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Old 6th Feb 2007, 8:01 pm   #1
TimS
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Default Rusty chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

My Aerodyne's chassis is somewhat rusty and pitted - looking at the piccies below (after cleaning with wire wool), is it worthwhile stripping off the parts (valve bases are rivetted on) and repainting or leaving as is?

-- Tim.
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Old 6th Feb 2007, 8:06 pm   #2
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Personally, I'd leave it. Rub a little oil into the rusty bits with an old rag and it will look a lot nicer.

Maybe you could just respray the back panel, after masking off the sockets and the rest of the chassis.

But if you do, make sure the masking off is done perfectly. I have a prewar Decca set whose chassis has been resprayed terribly - there is overspray on half the components and it looks utterly amateurish
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Old 6th Feb 2007, 8:20 pm   #3
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

It'll probably be all or nothing - as you imply, masking off this sort of thing is likely to be valiant but ultimately doomed undertaking.

I'm minded to leave it - and if I decide that its worth doing later its something for a rainy day.

-- Tim.
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Old 6th Feb 2007, 8:27 pm   #4
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

I've mentioned this before, but the pre-war Aerodynes I've come across all had painted chassis, usually a dull green or grey-green colour. Yours looks originally painted too. I'd consider re-painting it, but that's me and to do it successfully means a lot of work.
Having said that, I don't like rust...
-Tony
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Old 6th Feb 2007, 8:33 pm   #5
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Its a sort of bluey-grey, like a dark 'battleship grey'.
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Old 7th Feb 2007, 9:38 am   #6
Mike Phelan
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Tim
Just me, but I would repaint it after killing the rust with Fertan. I would probably remove the cans, tuning gang (has it some perished grommets?) and maybe the mains tranny.

Then mask off the sockets, spindles, valve bases and everything below.

Lots of grey zinc-rich primer and a few coats of AC140 (Gris Roues).

I would be inclined to get the entire chassis working first, and do this as a final item.
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Old 7th Feb 2007, 10:45 am   #7
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Hi Tim,

Yes, I'd strip and paint it, but only if I knew that the radio would, ultimately, work and the rest of the radio (cabinet, etc) was worth it.

My main concern, looking at your photos, is that rotten looking tuning capacitor. If you can't get that looking better it'll really let down the nicely painted chassis .

Taking the parts out of the chassis isn't that difficult, hopefully you'll be able to remove bits in large chunks once the rivets are drilled out. Take plenty of digital photos and make plenty of notes

Regards
David
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Old 7th Feb 2007, 1:33 pm   #8
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Definitely get it working first before expending effort and money on the appearance. As for the parts: The mains transformer will be wire ended and probably best left connected as the wiring and its insulation becomes brittle. Safer to clean in situ and mask the laminations after painting matt black. The tuning capacitor does look rough. Disconnect and clean up as best you can. If you can make it presentable through a combination of rust killer, hot soapy water washing and spray paint (masking carefully the vaned sections and any trimmers), fit new mounting grommets if needed, as Mike says. Leave off the chassis until spraying of chassis is completed. To make masking easier, you could drill out the holder rivets and ease the holders a little below the surface, then mask them. Controls can be loosened, the shaft mounting nuts removed and the spindles taped. Same process for the rear runner socket strips. Holders etc can be fixed back into place using a pop-rivet gun or 4BA bolts.
This is a three-valve plus rectifier TRF and shouldn't prove too difficult to get working. Check any intervavle transformer for winding continuity. Aerodyne tuning coils are generally trouble free though like any coil they don't tolerate dampness well.
Good luck. Keep us informed of your progress!
-Tony
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Old 7th Feb 2007, 4:44 pm   #9
PJL
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

My Marconi 296 should make you feel better. Transformers check out OK and the speaker has very little rust so I guess the plating wasn't too good. Hopefully a bath in rust remover will fix it but again I am not sure whether to paint or oil.
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Old 7th Feb 2007, 5:42 pm   #10
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

I've just painted a chassis that was rusty, after sanding and applying rust killer. The chassis was very patchy and the rubber wiring had to be replaced anyway, so I just took the stuff off the deck and masked the valve holders, sockets and all the chassis holes and masked under the chassis too to keep the paint from going under, the rivets were also masked. A bit of primer and some Mistral Blue later and it looked much better. Although some will argue that the originality was spoilt. But it just looked too tatty to leave it how it was. The first picture was just after spraying which is why it appears glossy. It's not like that in real life.

P.S. The radio half worked when I did this, and is fully repaired now.

Matty
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Old 8th Feb 2007, 1:02 am   #11
PJL
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

I used to have a small container of 'naval jelly' whose main active ingredient was phosphoric acid. This did not attack plating and converted oxide to a whitish phosphate which bonded with good metal forming a rust inhibiting surface which looked near enough to the original plating to leave as is and just oil. As far as I can make out phosporic acid has been banned so new products are sulphuric acid based (I think) and will strip any finish returning it to base metal which will rust immediately if not treated.
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Old 8th Feb 2007, 8:44 am   #12
Mike Phelan
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Thought Jenolite and Kurust still used phosphoric acid? There is one thing that certainly does - Coca-Cola. Try it on some rusty steel if you don't believe me! I have heard that people actually drink the stuff, as well.

Some of the rust removers now use tannic acid; one of the best ones for just removing rust without leaving any sort of residue is "Corro-Dip" that is diluted with water.
http://www.liquideng.com.au/corrodip.html
It is possible that you might be able to dunk large bits in - not sure of the result on non-ferrous metals and other bits, though.

The best thing I have found is Fertan - this does leave a coating, but can then be left on and primed. You will find other uses for this!
http://www.fertan.co.uk/

Yet another way to clean rust from steel is a solution of sodium carbonate (washing soda). battery charger and a piece of stainless steel. SS is anode, job is cathode.

Your tuning gang might benefit from a trip in the dishwasher!

Like we said, get it sort of working first before spending too much effort.

HTH
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Old 8th Feb 2007, 10:16 am   #13
PJL
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

My experience is 1) Kurust produces a mauve/brown finish and is very slow. 2) Hammerite rust remover gel works better but strips to bare metal.
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Old 8th Feb 2007, 1:00 pm   #14
brunel
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Default Re: Chassis - repaint or not to repaint?

Machine Mart, http://www.machinemart.co.uk/ also have a rust remover described as.

"Inhibited inorganic acid for the removal of rust from all metal surfaces"

Order code is 059930250.

B

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