Beachton Buck Rivet Report: Episode 2: The Treasures of Ally Mo

With Ally Mo parked on the East side of the shed I decided to clean up inside a bit. I collected up all the junk that was on the kitchen counter and in the sink in a cement mixing tub and separated the garbage from the potential treasure. After a very thorough scrubbing in the sink of Ally Min I assessed what I sort of artistic improvements I could make to these ordinary items to make them into the kind of vintage treasure worthy of my Etsy shop.

The Cast Iron Candle Sconce:

I wire brushed this rusty cast iron wall decoration and gave it a few coats of Penetrol to seal it. Then I sanded it with emery paper to bring up some highlights and gave it one more coat. It's very attractive now. Now that I think about it, what it really needs is an electric light to go with it. I may have something.

I tried making an aluminum ring to go around the bottom of the electric light by shaping it with PVC pipe on the vise. I was thinking I'd put a buck rivet in it, but I forgot I would need room for the bucking bar on the inside. I used a ball peen hammer to set the rivet and it made a big ol mess. And then the whole thing was just too big. I forgot about pop rivets or I might have done it again.

Next I tried a broken belt Brenna gave me. That didn't work either.

Then I tried another piece of black leather belt and made that work. I used Pop rivets on it, but my iphone battery died and I didn't get video of how pop rivets work. Plenty of time for that later.

All my life I've known about pop rivets and only recently learned about buck rivets. And then when I was shopping on McMaster for the right kind of rivets to fix the windows in Ally Min I found out that Pop is a BRAND NAME! I had no idea. I thought it was a description, but no, it's like Kleenex is a facial tissue. Pop rivets are actually blind rivets. They were invented in the 1920s.

You can buy this if you would like to support my project. Ally Mo needs new tires!

The Oil Lamp:

There was a bottle of lamp oil and a sooty little oil lamp in Ally Mo. I took out the wick and washed and dried it in the sun so it isn't so flammable anymore and I washed the glass and polished the metal. I wasn't convinced it was a real antique though so I wanted to add something hand made to be sure it was Etsy eligible. And I wanted an excuse to show what a buck rivet it. So I made a little riveted trivet for the lamp. I had a scrap of marine aluminum alloy leftover from Ally Min that I used to make the trivet. I marked the holes with a pencil and an awl then I drilled the holes on my new drill press. I rounded the edges with a file in my vise. I overtightened it I think and deformed the shape a bit. I cut the rivets as short as possible and used the pneumatic alligator squeezers to set them. Then I cut a piece of exterior grade carpet and put it on the bottom with contact cement. The glass lamp wanted to skid around on the metal so I added some sticky corners I cut out of the empty sheets of anti-skid feet I put on my board games.

You can buy the oil lamp too! Ally Mo has FOUR WHEELS!

The Brass Chamberstick Lamp:

This artifact turned treasure was a lot of work. I started a separate timeline to edit it and it turned out to be so long I decided not to paste it into Episode 2 but to let it be it's own video.

I didn't film myself shoving the wire into the tube that runs up the lamp or the fiddly adjustment of the nuts to get it to line up just exactly right so the cord didn't stick out too far and make it not sit flat. That was pretty hard to do and also impossible to film because it involved me contorting and struggling to get all my core strength into it.

The patina solution is also presented as a complete mystery. If you want to try this at home you're going to have to do the research. The process I used is called rokusho, but it is spelled a lot of different ways. One of my favorite papers is "Japanese irogane alloys and patination – a study of production and application" and you can download the PDF from Sheffield Hallam University. I've already done my experiments for my board games so I have a feel for how the solution should look and act so I can do it by eye. You should start with measurements and work up to that. This is why I started with the evaporate from my previous work.

The main ingredients are copper sulfate, copper acetate, citric acid, and salt. The water should be really hot.

After all that work on that lamp I looked online for how much brass lamps cost. A lot. The price I put on this lamp on Etsy may seem exorbitant, but think of it as partly paying for the lamp, and partly paying for the entertainment of seeing how I made it look that way. I am footing the bill for shipping! I'm all about service.

The Rest

I made a little pine needle collar for that jelly jar, but after trying to photograph it I decided not to put it on Etsy. I don't know what it's for? Any ideas?

Then there's this little tea cup. It's cute, but I don't think it's feasible for me to ship it. If anybody wants to pay for shipping I'll happily pack it up for you. But it weighs too much for the value.

The same is true of this coffee cup. Plus there's a defect in the bottom of it. If it was perfect I might put it on Etsy, but like this, nah. If anybody wants it though, let me know. You can have it free if you pay for shipping!

I'm using the green cup, yellow plate, and pyrex dish in my lab for various tasks. I like lots of little empty dishes when I'm working on jewelry and sewing.

I used that dish rack in March when all of a sudden my niece had to get married at my place. My new nephew washed all the champagne and water glasses and put them in that dish rack to drip so I could pick them up and dry them.

I'm going to take a day off tomorrow to sew and then I'm going right back to editing! I'm really excited to edit Episode 6. I have decided I must do all the episodes in order so the progression of my editing skills is smooth.

Thanks for your interest in restoring old junk!

Go buck yourself.

*** update ***

In this video I speculated that Ally Mo has the original sheet vinyl floor. I was wrong about that. I looked underneath by the front door and I can tell a strip of plywood by the wall has been replaced. They'd have to take up the flooring to do that. This is not the original pattern. I have looked and looked online but I can't find any pictures of what the original floors looked like.

Here's the subtitles for this episode in case it helps find specific info:

01:00:04,967 --> 01:00:07,433

Hi, my name is Barbara.

01:00:07,433 --> 01:00:11,500

I'm a blank builder and a blogger and I'm on a mission to

rebuild and repurpose

01:00:11,500 --> 01:00:17,367

this 71 year old aircraft construction aluminum trailer home

Ally Mo.

01:00:17,367 --> 01:00:23,200

I want to start cleaning this place up in as small a doses

as I can handle

01:00:37,200 --> 01:00:41,500

Oh, nope! I'm out

01:00:51,834 --> 01:00:54,834

I got these contractor trash bags at the grocery store

01:00:54,834 --> 01:00:58,700

And they're fucking SCENTED! I'm so angry

01:01:01,033 --> 01:01:04,033

This cup is chipped. It's trash.

01:01:06,033 --> 01:01:09,033

This rack is rusty. It's trash

01:01:13,066 --> 01:01:16,066

This little lid... is fine. I'll save that

01:01:17,900 --> 01:01:20,900

This plastic plate

01:01:24,200 --> 01:01:26,533

This lid, also good

01:01:26,533 --> 01:01:29,533

Anybody need a lantern?

01:01:36,967 --> 01:01:39,967

These are Italian! Treasure

01:01:42,567 --> 01:01:45,567

Pyrex. OK

01:01:47,500 --> 01:01:50,500

That's an unusual jelly jar. I haven't seen one like that in

a long time

01:01:51,700 --> 01:01:54,700

That's actually a Ball jar. That's good. Save that.

01:01:54,700 --> 01:02:01,533

This little cast iron sconce is fine. Nothin' wrong with

that. It's a little crooked.

01:02:01,533 --> 01:02:03,867

OK . Now it's perfect

01:02:06,100 --> 01:02:08,667

This is a can

01:02:08,767 --> 01:02:12,133

Actually I need this. I need a cup just like this so I can

saw the bottom off

01:02:12,133 --> 01:02:17,934

and use it as a funnel for putting pine needles in bags

01:02:20,433 --> 01:02:23,433

This has mouse pee in it

01:02:24,300 --> 01:02:30,667

It has a mark, and it's not chipped. This could be a

valuable cup

01:02:35,400 --> 01:02:44,100

This says Royal Copenhagen Royal Cumberland. Could be a

valuable cup. I'll save it

01:02:45,066 --> 01:02:48,066

I think this is the lid to the can

01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:52,500

And this is oil for the lamp

01:02:56,867 --> 01:02:59,867

Nothing wrong with this. Keep that

01:03:02,300 --> 01:03:04,567

This dish rack is ok

01:03:04,567 --> 01:03:08,834

This is the knob off the stove. Cool

01:03:11,066 --> 01:03:14,066

This is a stick

01:03:20,333 --> 01:03:23,333

OK, so I'll take this stuff out to the lab and wash it up

and start my treasure collection

01:03:31,033 --> 01:03:35,300

OK, the problem with this is the little nurdule is broken

01:03:35,300 --> 01:03:38,300

That's why this doesn't stay on I bet

01:03:39,166 --> 01:03:46,000

This one's broken. I wonder if I can get new ones of these?

New stem

01:03:48,300 --> 01:03:49,600

That is a project for another day

01:03:49,600 --> 01:03:53,567

I wonder if this lifts up? I bet it does. You ready?

01:03:54,333 --> 01:03:57,333

Ugh! Gross!

01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:02,000

I wonder what that's from? That will be an interesting day

01:06:01,133 --> 01:06:04,133

Let's see what we've got in these drawers?

01:06:04,533 --> 01:06:13,200

Red white and blue grommets. Anodized aluminum grommets

01:06:13,967 --> 01:06:15,467

Mouse trap

01:06:15,467 --> 01:06:21,734

And these are the mirror clips out of that Spartan.

01:06:21,734 --> 01:06:29,533

Which are a prized collectible for people who are trying to

do these things original, so I'm going to save these

01:06:30,600 --> 01:06:36,467

And an original screw, too. And another original screw

01:06:37,233 --> 01:06:42,400

I'll save all this stuff, these original screws

01:06:42,400 --> 01:06:45,667

The original quality of screws in this is really high

01:06:45,667 --> 01:06:48,667

But the rest of this is crap

01:06:51,233 --> 01:06:54,233

These two are stuck

01:06:54,900 --> 01:07:01,233

It's not a bad looking cabinet though. If it was cleaned up

and whatnot

01:07:04,834 --> 01:07:07,133

The construction is not bad

01:07:07,133 --> 01:07:10,133

I wonder if I can tell why these are stuck?

01:07:12,633 --> 01:07:15,633

This one is coming apart

01:07:16,767 --> 01:07:19,767

There's an interesting detail of this drawer

01:07:19,767 --> 01:07:25,367

When it was original this was meant to be a vanity

01:07:25,367 --> 01:07:29,367

This is where you kept all your makeup in all these little

compartments

01:07:29,367 --> 01:07:35,266

And there was a fold up lid and there was a mirror, so the

mirror folded up

01:07:35,266 --> 01:07:37,633

So that's why there were mirror clips in here probably

01:07:37,633 --> 01:07:45,033

They probably came off the actual mirror that was on the

inside of the lid that dropped down into this little drawer

01:07:45,033 --> 01:07:48,033

Which is kind of sweet. I'd kind of like to rebuild that

01:07:48,033 --> 01:07:51,033

Also look at the drawer slides on this

01:07:51,033 --> 01:07:56,000

They're wooden slides that sort of come out because the

drawer comes out so far

01:07:56,000 --> 01:07:59,700

And here's the dovetails on the edge

01:08:01,066 --> 01:08:04,834

It's kinda damaged. Because it's plywood and it's

delaminated

01:08:06,100 --> 01:08:09,100

It would be better remade out of solid wood

01:08:09,900 --> 01:08:13,867

But watch when it slides. How it goes in.

01:08:15,400 --> 01:08:18,400

Now see how straight it stays?

01:08:19,700 --> 01:08:22,700

And here's the side of it that holds this slide

01:08:23,767 --> 01:08:26,767

It's kinda cool

01:08:28,867 --> 01:08:31,867

I'm still trying to figure out why this drawer won't open

01:08:31,867 --> 01:08:34,867

It gets that far and stops

01:08:35,700 --> 01:08:39,333

I can't see anything interfering with it

01:08:41,233 --> 01:08:44,233

Oh! You have to lift up, ok

01:08:44,233 --> 01:08:47,500

So it doesn't come out when you're driving. I see

01:08:47,500 --> 01:08:52,700

Yeah that's why. That would stop it from sliding open when

you were driving

01:08:52,700 --> 01:08:55,700

The bottom is delaminated

01:09:07,934 --> 01:09:13,300

These are original Spartan screws

01:09:13,300 --> 01:09:16,834

This is probably modern day mouse droppings though

01:09:21,567 --> 01:09:26,033

All these drawers the glue has completely dried and come

apart

01:09:27,200 --> 01:09:32,567

Which makes it actually easy to fix em. You can just reglue

01:09:33,333 --> 01:09:36,333

Sand them and reglue it

01:09:38,500 --> 01:09:41,500

It's in pretty good shape

01:10:03,467 --> 01:10:06,467

I wonder why the top part of this badge is cut off?

01:10:06,934 --> 01:10:11,000

Anyway, Spartan put their serial numbers in the door frame

01:10:11,000 --> 01:10:19,233

The first number is the length, 33 feet. They also made a

24, 25, and 30.

01:10:19,233 --> 01:10:21,100

The middle number is the year

01:10:21,100 --> 01:10:26,800

Ally Mo was built in 1949. 4 years after the end of World

War II.

01:10:26,800 --> 01:10:35,934

435 is the actual serial number. They started with 33-48-1

the year before

01:10:35,934 --> 01:10:41,133

I wonder what these patents are for? I will look them up

01:10:41,133 --> 01:10:43,967

All four of these patents are for combination furniture

invented by G.R. Shutes

01:10:43,967 --> 01:10:46,867

All four of these patents are for combination furniture

invented by G.R. Shutes

01:10:46,867 --> 01:10:49,734

The first is a table and cabinet

01:10:49,734 --> 01:10:57,600

The second patent is 4 pieces of furniture in one. Vanity,

writing desk, laundry hamper, and seat.

01:10:57,600 --> 01:10:59,066

Get it, Grr Schutes!

01:10:59,066 --> 01:11:03,700

The third design patent is for a chair and magazine rack in

one.

01:11:03,700 --> 01:11:09,834

And finally another table/cabinet combo. This drawing shows

a curve like the back of the trailer.

01:11:09,834 --> 01:11:17,367

Were these inventions licensed by Spartan Aircraft and never

implemented? None of these are present in this trailer

01:11:17,367 --> 01:11:26,500

I guess that vanity cabinet bookshelf was also a writing

desk. Grr Schutes's prior art must've applied to that design

01:13:44,800 --> 01:13:48,266

Check out this 71 year old vinyl flooring

100

01:13:48,266 --> 01:13:55,066

I misspoke before. Real linoleum is ground up cork mixed

with linseed oil and pressed into a woven jute backing.

101

01:13:55,066 --> 01:14:01,700

But a vinyl substitute was invented in the 1930s and

production ramped up after World War II

102

01:14:01,700 --> 01:14:06,600

It became hugely popular, and rightly so

103

01:14:06,600 --> 01:14:14,000

It seems indestructible. But, not gonna lie, this pattern is

not for me

104

01:14:16,900 --> 01:14:23,333

My childhood home burned down in 1984, leaving behind this

patch of vinyl flooring

105

01:14:23,333 --> 01:14:26,333

I think I'll clean it too

106

01:14:27,100 --> 01:14:31,166

When I was little I knocked a drinking bird off the bathroom

counter

107

01:14:31,166 --> 01:14:34,700

It made a bad red stain, my constant shame

108

01:14:34,700 --> 01:14:39,667

Whenever I found a new cleaning product I would scrub it

again, which must've affected the adhesive

109

01:14:39,667 --> 01:14:45,000

The house completely burned down and the vinyl just mellowed

there under the ashes for 20 years

110

01:14:45,000 --> 01:14:50,600

Then I came along and cleaned it off and for another 15

years its been in the weather

111

01:14:51,467 --> 01:14:56,934

Sheet vinyl, for when you want your floor to look like

chewed gum. Mmm, fruity!

112

01:16:33,200 --> 01:16:36,200

This is a buck rivet

113

01:16:36,200 --> 01:16:39,200

Typically you put them through holes in two sheets of

aluminum

114

01:16:39,734 --> 01:16:42,734

One person holds a bucking bar on the inside

115

01:16:42,734 --> 01:16:45,734

And somebody else uses this air hammer on the outside

116

01:16:45,734 --> 01:16:50,500

As you can see it's is problematic to even demonstrate the

process alone

117

01:16:50,500 --> 01:16:55,667

But I'm just making this buck rivet trivet as a decoration,

there is no inside and outside

118

01:16:57,767 --> 01:17:01,967

There's only edges, and I have a better way

119

01:17:07,934 --> 01:17:12,200

Without the bucking bar the hammer doesn't expand the rivet,

the hole is just a tight fit

120

01:17:58,600 --> 01:18:01,600

I need more air

121

01:18:14,567 --> 01:18:20,600

A properly set rivet doesn't just squash out in the back, it

expands inside the hole

122

01:18:20,600 --> 01:18:26,934

So the connection is truly airtight and water tight.

Remember, this is aircraft technology

123

01:18:27,633 --> 01:18:31,867

This tool is called an alligator squeezer

124

01:18:31,867 --> 01:18:36,066

I got it used on ebay to rebuild the doors on Ally Min.

125

01:18:36,100 --> 01:18:42,333

You can pick out my new larger rivets. The original ones are

small

126

01:18:42,333 --> 01:18:47,767

People restoring old Airstreams seem to constantly deal with

leaks, but not me

127

01:18:47,767 --> 01:18:54,266

Maybe since my Spartans were made right after World War II

the riveters really had their skills dialed in

128

01:20:09,266 --> 01:20:13,767

See this lamp on the floor that looks like a candlestick?

129

01:20:13,767 --> 01:20:17,266

Let's see if it's junk, or if it's treasure

130

01:20:28,900 --> 01:20:33,800

Ceramic and brass? Nickel knob? I think this is a quality

lamp

131

01:22:30,500 --> 01:22:34,600

I'm working on photos for the Treasures of Ally Mo for my

Etsy shop

132

01:22:35,734 --> 01:22:40,133

and I was working on this wall sconce and it didn't look

right that I didn't have a picture of it in place

133

01:22:40,133 --> 01:22:45,100

So I decided to hang it on the wall here in Ally Min to

demonstrate it

134

01:22:45,100 --> 01:22:53,266

And then I remembered I have this electric candle that can

go in a wall sconce like this

135

01:22:56,333 --> 01:22:58,600

Bright

136

01:22:58,600 --> 01:23:03,700

This works pretty good, but this rubber part sticks out

137

01:23:03,700 --> 01:23:08,333

So I could just cut it off so that it goes all the way in

138

01:23:08,600 --> 01:23:13,333

But what I could do is make a little aluminum trim piece

that goes around the bottom

139

01:23:24,066 --> 01:23:27,066

I made this too big. Fuck it. Next idea!

140

01:24:35,633 --> 01:24:39,467

And that's the treasures of Ally Mo. Go buck yourself

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Episode 2: The Treasures of Ally Mo

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