# Jewel Modernistic Restoration



## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I've had two of these Jewel 'Modernistic' tanks in the past, both their 4 and 8.5gal. versions in bronze and I've had them on the forum but I only did minor restorations on them before I used them. This tank has always been my favorite among antique aquariums and when another one came up on auction that was within driving distance I went for it. This one, however, was in worse condition than the other two that I had in the past. It had all the original glass which is important since this bulb edge glass hasn't been made in a long time and is unavailable should you need it. The bronze had worn off the slate outside of the tank and the iron had corroded due to leaking. I was going to need to dismantle this tank and have it rebronzed and resealed. The feet on the bottom are steel cups with rubber feet covering a round head slotted screw. I attempted to use penetrating oil for several days but they wouldn't budge. Thankfully I have a father-in-law who restores antique tractors and knows what he's doing when it comes to this kind of thing so he proceeded to remove the screw heads with a drill bit so that we could remove the cup feet which allowed us to remove the slate bottom. Then we could use a flame wrench or blue wrench which are another name for an acetylene torch followed by an ice cube to expand and contract the screws to try to break the rust in the threads. Thankfully this worked and we were able to disassemble the tank. Then we had to remove all the petrified tar and carefully remove the glass. This took several hours. Finally the metal was blasted to remove the rust and carefully blasted to remove the bronze to get it ready for a new bronze coating. To my knowledge there are no photos anywhere of one of these tanks disassembled. I need to get some stainless steel screws to reassemble this and then take it to a bronzing company.
Here's the photos I took over the last week:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

This is a Jewel Model 91, 8.5 gal. tank, made in the 1920's in Chicago. The frame is bronzed cast iron on slate and bulb edge glass. It is referred to as 'Modernistic' in their catalog.


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## Canis (Jun 4, 2014)

Thats a neat looking tank! It's going to be awesome when you finish restoring it!


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

What will you be sealing it with ? You don't have a secret stash of the old asphaltum sealant ???


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

someoldguy said:


> What will you be sealing it with ? You don't have a secret stash of the old asphaltum sealant ???


I have a glazier that will reseal it for me with black silicone. He's done several other vintage tanks for me in the past.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update*

I found that the screws are 1/4 20 by 2" long round head machine screws. Got 4 stainless steel ones today and reassembled the tank. I used some gasket lubricant on the threads just in case.


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## Nuthatch (Jun 18, 2014)

I would love to see pictures of these tanks of yours, once they are all finished & running.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Nuthatch said:


> I would love to see pictures of these tanks of yours, once they are all finished & running.


Thanks, there's several I've posted on the forum over the years that you can look up. Just click on my user name, statistics, and threads I've started to find them.


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## krisvalkyrie (Aug 10, 2008)

Wow. I really want to collect some of these. Where do you find them?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

krisvalkyrie said:


> Wow. I really want to collect some of these. Where do you find them?


Ebay


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update*

I took the tank to a bronzing company in Columbus today that's been in business since 1934, almost as far back as when this aquarium was made. They're going to bronze everything except the slate. I'll have to use paint with bronze powder in it for that part. I was surprised to find out that the tank was never really bronze plated to begin with. It had been originally painted with some type of bronze paint which is why it was on the slate and sealant. I had wondered how this had been done. 
Well since I went to all the trouble to get it to this point I decided to have it bronzed anyway so all the cast iron parts of the tank will be copper, nickel, and bronze plated in thin layers after being cleaned with muriatic (HCl) acid. This finish will protect it a lot better than the original paint that was on it. I was given a tour of the factory which bronzes shoes and all kinds of things but they said this was their first aquarium. The factory foreman said that if the tank had been actually bronzed we wouldn't have been able to blast it off like we did. 
This also explains why some of these Jewel modernistic tanks come in a silver finish as it was just painted on like the bronze.


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## jerrytheplater (Apr 11, 2007)

davrx said:


> I'll have to use paint with bronze powder in it for that part.


Very interesting thread. Glad I found it. 

Edit: I deleted my question about you painting the slate with bronze containing paint. Looked at the photos again and saw the bronze will not contact the water.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jerrytheplater said:


> Very interesting thread. Glad I found it.
> 
> Edit: I deleted my question about you painting the slate with bronze containing paint. Looked at the photos again and saw the bronze will not contact the water.


Thanks Jerry, the slate that will have bronze paint on it will be the small area that extends beyond the edge of the cast iron. I'll be using a piece of glass on top of the slate inside the tank since silicone doesn't stick to slate. 
I may end up having the only Jewel that has been truly bronzed using electroplating.


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Thank you for posting your newest tank. I just love seeing these vintage tanks. They are so beautiful!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Varmint said:


> Thank you for posting your newest tank. I just love seeing these vintage tanks. They are so beautiful!


Thanks Varmint! I've sold all the previous ones I posted, couldn't resist the $. But by the time I'm done with this one I think I'll end up keeping it both because I like this particular model so well and because of all the invested time and $ I'll have in it.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

This is a great one.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

BruceF said:


> This is a great one.


Thanks Bruce


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

I checked out the other tanks you posted. What a great hobby you have. You must have Been proud of each one you were able to restore. 

If you do keep this tank, please keep us posted on how it evolves.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Varmint said:


> I checked out the other tanks you posted. What a great hobby you have. You must have Been proud of each one you were able to restore.
> 
> If you do keep this tank, please keep us posted on how it evolves.


Thank you, I plan to.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Bronzing Completed*

Picked up the cast iron parts to the tank today from the American Bronzing Co., aka Bron-Shoe Co. in Columbus and I have to say that I am very impressed with their work. The parts look great, probably better than they looked when they were new. Now I have to paint the slate edge outside of the tank and hope the the bronze powder paints that I can find will match the tank frame. Then I need to have the tank reglazed.


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## jerrytheplater (Apr 11, 2007)

Your plating looks great. 

You might be interested in a formula for aquarium cement I first saw in The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel Beard. This book was first published in 1882 and has been reprinted recently in 2011.

The book quotes a formula first published in Scientific American, but it does not give the reference, here it is:

"Aquarium Cement.- Linseed Oil, 3 oz.; Tar, 4 oz.; Resin, 1 lb.; melt together over a gentle fire. If too much oil is used the cement will run down the angles of the aquarium; to obviate this it should be tested before using by allowing a small quantity to cool under water; if not found sufficiently firm, allow it to simmer longer or add more tar and resin. The cement should be poured in the corners of the aquarium while warm (not hot). This cement is pliable, and is not poisonous."


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jerrytheplater said:


> Your plating looks great.
> 
> You might be interested in a formula for aquarium cement I first saw in The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel Beard. This book was first published in 1882 and has been reprinted recently in 2011.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I agree, I think they did a nice job.
Interesting, this is probably the same sealant that I removed from my Klepper aquarium which was patented in that same year (1882). Not sure if it was still in use in the late 1920's when this Jewel was made but it was some sort of tar based sealant. I won't be going that authentic. I'll be using black RTV Silicone sealant.


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## dvf789 (Oct 13, 2012)

Looks great Dave!! Wonder if that is the way I should of gone.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Finished!*

Finally had a sunny day so that I could show what this looks like with natural sunlight rather than flash as the flash photos didn't turn out very well. Haven't leak tested it yet but I don't anticipate any problems. I think it turned out very well. My wife decided it looked good enough to display in the house rather than have me keep it in my study as I do with most of my things but she thought it looked better with the black undercoat on the slate part like we originally got it rather than the bronze paint like it was from the factory. When I balked at this she reminded me that I had already changed its originality by bronzing the cast iron parts rather than using bronze paint like it originally had so I figured what the heck, it does look better this way. Anyway, if you're a purist you'd have to use asphalt to seal it with too! Here's some photos I just took from my front porch:


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## doggo (Jun 14, 2014)

Absolutely stunning, and well worth the work to restore it roud:


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## Canis (Jun 4, 2014)

Wow, it is gorgeous!!!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

doggo said:


> Absolutely stunning, and well worth the work to restore it roud:


Thank you!

Bump:


Canis said:


> Wow, it is gorgeous!!!


Thanks!


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## jerrytheplater (Apr 11, 2007)

The glass looks really clean. Did you have it polished? Are there scratches? Tank looks really nice.

I guess they didn't come with a top, correct?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jerrytheplater said:


> The glass looks really clean. Did you have it polished? Are there scratches? Tank looks really nice.
> 
> I guess they didn't come with a top, correct?


The glass was in pretty good shape when I got it, it has scratches but not many, they just aren't visible in the photos. No this one didn't come with a top. Thanks for the compliment.


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## JerSaint (Oct 22, 2012)

Beautiful tank, amazing job so far, keep it up!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

JerSaint said:


> Beautiful tank, amazing job so far, keep it up!


Thanks!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Leak Test Passed*

Passed the Leak Test Today. Ordered some MTS and Activ-Flora Lake Gems for the substrate. I have stainless steel intake and outputs to go with an Eheim 2211 filter and I plan on using the vintage/steampunk light that I used with my previous Jewel tank that I made using some vintage 1920's X-ray glass light shades since they are from the same time period as the tank. Here's a couple of photos I just took with the tank filled with water:


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## rodahl (Dec 1, 2014)

*deja vu*

Reminds me of the old aquariums surrounding the alligator pool in SF's Golden Gate Park. They were fabulously decorated with sculptures of sea horses and other figures.
Thanks so much for showing this restoration process.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

rodahl said:


> Reminds me of the old aquariums surrounding the alligator pool in SF's Golden Gate Park. They were fabulously decorated with sculptures of sea horses and other figures.
> Thanks so much for showing this restoration process.


Thank you and you're welcome!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update: Tank Up and Running*

Tank is up and running now, I have the MTS capped with the Activ-Flora and the stainless steel plumbing in place. I'm also using a Cobalt Aquatics Micro-UV inline sterilizer and Hydor ETH 201 heater.
My wife talked me into going with a less obtrusive LED light than the vintage light that I was originally going to use so I decided to use a Current Satellite Freshwater LED+ Pro Model 4010. 
I bought a 180mm stainless steel CO2 diffuser off eBay and a stainless steel ISTA CO2 regulator with solenoid from eBay as well. I bought an ISTA 0.5L aluminum CO2 cylinder from Amazon as it was the smallest I could find. I actually wanted an UP Aqua 0.115L aluminum cylinder but it's unavailable in this country. As soon as I get an adapter I plan on using a similar sized aluminum cylinder meant for home soda makers. I also bought some gray CO2 line from Green Leaf Aquariums. I got these stainless steel accessories to contrast with the bronze tank.
The flora consists of a driftwood "bonsai tree" from Thailand with some Fissidens in its branches and some Seiryu stones in the scape as well as some Anubias nana petite, a Pogostemon helferi, and some Lilaeopsis basiliensis around the base of the tree. 
The fauna consists of a school of Celestial Pearl Danios (Galaxy Rasboras) and a school of Chili Rasboras as well as a pair of Corydoras catfish. I'm probably going to have to add some Otocinclus and have my Flag Fish visit from time to time to keep any algae under control.
The tank sits on my wife's antique wash stand that she wanted me to use. All the filtration and heater is behind the right door and there's plenty of storage in the three drawers.
Here's some photos I took today:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Deleted


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## sushant (Mar 3, 2007)

This is where the old meets the new. That current+ over the jewel makes it look as if they were made for one another.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

sushant said:


> This is where the old meets the new. That current+ over the jewel makes it look as if they were made for one another.


Yes, I agree


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

These things are great. Now you have that Victorian mad scientist look going. lol


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Great choice for landscape. I love it!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

BruceF said:


> These things are great. Now you have that Victorian mad scientist look going. lol


Thanks, just the look I wanted!

Bump:


Varmint said:


> Great choice for landscape. I love it!


Thank you, I appreciate that.


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

Beautiful! 

Hit that Co2 system with some matching bronze too


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## plant collector (Dec 20, 2013)

Holy Moly, I never knew this tank exsisted. Absolutely stunning.


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## HokieFish (Feb 5, 2012)

Very cool tanks. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for one.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jbrady33 said:


> Beautiful!
> 
> Hit that Co2 system with some matching bronze too


Haven't seen any bronze CO2 equipment yet 

Bump:


plant collector said:


> Holy Moly, I never knew this tank exsisted. Absolutely stunning.


Thank you!

Bump:


HokieFish said:


> Very cool tanks. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for one.


Thanks, they do come up from time to time, the larger Model 91's seem to be more common than the Model 90's but they are both scarce if not rare.


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

This is beautiful. Do you have any particular resources you use to research these aquariums? I would love to restore one myself but need to do the research first.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

fish_fasinated said:


> This is beautiful. Do you have any particular resources you use to research these aquariums? I would love to restore one myself but need to do the research first.


Thank you. The internet is a great resource but I was also lucky enough to come in contact with Gary Bagnall, the founder and CEO of ZooMed. He's been collecting antique aquariums since the 1970's I believe and is probably the world's foremost authority on them. As far as I know his collection is second to none. We have corresponded for several years now as fellow collectors and I have learned quite a lot from him. He is very generous with his expertise in this field. Google him and I think you'll be impressed with the photos on the net of his collection. I've seen photos of things in his storage buildings and items in his personal collection that aren't available to the public but what you'll find is certainly over the top. If you like my tanks you'll definitely love his. Mine are small change compared to what he has. He collects stuff from all over the world while I'm pretty much limited to what I find on EBay or the internet. Here's a link to an article that appeared in the 2/14 edition of Reef Builders that showed part of Gary's collection on display at ZooMed's headquarters in California http://reefbuilders.com/2014/02/10/zoo-med-keeper-amazing-aquarium-museum/


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Nano CO2 Tank*

I finally received the adapter from CO2Art from the UK to allow me to use Soda Buddy or SodaStream tanks with a CO2 regulator. Here's a couple of photos of the new nano CO2 system. These little tanks are refillable and don't have expiration dates like their larger counterparts. I'd have rather had an UpAqua 0.115L tank but they're unavailable in this country.


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## steffanpostaer (11 mo ago)

I have this exact tank unrestored but in great condition. As a matter of fact I've used it for guppies  I see one for sale missing pane of glass for $3,750! Can that be true? I would think these tanks worth 500 tops...


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

$3750 seems high but the bulb edge glass that these tanks were originally made with is unavailable. So a tank with its original glass is going to be worth a lot more than one that has had the glass replaced. Also, these tanks are not easy to restore. I have yet to hear of something that will remove the original cement. It's very difficult to disassemble one of these tanks, especially if you have the original glass and want to keep it from cracking during the restoration process. 
There weren't many of these "Modernistic" tanks made since they went into production shortly before the Depression. I have a super rare Modernistic tank from the early 1930's in Chrome with a slightly different design than these that is still waiting for restoration. It came with a glass "roof" style top and chrome light, one of the earliest aquarium lights to my knowledge. 
I also have a one-of-a-kind Modernistic prototype tank that is the same width and height as the production models but longer. 
These tanks were available from Jewel with bronze plating and even brass plating (of which I've only ever seen one). So my bronzing these tanks is in line with what was available from Jewel at the time.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

steffanpostaer said:


> I have this exact tank unrestored but in great condition. As a matter of fact I've used it for guppies  I see one for sale missing pane of glass for $3,750! Can that be true? I would think these tanks worth 500 tops...


Are you interested in selling it?


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## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

steffanpostaer said:


> I have this exact tank unrestored but in great condition. As a matter of fact I've used it for guppies  I see one for sale missing pane of glass for $3,750! Can that be true? I would think these tanks worth 500 tops...


 Thanks for reviving this thread from the Ancient Thread Burial Ground. It is awesome and we should be exhuming more like it!

@*davrx.* Excellent!


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## *Ci* (Jun 16, 2016)

I have the smaller (4g) Jewell, found at a flea market back in the 80’s. It had no glass. I painted the iron with gold spray paint, chipped off any visible old sealant and reglazed with silicone. It _did_ stick to the slate, and has held water for all these decades : )
It also spent some time as a tarantula habitat.
I had no idea how beautiful the original glass is! And your bronze work is fabulous. Mine is in storage at the moment, but I may be re-inspired by your tank …


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Ci* said:


> I have the smaller (4g) Jewell, found at a flea market back in the 80’s. It had no glass. I painted the iron with gold spray paint, chipped off any visible old sealant and reglazed with silicone. It _did_ stick to the slate, and has held water for all these decades : )
> It also spent some time as a tarantula habitat.
> I had no idea how beautiful the original glass is! And your bronze work is fabulous. Mine is in storage at the moment, but I may be re-inspired by your tank …
> View attachment 1038078
> ...


I remember seeing your tank when I was searching vintage aquariums. 
I always had a glazier re-seal my tanks but had seen several sources, including Gary Bagnall of ZooMed who probably has the largest collection of antique aquariums, indicate that in order for modern silicone aquarium sealants to properly work that a piece of glass should be placed on top of the slate so that the silicone was sealing glass to glass. I did see an alternative method which was to seal the slate with something prior to the silicone but the glass method seemed the easiest one to me.


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