About two years ago a co worker began asking me to restore a "wine press" from the mid to late 1800s. Actually sold as a cider press. I had no clue what that was until I visited a winery and saw a few of them on display. None the less I said I would take a look at it, but we never got together to do so. Until a couple of months ago. He asked me again and I said yes, sight unseen. Note: one should be careful what one agrees to with out taking a peek.
So one day he brings it in the back of his pick up. My first thought was YIKES! It looked like it had been in a dirt floor basement for the last 100 years. Bugs and rot had eaten much of it away. Particularly the lower legs. So then the saga began. I gave the metal part back to be sand blasted while I went back and forth between my shop and drafting table trying to decipher measurements etc.. Due to the rot on the lower legs, I found myself measuring from the top as well as the bottom. and a lot of measurements did not add up on paper. The original was made of Hard maple with gold and red pin striping. Ultimately I wound up replacing every thing except the actual hopper, made of poplar, and used minwax wood hardner to firm it up. I chose white oak instead of Maple for the rest. Anything in contact with the juice etc. received 4 coats of salad bowl finish, made by General. Arm-R-Seal for the frame work. Rustoleum and clear coat for the metal. So enough said. An interesting project.20200804_200231.jpg20200804_200212.jpg20200910_214733.jpg20200916_210515.jpg
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