Accessories

Repair and restoration of samovars: saving authentic decor

Such an original piece of furniture, like a samovar, evokes a touch of antiquity in the room and creates a special noble atmosphere. Such an original piece of furniture, like a samovar, casts a veil of antiquity in the room and creates a special noble atmosphere.Today, in very rare cases, a samovar is used as a water heater. If we are talking about an electric samovar, then it fulfills its functions to a greater extent, but even repairs will not save the so-called grandmother’s samovars (in the sense that they are unlikely to brew tea in them). Indeed, a samovar today is a luxurious interior element. And in the kitchen, and in some cases, in the living room, it can become a design highlight. But here it would be appropriate to say about such a concept as the restoration of samovars, because it is the transformation of these utensils that is consonant with the decorative purposes of using samovars.

DIY samovar repair: how to do it right

If we talk about overhaul, that is, not only decorative, it can consist of many points.

Repair of samovars may include:

  • Body straightening;
  • Elimination of the causes of leakage of pipes and faucets, handles, etc .;
  • Elimination of cracks;
  • Anti-scale;
  • Tinning;
  • Replacement of parts of a samovar with a preliminary selection;
  • Cleaning the case;
  • Final polishing of the case after cleaning.

Repair or restoration of a samovar also includes the replacement of a pipe with a preliminary selection Repair or restoration of a samovar also includes the replacement of a pipe with a preliminary selection

Restoration is usually done by professionals, but if you know some of the basics of the technology for repairing such things, self-repair restoration is quite real.

By the way, if you are the owner of an old samovar, volumes of 15-20 liters, even the highest quality restoration is unlikely to help it become an active subject for tea drinking. Well, if you are going to restore small samovars, then it is quite possible to return them to their original functionality..

How samovars are restored (video)

Tinning a samovar: do it yourself

Metal utensils have one unpleasant property – air and ordinary food products act in such a way that over time, the surface of such utensils oxidizes. And oxidation entails covering the surface with a film, which poses a certain threat to human health..

So that such a misfortune does not happen to your samovar, tinning is necessary. That is, the surface of the samovar, the one that comes into contact with water, will be covered with a layer of metal, which is less susceptible to external influences. Most often, such a layer is represented by tin, and the tin plating process is called tin plating. By the way, not only a samovar, but also an ordinary pot, a cast iron can be given over to this preventive procedure, which is neither particularly costly nor very complicated..

Tinning is one of the most important restoration steps Tinning is one of the most important restoration steps

Tinning a samovar at home:

  • Clean the inner surface of the samovar with sandpaper – dirt and oxidation must have collected there.
  • After that, the samovar inside must be rinsed very well with water..
  • Then you need to rub the samovar inside with either ammonia or soldering acid.
  • After that, put the samovar on the stove, melt a little tin in it and rub it thoroughly with tow. A half-layer (tin plating) layer should be on the entire inner surface.
  • At the end of the work, you must make sure that there is a layer of tin on the entire inner surface, dense and even.

If possible, take pure tin for tinning, without such harmful impurities as lead and zinc. Tin can cover not only the inner layer, but all parts of the samovar in contact with water.

Repair of cracks in the case (video)

How to get rid of limescale in a samovar: the right method

Without solving this problem, the repair of the samovar is not possible. Scale is a sediment that appears as a result of boiling low-quality water. In fact, you can use mass-market synthetic products designed to remove scale in electric kettles. But you can also make your own product for combating scale or several at once.

To get rid of scale in a samovar, you will need:

  • Any store-bought product with a minimum of components (cheap and relatively natural);
  • Lemons;
  • Lemon acid;
  • Vinegar;
  • Potato peelings.

The first method is the easiest, but not the most environmentally friendly. Subject the samovar to the steps that are prescribed by the instructions on the tool. Be sure to rinse it with water after all the manipulations have been completed..

To easily get rid of scale in a samovar, boiling a carbonated drink in it for several minutes will help. To easily get rid of scale in a samovar, boiling a carbonated drink in it for several minutes will help. "sprite"

The second method: pour a whole bottle of acetic acid into a filled samovar, heat the water in the samovar to 60 degrees, do not boil. Let this mixture sit in the samovar for about an hour, then rinse it off. Other acids should not be used, they are more aggressive. That is, their danger is not only in particles that may have remained on the walls of the samovar, but also in toxic vapors during the action of the acid.

Do-it-yourself samovar (video)

How to save a samovar from scale with lemon and potatoes

There are a couple more reliable ways that will solve the problem..

You can remove scale as follows:

  • Lemon acid. Pour thirty grams of lemons into the samovar. Boil the water, leave this solution in the samovar for 10-12 hours. Then rinse the samovar thoroughly without any special means..
  • Lemons. Cut 4-5 lemons into circles or wedges, put into a samovar. Cover with water and boil. And then, as in the method with lemon, water with lemons will “work” for 12 hours, after which you drain it along with scale, rinse with water.
  • Peeling potatoes. Place the well-rinsed cleanings inside the samovar. Fill with water, boil, leave for 5-10 hours. Then rinse the walls with baking soda and a sponge.

Lemon slices will cope with scale if the product stays inside the samovar long enough Lemon slices will cope with scale if the product stays inside the samovar long enough

Each method is effective. A forbidden trick is a metal brush or knife. You just deform the walls of the samovar, such victims are not worth the fight against scale.

Samovar business (video master class)

Restoration is a lot of work that starts with such mundane little things as descaling and tinning. Well, then you act according to the circumstances – either replace the bad elements, or fix the cracks and carry out the final work, the decor of the samovar.

Success!

Restoration of samovars (photo)