A simple Chuck Box

  • Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Nice that is.

can you recall where you tracked down the handsome enamel coffee pot and the enamel mug?
 
Wayland: what do you recommend for brass polish? Everything you display looks so well cared-for.

We had 2 boxes like treasure chests: PITA to dig around in the kitchen tool box, not so bad in the food box.
 
I'd imagine Wayland has something more appropriate to the task, B, but my Mum got through litres of Brasso .. especially round Xmas. They got it in Canadian Tire
 
I have a couple of sets of brass pan balances with the weights and all.
Have a fresh can of Brasso ( there's one in every house in Canada).

Just wondering what my options might be.
I have all sorts of chromium oxide, aluminum oxide and iron oxide honing/polishing compounds as well.
The things you would expect old wood carvers to have on hand.
 
Chuck-Box-VI.jpg


Nice that is.

can you recall where you tracked down the handsome enamel coffee pot and the enamel mug?

I think what you are looking at is the Tea Billy ( White enamel, bottom left ), I got that on eBay as there are several venders selling them new but I noticed that some of the antique ones had wooden handles so I knocked that up with the help of a drill and a belt sander. It has a small cup as a lid.

The mugs on the top shelf were from a boot sale and I liked them for theirs size, about a pint, and the off white colour.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Corso and Billy-o
Wayland: what do you recommend for brass polish? Everything you display looks so well cared-for.

We had 2 boxes like treasure chests: PITA to dig around in the kitchen tool box, not so bad in the food box.

I have to admit I'm not a great fan of polishing. I tend to shift heavy corrosion with abrasives and then sometimes use a buffing wheel if I want something shiny but usually I just let them develop a natural patina with use.
 
I'd imagine Wayland has something more appropriate to the task, B, but my Mum got through litres of Brasso .. especially round Xmas. They got it in Canadian Tire

When I bought that Miner's lamp, the first thing I had to do was shift years worth of encrusted metal polish from the inside where it was jamming up the threads so I could get it open to service it.

The closest I use to polish is a bit of Autosol, spread on some chamois leather and allowed to dry.

A chamois treated like that will polish for ages without gumming everything up.
 
Ah, nice. I made a bunch of shammy-leather bags several years ago and still have one I never found a use for. Just about hand-sized :) Might be suitable case for treatment.
 
Just wondering what my options might be.
I have all sorts of chromium oxide, aluminum oxide and iron oxide honing/polishing compounds as well.
The things you would expect old wood carvers to have on hand.

I suppose the thing to remember is that brass is very soft and cutting abrasives will, over time, damage any detail. My Mums horse brasses didn't look much like they did after 40 years of polishing, and a more or less masterful old map of the world my Dad had etched and otherwise engraved into a large brass plate in his 30s was more or less gone by the time he died.
 
For appearance's sake, I expect to do a single thorough job of removing the tarnish.
Then, I'll airbrush a clear laquer coating.
Then, these curios can spent the rest of their lives collecting dust like evreything else.
I paid $15 for one set and $20 for the other (that was used in a pharmacy).
So if things don't work well, I've lost little investment.

I do need to shine up a large pyrite crystal ( (45mm x 32 mm x 30 mm) for part of a wood carving.
 
whats the brass bit of kit the copper kettle is on?

I assume its some sort of gas burner but whats with the key?
 
The enamel bill can can be found on amazon under the falcon brand. If you're lucky, you may see it in sainsburys for a fiver……

I really like your chuck box, reminds of the chuck wagon in all those cowboy films…… where scones were biscuits..
 
The enamel bill can can be found on amazon under the falcon brand. If you're lucky, you may see it in sainsburys for a fiver……

I really like your chuck box, reminds of the chuck wagon in all those cowboy films…… where scones were biscuits..

That was very much the inspiration for it really

The idea came to me on the "Goldrush" camp we held for the Steam Tent Co-operative a little while ago.

Wayland-at-Steam-Tent-Co-operative-Goldrush-Camp-Faded-Glory.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Corso
Runs on white gas, like Coleman fuel, same as the stove. The tin on the RH shelf carries spare.

I use panel wipe or Brake and clutch cleaner as it's much cheaper.

Type6-Protector-Clipping.jpg


That one is an "Officials" lamp with the igniter so that it could be re-lit underground if needed.

Protector-Clipping.jpg


I like them so much I bought myself a second one recently.

Type-6-Protector-Lamp-II.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thats great.

My Nan used to polish everything...including the pipes in the bathroom.

(and iron everything...)

I like to think we have more sense these days...

But I have had to buy some Brasso...You know those copper pans I was hankering after?

(Stop smirking)

The horse brass collection and my Great Grans Buddha gets ignored through...
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE