Battery case links and scans.

[RadioHist]

Folks,

Thanks to a friend in Sweden I was able to generate this artwork for a 9 Volt grid bias battery replica that you see here.

I only assume that this G.E.C. battery dates to the late 1920s. Please let me know if you know the correct date range for this graphic.

The perforated characters are - 493G

If you e-mail me directly I will send you the 800k file so that you can get it printed out on a laser color printer.

Previous to doing this artwork, I had found the Drydex 9 Volt artwork on the Web. But after seeing the scan and photos provided by my Swedish friend, I judged that there were too many errors in the graphic. However, I can now make a much more accurate Drydex 9 Volt graphic as time permits.

Robert

[Station X]

This is a thread where members can post scans of battery cases which other members can use when making replica batteries.

You can also post links to websites with battery case scans.

[Station X]

Here's a link to the Thompson-Brown family site where you'll find some battery scans:-

http://www.the-thompson-brown-family...eriesframe.htm

The above link no longer works, but it may be possible to access the scans via Wayback Machine for example:-

https://web.archive.org/web/20130805...pages/b136.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20130805...pages/b126.htm

[Station X]

Here's a scan of an Ever Ready flag cell.

[Station X]

More scans here;-

http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/batteries/

and here:-

http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/kd4hsh/index.html

[Paul Stenning]

The best way to upload your scans here is in a ZIP file. They has a larger size limit and the images won't be resized by the forum software. You could attach a smaller image for illustration purposes along with the full size version in the ZIP file.

[Station X]

Ever Ready B131 scan courtesy of forum member Robert Darwent.

[ThePillenwerfer]

Herewith:-

• AD35
• B126 - two versions
• U11 - aka HP7/AA &c
• PP9 - unlike other scans floating about in cyber space, this one prints the right size.

- Joe

[ThePillenwerfer]

Loads more here, including foreign ones: http://radionostalgia.club/lib/Images/battery/Unsorted/

[ThePillenwerfer]

Ever Ready AD38 7½V LT Battery.

[Phil G4SPZ]

Originally Posted by RadioHist

Thanks to a friend in Sweden I was able to generate this artwork for a 9 Volt grid bias battery replica that you see here.

Hi,

That's a very nice piece of work. I'm building my first replica Drydex grid bias battery, and I wonder how you made the very realistic-looking red 'pitch' coating to the top of the battery? Was it coloured epoxy resin? It looks most professional. I am using 4mm I/D brass tubing for the contacts.

Many thanks,

Phil

[RadioHist]

Hi,

When I made that replica, I had not yet identified the source of 'red pitch'. I had 2 part urethane casting resin and the appropriate red dye to mix-up something that was pretty close. I later discovered where to obtain red pitch. It is used as a backing material for gold and silver tooling 'chasing'. You should be able to find a jewelry/metal-smithing supplier. It is sometimes called German pitch. If you see hardness grades listed, get the hardest grade. It melts at 115 to 130 C. You can do that with a heat lamp without damaging your graphic.

Hope this helps.

Within the month I will start on making 80 batteries for the RCA Radiolas of 1924-26. Each radio requires 8 or 11 batteries. A lot of work....

Robert

[Phil G4SPZ]

Thanks for that information, very useful. German red pitch seems to be available from several suppliers, but it isn't cheap. Obviously if you are making large quantities of batteries it's worth buying the pitch in bulk.

[RadioHist]

It is about $40 a kg here... Since that seems to be the only trade use now they get a premium price. It is a basic mixture of coniferous tree resin, tallow and finely ground brick dust. All apparently pretty cheap at least for the USA battery makers and their fabrication techniques of the day. With all the replicas I plan to make this year, I'd like to mix up my own.

The brick dust is not a problem, it is sold as a colorant for cast concrete and cement. Even in small quantities it is only about $6 a kg. Tallow is cheap. The tree resin.... Ah the tree resin... The issue is that I don't have a clue to what percentage is necessary. I never found any cook book for such stuff. No doubt it is/was a trade secret. So who knows how much time it would take to get the formula right.... AND that is AFTER I build a temperature controlled mixing vat....

Seems nothing I want to do is ever easy...

Robert

[Phil G4SPZ]

I have been studying a couple of original British-made grid bias batteries and noted that they are sealed with conventional black pitch. Fortuitously I have just come by a small quantity of pitch, salvaged from a dismantled 1939 capacitor can which contained about 100 grams of the stuff, so last night I did an experiment. I melted the pitch gently in a metal dish over a gentle flame until it was a runny consistency, and did a trial pour by spooning the liquid pitch into a crude mould made from two layers of masking tape wrapped around a wooden block. The results were perfect.

Care is needed to melt the pitch without causing bubbles of gas to form, but other than that I was surprised how easy the process was.

Bitumen roofing compound, the sort used by felt roof installers, appears to have very similar properties and is available online in 10kg blocks for just £11.30. Such a quantity will last several lifetimes but is really inexpensive and would be sufficient to make hundreds of batteries. I'm tempted to buy it anyway, at least I'll never run out!

[RadioHist]

The cheapest American made batteries of the early to mid 1920s attempted to use black pitch. There are only a few rare examples left. The manufacturing methods on your side of the Atlantic with sealed covers over the connections made the ugliness of the black pitch less of an issue at the point of sale. The Drydex graphics available to me seem to date from 1932. I wanted something earlier and so I went with the G.E.C. version which may well be atypical of the market there at the time. BUT since I was using an actual vintage artifact as reference, I had to stay true to the Red pitch scheme. I still don't have solid information from which to date my G.E.C. replica.

[paperboy]

Greetings, I have acquired some dry batteries with sets I bought and wondered if anyone wants a scan of them. They are a B126 and AD35 Ever Ready, an AD 39 Ever Ready and a B129 85volt which I haven't managed to free from the dead cell. I can scan hi-res which will be probably too big for here so I might have to send be email. Anyway, I guess they're pretty common but somebody may need one of the. Cheers, Paperboy

[paperboy]

Attached are images of scans.

[RadioHist]

Well... These batteries appear to be too new for me... (I'm looking for graphics from before 1935.) BUT I'm glad to see you taking the time to post graphics that may not be available from any other source at present.

BTW - Did you do a Google Images search on your graphics?

Keep looking and keep posting....

Robert

[Boater Sam]

Ref. Red or German pitch seal for batteries.
I remember a red dental moulding compound which looked the same and is less messy to use. Sets very quickly and should be available in small quantities.