Started on the Roberts Bestone
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2024 7:43 pm
I started working on my Roberts Bestone Model B, the machine previously discussed here:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=56694
and here:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=56742
Leather Restoration/Conservation:
I contacted a number of shops and individuals who do leather conservation and restoration, including some for whom luggage is one of their specialties. It is apparent that having a professional do all the work will be prohibitively expensive. So I will do what I can on my own first and then later perhaps take the case in for a few things that will require experience and specialized tools.
The first task is to stablize and soften the leather before attempting to remove the machine.
Doing online research about working with antique leather is confusing. There seems to be no consensus among the leather work community about how to proceed. There are many contradictory prohibitions and recommendations. So I found a local leather vendor with a warehouse and shop. The staff there laughed when I told them my dilemma in deciding which methods and products to use. They said, "Yes, people online tend to get self-important about how they do things and obnoxious about how other people do things. It's stupid because there really isn't a lot of difference between the basic products. They all have similar effects. And the goals are the same. It just comes down to personal preferences. We would recommend plain saddle soap and pure neetsfoot oil as the most basic, traditional, tried and true products."
So that is what I bought.
The Cunard Luggage Label: I spent a painstaking hour and half with a long, thin, flexible knife slowly detaching the Cunard luggage label from the leather on the back of the case. I managed to do this without damanaging either the leather or the label (any futher than it is already damaged). It helped that the leather was very hard and dry. I put the label between two sheets of acid free paper and then put it in a large, heavy book to press flat. I will try to reattach it later.
I then took a soft brush and gave the case a thorough brushing.
Then I applied saddle soap with a lightly dampen microfibre cloth. One is supposed to work up a bit of a lather using a very small amount of the soap on the cloth. This was not possible as the leather was so dry. Nonetheless, I did manage to clean it up a bit, greatly improving its appearance and texture. Then I let it dry for a couple of days.
Today, I applied the neetsfoot oil. One is supposed to put a light coat on with a soft rag, let it sit for a bit, and then wipe off any excess. I was pretty good at applying a thin and fairly even coat but there was never any excess as the leather is so thirsty. I applied heavier coats in the areas where the leather must flex; these coats, too, disappeared immediately into the leather.
The neetsfoot oil darkens the leather considerably.--this is both fortunate and unfortunate. The darkening masks the water stains but also changes the colour. I will now leave it again for a couple of days and then reassess. The leather may lighten a bit again as it continues to absorb the oil.
Once I have the leather in a softer and more pliable condition, I will take the machine out of the case and attempt to flatten the warps than the water-hardened leather has caused.
I will post some pictures later.
The Crank:
I have not yet found a Garrard Model 3 crank for the motor, but I do have an offer of what I think is a threaded Birch crank that can be converted to a split end. It is of almost exactly the same dimensions a the original Bestone crank although the handle is radically different.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=56694
and here:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=56742
Leather Restoration/Conservation:
I contacted a number of shops and individuals who do leather conservation and restoration, including some for whom luggage is one of their specialties. It is apparent that having a professional do all the work will be prohibitively expensive. So I will do what I can on my own first and then later perhaps take the case in for a few things that will require experience and specialized tools.
The first task is to stablize and soften the leather before attempting to remove the machine.
Doing online research about working with antique leather is confusing. There seems to be no consensus among the leather work community about how to proceed. There are many contradictory prohibitions and recommendations. So I found a local leather vendor with a warehouse and shop. The staff there laughed when I told them my dilemma in deciding which methods and products to use. They said, "Yes, people online tend to get self-important about how they do things and obnoxious about how other people do things. It's stupid because there really isn't a lot of difference between the basic products. They all have similar effects. And the goals are the same. It just comes down to personal preferences. We would recommend plain saddle soap and pure neetsfoot oil as the most basic, traditional, tried and true products."
So that is what I bought.
The Cunard Luggage Label: I spent a painstaking hour and half with a long, thin, flexible knife slowly detaching the Cunard luggage label from the leather on the back of the case. I managed to do this without damanaging either the leather or the label (any futher than it is already damaged). It helped that the leather was very hard and dry. I put the label between two sheets of acid free paper and then put it in a large, heavy book to press flat. I will try to reattach it later.
I then took a soft brush and gave the case a thorough brushing.
Then I applied saddle soap with a lightly dampen microfibre cloth. One is supposed to work up a bit of a lather using a very small amount of the soap on the cloth. This was not possible as the leather was so dry. Nonetheless, I did manage to clean it up a bit, greatly improving its appearance and texture. Then I let it dry for a couple of days.
Today, I applied the neetsfoot oil. One is supposed to put a light coat on with a soft rag, let it sit for a bit, and then wipe off any excess. I was pretty good at applying a thin and fairly even coat but there was never any excess as the leather is so thirsty. I applied heavier coats in the areas where the leather must flex; these coats, too, disappeared immediately into the leather.
The neetsfoot oil darkens the leather considerably.--this is both fortunate and unfortunate. The darkening masks the water stains but also changes the colour. I will now leave it again for a couple of days and then reassess. The leather may lighten a bit again as it continues to absorb the oil.
Once I have the leather in a softer and more pliable condition, I will take the machine out of the case and attempt to flatten the warps than the water-hardened leather has caused.
I will post some pictures later.
The Crank:
I have not yet found a Garrard Model 3 crank for the motor, but I do have an offer of what I think is a threaded Birch crank that can be converted to a split end. It is of almost exactly the same dimensions a the original Bestone crank although the handle is radically different.