LighthouseKeepers.com

Touch-ups and repairs...

Posted By: Bob M

Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 06:02 PM

I've been very fortunate and I've never damaged any of my HL's. If you are a close follower of eBay Auctions, you probably have noticed numerous damaged pieces being offered. Some of the descriptions are laughable at best. Sellers somehow think that other than a ventilator ball missing, something that was once freestanding on a piece broken off, or a small hunk broken off the base, their offering is in mint condition and they describe it that way.

More and more rare pieces pop up and sometimes they come with chips or paint loss. They are basically nice pieces but are considered as damaged goods in the eyes of a true collector.

My questions are: Have any of you ever repaired a piece? If you wanted to repair a "chip", what would you use to fill it? Have any of you ever painted or touched up a piece suffering from paint rub-off or flaking? What kind of paint did you use? Have any of you ever had to do some serious cleaning of an older piece where you just couldn't get the dust off with a small blush brush or something similar? Can you wipe it with water or anything else or will that take paint off?

I don't ever recall anyone at the CF explaining how to do any of the above things I'm inquiring about.

confused Bob confused
Posted By: rgurskey

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 06:20 PM

I had my Sharp's Island repaired by a former painter of David Winter Cottages. I had broken part of the lower railing. I gave Jay the broken off piece and the lighthouse. When it came back, I couldn't even see where it had been broken.

I would never attempt to repair an HL on my own.

Robert
Posted By: Bob Ott

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 07:00 PM

Bob,

I agree with Robert -- I don't think that I would ever attempt to repair a Harbour Light on my own. However, Rich (flacoastie@worldnet.att.net) has collected some valuable information. Unfortunately, he was in the path of the most recent hurricane to attack Florida and I haven't seen any post my him in the last few days. I hope everything is OK with him and his family.

Good Luck with your repair work.

Bob
Posted By: mombo

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 07:45 PM

Bob the only repair I've done was to reattach a ventilator ball that I knocked off. It was a clean break and a drop of super glue did the trick. Looks fine but wouldn't try to pass it off as perfect. Think it was Cockspur Island.
Posted By: JCRice

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 08:42 PM

I also fixed a small problem on one HL. It was Hatteras Beacon and, when I received it from HL, the small staircase was loose (it was still attached but, if i pulled on it hard enough, it would have easily come off).

Like Mombo, I relied on super glue and that did the trick...
Posted By: Cana Fan

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/28/04 10:34 PM

I have done quite a few touch-ups on paint on some of the older pieces I've gotten that have "been around the block". I've found that the best paints to use are acrylic model paints, sold under the name Modelmasters at your local hobby shop. They are sold mostly in military colors, lots of earth tones and are easy to mix to the right shade. You would be hard pressed to catch most of the touch-ups. (I did apprentice under a professional model maker quite a few years ago. Helped hone the skill)

Mike
Posted By: flacoastie

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 02:52 AM

I've done quite a few repairs on broken pieces. I find them in the stores and get them dirt cheap or buy them off the New Marketplace. I use them for my office as display pieces or sell them as damaged for a couple of bucks more then I paid for them. I also have a few in my own personal collection that I just can't get rid of because of personal reasons.

I have a set of water soluable felt tip pens(100 plus colors) for minor paint chip touchup and find Acrylic Paint by Delta or Liquitex to be the best for major touchup. Super glue and Hysol 151 Bonding Material is the best for major repairs like breaks of chips of plaster missing. I've even molded a new ventilator ball on several pieces by buying an assortment of wooden or plastic beads from a craft store and bonding it to the missing area with Hysol. Looks and works great and then all you have to do is paint touchup the area.

If you need more specific directions Bob, email me.
Posted By: Randy Kremer

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 03:10 AM

Bob,

Do you remember when John used his dishwasher? It came out rather "dust free," but it also was missing "some" paint if I remember right! laugh laugh
Posted By: Shortcake

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 03:16 AM

NO.....SAY IT AIN'T SO....NOT THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Posted By: Bob Ott

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 03:33 AM

Shortcake,

I understand about not using the dishwasher. But to be honest, the thought crossed my mind. However, it was quickly dismissed.

Bob
Posted By: Webmaster

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 05:12 AM

MEM-rees Light the corners of my mind...

Jupiter meets the Kitchenaide Superba for those who joined us since March 2001.


0 :>) St. John of the Internet

"King of the WACKOs" -- Roger Ebert or was it Punkin?
Posted By: Weasel58

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 09/29/04 05:17 AM

Funny you should bring up the old Jupiter in the dishwasher, but I happened to get a good look at that exact piece of Forum lore last Sunday. I was at the home of the "Lucky" indivudal who now ownes the Hl in question. It's funny but I've seen HLs in a lot worse shape than this item.
Posted By: Gayle

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 10/01/04 04:28 AM

I knocked a ventilator ball off of my Cape Meares. It was my first damage ever and I could have kicked myself. I found the piece after searching for a couple of days, super glued it and then covered the area with black felt tip. I don't plan to sell this lighthouse anytime in the next 30 years so I'm good with the home repair.

I can't take credit for the repair idea; it actually came from someone here on the forum. I believe his name was Richard and I am very grateful for his help.
Posted By: Bob Ott

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 10/23/04 12:36 AM

Quote:
(I did apprentice under a professional model maker quite a few years ago. Helped hone the skill)
I just have to ask you, Mike. What or who is a "professional model maker." My feeble brain went a little crazy with that statement.

bobo
Posted By: Jazzer

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 10/23/04 02:46 AM

Today "3D" computer image capability has taken much of the work that was at one time done by pro model makers. One example would be the early Star Wars films. The artist concept of the space ships was turned into a model for the films in different forms and scales by a team of pro model makers. Much of the work in the later films has been taken over by digital "3D" imaging. Many special effects during the "Golden Age of Film" were done by pro model makers. In other genres ,such as model ship building, those who create museum quality pieces are considered pro model makers if not artists or both.One of my favorite places to view the work of pro artists model makers on display is the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA.
Posted By: Bob Ott

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 10/23/04 03:35 AM

Thank you, Lonnie.

bobo
Posted By: Cana Fan

Re: Touch-ups and repairs... - 10/25/04 03:19 PM

Thanks Lonnie, you pretty much covered it. If you go to a museum and see a diarama of a battlefield, for example, that's the type of thing professional model makers do. A big part of the business I was involved in was making models of industrial machinery, models of proposed building developments and high rise buildings. I'm not sure how prolifick the business is now, but at one time it thrived.

Mike
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