[ARC5] Patching Screw Holes In bare AL

[Robert Eleazer]

Here is an idea for fixing the holes in John's BC-696:

Put four aircraft type aluminum solid rivets in the 4 holes left by the removed UHF connector.  It may not be perfectly accurate but it will look compatible with the rest of the radio.

You may have to visit a general aviation airport to accomplish this.  At the one where I keep my airplane there are enough people building and repairing airplanes that finding someone to install 4 proper sized rivets into such holes would be no problem.  And you can do it with a hand squeezer, so there should be no problem with a rivet gun banging on the transmitter nor any reason to dismantle the set.

Some barbarian had cut some holes in the face of a BC-348-Q I am restoring and that was a much bigger problem - had to glue some aluminum on the back and fill in the holes with Fiberfill - an aircraft "Bondo" that is far superior to the auto stuff.  Fortunately, I get to paint the front and cover up the scars.

Good luck!

Wayne, WB5WSV