Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[David Dunlop]

I started work on the repair of the big wood chip in the lip of the case lid this afternoon.

Wood glue was placed between the section of wood still attached to the lid, and the lid itself. I then slid a small piece of paper up against the side of the lip, where the clamp was going to go, and then applied the clamp. I do this simply to keep the clamp surfaces clean. Any paper that happens to stick to the wood after, is easily sanded away, at that stage of the restoration.

Tomorrow afternoon, when the 24-hour cure is up for the glue, I will start applying wood filler to the area where the original Pine board is missing.



David

[David Dunlop]

The repair to the lid has now been sanded down to blend in with the rest of the wood and the interior edge of the lid and case have had all the lumps and runs of NATO Green and Tan/Yellow paint sanded down, ready for a cover coat of the original factory Flat Olive Drab pint.


David

[David Dunlop]

I started the second can of Flat Olive Drab paint I had mixed at RONA last year for this case this morning. Once again it is an excellent match to the surviving factory original paint inside this case. I was not totally sure about this since the second can of paint was mixed about three years subsequent to the first one and I was not certain any of the current tints would have been from the same batch lots as the originals. Clearly I did not have to worry. This can should see me through the complete repaint of this case and the wooden case for the Coils, Aerial Tuning, when its turn for restoration work comes up.

A couple of weeks to let this paint hard cure and then on to the next step for this case.



David

[David Dunlop]

The removal of the post war paint from the case hardware was started today. The first step for the top has been completed. Just five more sides to go.


David

[David Dunlop]

While removing the post war paint from the two latches on the front of the case this afternoon, I was able to uncover the name of the manufacturer of these latches, and because of the larger size of these latches compared to the ones used on the Remote Supply Cover, Tool Box and Spare Parts Case, it was easily readable under cross lighting.

The manufacturer was THE EXCELSIOR HARDWARE COMPANY in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Their major claim to fame was luggage locks and latches. they started out in 10 May 1910 working with Steamer Trunks and luggage but their hardware also shows up on tool boxes and cash boxes over the years. They were formally dissolved 04 February 1994.


David

[David Dunlop]

These two photos show the case with all the paintwork scraped from the metal hardware, and then after all the metal hardware has been cleaned with a small wire wheel on my Dremel and the eight metal corner guards removed and carefully catalogued for replacement later.

Note the corners of this case have all been trimmed back in the same manner as the ones on the tool box and spare parts case, and the fact these corner guards were always installed at the factory prior to the painting being done.


David

[David Dunlop]

This case has a very slight twist to it, when sitting on a dead flat surface. I thought initially that it might have been a result of the four bottom round head slotted wood screws wearing at different rates over the years, because they actually form the feet this case and the other box and case for the set sit on. But that was not the problem, as they all check out just fine. Furthermore, if I leaned hard on the top of the case, it would almost sit flat, and it still rocks a bit with all the metal corner guards removed.

While getting ready to start sanding the paint down on the case and seeing what it would reveal, I noticed the lowermost finishing nails on the front of the case, used to secure the two interior wooden partitions, were sticking out from the pine board about half a head length each. The other, upper three nails for each partition at the front of the case were just fine and puttied over. These nails should not back up like that over time unless the case was twisting back and forth. No sign at all anywhere that this case had been subjected to a chronic damp environment for an extended period in its lifetime. It is very solid.

Out of curiosity, I hauled the Remote Supply Unit off the shelf, a bottom one thankfully, and placed it in its middle section of this case. The case now sat dead flat. So best I can tell, at some point in the life of this case, the wood either gained, or lost enough humidity to twist, but the 26 pounds of Remote Supply Unit is enough to level it all back out when stored back inside. It is the longest case of the bunch so that extra length, may have just been enough to let a twist set up in the wood. For a nearly 80 year old case, it is entitled, I think.


David