My First Kin of Grapes for the Season

[jobe05]

Found these at a local farmer market. The vendor had about 20 pounds of each, so I bought them all. He's getting me another 25 pounds of each this weekend, so I should have enough for 6 gallons of each. The muscadines are very "Foxy" tasting and the scuppernong are very sweet. There were a couple pounds of green ones in the scuppernong, so I picked them out and set them to the side for a few days to see if they would ripen some more.

The Muscadine are very good, all are ripe to perfection and juicy:

The scuppernong are awesome!

All are now washed and put away safely in the freezer.........


That is till I get this cleaned up and ready...............

I had to get this, as ugly as it is right now, a little cleaning will make pressing 90 pound of fruit so much easier. Can't wait to get started!Edited by: jobe05

 

[Waldo]

If you have a facility that does it jobe I would look into having it powder coated . I don't think it would be that expensive to have it done

 

[jobe05]

I was going to take it some where and get it either acid dipped or sand blasted, then figure out what would be a safe coating to put on it to protect the metal, and be safe for the fruit. All suggestions welcome.

 

[Waldo]

Pssssttt Jobe,,,,Over here....No......Over here !! Behind the bushes...Listen man..I didn't wanna say anything out there in the forum where everyone could hear me but man you can't be going round calling them fine Muscadines and Scupes "grapes" . Im a feered it might even put a jinx on your wine ya make from em. Yeah, I knows they are kin and everything jobe but sometimes ya know its jes better that some folk dont know who your kin is man....I know buddy...your still a learning and I am too. I jes felt I wouldnt be a doing my friend right iffen I let it just slide. No..heck no..I ain't mad at ya. Now sneak back over ther and see iffen ya can change that topic fore anyone else sees it but us....yeah, yeah, yer welcome man...now dont be a slobberin all over me ,,,jes go and do it..

Edited by: Waldo

 

[jobe05]

PSsst......... Waldo............. Done...........


Shhh....... No one will know......

 

[Waldo]

Bwahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[NorthernWinos]

What ever they are, or whom ever they are related to...they look scrumptious!!!

 

[paubin]

Boy oh brother use guys are lucky! Us yankees up ova here cant get good nothin in da suppa mahkets. Heck I dont even have a fahma's mahket! (Translation: Damm, your lucky, blaa, blaa, blaa)

Pete

 

[dfwwino]

Jobe,


I just bought a press similar to yours on Ebay with a similar rust condition. I used a circular wire brush attachment on my drill to remove most of the rust. Waldo, where could I find a local facility to apply the powder coating? What type of place would do that?

 

[jobe05]

DFW: I, like yourself probably don't have the availability of a local company that can do this. I called a lot of people in the phone book who do anything from plating, to sand blasting. If I owned anything from a front bumper of a 57 ford that I wanted completely done and chromed for a few hundred bucks, to a brick highrise I wanted sand blasted, I could get their attention. When you tell them that you have a fruit press, they don't care, and can't help ya.....


My plan is now similar to yours. Sand with a wire brush (drill mounted), coat and let sit with some naval gel, or the like (lowes has a spray) that will eat away the rust in those hard to reach rust pitted areas, then find something food grade to coat it with, even if it's an oil of sorts that I will have to clean off each time before use. I guess the main thing would be to get it clean and keep it clean between uses. At least till such time I can get something permanantly done, at a reasonable cost.


Edit: I just found this........ Looks interesting, I'll have to try it:


http://antique-engines.com/electrol.aspEdited by: jobe05

 

[Waldo]

Heads up guys...Do a google search for a home powder coating kit. A friend at work told me today that they just came out with one and you can do anything that you can get in you oven at home. The kit comes complete with everything needed. Ill be looking for you too

 

[jobe05]

I found this:


http://cgi.ebay.com/COMPLETE-POWDER-COATING-SYSTEM-PAINT-GUN-COAT-KIT-NEW_W0QQitemZ330028453857QQihZ014QQcategoryZ22779QQcmdZViewItem


Prices vary so much on different kits, and they all come completely different lokking, and in the way they work. It would be hard to say that the more it cost the better it would be, this model, would appear to be the better (looking) of most of the lower end kits I've seen.

 

[dfwwino]

Waldo,


For us lawyers, errr shysters, please realize we are shysters because we are inept at do-it-yourself projects (unless they involve the production of alcohol). What does powder coating do for you? I have cleaned my press with a wire brush and was planning to spray it with "The Must for Rust" and then paint the basket (non-cast iron) with a rustoleum paint.

 

[jobe05]

OK Waldo, I bought a powder Coat system much like the one I posted a link to earlier. It doesn't come with the paint (powder) so I will have to order some for this project. I'm thinking a red straining basket and everything else Black....... Dunno yet. But I now have a powder coat system! My wife is going to shoot me................

 

[Waldo]

Looks like a good deal jobe. As for your better half, Powder Coat something really purdy for her and you'll be ok man

Edited by: Waldo

 

[grapeman]

Or else you could get her a fancy face powder and a nice coat(I'd say fur, but that would date me-ancient)

 

[jobe05]

Just got back from Cana Va., with another 45 pounds of scuppernog and 23 pounds of muscadines. Couldn't take pictures, I just wanted to get them cleaned, bagged and in the freezer. Also got a pumpkin pie pumkin, 47 pounds for $2.49 total, couldn't beat that so I had to get it to try my hand at pumkin wine. I seen a lot of people make it last year and looked interesting, thought I would try it this year.

 

[jobe05]

OK Waldo, Based on your recommendation, and several hundred dollars later, my fruit press went from this:

To This:

Very pleased with the very hard and durable finish. I had some areas that I wasn't happy with, so I tried sanding, nothing! Filed it, nothing! This stuff is incredible!


I'm going to let it cure for about a week now then Ill start crushing some grapes...... Ummm I mean Muscadines.............

Edited by: jobe05

 

[NorthernWinos]

WOW!!!! What a transformation...incredible!!!!

 

[Joanie]

Jobe, THAT is beautiful!!!!!!!! Amazing work!!!!