Look what I found in the woods!!!

[Gumbo]

I was walking a property today scouting for turkeys and found this old abandon house, way back in the woods. I went inside and found some old bottles and tins. Then went into the kitchen and found this IDEAL wash basin. I guess that is what it is?   It is built like some of the Ideal soda coolers that they made. I think I’m going to paint it and put some decals or cola signs on it and use it on my back porch. I will be great to use during a cookout to put ice and beer/soda in. Did you all know Ideal made these wash basin? How do you think I should restore it?

[Gumbo]

more pics

[halehouse]

Very cool.

Are the ends not embossed? That is where decals could go.  And maybe make a hinged lid for it.

[bubba]

Thats pretty cool looking... Nice find!

[johnieG]

Yep! Ideal started out making wash-basins & washboards, these are still fairly common around local (Michigan) antique malls, and are often mistaken for soda coolers & ice chests, the first thing to note is that these aren't insulated in any way ( single wall/ ganlvanized construction) but still a neat find.

Also if you take a look at the cast aluminum drain petcocks (valves) you'll see they are the same type used in early Westinghouse & Cavalier ice chests. and are designed to accept a standard garden hose to extend is outdoors to drain the water from the tubs..

[MoonDawg]

     I have seen very few of them.
     
     This one I got in trade from Sodaworks about 8 years ago.

     I copied the script to use in my company logo

[Pat Pixley]

Looks real nice Gumbo Iwould paint up something like what Glen did
to his . It's a great find .

Pat

[Gumbo]

No Dan, the sides are not embossed like the front and back. I quess with it not being insulated in any way the ice would melt fast if I had it out back for cookout  . I did not think of that. How much faster would the ice melt? Twice as fast? Three times? Oh well it was still a good idea and a cool find.

[bubba]

Not sure what the dimensions are, but what about having a liner made up for it and sandwich some insulation between the outside of the cabinet and the new liner....

If all else fails, turn it into a planter on the patio. 

[pyro3256]

paint the out side. nice vintage look. have inside rino lined or other truck bed coating, it will give extended life and add some insulation to it. if u are look ing for long cooling there is always dry ice i've used it for years on cook outs and at the lake. dry ice on top of water ice freezer! water ice on top of dry ice cold all day long!