1933 Electro-Hoist Digger
The Electro-Hoist was a project waiting to be done. The mechanics were all there and in pretty nice shape with the exception of the worm and drive gear. The mechanical parts, although filthy, would be the easy part of the restoration.
The wooden case was in sad shape. It came delivered to bright lime green with red accents. Two of the three pieces of glass were missing and just about every glue joint was broken. The biggest problem was that the bottom three or four inches of the cabinet were missing. It looks as if the machine sat on dirt and boring worms destroyed the bottom part of the cabinet.
After Stripping the cabinet of many layers of paint, the original wood appears. It looks to be made of birch. Now the fun begins...
As can be seen from the one picture, a bottom was temporary made of pine for shipping purposes. Once these shipping braces were removed, the damage was evident. Once the case was reglued and squared, lines were drawn on case where the damaged materials would be removed. A guide was clamped to the cabinet and a circular saw with a good blade was used to straighten up the wooden sides.
A new frame was then fabricated out of 1 1/2" ash stock. This was the same type of material already present on the back of the case. The joints were mortised and glued.
Once the frame work dried, the new side panels were slide into the openings. These were made from 1/4" birch plywood. The front and two bottom side pieces, also made of birch, were tongue and grooved just like the original.
Four adjustable feet were attached to the ash frame and the cabinet was turned right side up and finally looked like a cabinet again. The base floor was made out of 1/2" plywood and attached for rigidity.
The side door and front door were also made of birch. Three-quarter solid wood panels were glued together and fitted to the openings. Door locks were inserted similar to when the machine was originally built.
Several coats of stain was applied after much sanding. On the new wood, a darker stain was mixed with the other stain to match the older wood. Several coats of polyurethane was applied to restore the case to its' former glory.
Time to start reinstalling some of parts including the coin mechanism, the front gift door, the direction selector, and the mirror. The mirror is original and shows its' age.
