Mills No5 Restoration

[ben2000]

Hello All,

Purchased this Mills recently and it turned out to have a slot cut in it as a moneybox. No big deal, a little piece of wood to plug the slot, some filing and careful painting to match the body of the grenade. And finally a coating of shellac to finish it off.
Really pleased with the result :tinysmile_twink_t: . . . Does anyone have a good condition period lever they don't want to replace the pitted one?

Thanks,

Ben.

p.s for some reason the photo's are in the wrong order! So, 1st pic of shellaced gren, 2nd pic plugged and painted, 3rd pic shellaced, 4th pic with plug before painting.

 

[foubar]

Hi
some folk collect these money boxes,but you have restored it back to its former briliantly! great job

Regards
Doug

 

[navyman]

Hello Ben,
If you would be happy with a repro lever, 'Dug Up' do very good ones. I have used some of their pieces as stand in's until I'm able to find the correct original part, they are very helpful and you can return anything you are not happy with for a refund.
Cheers,
navyman.

 

[Alan Alfred]

Hi I am doing a similar exercise. I have cleaned my grenade, which is a lovely dark brown shellac, replaced the centre piece, spring, striker, ringpull, and base. I have aquired an original lever. I have cleaned it to bare metal, the question is how do I match the lever to the colour of the grenade? Any ideas?

 

[gothica7]

Shellac both and Bobs your uncle.

If it dosnt match too good, methylated spirits will easily remomve the shellac. I find its better to dilute the shellac/French polish 50 % with meths, much better result.

Ime about to do the same with my spare money box Mills.

Andy

 

[dano1917]

Are not the money box Mills a collectable in their own rite? I thought there were collectors who went after the Mills money boxes? Which would be worth more. I guess it is a "in the eye of the beholder" type of deal.....Dano

 

[ben2000]

Hi Dano, Yes they are collectable. Though this one wasn't one of the officially made ones (which were painted black, had a sticker on the front and had the threads removed), I'm guessing this one was a souvenir brought back and had the slot cut into it. It's all easily reversible back to a money box if i wished to, I just think it looks better now

 

[dano1917]

Hi Dano, Yes they are collectable. Though this one wasn't one of the officially made ones (which were painted black, had a sticker on the front and had the threads removed), I'm guessing this one was a souvenir brought back and had the slot cut into it. It's all easily reversible back to a money box if i wished to, I just think it looks better now

Totally agree Ben, I think if it were originally made as a money box, i'd be inclined to leave it as such. This one started as a grenade, then a grenade it should be. (opinion type thing).....Dano