Restoring a Gibbons Spring Mills No 23/2

[gothica7]

Had this Gibbons a while now and it has always annoyed me as it was converted into a money box and pretty badly too. The rest of the body was in vgc so just gave it a good wash.

Yesterday i filled all the unwanted slots with liquid metal, the top had been mullered as well for some reason and today gave it a coat of white paint.

Why you may ask? Well, a recent Gibbons purchase had traces of white, showing it too had once been white and i have seen a few white ones in the depths of the Imperial War Museum.

I think it will look good with the rest of them but there isnt any room on the shelf!

Andy

 

[paul the grenade]

A great restoration Andy. It looks mint now.
Cheers, Paul.

 

[SG500]

Good effort Andy, well done.
No room on the shelf!! I'd think most of us have been there too.
The easy option - put up another shelf.
The really difficult option - have a clear out
Yep, been there before, done both, go for the shelf.:tinysmile_eyebrow_t
Dave.

 

[paul the grenade]

Ive had a big clear out and re-organisation and i still seem to have no room!!

 

[gothica7]

Thanks Paul & Dave,

been meaning to do it for years, just got the centre cast to do now and then there will be even less room on the shelf !!!

Cant bring myself to reduce the numbers, well, not yet, maybe when ime in my cups.

Andy

 

[staples57]

Well done Andy!
That a terrific restoration job!

If you're running our of shelf space, I'm sure that I could find a spot on mine. LOL

Cheers,
Brad

 

[BMG50]

Great job, i had one of these grenades many years ago in mint condition untouched but its colour was not white they were a blue grey or a french grey colour, the ones i saw at the imperial war museum in their personal collection were also this grey as well.

 

[gothica7]

Hi,
i saw some in the IWM's collection with a mate a few years ago that were white, one of which had been there since the early 1920s, 1922 i seem to remember. Because it was white we asked the guy who showed us round to confirm how long it had been in their collection and he looked it up. Some also had no 5 base plugs i seem to remember.
The Gibbons i recently purchased has traces of white paint too. I dont think it unusual for some of them to have been painted white, or grey as certainly drill No 5s were so painted so why not No 23s? However, ime certain most would have just been zinc plated to rustproof them.

Andy

 

[St Barbara]

I had a Gibbons, long sold on, that had a zinc coated body, black painted "spring" and a No 5 type alloy base plug marked DUMMY. So wish I'd kept it but at the time and all that......