Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

A couple of us here traded e-mails yesterday asking this question. Besides Doug Bruce, does anyone have any recommendation of a Craftsmen that is very good at restoring Model-A stainless parts?

To be clear, I am not necessarily looking for someone who can just buff what is there, ...instead I am seeking someone who can straighten/remove dents in stainless lamps, TIG weld a shell or cowl band, and then work those pieces to look as good as when they were new? Anyone have any recommendations?

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Walt Bratton did it years ago, That is how he got started into Model A stuff.. Maybe some sweet talk could get him to do some ??..

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

I thought Doug Bruce was done.

Check out the higher end shows/concourses there is usually at least one SS restorer showing their skills. I have a card from a guy in Houston (if I can find it) that I got from such a show; sorry that won't help you in TN

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Yes, Doug is basically finished. Mitch & I had this discussion a year or two ago, and unfortunately age is something that affects us all. In Doug's defense though, in his day he was one of the top Model-A stainless restorers in the country!

Fred, it is funny that you said that because in an e-mail yesterday I said the same thing about asking if we thought we could get Walt to come out of retirement. There has been a bunch of top quality stainless restorers thru the years but it seems now there is a large void in that area of the restoration industry.

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

I don't know anything about these guy's but they usually are at the Daytona Beach Turkey Rod Run and have nice show pieces. I have asked them if they could do my 31 radiator shell and they said yes but I have yet to be brave enough to send it to them. Maybe someone here knows more?

http://jmrestorations.com/

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

One of the two biggest things that Doug Bruce was able to do (-which made most of his customer's happy) is he could weld a tear in the stainless and after it was polished you could not tell from the front side any type of repair was made (no porosity nor discoloration).

Doug also had a way of being able to make the sides of a stainless radiator shell just as smooth and without waves. I'm not really sure how he accomplished this.

I am not suggesting this is the case with anyone recommended above but so often I have seen work by stainless restorers where the sides were wavy and/or the welded areas of the stainless would be a different color (more yellow than blue).

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Brent,

Tom Moniz and I have talked about this,...I was going to do some "practice
pieces" for him, for his cars. He knows I do aircraft SS, very thin, light
weight parts. He hasn't sent me anything to do yet....

The questions I would ask is this,...
What kind of filler rod do you use?

When I have fix/repair SS or Aluminum and it needs to match in color,
I will have the customer supply me with a downer part(another parent
part) and cut it up for filler material. If I have downer material, I'll use
my stuff..

What size tungsten rod?

For the very light stuff, I've been using,.. .040". It starts very easy
and won't blow a hole in the parent. Lately, I started using "solar flux",
it works well,.......but I haven't tried it on anything as light as a shell,
yet. You use it on the back side of the weld...

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

well for what it is worth Doug did a super duper job on my '31 shell and cowl band 20 yrs ago

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Dudley, I think you are very correct in using a "donor shell" as the filler for a weld. I just sent about 20 shells to the scrap yard and so I do not have anything to send (at the moment) for you to practice on however I am betting Steve Becker would have some shells that are too far gone to restore that would make great practice pieces.

It also might be worth calling Doug Bruce to see if he would share some insight into how he was doing it. I feel certain much of his success was due to having fixtures & jigs to hold delicate pieces from becoming 'damaged' during the restoration process. Again, for the right person, this area of restoration would make a great cottage-type industry and generate a decent part-time income.

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Years ago I worked at Elkay manufacturing. You know....the drinking fountains we all use on any given day. Well when the stainless pans are stamped out almost everyone tears at the corner. Every pan went through the repair booth to be welded and buffed. These guys were great and made what I thought was garbage look like mirrors! They tried to show me how to tig and fill the SS and it is safe to say that I was not nearly as talented as these guys who did this for many years. I agree with all the comments about the difficulty in doing good work.
I would like to know who can do this work as my radiator shell on my 30 has two small dents and a hole from a .22 that missed the radiator :)

Curt

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Thru my Mode A workings, 1st of all I did win "A Henry Award" ... Doug Bruce did ALL of my polishing and dent removal... Yes Doug is getting up in age (like a lot of us) BUT EVERY THING DOUG BRUCE has done for me has been great enough for me to win a "HENRY"... If Doug is able to work on Model A Parts, I guarantee you will receive an outstanding finished job...Jay

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

If you need a donor shell, let me know. I can send you one to practice on.

Steve Becker
Berts Model A Center

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

The Plating House in Toronto will do a excellent job. They've been in business for over 30 years and just do high end plating. The cost is reflected in the work. A SS Rad shroud will be at least $1500.00 Phone # 416-661-3964 Talk to John

John Poole The Old Tinbasher

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Doug is finished to some ! He got pissed off at some because of some of his pricing. [ It takes 40 plus hours on 1 S/S Shell. and he states of all the shells he has done before hand FORD never had a perfect left and right side [ waves in all of them ! ] but people wanted flat , straight down sides... you pay for what you get. He got pissed off over Ebay sales..A guy bought a carb. and complained about it [not show] so Doug refunded the guy before he received the carb. back... end of story- carb. never got back to Doug. I have a pair of head lights , cowl lights and caps there right now... not in any rush just when he gets to them [after the winter.] right now he is working on HIS new car [1935 Chevy 3 window coupe] sorry i could not bring myself owning a Chevy,,, i will look for another "A" in the near future...l.o.l. [ i just seen the price of a shell in Toronto.... Doug top show shell was $850.00 ...sure beats $1,500.00 ... They do a super job on Quails..but then again NOT CHEAP !

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

WOW !!, And I thought nickel plating was pretty high $$.. Glad I only have 2- 1928s..

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Ahh 'Bull**** Pete!! :mad::mad::mad:

Doug told me personally he was done with big stuff, ...and to my knowledge I NEVER complained about his prices. Some times I might have winced when I received the bill but I never said a word publicly!!

For the record, I just looked and since 12/04/2006, I have spent $8,958.75 paid with checks, another $1,162.10 with PayPal from eBay stuff he sold, ...and at Hershey in 2006 he sold me 3 shells at once that were paid in cash at a tune of $550, $600, & $750 for each one!! On 8/24/2007, I sent him a check for $3,450 to pay for 6 shells and 7 bands of mine that he restored which were picked up at Hershey that Fall. The best I can figure by looking back thru my register, he has restored a total of 16 or 17 shells for me plus many other items. Out of that entire lot, I have had one shell that I complained about because Doug's description did not match what the product was when it arrived. I never sent it back after we talked because he told me it was the best he could do. I just let it go. I paid him for 'show quality' and received 'driver quality'.

Next, I am the one that recommended Doug's services to Mitch. Then I even defended Doug's name when Mitch received his shell back and he was not pleased.

I feel sure I was never Doug's biggest customer however I feel like I have spent enough $$ with him over the years that if I had an issue, he should have reconsidered his position to make sure I was satisfied! I damned sure feel like I have 'paid my dues' with Doug that if he no longer wants to do work for me because I complained the one time, then so be it ...but I am not so sure what you/he is saying is gospel truth! BTW, I can back-up what I claim with a QuickBooks statements & PayPal receipts to Sue's account.

So back to the initial question above, who besides Doug Bruce, is doing quality Stainless restoration. .

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Fred, I have repeatedly said you can restore a 28/29 cheaper than a comparable 30/31.

Ironically, I just received an invoice for some correctly finished, show-quality plating done on (2) 1928 Shells, (2) Instrument panels, and (10) Hubcaps, and the total with freight & insurance, hazmat fees, etc. was $1,555.64. (BTW, this is the same place you are using.)

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

I will say he has done great work for me & that includes a SUPER "MINT" job on a 1928/29 Original Stanco Quail Radiator cap..

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

Hello BRENT , not to get your balls inflamed but Doug as i type is starting on a 1931 shell , headlights , cowl lights and a cowl band for a restoration shop doing a [ of course a 1931 Model "A"] .... AND SORRY TO SAY but i did not point a finger in your direction ! p.s that shell you sent him was DRIVER QUALITY to start with if its the same shell you got beat up on ebay ..there were splits on both sides 3 X as described. you send him crap you get decent crap back....plain and simple... and he does not walk on water ....

Re: Stainless Steel Restoration: Who to go to?
 

I believe you have me confused with someone else Pete. The shell I am speaking of is one I purchased outright from him.