Oh how I adored the antique store scales seen in so many vintage farmhouse kitchens. I looked online now and again and was delighted to finally find one on ebay that was the style I was looking for and was located in Australia.
It was a Dayton scale from Dayton, Ohio USA, a company famous for it's scales which eventually became IBM. These scales are not easy to find in Australia, whereas in the US they are much more common.
Unfortunately the scales were in bad shape, broken glass, and more than a little wear and tear....But I wasn't going to let that keep me from my dream scales!
So, it was nearly a week before the ebay auction was due to be finalised, I didn't make a bid until the last few hours in case anyone else out there in cyberland was eyeing my prize, can't give yourself away, best to lull potential shopping rivals into a false sense of security! It turns out I was the only bidder, anybody else that had passed by this diamond in the rough had kept on going - seems I was the only one who was crazy, foolish, gullible, brave enough to take her on.
Collecting this time worn treasure I had secured with such delight was somewhat of a marathon, the seller lived 3 hours away and wasn't keen to post or courier it - it's no light weight. But thanks to the powers that be who look over the scruffy vintage stuff obsessed, the seller was happy to hold it for a few weeks for me. (I had checked if this was possible prior to bidding - I'm not that crazy to bid and ask later!).
So I collected my treasure on the way past travelling with friends several weeks later. On returning to the car with my coveted scales held close, I'm sure my friends were wondering if I was mentally safe to travel with as I thought this piece of junk was worth the to detour to collect? But I knew all would be well, I could already see in my mind's eye how this would be transformed.
The part I loved the most on this scale was the lovely cast brass decorative moulding on the side without the broken glass. It had a serial number stamped on it and also the Style No. 167 across the top. I sent a request to an online scale restoration company in the USA for more information and they were very kind to let me know that my Dayton Candy Scale was manufactured between 1910 and 1920, so already an antique or at the very least will be 100% so in 2020.
A hundred plus years of service and now this scale had landed on it's perished rubber feet when it found a home with me.
I removed the main parts of the scale, took out the glass and had a new piece for the broken side made to fit. I sanded back the old paintwork feathering out the large areas of damage, cleaning off decades of grime and polishing the metal parts without removing too much of the patina, I wanted the scale to still have areas of wear. I just didn't want it looking too worn considering it was going in my kitchen were cleanliness was important.
NOTE: I wore a mask whilst sanding as old paint often contains lead - better safe than sorry.
I found some new rubber feet online that need to still go on the base and also on the arms that hold the dish once they arrive.
A week or so after her arrival and here she is - the best she has looked most likely and literally for decades!
