Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[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

[David Dunlop]

The old NATO Green paint is now off all the metal furniture on the Tool Box and all said surfaces have now been brushed clean of all rust and other oxides with a small Dremel wire wheel.

I picked up a supply of sanding pads for Debbies Mouse Sander and was going to tidy up the few runs and blobs of old paint on some of the surfaces before getting to filling in the various screw holes needing that attention. Then I asked myself why I wanted to sand twice at this point and realized there really was no need.

So the holes now have a fresh coat of putty and I am letting the Tool Box sit and the putty cure, so I can do all that sanding at once.


David

[David Dunlop]

Sanding down the exterior of the Tool Box has now been completed and the next step will be to prime all the metal hardware to get it ready for the topcoat of Flat Army Olive.



David

[David Dunlop]

I was hoping the sanding of the front of the Tool Box would bring up more of the factory original stencil but no such luck. I can still see ghosts of some of the information lines as per the Tool Box Geoff Truscott recently purchased here on MLU, to know the layout was consistent with the images in the manuals. The three later sets of markings (all differing from each other) are a bit more legible. Two, along with the factory original are done in a ½-inch high by 3/8-inch wide font. The last and simplest (VAOS Reference Numbers only) is in a larger ¾-inch high by ½-inch wide font.

Similar stencil font software is still available on-line but differs slightly in where and how the individual characters are split to avoid them falling apart when the stencil is cut. That will all need further investigation. In the meantime, I am making notes of how these older stencils were cut for each character to get a better idea of what I am up against.


David

[Lynn Eades]

I have a Marsh Stencil cutter, made in Belleville, Illinois. Google it. They are still making them and there is a new one for sale on trademe (N.Z. auction site) listed by Grainger inc. in the states (I guess they make them now?) NZ$ 4300.00
Each machine only does one size, and cuts a stencil into Oil board (cardboard)

[David Dunlop]

Thanks for posting that, Lynn. That is quite an interesting machine. Bit of a staggering price, however.

There are a couple of machines on the market at the moment that can handle Manila weight materials and also work with Vector Graphic software, which is a huge plus when it comes to sizing stencils. Sales on such equipment will be in season soon, so I have my fingers crossed.

Same goes for software. I have my eye on one that looks very promising for doing the decal work I am going to need for the Supply Unit and Coils, Aerial No.2A, and I think it will also work for any adjustments needed with stencil software.

I will post more on that as it all unfolds.

Cheers,

David

[Lynn Eades]

David, the Marsh machines are definitely hardware (heavy) They were around during WWII and it's possible / probable that the stencils used on your tool box were cut in a Marsh machine.