Project description
I have inherited a weathered maritime compass and its matching binnacle stand that once served aboard a coastal trading vessel, and I am looking for an experienced restorer to bring both pieces back to full working order. The brass bowl housing the compass card has developed a heavy layer of verdigris around the gimbal rings, and the alcohol-dampened card itself has yellowed and partially separated from its pivot jewel.
The binnacle - a turned mahogany column with brass fittings - still holds its paired iron correcting spheres (Kelvin's balls) and the small oil lamp housing that once illuminated the card at night, but the lamp's chimney glass is cracked and the gimbal bearings are frozen with dried grease and rust.
Scope of work: disassemble the compass bowl and clean the brass housing and gimbal rings without stripping the existing patina or erasing the stamped maker's marks on the underside; inspect and, if needed, re-float the compass card in fresh damping fluid, checking that it settles level and swings freely on its pivot; polish the binnacle's brass trim and repair the mahogany column's veneer chips and water staining; replace the cracked lamp chimney with a period-appropriate hand-blown glass; free and re-lubricate the gimbal bearings so the bowl remains level regardless of the vessel's roll; and verify the correcting magnets and iron spheres still hold the compass reasonably true against a known heading.
I would like photos documenting each stage - before cleaning, mid-disassembly, and after reassembly - along with a short written report noting the compass card's type, the binnacle's construction, and any repairs performed. Please share examples of comparable brass nautical instrument restorations, an estimated cost breakdown for materials versus labor, and your projected timeline before we begin.
The binnacle - a turned mahogany column with brass fittings - still holds its paired iron correcting spheres (Kelvin's balls) and the small oil lamp housing that once illuminated the card at night, but the lamp's chimney glass is cracked and the gimbal bearings are frozen with dried grease and rust.
Scope of work: disassemble the compass bowl and clean the brass housing and gimbal rings without stripping the existing patina or erasing the stamped maker's marks on the underside; inspect and, if needed, re-float the compass card in fresh damping fluid, checking that it settles level and swings freely on its pivot; polish the binnacle's brass trim and repair the mahogany column's veneer chips and water staining; replace the cracked lamp chimney with a period-appropriate hand-blown glass; free and re-lubricate the gimbal bearings so the bowl remains level regardless of the vessel's roll; and verify the correcting magnets and iron spheres still hold the compass reasonably true against a known heading.
I would like photos documenting each stage - before cleaning, mid-disassembly, and after reassembly - along with a short written report noting the compass card's type, the binnacle's construction, and any repairs performed. Please share examples of comparable brass nautical instrument restorations, an estimated cost breakdown for materials versus labor, and your projected timeline before we begin.
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