For this restoration I am working on a Christmas tree stand with 2 music boxes. The structure of the music boxes was particularly interesting during the restoration, as they have a switch. Another special feature of the Christmas tree stand is that it rotates when you turn on the music boxes. The Christmas tree stand is from around 1900, which made this restoration even more interesting for me.
▬ What is being done?! ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
In the first step, I remove the cables on the slip ring from the Christmas tree stand, a cable to the light chain and a cable to the plug. Then I remove the lid. I activate the music boxes and first of all listen to the great music and see how everything works, really captivating to watch. I now dismantle the music boxes completely, remove the old paint and grind the brass with the cordless screwdriver and steel wire attachment. Then I reassemble the music boxes, applying grease or oil to all mechanically stressed parts. Here you have to pay attention to the mechanism that switches back and forth between the songs. The wooden base plate is now processed with the orbital sander and then the holes are closed with wood glue so that the screws get more hold again later. I coat the base plate with water and black powder stain. The paint from the holder for the tree is removed with paint stripper, then sprayed again with black can varnish. So that the dents go out of the lid, I knock them out with a piece of wood and a hammer and then I polish the surface to a high gloss. Now I can reinstall the inner components and align them with one another. Since I created a new connection between the holder and the base frame, it now holds better. The slip ring to which the chain of lights is connected is set up. The cables to the light chain and to the connector are soldered on again, don't forget shrink tubing ;). Now this antique Christmas tree stand, from 1900, with its 2 music boxes is ready for the upcoming season. Merry Christmas!
▬ Good to know ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
My wife inherited this beautiful Christmas tree stand from her grandparents. It is over 120 years old and in good condition. Many people have tried to improve it over time. I installed the slip ring that transfers the electricity for the chain of lights from the plug to the lights about 3 years ago. This is used again. I will hardly make any changes to the interior of the case, nor will I apply any new paint. I will clean everything inside and apply oil to all components to protect them from rust.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about this Christmas tree stand, only that it was built around 1900 by the J. C. Eckardt company, in Germany. Inside is a mechanism with 2 music boxes, each of which can play 2 songs. A toggle switch moves the role (where the songs are on) back and forth and thus a different melody is always played.
I used the following tools: cordless screwdriver, wire brush, foil to cover up, knife, file, various sanding attachments, sandpaper, paint spray, orbital sander, black wood stain, brush, bench grinder, polishing disc, polish, kitchen towel, soldering iron, solder, cable holder, shrink tube, lighter, Side cutter
It took me about 14 hours to restore, without the paint drying time.
▬ Chapter ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 View the Christmas tree stand from all sides
1:20 Completely disassemble the stand
4:24 New parts have to be made
4:43 The music boxes are cleaned, partly restored, oiled, greased and put back together again
7:06 Browning the screws for the music boxes
7:18 The gears and the frame are cleaned and protected from rust with oil
7:42 The wooden base plate is sanded with an orbital sander, the edge is sanded with sandpaper and the holes are sealed with glue
8:26 The wooden base plate is coated with black wood stain
9:04 The color of the bracket for the Christmas tree is removed with a paint stripper and a wire brush
9:47 New paint is sprayed on the holder
10:01 Bumps and deformations from the lid are knocked out with a hammer
10:39 The hood is polished to a high gloss on the bench grinder
11:09 The assembly of the gear train with the two levers and the restored music boxes
13:57 The lid is screwed on
14:27 The new connection between the bracket and the base frame is established (turned parts from the lathe and Allen screw)
14:39 The connector is re-soldered to the slip ring and insulated with shrink tubing
15:49 A little magic trick on how to solder very quickly ;)
16:00 The assembly is finished, everything is presented
16:26 System test
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