[R-390] Front Panel Restoration ER Don Reaves Kielbasa

[Glenn Scott via R-390]

Hi Don and group,


Powder coating is great for lots of applications. I use it for the R390(A) veeder root cover and knobs, not the meters and that is a long story for later. However, on panels with engraves powder coating will fill letters and generally make a mess since it is thicker than paint. Especially on the earlier R390's pre-A models that have smaller and less deep engraves. Those panels fill in almost completely to make a flat, clean panel ready to be silk screened. 
 Even the knob index line of R390 or A series receiver can be powder coated and the line repainted but it takes some time to get the powder flow being applied to be thick enough to cover the skirts of the knob and yet not fill the index line.
R392 engraves are a little wider and deeper and will hold up well for powder coating


I have figured out how to spray just enough powder to cover the panel but not fill the engraves but I still had to hand paint the completion of several letters before; that is a real pain. And my reason for the continued use of paint and all of the associated constraints and safety issues. Perhaps, a powder coat product will be developed that will be more suited for engraved panels.


With powder coating, there are no messy primer nor paints, no air guns to spend half an hour cleaning, no volatile chemicals to deal with. The only clean up is to sweep up the left over powder and toss it. The MOST important requirement is an oven that will not be used for food preparation EVER, NEVER, EVER!!!!,  Though, it is OK to cook KIELBASA in a powder coat oven. In Fact, you can powder coat KIELBASA any color you want before consuming it; even St James Gray; that and OD green KIELBASA are the most tasty!!!!!!!
 (Kielbasa comments  are not to be taken too seriously) 


Regards,
Glenn Scott WA4AOS


DSM Labs
glenn at dsmlabs.com