[ARC5] Repotting the Flower Pot Cap

[Tom Bridgers]

Ken,
An outstanding job of repotting the flower pot cap.  I've always wanted to do this ... and could never get my nerve up to tackle the job.  Now armed with your excellent photography and instructions, I have no more excuses.  You've now given us a road map, and I'm sure there will be a lot of us making this journey!  To quote another list member, your "after" looks as good, maybe better, than the "before"!!
Many thanks for sharing, and for helping us enjoy our ARC-5 and SCR-274N radio's,
-Tom  KE4RHH

 
> From: arc5-request at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: ARC5 Digest, Vol 86, Issue 69
> To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:50:31 -0400
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> Today's Topics:
> 
> 1. Re-stuffing (Kenneth G. Gordon)
> 2. Re: Re-stuffing (Todd, KA1KAQ)
> 3. Surface corrosion or pitting on aluminium chassis. (Leslie Smith)
> 4. Re: Re-stuffing (Jess Lewis)
> 5. Re: Surface corrosion or pitting on aluminium chassis.
> (brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:58:42 -0700
> From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
> Subject: [ARC5] Re-stuffing
> To: ARC-5 List <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <4D950722.20373.BCFB1BC at kgordon2006.frontier.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> 
> OK. Here is the finished webpage. I may clean this up a bit better later, but 
> please take a look. I welcome suggestions.
> 
> http://www.w7ekb.com/glowbugs/Military/PDF%20files/ARC5/Restuffing.html
> 
> Ken W7EKB
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:29:11 -0400
> From: "Todd, KA1KAQ" <ka1kaq at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Re-stuffing
> To: kgordon2006 at frontier.com
> Cc: ARC-5 List <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTi=bnHf89V2k=0=jHmUWFb11T5UQxSwmLw=BPeET at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> Looks pretty damned good to me, Ken! Not that the WWII condenser
> police are likely to show up for an inspection anytine soon, but I
> think you did a good job of maintaining the overall visual integrity
> of the set with your effort. Something to shoot for if the day ever
> comes that I have time to play with my ARC-5/ARA stuff.
> 
> ~ Todd, KA1KAQ/4
> 
> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 6:58 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon
> <kgordon2006 at frontier.com> wrote:
> > OK. Here is the finished webpage. I may clean this up a bit better later, but
> > please take a look. I welcome suggestions.
> >
> > http://www.w7ekb.com/glowbugs/Military/PDF%20files/ARC5/Restuffing.html
> >
> > Ken W7EKB
> > ______________________________________________________________
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:49:26 -0700
> From: "Leslie Smith" <vk2bcu at operamail.com>
> Subject: [ARC5] Surface corrosion or pitting on aluminium chassis.
> To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Message-ID: <1301615366.1455.1436152305 at webmail.messagingengine.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Hello List-members,
> 
> Recently Brian Clarke sold me a BC-453 intended for scrap. It's not a
> complete wreck; certainly the valves are missing along with the case and
> bottom cover-plate, but the worst aspect of the set is surface corrosion
> on the aluminium chassis. (Hey! no American spelling here in Oz!) 
> 
> I think this set may have the experience of Lazarus, if some-one can
> tell me how to deal with the corrosion on the chassis. The degree of
> corrosion: moderate mottled spotting. In the past I've had sets with
> the most superficial marking on the chassis. I removed this with a
> cotton bud and careful rubbing. The result wasn't as good as hoped -
> rubbing the aluminium polishes the chassis to give an uneven appearance
> to the finished chassis. Not ideal, but it leaves the chassis corrosion
> free.
> 
> Recently this list has seen a good discussion of methods to restore or
> re-stuff the flower-pot caps. I don't intend to do that with this set -
> it's not good enough to warrant that level of restoration. I'll
> photograph the set, remove the flower-pot caps and wire in disc ceramic
> caps. When (and if) the set works I'll re-photograph the result and
> (perhaps) post the before and after photos on the Yahoo group site
> "www.groups.yahoo.com" and ARC-5radio.
> 
> Thanks (in anticipation) for info on how to de-mottle an aluminium
> chassis.
> 
> Les
> 
> -- 
> http://www.fastmail.fm - The professional email service
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:14:29 -0500
> From: "Jess Lewis" <kr4oj at bellsouth.net>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Re-stuffing
> To: <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>, "ARC-5 List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <B3935133D81F4D8CB7C4B869D7ED2BC3 at JessLewisPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
> 
> ?Ken,
> Pretty neat step by step on re-stuffing, on your web page. The "afters" 
> look pretty dang close to the "befores"
> 
> Good job.
> 
> Jess KR4OJ 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:50:25 +1100
> From: brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Surface corrosion or pitting on aluminium chassis.
> To: Leslie Smith <vk2bcu at operamail.com>
> Cc: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Message-ID: <201104010250.p312oPoD010688 at mail03.syd.optusnet.com.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain
> 
> 
> Hello Les,
> 
> Cleaned aluminium oxidises almost instantaneously in ordinary air. That's why I use a zinc-rich anti-corrosion grease under the screw heads of the bypass capacitors when I refurbish Command sets. Oxygen is an extremely active chemical - and it loves aluminium. Given time, aluminium will rust away completely - forget the 'aluminium doesn't corrode' BS. It ain't so! I have sets where parts of the chassis are completely missing - they look like a rabbit has chewed at the edges, but closer inspection shows the usual pattern of corrosion.
> 
> As far as I know, no Command set was made in plain aluminium livery that did not have some thin anti-corrosion coating. The bottom plate and the cover over the variable capacitors weren't so treated as far as I can tell. What I think you are seeing is the effect of pinholes that develop in any surface coating, allowing oxygen and water to do their thing. The only way you will remove the mottled effect is to remove all the corrosion proofing, buff the aluminium smooth and then recoat with alodyne or similar. A friend has repaired holes in aluminium sets and then after sanding the repair smooth, sprayed with a highly-thinned aluminium paint - it's hard to tell it's not original. 
> 
> I have seen many sets where the surface has been buffed and then no further treatment offered - they look worse than the mottled effect, because then the aluminium rusts all over.
> 
> If you are not too concerned about originality, you could strip away all the protruding OEM components, mask up what you can't remove, and spray coat with black wrinkle paint.
> 
> 73 de Brian, VK2GCE.
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
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> End of ARC5 Digest, Vol 86, Issue 69
> ************************************