Surprising Design in an Antique Fire Extinguisher. Testing and Restoration. 

Have a great weekend everybody! I've been working on new additions to my Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/farmcraft101. And don't forget to check out Kevin's channel if you are interested: ru-vid.com.

it amazes so many how efficient such simple technology still is, but when you look back at how long these were in use it really makes sense. There is something to be said for the "KISS" method. Keeping it simple but elegant will never go out of style. ♥

Great job on the restoration. Came out great. Just a little warning. Whenever you attempt to charge and use one of these as either a demonstration or just playing around, keep exposed skin away from the nozzle when you invert it. The first few ounces of liquid that come out are more often than not, mostly straight (or nearly straight) acid.

I vicariously restored my fire extinguisher by watching this video 😄. Seeing all the work "we" put in, I dont have the urge to restore "another" ...WE did a great job! 👍

another underrated video

man your restorations always come out amazing, at least you take your time and do it the right way unlike 99% of restoration channels. keep up the amazing work and hope to see more cool project's like this in the future!!

Just happened to visit your site since joining awhile back and found you working with the fire extinguisher. I happen to have one that came from my two-room grade school in Grape Creek, Illinois. My father was on the three-man school board at that time, in the late 1940s, and I was helping him to get the school ready for the fall session. Those old extinguishers were being replace with newer models and dad gave me one but I had to discharge it. So I did, outside. I still have the unit and it is far better shape than the one you were given. so I've not done any work on it. One of my heirs will inherit it soon, I'm 84.

Fantastic job! Yesterday my wife came to me with a solid copper mixing bowl, after trying the paste solution and asked it I could improve on it. I put a wire cup brush on my cordless side grinder and followed up with Scotch Brite, and got it back to looking like new.

Nice restoration! I got ahold of one of those in the first radio station I worked for (they were just in accounting & sales, CO2 in engineering spaces). Insuror required a change to ABC extinguishers, and the folks that sold them to us were nice enough to offer to haul off the old SA extinguishers. I snagged one and turned it into a nice lamp.

Fantastic results. Lovely piece of functional art. Really enjoy all of your videos.

John, as a long time sailor I’ve had a lot of experience with brasso and polishing. Your beautiful fire extinguisher will quickly collect fingerprints like ants to sugar. To make that shine last I’d suggest spraying it with lacquer.

Awesome Video!

Im so glad you left the dog trying to eat the cow pie - your videos have some good laughs in them

Johnson, squirting extinguisher, getting the paint off. But the jealous dog segment was even more hilarious. Scratch me! Ooh poop! lol

As always GREAT!

My grandpa used to paint letters that he welded on his “creations”. He would apply grease to the top and then paint. Afterward he would wipe off the paint from the top. Not very precise but other applications of a similar idea might work. Great video. You are one of my top creators. I rank you up there with Astrophysics and machinist videos because of your thought process and your effort to do things right. Always interesting and rewarding to watch!!! Keep it up!!! Go Ukraine.

I saw your ask, so I watched and enjoyed the video-as I have many videos showing how old things work. Considering why people watch your videos to make title and image may help with consistent views? I like learning how old things work-and you do a great job at figuring it out and sharing that adventure. A title like “spraying this 1940’s extinguisher” and image of it spraying-or before/after mirror might draw me in? I like to know how/why old things work-and see inside mechanical things gadgets as simple things are best. The title inferred that exactly, but I didn’t think I’d be interested until I realized it was your video and started watching! I hope this feedback was helpful-but I can’t see how it can be lol! -I enjoy your work-thank you.

Very nice!!! I’m always impressed with your work!

Amazing! Supercool to see /Henrik

When painting with a rattle can, Light fog coat first, let tack, then work up to final heavy shine coat.

Nice and careful restoration. Great job!

Very beautiful restoration, thank you for sharing your amazing story. God bless you and your family.

you can use an air hose from an auto shop to replace the old hose on the extinguisher. Thats how i did mine.

Great video! I had absolutely no idea this is how fire extinguishers used to work. I was surprised how well it actually worked and how long it ran for.

I love it. BRAVO. I am fascinated with creative and innovative builders, crafters, repairers, etc. I am referring you to two other RU-vid channels I have, or do, follow. One is a restorer of old tools (great sense of humor): Hand Tool Rescue. The other is a creative (kinda kooky) inventory/builder of pretty useless things: Colin Furze. He has a very cool workshop you would probably enjoy seeing. Plus, he built a fantastical tunnel under his yard!

When painting raised letters like that, apply a thin coat of Vaseline to whatever you don't want painted. Then paint. When paint dries, just wipe with a cloth. The Vaseline will come right off and that part will not have paint on it.

The salt is the abrasive and the vinegar is the cleaner. The flour congeals the solution and makes it less runny and more sticky. You could also coat it with ketchup and it would do the same thing just would have to leave it overnight. :)

When we were kids, we used to use salt and lemons to clean and polish the copper bottoms of moms pots and pans. It could have worked pretty well on this too.

I'd have agreed that the fire was not technically completely extinguished. I wouldnot have expected it to completely burn down after this though. Intresting!

I have one of those too and I was thinking of making a stand light out of it. I am waiting until I can find another cap so I can revert it back if I need to. Great job!

Great video! I learned so much, thanks!

Nice video! Hope you'll make a new cannon pour sometime soon..

Can't see anything wrong with this video. I really enjoued it! Just like all your videoes. :)

10:20 I was expecting the classic explosion joke

That 1:1:1 (by volume) salt, vinegar and flour mix seemed to work well for getting the oxides off, I'll need to remember that!

Good!

Next time you do a "seal" joke, I think it would be funny to mix in a photo of the singer Seal - (Kiss From a Rose) (Batman movie) as a change up.

The U.S. Navy uses a chemical for all "verdigris" on copper & brass. It's called "bug juice". Commonly called red "cool aid"! Verdigris is the name for the green stuff! Peace brother!✌😎🏴‍☠️

Nice quality video. One issue i have just as a bottle guy. Get that milk bottle outta there. That thing was from the 20's or 30's. Im pretty sure there are nicer options for replacement bottles for the long run. Look through those loft bottles. I have a few and those fit the bill for some nicer ones.

So be it. Cough no more!

just a tip i have spray painted overtop of old letters on bucket trucks drippin with grease and hydraulic fluid and ETHER works really well at degreasing stuff ...spray it whipe it and the air vaporizes kinda like alcohol does spray it again whipe it ...PAINT ALL DAY LONG no beads no runs .. ;)

Simplicity of design and if you had access to H2SO4 from the local hardware store, you could maintain it yourself quite easily.

Beautiful restoration job! Doesn't the acid come in different strengths? How do you know what %age to use?

This is awesome. My grandfather had one on his porch. Maybe it was functional, I'm not sure, they had a wood stove there for a long time.

Go over how to read a dial caliper and take inside and outside measurements.

American farmers have had a long tradition of putting down their pitchforks and picking up their battle rifles when the call was put out. The last few months have shown us that the farmers of Ukraine are no different.

That's really cool. I have one of these that I got for my birthday when I was 12 or 13, mine is chrome instead of copper. Missing the bottle and bottle holder, and it's got a slot cut in the lid so it can be used as a coin bank. I tell ya, when it's full of spare change it is NOT LIGHT!

You need a sandblaster for that cap.

You can make it more effective as a fire extinguisher by adding a teaspoon of dishsoap to it

Cool

I enjoyed the video ! Maybe emphasize on the restoration more than the "genius idea" and a thumbnail with the fire being extinguished ? Really odd that it didn't work that much it's very great !

I got one of these at a Flea Market on time. I still have it ! Is there any kind of a cap you can put on the bottle inside in case you slop that around by mistake and get the acid to go off. Just asking. John, can you bead blast the parts to clean them up. Hard to paint parts if not cleaned very well. Nice job.

I always assumed those were hand pumped up. I've never seen one up close, just from afar or in photos or TV. Cool, thanks John. I learned something!

I believe it was called the Johnson mk 1 extinguisher - if it wasn’t then it should have been

17:38 Pickling Play-doh?

reason they were outlawed was bcuae the hose could get clogged (mud daubers, chewing gum, broken pencil. I m a retired firefighter and a firefighter in Florida in early 60 s was demonstrating one and forgot to check hose for blockage, it exploded killing him. They were soon oulawed

The proper way to clean copper is with citric acid mixed with hot water.

Plus the co2 gas is playing a role in the suffocation of the fire

Yeah dude I have the bell on and I didn't get notified

New from Johnson Antique Fire Extinguisher LOL

pre mix the water and soda ,,,,,, coat with Johnson past wax ,,, in the service everbody coated the brass with past wax

I dont know if its an artifact in the video but at 6:36 in the mid to bottom left corner of the screen I think I see another crack in the lead.

Rubber hardening can be caused by oxidative rubber degradation if the acid is too acidic rubber can't handle that and acid would just eat it up

Was the acid you used concentrated suphuric or is it diluted with water. Reason I ask is that it didn;t seem to have nearly the amount of pressure that it should. Back in the 1970s I worked for a fire extinguisher maintenance shop and I discharged and recharged hundreds of these soda acid types. On average once turned upside down the spray would reach a distance of about 50 feet and it would take about 50 seconds to completely expel all the liquid. Being it took yours about 3 minutes to discharge and there was still water in it leads me to suspect that you didn't get a complete reaction. In the long run however it might be a good thing. Since the extinguisher probably hasn't been hydro statically tested in a very long time it may not be able to withstand full operating pressure.

Well when you do a half ass test, with half azz'd ingredients. You already know what you get. I've restored probably 200 of these. And with a quality acid and a proper nozzle the results can be kinda spectacular. I pressure test all mine to 200 psi for 15min. "Quick fire" manufactured a 4gal model that was supposed to generate 350psi

No clue why this video is "bad" I liked it.

You need a sandblaster

The red you used isn't quite the correct tone . These were more of a fire red. (Orange red). This looks like a pure red. When I do these i use oil based paint. And a cleaning cloth to wipe the letters. I use turpentine on the rag. The cloth needs to be moist not stopping wet. Did you refill it?

Buffing wheel makes shine nicer, fyi.

That's what happens when your Johnson gets older... Back in the '70s, I worked on a college campus. We changed out hundreds of those extinguishers and had to empty every one of them. What a PITA that was.

👍👍👍

That is what happens to old johnsons. The pressure drops.

So what would happen if you put Coke in the tank, and menthos in the bottle?

I thought it was very good

The job took longer than expected? I say to my wife, "Yeah, it's a ten minuet job". She reply's, "I'll see you in two or three hours then". (No joke).

Would they have had any kind oil slick on the acid to keep the fumes in check? Yes, on the Ukraine, btw!

We’re can i get that shirt?

My project on one of these stalled out because after cleaning, the copper color disappeared, and it was a much more brassy color like the panel on the front. It was extremely frustrating, and I've got no idea what I did wrong

Great job mate, stand strong Ukraine.

LMAO Solvent incompatibility usually between wet lacquer and dry enamel. Salt + Vinegar + Copper Salts are ok, but if you add Aluminum to that the reaction is destructive (IE dont set an item you are cleaning in an aluminum pot or tray). I would have tried first simply a Mule Team Borax in hot water with an Aluminum foil base and let it battery clean first, the patina of past uses of sulfuric acid splashing on the copper gives some 'used through time' to it.

KETCHUP... works very well but any vinegar base will do just fine.

very good video! learned few things again Slava Ukraini!!!!

So let me see... when you're not playing with your Johnson or getting wood, you are spraying??! Careful my friend, don't want you to get demonetised. 😂😂❤ Great vid as per usual.

use ketchup works good on my still

👍👍😂😂

For the letters you can use a large flat piece of wood or metal, stick some fine sandpaper to it and use that to take off only the high spots of paint (that is covering the letters).

One other thing... If you were ever planning to really use it. The glass acid bottle is supposed to have a lead stopper in it that falls out when turned upside down. It's just enough to seal in the acid against being splashed out into the soda water accidently.

I do actually remember these, also another type where you had to invert and strike a plunger on the ground this drove a pin through a glass vial of acid. As a kid I found some of these vials and carried them home in my pockets! No ill effects!!

I think the inner container was slide up from the bottom and then the cap at the bottom was pushed in and then they rolled that seem at the bottom area to crimp it all together 😀 the reason it's so obvious is that the hose is threaded into the inner vesal, that means the inner vessel was built and drilled, tapped before installing into the copper outer skin.

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed it! Once again reaffirming that FarmCraft101 is my favourite channel on RU-vid. I love the variety of subject matter that we get to experience here. Thanks for making this video! 😎👍 It's so cool how simple and effective this old style of fire extinguisher is.

I'm a babyboomer, those were pretty common when I was growing up. I had no idea how they worked until your demo. Nice restoration.

I love it man what a great video!! Your my kinda guy I love the don’t cough on me shirt haha and the stand strong Ukraine!!

Very cool. For a fully functional restoration don't you still need to replace the lead plug on the glass flask? I assume that helps keep the acid from spilling or evaporating.

Many years ago my grandfather had 8 of these extinguishers hanging in his used machinery warehouse where I worked a high school job. The place was large and customers could browse without too much oversite. I caught site of a customer just closing his trunk on two of these copper antiques. I said hi and asked what he put in his trunk. He hemmed and hawed a bit just as all heck broke loose and fluid started streaming from the back of his car. He had no idea how these worked. Sheepishly opening the trunk he viewed the mess and turned over the pilfered extinguishers.

I think we should nickname you "Gulliver". If you'll recall, the main character in the Johnathan Swift book Gulliver's Travels, named Gulliver, is normal sized but he comes across a land of miniature people, the Lilyputians, and when he sees a Lilyputian house on fire, he rushes over and urinates on the miniature house and saves the day. There, that's my "johnson comment" you asked for!

Probably the most known example of this style fire extinguisher was used by Doc Brown in Back to the Future to put out his wastebin fire of oily rags after the “crude model” demonstration. I happen to have the exact same one you just restored.

I grew up in the era of that type of fire extinguisher and I seem to remember that the acid container had a weighted cap that just set on top. It would keep the acid container sealed and would fall free when the extinguisher was turned over for use.

Saw your post for why this did poorly. I think the algorithym bit you beacause I watch every video ASAP and didnt even see this one in my feed.. Bummer. Will watch now though!!

Thanks for the Ukraine support. My son is in Poland currently. Go 4th Inf.

The only reason that it will not work is the acid gets weak. Also ensure that the hose is clear other wise boom that's why they were taken out of service.