[R-390] Re: Refinishing meters

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 05:56:44 -1000

Dave and others:
  If your meter has the ring in the back with the 4 notches you can remove 
this with a good pair of long nose pliers.  This ring is threaded on.  Just 
put the pliers in a couple of the notches and twist CCW.
  The other type of meter has the threaded inserts from the rear through the 
mounting holes.  These just unscrew with a wide, thin standard screwdriver.  
With both types the rubber is probably sticking pretty good from all those 
years of compression.  I don't think a rubber adhesive was used.
  I have done both scanned and CAD drawings from both meters onto hp glossy 
photo paper using a laser printer and they come out looking real good.  I 
remove the dial scales from the meters and carefully glue this new scale 
onto the back side of the existing scale.  Trim all with a sharp razor and 
you have a perfect match using the existing holes.  If you ever want 
'original' again, just flip the scale over.
  BTW, I just don't do one scale on each sheet of paper.  With the computer 
you can copy 16-20 of the same on each which gives you many years of meter 
scales.  If anyone wants to see the artwork I use I could send you an email 
of it.  My originals are in Visio but I could convert it to jpg or pdf.
  Another thing, these meters are so small, really, that a minor 
imperfection on the artwork really becomes minor when reduced to full size.  
Some original meters I've seen have had really horrible silk screening, 
printing, or whatever method they used.

good luck to all,
pete KH6GRT

>From: "David P. Goncalves" <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Subject: [R-390] Re: Refinishing meters
>Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 08:38:45 -0400 (EDT)
>
>
>
>Question: Does the joint between the circular case and square face have a
>recessed metal ring with 4 notches in it? A couple of meters I recieved
>yeterday have that, might need a special wrench to unscrew it, if it does
>indeed screw in. It could also be a friction/compression ring; if so I
>guess drilling into the notches would help. Just a guess.
>
>Also: I was reading in the 'Pearls' about the solution of the meter face
>reproduction problem (using a laser printer). I'd like to make a couple of
>Fair Radio replacement meters into useable R390 meters, but to do so, I
>need either a scan or high quality photograph of the two dial faces. Does
>anybody have these?
>

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