Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[David Dunlop]

While I was looking for the correct primer for zinc and galvanized metal, I also realized I will soon need a bottle of Gun Blue for this project, so a bottle is now on order from Cabala’s. More on that when the time comes.

All three sets of Screws, Clamping No. C2, used on the Sender tuning drive assemblies are in tough shape and I am running low on my supply of NOS originals. That brought me to cleaning the set for the Frequency MC Dial and replating them to see how they would turn out. That was todays project.

The attached photos show the original condition of the Screws, Clamping from the Sender, what they looked like once cleaned up and the wire support system I put together to suspend the four of them in the zinc plating bath so all of them were not touching anything. The challenge was there are no easy holes in these items to hang them in the solution from.

After thinking about it for a while, I realized another key point in plating these Screws was to avoid getting the threads on the end plated with additional metal. I solved that problem by suspending the Screws from the threaded ends by wrapping a 2 inch lead of 14 ga stranded copper wire around the threads, placing two Screws on each wire, one end handing higher than the other A small centre section of insulation on the wires was cleaned off to provide continuity with the heavier copper support attached to the Cathode of the plating jar. One hour later they were done.

The last photo shows the Sender Screws along the bottom after plating and drying out, with a set of NOS original Screws above them.

David

[David Dunlop]

I picked up the can of Zinc/Galvanized Metal Primer Paint this morning.

It is an interesting cream white flat primer, which looks a little odd initially, but makes sense to have it visually different from the normal red and grey metal priming paints. No mistakes unless you are colour blind.

I wrapped the tip of a bamboo chop stick and a similar length of 7/16-inch dowel with some masking tape and they both held the two handles perfectly. A couple of correspondingly sized holes drilled in a block of 4 x 4 post and an drying stand was all ready to go.

Both the Handles No. 72 and Handles No. 80 for the FREQUENCY MC Dial Assembly have now been primed with this Zinc friendly paint. 24 hours from now I can give them a base coat of grey and, with luck, by the weekend they will get their coat of Gloss Navy Grey.

David

[David Dunlop]

a productive day today for a number of little things, all related to the restoration of the FREQUENCY MC Flick Drive assembly.

First and foremost, the Handles No. 72 and 80 received a grey base coat. That should cure by the weekend and if the weather holds the final Gloss Navy Grey paint can be applied.

David

[David Dunlop]

This part really only needed a bit of cleaning to get rid of a small amount of dried oil or grease from the surfaces. Interestingly, I think it is the first shiny, nickel plated part I have run across in the entire 52-Set.

It will be the first part to be reinstalled on the central brass hub of the tuning drive shaft.

David

[David Dunlop]

As I had mentioned in an earlier Post, I have decided to use the spare DIALS I have available on the Sender FREQUENCY MC Flick Drive Assembly. It will be a perfect match for the corresponding dial on the Receiver.

The only cleaning required was a small amount of surface rust on the very rim of the dial. There was also a bit of dried oil/grease on the small brass shim that sits between the dial and the PLATES, Locking No. 2, behind it.

I think the purpose of the shim it to help centre the dial rim in the groove for it on the Slow Motion Drive Assembly.

David

[David Dunlop]

The last little bit of work today was on the POINTERS, No. 7 that fits on the left side of the DIALS, Engraved CMC 115-477.

It just required a slight cleaning and a reapplication of the luminous green paint to its Marker Slot.

The heads of the two screws that mount the POINTERS to the front panel of the Sender were quite rusty, so I cleaned and re-plated them.

Just 4 more components to finish off for the FREQUENCY MC Flick Drive assembly, and it can get reinstalled.

David

[David Dunlop]

The luminous paint in the Marker Slot of this Pointer, which mounts on the right side of the Frequency MC Dial, had pretty much called it quits, so it was cleaned out and a new application of paint added today.

Another part ready for reinstallation now.

David