Advice case repair Advance Q1 Signal Generator

[bilbo44uk]

Could anyone tell me what the best way to go about repairing a damaged Advance Q1 Signal Generator.

One corner has now been dented in, and this has in turn pushed out the case further along, I am considering many options, but realize a complete strip down will now be necessary.

Some people have suggested car repair garage, anyone who can straighten metal, what does people here think?

Tim.

[threeseven]

No doubt a car panel repairer could do it but they would need to be skilled and I can say that the going rate in the trade is £300 per panel!
To remove dents like that the metal would need heating to red and teasing out with panel hammers and dollies so it's no easy task.
Personally I'd look for another spares repair unit and build a good one out of the two.
You would have a good chance of finding one at the NVCF in May, or Harpenden in March.

[Station X]

Gently force the case open. (Yes I know that's a contradiction in terms!) Check what physical damage has been done to the internals and whether it can be fixed.

If it can be fixed, strip everything from the case and front panel. Support the case and front panel on a sand bag and bash out the dents with a ball pein hammer. The bend in the front cover can be removed using a couple of bits of angle iron and two 'G' cramps, or an hydraulic press if you have access to one.

It may not look too good, but it'll be better than it is now.

[Radio Wrangler]

Some of the distortion is quite severe, so that the metal has stretched, and will stretch more in putting it back to shape, so the restored panels will be bowed out over large.

You can only do so much with shrinking hammers, so the approach is to cut a slot or several of an appropriate width and then re-shape the metal with dollies (sometimes made to shape for the job) Then the shaping is easier without so much support to the metal being worked, and finally the slots are welded closed and ground.

A low distortion welding process done in small instalments is needed, such as MIG or TIG.

Common shrinking methods such as burying a crease, or making corrugations won't work here because the panel has to be the right shape on the inside to mate with the cabinet, and it has to be the right shape on the outside for appearance.

Getting the bottom flat again is possibly the hardest part. I'd be inclined to put a new panel in.

Bending things is easy, it's getting rid of the stretch which is the devil.

And as Graham said, you need a good look around inside to see the extent of damage to the internals. It certainly stopped quickly, so there could be broken ceramic insulators in tuning capacitors for example. It's probably a lot easier to look for another one.

David

[bilbo44uk]

Thank you, i have done car body repairs before, but we just used epoxy filler or fibreglass, i can't beieve this has happened as the unit was mint condition, i will strip it out and try to do the case, if not i will search for another unit i think and make a good one, im sure a panel beater could sort this, but the cost is a major factor on whats probably only worth about 50 quid tops. Tim

Can I add if aanyone has a Q1 case or a junk one i can use please let me know or any other ideas, i will look inside at weekend, but the rattling tells me this is done in for sure, either the valve or something broken off.

Tim.

[bilbo44uk]

Update, took two hours but managed to strip the innards carefully out the case, the single valve ECC83 is intact, there appears to be no other damage.

However the dent has pushed everything out of kilter inside, so will be speaking a friend who does car crash repairs tomorrow.

I managed to break the resistor (think it is) going into the attenuator switch, but hope this is a standard one I will have in my box.
I've got the circuit diagram, so now I have an empty case and a cardboard box full of innards, wish me luck..

[Radio Wrangler]

As with any accident repair job, once you start stripping stuff out of the way, things start to look a lot more do-able.

David

[bilbo44uk]

I think it can be done, we are going to put the bottom part in a press to bring it back, the corner will need panel beating out with a ball hammer and then finishing with possible fibreglass or metal filler, will put pictures up soon.

Anyone any ideas on getting a paint match?

Tim

[Herald1360]

I believe that you can get automotive paint matched to any colour you like- your body shop friend should know where. Cost may again be the issue, though.

[Mike Phelan]

Autopaint (qv Google for your local branch) will make an aerosol can for whatever colour you want by matching your case.

[HamishBoxer]

Looking at this for the first time, iI think a lot of it will come out by protecting with wood and then using a vice.

[bilbo44uk]

Hi, an update, the corner is now totally restored as is the back of the case, iI will get photos, however there is still a slight bow on the underside of the case, my friend suggested iI cut the case a few millimetres where the crease was (he straightened that) and stretch it out then use a blow torch and fill it in with pipe solder, rub it down and paint it, iI can get paint from B&Q, but its not spray on, we have a local Halfords, iI'm not sure they do a matching service, iI will upload pictures.

[bilbo44uk]

Photos of the repair work so far, however the case is still not straight, we can't see why as the front is straight but it is bowing out at the bottom, cost to me so far was 2 pints and a promise of my van in for this years service.