Thank You And Rest In Peace John Wilson
Updated: Sep 4
This month was another month lacking in the fishing department, so I thought I'd share a restoration project I've been working on.
I bought this very dishevelled-looking box online and thought it would make an ideal addition to my shed. It was advertised as a 'Vintage Fishing Tackle Box'. It was about an hour away, and I bought it for £12.71.
The box sat in the corner of the shed for just over a year as I didn't really know where to start. Then, one day during the summer, I decided to make a start and gave it a really good clean with hot, soapy water.
The pine on the outside had been painted black, and once I'd cleaned the dirt and grime away, I could see the carved dovetail joints.
The drawers also had carefully hand-carved joints, good-quality fronts, and I replaced the original plastic handles with brass handles.
Meanwhile, I had removed all the brass fittings - hinges, catches, and the lock. I put them in lemon juice and olive oil, which loosened the black paint and years of dirt enough to remove it with a cloth.
I replaced the worn and damaged plywood at the front and back, then I sanded down all the black paint on the outside to reveal the grain as much as possible. I sanded the drawers, stained the back, and varnished the fronts, then lined the insides with new felt.
After giving the brass fittings a good clean, I put everything back together. Finally, I added some foam to the inside of the cover and slotted in some old floats. Then I put all the bits and pieces and odds and ends I've collected into the drawers. A pretty good job all in all.
It was very sad to hear of the passing of John Wilson, who has been an inspiration to many anglers, including myself. I remember watching Go Fishing as a youngster, transfixed by John, with his knowledge, enthusiasm, humour and love of fishing and his appreciation of nature.
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