[ARC5] RU\GF plug problems

[Jim Horn]

Dave:


They were hard to disassemble in 1948 as well. I speculated that they were designed with an interference fit to reduce the stress on the screw.   I have always reduced the diameter of the insert on a belt sander before reassembly.  This puts all of the stress on a aged 4-40 brass screw.  Your heating method may be much better.  Maybe a little silicone grease would ease reassembly.


I made a tool to depress the spring locking device (key).  I don't have a drawing so I will try to describe it.  It is made from a steak knife (from a thrift store) because it is thin & springy.  The business end is rectangular in shape and about 1" long and a wee bit narrower than the slot in the insert. The corners of outer end are slightly rounded off.


After threading the wires thru the shell I use the side of my partially open bench vise for something solid to shove the assembly together.  To avoid the need for four or more hands, I start the assembly by inserting the insert a little into the shell with the "key" in the outer end of the slot in the insert.  Then with the cable end of the shell against the vise, shove the insert into the shell while depressing the key with the tool.  (It has been too long since I have done this.  It may be necessary to position the key with its two knobs in the holes in the shell and depress the outer flat end of the key with the tool while shoving the insert into the shell).


I made the tool by putting the steak knife in the vise with about an inch of the blade in the vise jaws and the blade pointing straight up.  I then use a hammer close to the vise jaws to break the blade off.  This is much easier than grinding it. If the blade just bends and won't break off without repeatedly bending, then it is probably too soft to do the job and your will need to get a different donor knife. Then I shape the blade with a bench grinder cooling it frequently in water to avoid burning the steel.  I try to remove material equally from both sides of the blade so that the business end is centered on the handle.



I assume that you got my e-mail ablut the type 80 RU/GF plug and the TCS remote socket.


73s
Jim Horn
KA7GKP