"..Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax— Of cabbages—and kings—...."

...and dial strings and bee's wax and drilling rubber things...

Well it sort of rhymes with that Lewis Carroll line..

But I was on "this" side of the looking glass struggling with the dial mechanics of this Howard 270.

Just when you solve one problem with these old radios there's always another to waiting to bite you!

Just after I reacapped everything too.. and then struggled getting the BC osc running again after cleaning the chassis..
then..stripped and refinished the oak cabinet.. all stained and poly-ed it....then re-sanded and waxed... then stupidedly... I sprayed a little "Pledge" on the nicest front part and watched it strip off my Butcher's wax and bleach out my stain!!!... Argg!
ok.. Re-sand re-stain.. re-wax so now that part is good.
Okay....Almost ready to put the chassis back in the cabinet but need to re-install the dial face, drive wheel, string etc... whoops... slow down.. not so fast what's wrong here...?
How the heck does this dial string go back?... oh ok... my own drawing helps..plus a sketch on the print.. great...
Whoops again.. this rubber drive wheel grommet is all dried out and slipping. Where do I get a strange one like this... no where!... so just make this one work.
Ok it needs a little traction.
It's about a 1/4 thick with a 1/2" ID that force-fits over a wood dowell that is force-fit over the metal shaft. Weird.
And the dial string rides sort of in a groove or channel.
But this thing is now no longer rubbery and supple but rather hard and brittle.
The ID slips on the wood dowell now.
So I build up the dowell with a single wrap of masking tape. Ah that holds nicely.
Re-string and align this thing several times for hours last night... get to bed at dawn but at least it now works... or so I thought.
Famous last words!
Sure enough!..Today it was slipping again.
Go to hardware store, and the autobody shop, and the auto parts dealer... nothing fits only a bunch of rubber things that need to be drilled or trimmed or something... OK buy a new 1/2" drill.. $8..
then buy up all these strange rubber things.. $5... ok back home.
Try a few... no good.
Give up for a while... this dial string crap is "for the birds" I say...
What birds?... birds & bees?... bee's wax?... AHhah!
Good I take the old grommet and line it with warm bee's wax. Wow!! great.
It not only works.. it works great!
So now I can tune up and down this dial a throughly enjoy my brilliant solution and my handiwork and .. then I can set about calibrating and adjusting the tracking now.
Ahh... ok.. almost perfect tracking.... whoops!!
What's this?... Arrrgh... Oh Nooooo!
The dial string has now managed to cut itself right down through the old rubber grommet severing it in two parts!.
Now what..??
Scrounge through the rubber thingies from the store... and one of these items from the HW store was a metal outdoor elecical box threaded wire-guide with a rubber inner plug that has a 'romex' shapped hole. But it's great rubber and it is the perfect O.D. that I'll need.
Since it's forced down inside that metal thing I can put it in my vice and carefully drill out the center with my new $8 drill bit.
Ahh... good.
Try it out. Too long... cut it shorter... slip it over the wood dowell and start re-threading and aligning that darned dial string again for the 99th time and everthing.
Voila!.... a couple little do-over wheel tracking adjustmnts later...and re-aligning ... then.. finally... got it.
I mean BEAUTIFUL!!!. solid. It now tracks nice and depedably and smooth.
And I thought that this hobby only required electronics... lol

Try owning an old car!

T.

:Try owning an old car!
:
:T.

Chuck an empty rifle cartridge in your drill and hold a stone against the mouth to sharpen it. Chucked in the drill it will cut neat holes in soft material. I used a .223 case to cut holes for screws in new carpet for my old car. Needs resharpening about every three holes. Will

Check out this product.....I have a bottle on hand and every once in awhile have to use it. Very handy.

http://www.mcminone.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=MCMProducts&product%5Fid=20%2D1890

Dennis.
___________________________________________________________
:"..Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax— Of cabbages—and kings—...."
:
:...and dial strings and bee's wax and drilling rubber things...
:
:Well it sort of rhymes with that Lewis Carroll line..
:
:But I was on "this" side of the looking glass struggling with the dial mechanics of this Howard 270.
:
:Just when you solve one problem with these old radios there's always another to waiting to bite you!
:
:Just after I reacapped everything too.. and then struggled getting the BC osc running again after cleaning the chassis..
:then..stripped and refinished the oak cabinet.. all stained and poly-ed it....then re-sanded and waxed... then stupidedly... I sprayed a little "Pledge" on the nicest front part and watched it strip off my Butcher's wax and bleach out my stain!!!... Argg!
:ok.. Re-sand re-stain.. re-wax so now that part is good.
:Okay....Almost ready to put the chassis back in the cabinet but need to re-install the dial face, drive wheel, string etc... whoops... slow down.. not so fast what's wrong here...?
: How the heck does this dial string go back?... oh ok... my own drawing helps..plus a sketch on the print.. great...
:Whoops again.. this rubber drive wheel grommet is all dried out and slipping. Where do I get a strange one like this... no where!... so just make this one work.
:Ok it needs a little traction.
: It's about a 1/4 thick with a 1/2" ID that force-fits over a wood dowell that is force-fit over the metal shaft. Weird.
:And the dial string rides sort of in a groove or channel.
:But this thing is now no longer rubbery and supple but rather hard and brittle.
:The ID slips on the wood dowell now.
:So I build up the dowell with a single wrap of masking tape. Ah that holds nicely.
:Re-string and align this thing several times for hours last night... get to bed at dawn but at least it now works... or so I thought.
:Famous last words!
:Sure enough!..Today it was slipping again.
:Go to hardware store, and the autobody shop, and the auto parts dealer... nothing fits only a bunch of rubber things that need to be drilled or trimmed or something... OK buy a new 1/2" drill.. $8..
:then buy up all these strange rubber things.. $5... ok back home.
:Try a few... no good.
:Give up for a while... this dial string crap is "for the birds" I say...
:What birds?... birds & bees?... bee's wax?... AHhah!
:Good I take the old grommet and line it with warm bee's wax. Wow!! great.
:It not only works.. it works great!
:So now I can tune up and down this dial a throughly enjoy my brilliant solution and my handiwork and .. then I can set about calibrating and adjusting the tracking now.
:Ahh... ok.. almost perfect tracking.... whoops!!
:What's this?... Arrrgh... Oh Nooooo!
:The dial string has now managed to cut itself right down through the old rubber grommet severing it in two parts!.
:Now what..??
:Scrounge through the rubber thingies from the store... and one of these items from the HW store was a metal outdoor elecical box threaded wire-guide with a rubber inner plug that has a 'romex' shapped hole. But it's great rubber and it is the perfect O.D. that I'll need.
:Since it's forced down inside that metal thing I can put it in my vice and carefully drill out the center with my new $8 drill bit.
:Ahh... good.
:Try it out. Too long... cut it shorter... slip it over the wood dowell and start re-threading and aligning that darned dial string again for the 99th time and everthing.
:Voila!.... a couple little do-over wheel tracking adjustmnts later...and re-aligning ... then.. finally... got it.
:I mean BEAUTIFUL!!!. solid. It now tracks nice and depedably and smooth.
:And I thought that this hobby only required electronics... lol
:
:
:
:
:

You guys make me chuckle... with some nice ideas... just had to chuckle at resharpening every 3 uses.. but cool idea.
That rubber re-juvinator though seems like a right handy thing to keep around here too... thanks...
... how does it taste? will it work like Geritol to rejuvinate me too?

:You guys make me chuckle... with some nice ideas... just had to chuckle at resharpening every 3 uses.. but cool idea.
:That rubber re-juvinator though seems like a right handy thing to keep around here too... thanks...
:... how does it taste? will it work like Geritol to rejuvinate me too?

Peter,

I have used rubber rejuvinator (mine is not made by TechSpray) for a number of years. It works quite well. As for the taste, if smell is any indicator, then it would taste worse than turpetine and sugar.

Radiodoc

:You guys make me chuckle... with some nice ideas... just had to chuckle at resharpening every 3 uses.. but cool idea.
:That rubber re-juvinator though seems like a right handy thing to keep around here too... thanks...
:... how does it taste? will it work like Geritol to rejuvinate me too?

If you want to use the sharpen once use three times hole cutter you must first go to the gun shop and buy a Lee case trimmer and a shell holder for the cartridge you are planning to use. 30-06 or 30-30 makes a .308" hole and .223 makes about a 1/4" hole. the Lee trimmer and shell holder are inexpensive. You put the case in the shell holder and then lock it in place with the trimmer base. Then you can chuck the base into your drill and have a very solid power hole cutter. Although, depending on what you're cutting it may dull rather quickly. Just stone it again and continue with hole cutting pleasure. Will

under useless info category:

Thanks Will... BTW do you know what the "06" means in the .30-06?
.30 caliber 1906!

" ...in 1906 a modified version of this basic cartridge was adopted as the 30 Caliber, Model of 1906."

I assume that you can also use a piece of brass or steel tubing. Of course you'll have to solder a bolt in one end so that it can be held in the drill chuck.

Thomas

:I assume that you can also use a piece of brass or steel tubing. Of course you'll have to solder a bolt in one end so that it can be held in the drill chuck.
:
:Thomas

Thomas, you sure could. However, using cartridge cases gives you a good choice of sizes (.227, .308, 9MM same as .32, .357,.40, .45, and even .5). Also the case necks are so thin that they are very easy to sharpen. Just leave it chucked and stone it while running the drill. I developed this method when installing carpet in my old corvette. I needed 1/4" holes in the rear compartment to align exactly with the captive nuts in the floor pan. So I just got under the car, poked a finishing nail through the nut and carpet and then used the nail as a guide for my handy dandy hole cutter.

Will

:under useless info category:
:
:Thanks Will... BTW do you know what the "06" means in the .30-06?
:.30 caliber 1906!
:
:" ...in 1906 a modified version of this basic cartridge was adopted as the 30 Caliber, Model of 1906."

Yes, Peter, the 06 is for 1906, the year that this cartridge replaced the 30-40 Krag as the standard army small arms cartridge. It was an upgrade of the 30-03 (1903). The 30 in 30-30 means 30 caliber loaded with 30 grains of black powder. It was converted to a smokless powder cartridge about 1894 but retained the old name. Same for the 40 in 30-40 Krag.
Will

Peter: If I'm not mistaken you are describing a metal electrical wiring box weather proof connecter for romex, 1/2 inch pipe thread with jam nut. That's a standard transition from box to romex. If you ever have need for one again, look for the one thats for round wire, inside hole is round and about a half inch in diameter (15/32"). My sons in the pool maintenance business and I usually wire the new pump motors for him using that round connecter which screws into the motor housing port and run round three wire strained line to it. When you tighten the outside nut it compresses the rubber grommet and waterproofs the connection. Pat

Yeah .. the waterproof connector.. that's it. That's exactly the thing I'm in reference to. Great.. didn't know they had a round ID too.
But that rubber is really great. ... grips nicely on the dial string.
thanks... you guys are wealth of knowledge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Informationally wise, this was to be inserted into the thread at just the threshold of the last “Rubber renew” comment,without encroaching upon the ballistics aspect.:

I use the “generic” version that other companies repackage and then put on a great price
mark up for a very meager amount of product..
It was first used by the printer and lithographer trades where they have a lot of rollers that
feed the paper thru, so there is very little tolerance for slippage to upset registration. I contacted
one local and described the product and he said to come on by and he though that could help me.
When I got there he pulled out a separate gallon can from resting atop a cardboard carton of four.
Upon my “How much for a little of this”.. I was met with …Go on…take it !...now that must have
been in the order of a pint sloshing about in the bottom of the can. That was in ’91 and I’m still using
/hoarding on that amount in servicing of phono and Vcr belts, wheels and drives. I still won’t chance
any on being wasted within a Q tip, instead using a std metal screwdriver tip for application..
As for my evaluation of its smell, its solvent vehicle just doesn’t register with any common familiar
odors.

Some criteria on that products optimum utilization:
Its limited….if the rubber / neoprene has hardened or checked…its too far gone….beyond help.
I saw that if you can place a fingernails end within the rubber surface and it responds on surface
rebounding, it would treat. The next most important thing would be to initially remove any dead surface
rubber oxide / glaze before…. Repeat… BEFORE…. any chemical touches that surface. The best way being
to use one of the Eberhard Faber pencil style of typewriter eraser. (Or one of the old style circular wheel versions with its plastic bristled “flick off” brush) .The former uses about an 1/8 in dia of fine grey abrasive incorporated within its rubber element and is covered with a spiral wrapping of paper that you peel off to expose new area.. (Be sure that you don’t / didn’t get the newer white vinyl version that is probably devoid of any abrasive filler whatsoever….more oriented to common soft lead pencil erasures).
Then you systematically go to work cleaning the dead oxide off in small overlapping bites. By using a bright light source placed at the front and looking at the rubber surface for its reflection will let you precisely see the uniformity of cleaning coverage. Seems the surface will transform from a shine to a matte surface as you clean it.
Once you have covered the periphery. THEN you can take a linter free type of cleaning cloth and moisten it in MEK and start cleaning that rubber surface. Usually by about the third cleaning the cleaning cloth will show no trace of dead rubber coming off. At that point you have a pristine new lively rubber surface, ready for the application of that magic elixir to empower its optimal effectiveness.

73's de Edd

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:Yeah .. the waterproof connector.. that's it. That's exactly the thing I'm in reference to. Great.. didn't know they had a round ID too.
:But that rubber is really great. ... grips nicely on the dial string.
:thanks... you guys are wealth of knowledge.

That disk type (wheel) with the brush was not a pencil eraser. It was made for typist to use to erase a mistake in typing while the paper was still in the machine. The brush was to remove the debris caused by the erasing so it did not fall in the typewriter and gum up the works. Back to the slippage. Have you tried resin on the string, they use it on violin bow strings to better the friction between the bow strings and the strings on the violin. I don't know if it would work but it can't hurt. Pat

That's rosin you old sap

Check your Funk and Wagnell's on that young whipper snapper.

fight nice boys... it's so nice when you are BOTH right!!!

Rosin < is from > Resin....
....you say tom-ah-to I say catsup! or something...like that

Dictionary.com says....

ros·in
Pronunciation Key (rzn)
n.
A translucent yellowish to dark brown resin derived from the stumps or sap of various pine trees and used to increase sliding friction, as on the bows of certain stringed instruments, and to manufacture a wide variety of products including varnishes, inks, linoleum, adhesives, and soldering compounds.

No fight intended Pete, as a matter of fact I had always used resin and when brought up short I turned to the dictionary and sure enough he's right until I checked my spelling and came up with almost the identical definition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will interject that the referenced Eberhard-Faber eraser mentioned was actually NOT in the spiral strip away paper bonding, but instead the wood encasement to be sharpened away. Also both this "pencil" style of stick eraser along with the mentioned older "wheel" style of design both fall within the "typewriter eraser" category with their supplication of the rubber mix with a degree of pumice enrichment. Its getting harder to find them in a store ....Who types anymore and makes errors to be corrected with the current onset of Word Processing and printing via associated Laser and Jet printers?
Therby, old stationary store items like this are getting progressively harder to find.

As per the ROSIN-RESIN, I certainly see it validly used both ways, with the resin most commonly related to the raw product or rosin to the treated end product.
E.g. pine resin.......r o/e sin paper......epoxy resin...rosin core solder...etc.

BTW, in times past, the product (re/osin) HAS been used and marketed whereupon it was introduced in a solvent vehicle and it was to be applied via a cap top brush on phono drive components and the inner turntable periphery. Its shortcoming was the abatement of the solvent and the rosin then settling out as a dry powder and falling down and free.

73's de Edd

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:No fight intended Pete, as a matter of fact I had always used resin and when brought up short I turned to the dictionary and sure enough he's right until I checked my spelling and came up with almost the identical definition.

:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
:I will interject that the referenced Eberhard-Faber eraser mentioned was actually NOT in the spiral strip away paper bonding, but instead the wood encasement to be sharpened away. Also both this "pencil" style of stick eraser along with the mentioned older "wheel" style of design both fall within the "typewriter eraser" category with their supplication of the rubber mix with a degree of pumice enrichment. Its getting harder to find them in a store ....Who types anymore and makes errors to be corrected with the current onset of Word Processing and printing via associated Laser and Jet printers?
:Therby, old stationary store items like this are getting progressively harder to find.
:
:As per the ROSIN-RESIN, I certainly see it validly used both ways, with the resin most commonly related to the raw product or rosin to the treated end product.
:E.g. pine resin.......r o/e sin paper......epoxy resin...rosin core solder...etc.
:
:BTW, in times past, the product (re/osin) HAS been used and marketed whereupon it was introduced in a solvent vehicle and it was to be applied via a cap top brush on phono drive components and the inner turntable periphery. Its shortcoming was the abatement of the solvent and the rosin then settling out as a dry powder and falling down and free.
:
:73's de Edd
:
:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
:
::No fight intended Pete, as a matter of fact I had always used resin and when brought up short I turned to the dictionary and sure enough he's right until I checked my spelling and came up with almost the identical definition.

Rosin is soluable in turpentine. I used to use it when I had a gunsmithing business in a barrel vice to hold a rifle barrel extremely tight to remove the action and not mar the barrel from slippage. I still use it on slipping dial strings. I disolve the crushed rosin until I have a saturated solution then let the tupentine evaporate until I have a thick slurry. I am VERY careful in application to the dial string so that it does not migrate to unwanted areas. It also improves the smell to the "mousy" radios I come accross occasionaly. Hope this helps.
Jon.

Sometimes when my roommate is on his computer, I like to type my essays on my 1930 Smith Corona typewriter. I'm a very good typist, and the type takes up more space, which is good when I have to write a long paper.

T.

Thomas:
You can select a "typewriter" font on your word procesor just as easily you know?
For instance, Courier or American-Typewriter, or some other such font. These are called "mono-spaced" fonts because each letter is given the exact same space as all others. There is no kerning either ( like when an "i" is tucked closley under the letter "t" ( ti is a kerning pair)
So you can have all the spell check and ease of correction flexibility with the same space-wasting in-efficiency of the old typewriter.
... But something tells me... you'll still use the typewriter... ;-)

I like both. Used to hate computers many years ago, but I love them now. They're pretty nice tools. I still love my typewriter, though. It's a mechanical marvel.

T.

Thomas:
... BTW... did you know that the QWERTY keyboard layout was actually designed to slow typists down?
The original layout was more efficient like the "Dvorak" keyboard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard

The reason was that fast typists kept getting the keys jammed .... so the answer was to make a layout such that it would forced a slower typing pace!

:Thomas:
:... BTW... did you know that the QWERTY keyboard layout was actually designed to slow typists down?
:The original layout was more efficient like the "Dvorak" keyboard.
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard
:
:The reason was that fast typists kept getting the keys jammed .... so the answer was to make a layout such that it would forced a slower typing pace!

Speaking of typewriters and radios, has anyone ever heard of a mill? A mill is a typewriter with only caps, numbers and punctuation. I graduated the Army high speed radio operators school in 1957. To qualify for the MOS 052 you had to receive 25 WPM on a mill. That was 75 five letter groups with less than three errors. what a relief to get out of that school.
:

Yeah, the QWERTY system was invented here in Milwaukee by Remington Rand.

I do need to slow down a bit when typing on a typewriter, but I can still type fast. When I type on a computer, I usually go at about 60 to 75 wpm, but when using a typewriter I go at about 40 to 50. If I go faster, keys get jammed...plus I have to think more on a typewriter so that I don't make mistakes. The actual trick isn't really thinking but not letting yourself think too far ahead....must keep the brain fairly clear.

T.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will:
Now it sounds like to me that possibly a select instructor or group of them zeroed in on the Mill reference in respect to the English recipient of the first typewriter patent back in 1724 whereupon he merely conceptualized upon it without ever developing an actual viable product. Henry Mill was the name. I had never commonly heard the reference about the US. Thus, I have to go pound away at the old Mill.
As per the mentioned only upper case and punctuation function capabilities , I would have thought that you
would certainly have been exposed in the ARMY …possibly Ft Gordon ?..to the heavily utilized TT-4 and TT-76 teletypes using roll feed paper the diameter of toilet tissue. All of your common message flow was handled with these as well as any manuscripted orders that you would personally have received. The TT-76 additionally even having punched tape capability as a storage or transmssion medium.
Working / relaying code, you also may have encountered your fair share of pesky / hard to copy sequential 5 character code groups. Crypto generated “ trash or gibberish” until they were finally end decoded.

73’s de Edd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:Yeah, the QWERTY system was invented here in Milwaukee by Remington Rand.
:
:I do need to slow down a bit when typing on a typewriter, but I can still type fast. When I type on a computer, I usually go at about 60 to 75 wpm, but when using a typewriter I go at about 40 to 50. If I go faster, keys get jammed...plus I have to think more on a typewriter so that I don't make mistakes. The actual trick isn't really thinking but not letting yourself think too far ahead....must keep the brain fairly clear.
:
:T.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:Will:
:Now it sounds like to me that possibly a select instructor or group of them zeroed in on the Mill reference in respect to the English recipient of the first typewriter patent back in 1724 whereupon he merely conceptualized upon it without ever developing an actual viable product. Henry Mill was the name. I had never commonly heard the reference about the US.

Thus, I have to go pound away at the old Mill.
:As per the mentioned only upper case and punctuation function capabilities , I would have thought that you
:would certainly have been exposed in the ARMY …possibly Ft Gordon ?..to the heavily utilized TT-4 and TT-76 teletypes using roll feed paper the diameter of toilet tissue. All of your common message flow was handled with these as well as any manuscripted orders that you would personally have received. The TT-76 additionally even having punched tape capability as a storage or transmssion medium.
:Working / relaying code, you also may have encountered your fair share of pesky / hard to copy sequential 5 character code groups. Crypto generated “ trash or gibberish” until they were finally end decoded.
:
:73’s de Edd
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:
::Yeah, the QWERTY system was invented here in Milwaukee by Remington Rand.
::
::I do need to slow down a bit when typing on a typewriter, but I can still type fast. When I type on a computer, I usually go at about 60 to 75 wpm, but when using a typewriter I go at about 40 to 50. If I go faster, keys get jammed...plus I have to think more on a typewriter so that I don't make mistakes. The actual trick isn't really thinking but not letting yourself think too far ahead....must keep the brain fairly clear.
::

Edd, Ft Gordon is correct. The only TTY I was exposed too was the operations course for the AN/GRC26 unit. It consisted of a BC610 xmtr, 2 Collins URR388 receivers, 2 full size teleprinters, a paper tape punch/reader, a crystal oven, and a device called an RTT control, all housed in a cute little hut that could be mounted on a duce and a half. I don't recall the name of the commercial version of the Collins receiver. They are still in demand and may still be in use at NASA. It was one great radio. Right, the five letter groups were meant to simulate normal coded messages. The course was 19 weeks and I qualified in 17 so I went on to qualify at 27 WPM. After graduating I was posted to a boat company on the French coast and assigned as radio operator on an LCU. My big difficulty was the transition from five letter groups to clear text.
ZKJ, Will

::T.