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19 set - cosmetic restoration


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Nice to see the painstaking effort even over relatively small details. I didn't know about those transfers, in the past I have used old fashioned Letraset but that was an awful fiddle doing one letter at a time. Nice see a 19 set being recommissioned, you see so many chopped around & "improved" by radio amateurs which just destroys the value. I had various sets that I messed around with which I wish I had kept unmolested.

 

Feel a bit sad now I binned a variometer last year. The perspex was smashed & it had the wrong connector, but when you try to sell it for £5 & still people want to haggle & argue, I just gave up & put in with my pile of waveguide etc that raised £600 in scrap in the great pre-move rationalisation :(

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Thanks Chris

 

control box next - but that's much more of a challenge as it's the tropicalised version with the rubber cables which are terminally perished and it has white lettering

 

but first the transfers for the radio and power supply need applying - they should arrive shortly

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Clive,

 

this is one which will never work again but it should look half decent in the back of the Bedford. Unfortunately I don't have the skills to recommission it to an operational state.

 

The waterslide transfer paper means all the artwork can be done on a computer and printed on an inkjet printer. The only downside is that you can't do white lettering. To do that needs specialist printing

Edited by simon king
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An interesting article on making white lettered decals:-

 

http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/extraboard/cm_extra_whitedecalpaper.php

 

Thanks for that - I have some of that white decal paper but it will only work in situations where the lettering is on a dark background. Only the background is printed and the white decal paper shows through the unprinted areas of the background to give the appearance of white lettering. Effectively you are printing in negative. I think the chances of matching the printed background to the colour of the painted surface are pretty low - althiugh I did wonder about that.

 

It will not work unfortunately when you are applying the white lettering directly onto the surface without a background.

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The waterslide transfers for the 19 set radio and power supply arrived yesterday from Fantasy Printshop in Bodmin. Of course I had to spend most of today putting them onto the repainted faceplates.

 

This is the result

IMG_2868.jpg

 

I'm quite pleased with how things turned out.

IMG_2867.jpg

Edited by simon king
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  • 2 weeks later...

Applied the transfers I have printed to the refurbed control box today - although I am not entirely happy with the opacity of the new decal sheet I am using so may reprint on the previous type of paper and reapply in due course.

 

During the strip-down , I discovered that at some time in its military service, it had been blast cleaned to remove old paint prior to rebuld, although the blasting media used seemed to be more suited to the removal of rust from a ship's hull than electrical equipment as the surface was extremely rough.

 

Once the transfers are sorted there remains the question of what to do with the drop-leads. They are the tropicalised type but well perished and essentially unuseable. Being the tropicalised type, I dont see how I can separate them into component parts to refurb individual pieces so it may be a case of looking out for replacements.

 

IMG_2869.jpg

 

Some pictures show rubber grommets/wire protectors whereas most of the survivors seem to use the springy metal type of protector. Are the springy metal type late war, introduced to save rubber in much the same way as jeep parts were redesigned or removed altogether as the supply of rubber was reduced due to Japanese advances in the Far East.

 

Went to Hamfest today to see if I could pick up any pieces - found i shouldn't have welded up the four holes in the top of the PSU case - doh...... Oh well you live and learn. It should be easily remedied - and if it isn't I have three other cases which might not have been messed with when I check them.

Edited by simon king
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Applied the transfers I have printed to the refurbed control box today - although I am not entirely happy with the opacity of the new decal sheet I am using so may reprint on the previous type of paper and reapply in due course.

 

During the strip-down , I discovered that at some time in its military service, it had been blast cleaned to remove old paint prior to rebuld, although the blasting media used seemed to be more suited to the removal of rust from a ship's hull than electrical equipment as the surface was extremely rough.

 

Once the transfers are sorted there remains the question of what to do with the drop-leads. They are the tropicalised type but well perished and essentially unuseable. Being the tropicalised type, I dont see how I can separate them into component parts to refurb individual pieces so it may be a case of looking out for replacements.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]119082[/ATTACH]

 

Some pictures show rubber grommets/wire protectors whereas most of the survivors seem to use the springy metal type of protector. Are the springy metal type late war, introduced to save rubber in much the same way as jeep parts were redesigned or removed altogether as the supply of rubber was reduced due to Japanese advances in the Far East.

 

Went to Hamfest today to see if I could pick up any pieces - found i shouldn't have welded up the four holes in the top of the PSU case - doh...... Oh well you live and learn. It should be easily remedied - and if it isn't I have three other cases which might not have been messed with when I check them.

 

The fabric-covered leads are the originals, and the all-rubber ones came later with the "tropicalised" equipment.

 

Initially the rubber dropleads were assembled from component parts (snatch socket, cable, and grommet/strain relief) with Bostic[TM] to glue the rubber parts together and keep water out, but later production were factory assembled and then vulcanized. The rubber ones are better from a waterproof (and decontamination) point of view, so a lot of the earlier kit with fabric cables stayed in stores and survived.

 

Some of the rubber compounds used (Flexo, I'm looking at you in particular) are horrible when it comes to perishing, but the sockets can probably be reclaimed and the grommet end re-made.

 

Alternatively, leads can be scavenged from the "Junction Distribution No.3" intercom boxes which have survived in vast quantities and should be cheap (because they're useless unless you are restoring a tank).

 

Chris.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Was the aerial lead between the set and the variometer supplied in specific lengths? I have a long lead (that probably needs shortening) to connect the set's A aerial connector to the variometer. Can somebody please tell me the length of cable used on the ground station no 23 board which has the variometer attached to the side of the power supply on a mount that includes a base for the aerial.

 

I have loooked through some of the manuals but I cannot find the length of cable needed.

 

Many thanks

Edited by simon king
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Simon

I have a Canadian EMER for wireless set cdn no .19 mk3 and ancillary equipment this is more a parts book for the Canadian 19 set and it gives a description of connector co-axial no 10 being lead from the set to variometer which beaks down to parts list giving a cable length of 42 " i would think the one for the British set would be the same length

Nicky

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Simon

I have a Canadian EMER for wireless set cdn no .19 mk3 and ancillary equipment this is more a parts book for the Canadian 19 set and it gives a description of connector co-axial no 10 being lead from the set to variometer which beaks down to parts list giving a cable length of 42 " i would think the one for the British set would be the same length

Nicky

 

The original cables were "Leads, Aerial, No.1" for the 'A' set to variometer, later renamed (Connector, Coaxial, No.10),

Leads, Aerial, No.2 (Connector Coaxial No.11), and leads, Aerial, No.3 (Conn. Coaxial, No.11A) for the 'B' set. The last two have one elbow and one straight socket fitted and a sleeve warning "TUNED LENGTH, DO NOT CUT". The No.2 (11) is for general vehicle use, and the No.3 (11A) for use with the clamp-on Aerial Base No.9A or where you need a longer cable.

 

Connector, Coaxial, No.10 later appeared in a number of different lengths (each with its own suffix letter) for different applications. (I suspect the wireless fitters also shortened the cables in order to reduce clutter (e.g. in the Daimler Scout Car, where you really only need about 18" to get from the set to the variometer). Hence the warning on the 'B' set aerial leads, where the length is critical.)

 

Note to Simon: I'm still moving house :wow: and will get the odd bits off to you when I get a spare moment. (I have a hard deadline of the end of this month, courtesy of my (characterisation omitted) brothers and a possession order.)

 

The Quench adjusters have been found, and I have a spare one if Nick needs it. The 'B' set aerial connector is not the same as the 'A' set one - it has a perspex (plexiglas) insulator for reduced losses at VHF - but you won't spot that if there's a cable plugged into it.:-D

 

Chris.

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The original cables were "Leads, Aerial, No.1" for the 'A' set to variometer, later renamed (Connector, Coaxial, No.10),

Leads, Aerial, No.2 (Connector Coaxial No.11), and leads, Aerial, No.3 (Conn. Coaxial, No.11A) for the 'B' set. The last two have one elbow and one straight socket fitted and a sleeve warning "TUNED LENGTH, DO NOT CUT". The No.2 (11) is for general vehicle use, and the No.3 (11A) for use with the clamp-on Aerial Base No.9A or where you need a longer cable.

 

Connector, Coaxial, No.10 later appeared in a number of different lengths (each with its own suffix letter) for different applications. (I suspect the wireless fitters also shortened the cables in order to reduce clutter (e.g. in the Daimler Scout Car, where you really only need about 18" to get from the set to the variometer). Hence the warning on the 'B' set aerial leads, where the length is critical.)

 

Note to Simon: I'm still moving house :wow: and will get the odd bits off to you when I get a spare moment. (I have a hard deadline of the end of this month, courtesy of my (characterisation omitted) brothers and a possession order.)

 

The Quench adjusters have been found, and I have a spare one if Nick needs it. The 'B' set aerial connector is not the same as the 'A' set one - it has a perspex (plexiglas) insulator for reduced losses at VHF - but you won't spot that if there's a cable plugged into it.:-D

 

Chris.

 

 

As ever, thanks Chris!

 

Good to know I can adjust the A set cable length if necessary. I will wait until assembling the rig before making a decision.

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  • 1 month later...

I picked up a couple of NOS Remote Control Junction boxes at Malvern yesterday for the drop leads and spares recovery. These boxes have one male and one female drop lead. Is it possible to get into the rubber cone plugs to convert a male plug into a female plug using parts recovered from the old tropicalised plugs?

 

If not, i'll just attach a male plug into the control box until I find another drop lead with a female plug

 

Edit

 

one futher thing that has got me stumped - how do you get those spring wire protectors to fit into the control box? I obviously took them off - but can I hell as like get them back on- wierd as I thought I had taken care to note how they came off............

 

thanks

Edited by simon king
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I picked up a couple of NOS Remote Control Junction boxes at Malvern yesterday for the drop leads and spares recovery. These boxes have one male and one female drop lead. Is it possible to get into the rubber cone plugs to convert a male plug into a female plug using parts recovered from the old tropicalised plugs?

 

 

 

As far as I'm aware, the cone part should be interchangeable, it's just a matter of extracting the contact assembly and swapping them over. (This does assume that they were simply glued in with 'Bostik' and not assembled in the 'soft' state and then vulcanised.) Note that the strain relief on the rear of the contact assembly should have the individual wires displaced by one position in order for it to work as a strain relief.

 

 

one further thing that has got me stumped - how do you get those spring wire protectors to fit into the control box? I obviously took them off - but can I hell as like get them back on- wierd as I thought I had taken care to note how they came off............

 

thanks

 

They go on the outside of the box, same as the rubber sleeve type with a retaining plate and two screws. :-D

 

Regards,

 

Chris.

(Drat! I hadn't realised it was the Malvern thing yesterday - that explains why the piggybank is smiling smugly.)

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What would I do without my informal support network! Thanks again

 

It's never easy though is it!. The strainers are of a different type which seem to somehow screw partway into the hole and have a single securing screw with an eye made from the spring itself coming out at the side.

 

Like this

IMG_2896.jpg

 

Furthermore to add insult to injury the diameter of the hole in those three retaining cups is larger than the diameter of the spring end so they wouldnt retain the spring anyway.....

Edited by simon king
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  • 4 months later...

I am more or less there with this part of my MWR restoration, although i am still on the hunt for a B set tuning wheel and a B set aerial insulator. The latest addition, picked up at Malvern is a reproduction waterproof cover, made by Frank Brown.

IMG_2948.jpg

IMG_2946.jpg

Edited by simon king
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  • 9 months later...

After 18 months, I've finally finished the cosmetic refurb of the 19 set to wartime appearance with all the B set controls present. I picked up a scrap 19 set chassis with no faceplate at Stoneleigh which still had the rare B Set tuning wheel in place - as well as a quench coil for the future restoration of another 19 set to go into the wheelarch locker as a spare.

I cleaned it up, repainted the numbers and fitted it this morning

Job done

Thanks to Chris, Nigel and Mark for helping with spares to complete the job.

 

IMG_3473.JPG

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