Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[David Dunlop]

Just a ‘heads up’ that I copied the title ID in the previous Post verbatim from the 52-Set Master Parts List and have now discovered it held a typo. The VAOS Section Code should have been the one shown above here, not the ‘1J’ CMC printed in error.

David

[David Dunlop]

I got an email late yesterday afternoon my hook up wire had arrived so scampered up to the electronics shop first thing this morning to pick it up.

Project for the week: add appropriate leads to the replacement Trimmer Capacitor for my Main Set Receiver.

Project for next weekend: stay sane and get the Trimmer Capacitor replacement job done.


David

[David Dunlop]

Based on how nicely the test PINS cleaned up the other day, I took the two scruffy ones and cleaned them as well with Lemon Oil.

After it had dried, I gave the three PINS a very light coat of Boiled Linseed Oil with a small rag. After half an hour, I wiped off any remaining surface oil and left then dry for 24 hours. I then repeated the process.

Quite pleased with the way they turned out. The colour tone of the wood looks very much like what they all would have been when factory new and hopefully they will last another 80 years.


David

[David Dunlop]

If you look back to the first photo in Post #663, you can see the factory binding on the set of six PINS. The twine used to bind them is fine Jute. I was up at a local shop the other day studying their great selection of twines. I suspected the original was Jute as it has the right mix of strength and flexibility.

Two sizes were available, Fine and Heavy. The original bundle over 80 years has seen the jute relax and stretch a bit, letting the twist of the fibres expand a bit.The factory new 'Heavy' Jute I was looking at was thicker than the fine one currently is relaxed, so I could rule that one out straight away.

On the other hand, the 'Fine' was about three quarters of the thickness of the original twine, and when I carefully pulled on an available section of the original Jute, it tightened down to a thickness which was extremely close, so I went with it.

My plan is to leave the original bundle exactly as found. The other six loose PINS I am going to carefully clean and rebind in new Jute Twine to replicate how it was done and originally looked.


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Finding jute or any of the hundreds of replacements materials that were commonplace 75 years ago is always a challenge and a great pleasure when you do. We have a fabric store here (Lens Mill store) that has stock dating back decades and I've found great treasure there. Also local to me is Facca Fasteners that still provides me with all manner of slot head screws. My guy there tells me they just scrapped bins full of those screws (to make room and for lack of sales) but kept a bunch on hand for people like me. Somebody is getting a gift card this Christmas.

[David Dunlop]

I know what you mean, Bruce. There used to be two huge fabric stores here in Winnipeg that my Grandmother used to shop at between the Wars. I was able to find the Olive Green Oil Cloth in them that was used on Universal Carrier Seats back in the 1980's. As of 15 years ago, both are gone. Furniture Upholstery Shops that used to fill a page of the phone book are down to a handful today.

I found the Jute twine at a Peavey Mart which opened in our neighbourhood about 3 years ago. Kind of a Canadian Tire for the rural agricultural community but they carry some very useful products you never find in the 'big city stores' any longer.

David

[David Dunlop]

I was able to get new leads installed on the replacement Trimmer Capacitor this morning.

Of course, as carefully as I had thought the process out, I ended up modifying on the fly somewhat. But pre-thinking the steps out still helps overall.

What I found was that the amount of factory applied solder to both terminals I was dealing with on the C7D Capacitor was massive and I had no choice but to VERY carefully melt it away. I ended up with two dime sized blobs on the top of the work bench. Even with that done, there was no way I could get rid of the wire wrap still left on the terminal at the top of the right hand Stator Plate Post. I finally realized the left side post was virtually unused and new and both were part of one and the same circuit in the capacitor. So I ended up cutting a lead long enough to solder to the left terminal and shape over to the right to line up with where it will have to go when installed in the coil assembly.

By comparison, the second lead attached to the Rotator Plate terminal on the extreme left, was a piece of cake.

The two photos show the pair of new leads freshly installed with red lacquer over the soldered connections and with the original insulating sleeve for the Rotator Plate terminal slipped back in place.

So now I can 'relax' until the weekend and start the more serious part of this replacement process, fully aware there are going to be some surprises, regardless of the amount of planning I do.

David