[David Dunlop]

The last few days have been spent on removing the NATO Green paint remains from all the metal hardware on the Tool Box. This actually was an easy task, though messy, as I could see a red oxide primer on the underside of the larger paint flakes and the metal fixtures were all zinc-plated steel. The paint was only really sticking where the zinc plating had worn away prior to the NATO repaint.

The next step will be to use the flat wire wheels on my Dremel to cut away the remaining traces of rust and other oxides before a final wipe down with cleaner and giving all the metal parts a coat of new primer.

I will also have to borrow Debbie’s little B&D Mouse Sander to smooth out the lumpy paint areas on the box around the metal hardware and rough up the overall wood areas to give the new paint a better grip. Tied in with that will be filling in the screw holes needing this work, with new Glazing Putty.

On the electrical front, I gave the 52-Set another run through this morning while reception was still good on WWV in Boulder, CO. I still plan on pulling the Sender and rerunning the resistance tests that were red flagged earlier, to see if anything has changed since electrons have been flowing through most of the Sender circuits for a while now.


David