[Milsurplus] Restoration dilemma

[Barry Hauser]

Hi Ben

Yes - you're not likely to find another, I agree.

However, you also right -- it's beyond restoration from the photos I saw. 
Too much missing also.

There is one technique of restoration -- a "have your cake and eat it too" 
solution:  Take some good photos from all angles, but mainly the front 
panel. Then find, or create a mint view of an intact unit.

There are those "morphing" programs where you designate the starting photo 
and the ending one, and the algorithms in the program create an animated 
transition -- the radio restoring itself.

Or you can simply preserve it the way it is and display it alongside a photo 
of an intact one which you may be able to find on the 'net somewhere.  I 
would keep it all together to hand off in selling it someday -- along with a 
text description of the thing.

It all could be assembled into a display piece boxed in perspex (clear 
acrylic?) maybe with a wood base.  They make preassembled/knock down display 
boxes like that.

I think that would be the most valuable format.  If you were to attempt to 
restore it, you'd have to substitute and perhaps, fabricate some parts and 
approximate things.  Then the result would not be so much of a restoration, 
but a "Frankenradio".

Have similar considerations about my overgrown boatanchor collection.  When 
it comes time to cull the herd, I think I'll take good photos, catalog them, 
and keep a form of them in much more compact format (Which makes me think 
that maybe I should have just collected photos in the first place ;-)

As an artifact, your relic makes a "strong statement" just the way it is. 
Some are for playing, some for restoring, some as "shelf queens" and others 
simply bear silent, wordless witness to history.

In that regard, it's a fine specimen, needing nothing but preservation --  
frozen in time in the '40's as much as possible.  In it's own symbolic way, 
it accurately portrays the results of WWII.

Barry




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Military1944 at aol.com>
To: "Barry Hauser" <barry at hausernet.com>
Cc: <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Restoration dilemma


> In an email dated 26/8/2005 1:59:23 pm GMT Daylight time, Barry Hauser 
> <barry at hausernet.com> writes:
>>
>>Generally, you can still find WWII gear that did not see service -- 
>>surplussed out afterwards. The wear and tear they show is from being moved
>>around multiple times plus whatever their private owners did to them. They
>>are good candidates for restoration.
>>
>>
> I'd agree Barry if set was an allied one but its an axis set, Japanese, 
> for which you dont see many around.
>
> The set is a Japanese fighter tx, Model 99 Mk3. Its quite beaten up and 
> I'm now thinking that any restoration may distract from its worth. I have 
> a rather poor picture (cheap digital camera, better to follow off my 
> superior 35mm film one) at: [www.qsl.net/g4bxd/japanese.htm] and 2nd item 
> down.
>
> So, I'm leaning towards simply leaving it as it is, maybe boxed in clear 
> perspex ?
>
> Interesting problem though.
>
> Ben G4BXD.
>