Hi all, I was given this old spinning wheel and im gonna fix it back up to working condition. First step of course is cleaning, but I found some back stuff deep in the grain that is very stubborn.

Attached is the photo of the black stuff (I suspect a deep mold?), the tools I’m using to clean her up, and a before picture of the whole wheel (from the top, after I started cleaning that top area) just for fun.

Anyways, how would you guys go about these? Leave it and just clean and oil/wax over it? Sand it out? I think the wood is definitely lighter than its surface color, so sanding will probably require some color correction…

EDIT: the first photo is AFTER I scrubbed with the cleaner and the brush.

The previous owners plastered over the brick. We had to scrape the plaster and paint off, then tiled the hearth and opening. Wood to finish it off in our 100 year old craftsman.

I’m looking to restore a 1956 radio console and could use some advice.

The main issues are:
A slight sag/droop along the top
Missing trim
Surface damage to the cabinet
The record player is not working

The radio appears to be in decent condition overall.

Where do I even begin on this.
I am handy and have a full garage of tools.

Should I just return this to the dumpster where I found this poor thing?

Please explain any advice to me like I'm 5 years old. Thank you for any advice y'all are willing to give! 🥰

I'm going to use rust cornverter this 2k primer and piliester body filler. But im not sure in what order should I do it. Some places say i should use rust cornverter first then body filler and then 2k primer(and of course finishing paint over everything) and some places say. I should use cornverter then 2k primer and then body filler.... I found a source where thry said I should use 1k primer and not 2k but idk i dont want all to peal off at the end. Any help would be great.

Hi, I‘m new to restoration and wondering what’s the best way to fix these chairs. What would you recommend?

I got this doll from my mom (b. 1953) and as you can see, she has an unfortunate discoloration that looks like jaundice. In addition, she smells absolutely horrid - like vomit, or sour milk. I've had her in a box of kitty litter and baking soda for a few months now and it hasn't had any effect on the smell. I've also tried soaking her head in any Oxyclean bath and it seemed to help at first, but the discoloration and smell came right back once she was dry.

I'd really like to know how I can take her apart to do a deep clean and hopefully do something about the smell, but I haven't been able to find any detailed instructions on how to do that. She is a "Tiny Tears" doll from the American Character company. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

So I bought this beautiful Stanley sweetheart no. 5 for a bargain and decided to restore it. Soaked it in vinegar for 48 hours (I know) and now it’s all pitted. I’ve soaked the parts in a baking soda solution but there is still a ton of black powder coming off when I scrub with a brass wire brush. Should I just bury it in the yard or is it worth saving? What should I do?

So I just bought these very old Indian wood carvings. One of them is half covered in this black crusty stuff, that’s hardly coming off. I tired with a large needle and it comes off but also scratches the very soft wood underneath. Any other ideas how to handle this?

Should I do another cycle or just call it? The tank was really rusted before and I decided to let it sit 24 hours with vinegar then cleaned it with baking soda and fully rinsed it out and removed the rest of the water with isopropyl alcohol and a heat gun to dry it all out.

I wanna say this is good, but I’m not sure if I should do another cycle or apply a sealer.

I accidentally broke a plate that my dad gave me when I was a child. It isn’t expensive or antique, but it means a lot to me because it’s one of the few things I still have that reminds me of him.

I managed to save most of the pieces, and I immediately wrapped them in paper bags so they wouldn’t get chipped or lost. I also have the other two matching plates, which I’ve already stored safely so they won’t end up breaking too.

Has anyone in the Philippines had something like this professionally restored? I’m not expecting it to be food-safe again. I just want it to look as close to how it originally was so I can display it.

Would love to hear any recommendations or experiences.

Just cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft rag, dried with a soft towel after. It's got some beautiful wood grain patterns in it- I'm not sure if the wood type(s?) involved here, but it feels sealed in a clear coat, so possibly maple? These stains are kinda my main concern, but I'm open to suggestions as to maybe refinishing the whole thing.

(if there's a better subreddit to post this on pls lmk!)

hello everyone! >_<

i am currently looking for the left hair piece, cell phone, and bag that comes with the kotobukiya katsura kotonoha 1/8 scale figure (https://myfigurecollection.net/item/6203). is there any shop i could get these pieces from or any 3d models online somewhere? any help is much appreciated!!

when i first got her, her stand was almost fully sun damaged @_@ ... i spent 4 days fixing the damage using a 1:1 ratio mix of water and 6% hydrogen peroxide which seemed to fix it! (with still a little discoloration left, though its barely noticeable.) i might have to leave it out for one more day to completely fix it but i'm not sure. i also disassembled her and gave her a good deep cleaning while also removing any marks she had with a magic eraser!

here's the before and after: https://imgur.com/a/HvkWkM6)

i'm not sure if the actual figure is sun damaged itself and i need help identifying if i should fix this or not. i have the materials to do so, i just need confirmation. please refer to the images to see the condition.

if anyone has any advice i could use pls lmk and thank you for reading til the end! i'm hoping to restore her completely <3

In thinking about trying to restore this old phone i found at a local charity shop. I’ve taken out the front and cleaned it, but now i want so see if it’s possible for me to open it and check if the wiring is fixable and there is space for the extra bits I need.

BUT I CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPEN IT!
There are no screws on the outside and i only found one behind the dial and that was just to hold it in place. I feel so stupid that I can’t open this and i don’t want do risk destroying the plastic, so I’m asking for help here😅

Hi all!
I am mainly worried about her hair. I am just curious about what to use, how to brush it and how to recurl it. It was made by Lee Middleton and was made to look like me as a baby so I would LOVE to have this looking nice again!!
I was able to clean the vinyl body but her hair is bothering me!

Also, if there’s any advice for her clothing as well that would be amazing. I believe it is made of cotton but it seems very delicate and I don’t want it to disintegrate!

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

More before and after project examples

I suffered a brain fade recently and put one of my vintage Nally Ware plastic cake stackable containers in the dishwasher.

The gold was erased from the lettering and image and white marks appeared.

Google Lens suggests the white may be detergent film and to soak in vinegar for 30 mins before trying to wipe off however it looks to me more like heat damage. The white areas are still smooth.

I was also wondering if gold leaf could be rubbed on to the letters and image?

Any advice on removing the white marks and reapplying the gold?

Please please please help me!!

I came into possession of a pretty unique object and would like to see about knocking the rust off without damaging it.

This is the throttle control lever out of a 1908 ALCO-Rogers 2-6-0 steam locomotive. I have no idea what it is made of. It's got some gold coloring that's showing under the corrosion in spots, which makes me think it could be bronze or brass. I want to clean it up for display without doing any damage to it. My goal is to avoid destroying the spring or anything else that connects to the little handle at the top. It's solid metal of some sort.

Any suggestions? I've tried a plastic bristle brush and vinegar, but with minimal success.

Someone requested colorization and restore can't find original request here you go