@RedDeadRestoration]

The old one was plastic too The temperature is at approx 60°c shouldn't be a problem 😉

[@lumostoria8512]

@@RedDeadRestoration Really? At 0:50 the old one looked liked metal. The original basket holder of my Super Elite is made of metal, looks like aluminum or zinc cast.

[@mickeyx6746]

Great job! Your video production is as interesting as your work is “quality”! I wish you were my neighbor. I have a million watches that need a service and no one to do them.

[@92fsoakcreek]

Nicely Done. I have one and had it shipped from the UK. It took a bit of cleaning and a new Power supply (we only have 110VAC here in the US). Does a great job. :)

[@pieterlandstra9746]

Nice job, I really liked the antique yellow colour though.

[@dlewis9760]

Yeah, this guy knows what he's doing, but I prefer the original color. His money, his time, his choice. This will have to grow on me.

[@manuelsoul1]

Un restauro meraviglioso, complimenti sei bravissimo 👍👍👍👍👍👍🏆🏆🏆

[@WatchmakerErik]

Craftsmen who restore their subjects are all well and good, but show me a person who takes proper care of their tools, and I know they're the real deal :)

[@awatchdiary]

Nice work! I have a mind to give my overworked Elma a sprucing up! This video definitely helps!

[@carloscarvalhido2424]

Hi. Excellent video and tutorial. Thanks for showing. 👏👏

[@brucebanner3502]

Great video, loved watching the process. One thing to take into consideration on the connectors for the heating plate at 15:51 , they should be the other way round so that the sockets/female connectors are on the supply/live side and not on the load/heater side. You always plug into a supply/live line. Keep the great videos comming

[@bghoody5665]

Must have been funny restoring something with parts that aren't microscopic. Great job.

[@georgesseguy3772]

Good engine , better in blues very very nice

[@spaghettisoup244]

It's hard to sleep without your videos

[@SteveBandido]

I like this new color the most

[@bullnose01]

Fantastic job, RDR, and you didn't even use any of the magic liquid cleaner that the RT Restoration guy uses.

[@sbbn2688]

Great video!! Thanks so much. Greetings from Germany 🙂

[@cwaldrip]

Bravo! Great restoration video. I half expected you to make a screw or obscure part on a lathe. :-)

[@Garage_gg]

Amazing restoration as always! But you forgot to paint the timer knob :/

[@alanpreston3111]

Nice one .. is nothing beyond your talents 🤔🤔🤔👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ukulelefatman]

The old patina and color were great. The shafts look like they may need straightening/truing. Nice work, but the color has robbed that old beauty of it's charm in my .opinion.

[@George_Borman]

100%

[@theirhighness]

I was one of the first people to comment that you need to restore that cleaning machine. I don't think I like the bright blue color choice, but I'm glad you finally gave it some love.

[@maxlucky2100]

Oh my lord,more watch restoration pls,i watch you vedios 50 times!!!❤

[@chrisjuliano3964]

Are you going to have any new watch repair videos soon? I love your videos and would love to see more. Thank you for sharing your hobby and skill.

[@RedDeadRestoration]

I'm on it, maybe next week 😉

[@luisremigiotorresacevedo4620]

Excelente restauración de uno de tus instrumentos de trabajo. Soy un seguidor de tu canal y de verdad que tienes mucho talento y trabajas con mucha calidad !!! Te felicito por ello

[@Gocha360]

Long awaited. Thanks for pleasing such nerds like me

[@AhmedAmineAzzaz]

My mechanics would be so proud 🥹

[@hassanriyadh88]

Yeaaaaa finally.. I always wanted to see restored

[@alaindrolet_atlt_2019]

Night and day result !! Absolutely amazing and mints !!! Good work ! ✨👌

[@Vincenzo_79]

Lavoro spettacolare!!! excellent job!!!

[@darkhorse99900]

Aw mannnm, I thought we were going to get a body reveal of him walking into the paint room 😂

[@tka1979]

Wow, you truly are a master in restoring old things. Looks like new. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work 🙂

[@kovacstibor4339]

Lol, i'm glad that you actually restored this machine. Elma deserved it! :)

[@Doppeljot]

Now I'm thinking there must be a market for a watch cleaning machine cleaning machine... Nice work as always!

[@brunomessens8406]

Have here 3 elma's for sale, in working condition but for restoration

[@lumostoria8512]

@@brunomessens8406 Then you're sitting on a fortune 💎. These machines are quite worth something, especially if the jars and the basket holder with inserts are still present.

[@LastWatch]

Brilliant job, it’s a shame there wasn’t a way of hiding the 2 white cables on the main rotating shaft to give it a cleaner look

[@cliffwheeler7357]

Just what I was thinking. In the motor trade we used to use plastic spiral sleeving that wrapped around loose exterior cabling. Made in look much tidier.

[@geoffreylotz3661]

Superb job...you are lucky to have that machine....

[@kunzilla]

Seriously, the man is an artist!

[@Ultrawong100]

I was literally thinking whilst watching one of your videos last week, why doesn't he restore the parts washer....... I must read minds!!

[@user-od1bg7vn8u]

Finally you did it. I thought about it every episode 😁👍

[@xavierlepere]

This is a renovation not a restoration but the end result is impressive. Welcome to your second life Elma!

[@georgebrown8312]

Awesome job you did on the watch cleaning machine. It works like a charm and the paint looks much better than the old did, too. The blue color looks good also. Great work.

[@tripster003]

I watch this guys watch channel….and yours….what are the odds? Headed to Vegas!

[@andref6956]

Great restoration, but Surprised you didn't paint it red

[@АлексейШальнев-р5л]

Наконец-то отреставрировал свою Elma, а то смотреть страшно было.)

[@Excvositorum]

Но цвет зря на такой дикий сменил. Слоновая кость или белый были бы приятнее.

[@Lion-17]

болтающиеся провода все портят, надо с ними что-то делать

[@Excvositorum]

@@Lion-17 в гофру бы можно, да. Я удивился, что не был совершенно никак обслужен двигатель. Там такое биение... Хотя, может так задумано, чтоб лучше очищалось, но в плане перфекционизма не очень.

[@pato7694]

Sort of sad to see the Elma get restored. I loved the patina on the machine. It has so much character. I enjoy immensely all of your videos. You truly are an artist that goes well beyond repairing watches. Really one of my favorite channels. Cheers 🍻

[@rodolfocastaneda351]

Gran trabajo amigo, cuidando cada detalle, como me gusta a mi, que quede mejor de lo que estaba cuando lo encontré, Saludos desde Colombia, gran saludo.

[@pipodorologio1648]

nice socks....lol. Professional paintjob, a lot of time invested, even the logo and a nice custom heater lid...wow, amazing job, the machine has tripled in value...😀😀. Maybe a sleeve on the white wires? Got the same one but I will leave it by its original color..I love the patina on it...😁😁

[@pipodorologio1648]

cheers, I don't have Telegram so send an email