No5. Mills Restoration: Thanks Millsman!

[adammack]

I obtained this No5 Mills from a Facebook group for £45 including postage!!! The seller priced it so low as it had some small chips. He also had a very rusty semi-relic No 36 for £55. The grenade body has no visible foundry marks, so it's origin is unknown. I also received had an unmarked filler screw, centre tube and a 1/17 dated CAV base plug for a No23 and a relic lever. The seller also threw in another two relic levers, ring and pin, an unmarked filler and a mainspring embedded into the centre tube. For £45, I think I done very, very well. Thanks to Millsman, I now have a correct striker spring and base plug. Deepest thanks to you John! I filled the chips with epoxy mixed with Black Quink! I then placed small pieces of masking tape over the epoxy to give it some form, and to stop it running. The relic lever has been treated similarly, but I may obtain one which is a good repro and a lot more sturdy. My attempt at painting the filling information bands is admittedly a wee bit sketchy. This is my first Mills and my first attempt at restoration/repair. As a result of this, I'm smitten with Mills collecting. I hope my efforts are of interest.

 

[brummbar]

Hi,nice one I'm restoring Mills myself.Getting parts is the hard thing over here (Belgium). I need several filling plugs for the N°36 but can find them (or at exorbitant prices ) only those for the N°5/23 are easy to get.Before Brexit is was quiet easy to order things in the UK but sadly enough is't become too expensive.You order say for 10£ and after customs over here has had it's part you have paid 30£.So the search continuous ...

 

[Darrol]

I obtained this No5 Mills from a Facebook group for £45 including postage!!! The seller priced it so low as it had some small chips. He also had a very rusty semi-relic No 36 for £55. The grenade body has no visible foundry marks, so it's origin is unknown. I also received had an unmarked filler screw, centre tube and a 1/17 dated CAV base plug for a No23 and a relic lever. The seller also threw in another two relic levers, ring and pin, an unmarked filler and a mainspring embedded into the centre tube. For £45, I think I done very, very well. Thanks to Millsman, I now have a correct striker spring and base plug. Deepest thanks to you John! I filled the chips with epoxy mixed with Black Quink! I then placed small pieces of masking tape over the epoxy to give it some form, and to stop it running. The relic lever has been treated similarly, but I may obtain one which is a good repro and a lot more sturdy. My attempt at painting the filling information bands is admittedly a wee bit sketchy. This is my first Mills and my first attempt at restoration/repair. As a result of this, I'm smitten with Mills collecting. I hope my efforts are of interest.

Lovely job.

 

[Darrol]

I obtained this No5 Mills from a Facebook group for £45 including postage!!! The seller priced it so low as it had some small chips. He also had a very rusty semi-relic No 36 for £55. The grenade body has no visible foundry marks, so it's origin is unknown. I also received had an unmarked filler screw, centre tube and a 1/17 dated CAV base plug for a No23 and a relic lever. The seller also threw in another two relic levers, ring and pin, an unmarked filler and a mainspring embedded into the centre tube. For £45, I think I done very, very well. Thanks to Millsman, I now have a correct striker spring and base plug. Deepest thanks to you John! I filled the chips with epoxy mixed with Black Quink! I then placed small pieces of masking tape over the epoxy to give it some form, and to stop it running. The relic lever has been treated similarly, but I may obtain one which is a good repro and a lot more sturdy. My attempt at painting the filling information bands is admittedly a wee bit sketchy. This is my first Mills and my first attempt at restoration/repair. As a result of this, I'm smitten with Mills collecting. I hope my efforts are of interest.

The other mills wasn't a no36..it's a no5 ..it's the one with the lever and striker that are still in it's original place..unmoved.