Copper Mixmaster Junior - finish questions

[mattl]

I got my copper Mixmaster Junior the other day, got a question or two.  It was pretty ugly when it arrived, see ebay photos.  Anyway I've disassembled it, going to hunt for a new cord, and have polished it up.  It looks very good, few blemishes, not sure what to do about those.  Question, should I go over it with some 0000 steel wool?  Will that get the fine scratches out?  Should I? Or should it look more it's age.

 

Other question is putting a top coat in the finished product.  I saw in the various threads from d-jones and others about painting it, which I'm not doing, but to bake it in the oven for a bit.  Should I do this with some sort of lacquer finish?  Or just use a good poly?  I've never done much with finishing and refinishing metal so it's all new to me.

 

Also any tricks to get the Bakelite handle looking better?

 

 

[cuffs054]

Matt, I'm in the same boat! Hope somebody can "school" us!

 

[firedome]

my guess...

is that it was plated or anodized, not solid copper. Hard to duplicate.

 

[mattl]

Unless they plated everything I'd say it's copper.  Inside and out looks to be copper.  It has cleaned up very well using Noxon metal polish.  Nowhere is the copper wearing off and it's on the heavy side even with the guts pulled out.

 

took the gears out and cleaned out the old hard grease, thinking of repacking with white lithium grease, anything readily available that might be better?

 

Here are the latest pictures...  (inside of front gear box appears to be copper.)

 

[d-jones]

The idea that this thing might have a solid copper body is really intriguing, but I don't know how you'd find out for sure without drilling a hole somewhere, which you probably don't want to do. After seeing your first photos showing the mixer as it looked when it arrived I'm impressed. I always thought they'd just have some form of copper colored plating on them and would therefore need replating to get them looking decent again. But your before and after photos have blown that theory all to shreds.

 

Anyways, if that really is copper - and it sure looks it - then to preserve the bright copper color you should be able to spray it with a clear gloss finish and bake it dry just as you would with any other finish. You probably already know that the decals are available, so you could have this little guy looking new again.

 

And before I forget, Brasso works very well on Bakelite.

 

[gansky1]

I would have guessed it was plated as well, but that sure looks like it might be solid. What a beautiful Jr. you have, Matt, very nice work on the polishing so far. Please update us when you get it finished, it will be showpiece!

 

[cuffs054]

Matt would you post some step by step instructions on how you took the mixer apart? I would love to redo mine and have zero knowledge on how/what to do! Thanks, tom

 

[whirlaway]

Copper dip

I bought one like that,and polished it with brasso.It took the old clear coat off of it and then I took paint thinner not turpinetine,that would leave an oil finish on it,then I sprayed it with a good poly high gloss coating.These were probably dipped in copper on a conveyor system with a wire connected to the housing,like you would dip a strawberry in chocolate.Just make sure there is no oil on it when you spray it or fingerprints,it will cause the clear-coat to pull if it is not dry.Thanks Bobby

 

[mattl]

cuffs054

Here is the link to the thread I used.  D-jones did a nice set of photos when he disassembled his, it;s the last post in the thread.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?53995_2

 

[mattl]

And there is this one with very good instructions.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?43027

 

[cuffs054]

Thanks, Matt

 

[gansky1]

Dip, dippy, dipped

Dipped, of course. Lol - duh, that makes sense.

Does anyone know if they made the stand mixers in Copper as well? That would be beautiful.

Great, a new quest (or two) just what I need.

 

[whirlaway]

Copper stand Mixmaster!!!!

It seems to me I saw like a Christmas ad for one,maybe 1953 or 5 or6.It certainly would be the Holy Grail of Mixmasters.I have about 6 of those little guys they are built like a tank and I dont even cook! I even have a blue one.Thanks Bobby