Refurbish help

[Box3351]

Hi gang:

  I recently acquired a FA box that I have identified as a Gamewell with a 1916 Gardiner mech as per Paul Roncallo's book Pg. 157, fig. 185.
It has a CI inner box and outer shell, but it has a later door made of Herculite with a bullseye lens. (Probably replaced.)
What a mess of mouse poop and seeds, rust and such!
 Anyway while in the process of dissassembly to refurbish I have a couple of questions for the experts on this great forum:

1: Do I have to disassemble the clock work to get all the gunk and varnish out of it, or is there a "magic" fluid that I could use. (It's kind of stiff.)

2: As the cover glass is broken, is there a place/person that does reproductions? Insulator on bottom of inside box?

3: The steel bolts (esp. the small ones) on the mech are pretty rusty, are there replacements for these?

4: The rubber grommets that hold the round piece to the inner box are shot. Same question about reproductions.

Thanks in advance for any help. It looks like some new swear words would help also.

Tom

[paulbalentine]

1916 Mechanism parts are going to be difficult to get, I am sure you already know this......you may try L.W. Bills  in Georgetown, Ma....their phone number is on this board somewhere or you can google them....glass could be replaced by plexi-glass....dont know how handy you are.

Don't take apart the mechanism, you will never get it all back together as there are springs and other small parts which WILL be broken. The springs and all the works come apart violently even if they're not wound tight.....( trust me I am the voice of experience on this one.....Alm Doc has bailed me out several times here.....) 

I don't know about the small screws but you may be able to get rubber grommets at Home Depot, Lowes or possibly a plumbing supply store.....just a few thoughts.....most of my boxes are '51 style, they're much easier to get parts for if I screw something up.....

Hope this helps, best of luck

[gls24]

I agree on the warnings about disassembly of the mechanism.  I have done so successfully, but I only do so when I have a second mechanism that I can copy for reassembly.  Whether disassembled or as a unit, I submerse the metal in a clock cleaning solution to clean them.  Whether common at the time of manufacture or just a Gamewell choice, many of the screws they used are now what would be considered to have an uncommon pitch (and not available at least thru "normal" sources).  So, unless you know you have suitable replacements, plan to clean and reuse the existing hardware.  Same is true for the rubber parts.  I have fabricated some replacements, but I prefer to salvage and reuse originals rather than use repros.

[magicitybill]

I have a simular box which I sprayed with WD-40 and blew out carefully with an air hose on a low pressure. Pull the box so that the works opperate while you do this. When it is all dry then lubricate carefully with a toothpick and a light machine oil. It worked on mine & I did not take it apart.

A glass business can cut you glass and drill a hole in it. Picture frame glass is thinner than single strength and might be just right. I do not know where to find the little black knob or a substitute? Anyone?

Hardware stores sell bubber bushings made to fit into a hole in metal so that lamp cords may pass through without being abraded. These might work for the grommets. I have not tryed this.

I have thought that a sheet metal shop could roll a piece of round brass stock (from a hobby store) to the proper diameter to hold the glass in, but have not asked any to try it.

[Box3351]

Thanks to all for some great ideas. Greatly appreciated.

[Box3351]

Hi all:
OK, now a different question: Let's go electrical....
On the rear of the porcelain piece with the key and line connections is a round porcelain piece wrapped with wire that had disintegrated..what is it? Is this supposed to be the 68 (?) OHM resistor that shows up in the later boxes? Can I replace this with a regular resistor??

PS: Progress on the clock work--it's alive! IT'S ALIVE!! (maniacal laughter.)

[Box3351]

For those who are interested, here are a couple of before and after:

[Box3351]

For those who are interested, here are a couple of before and after:

[Box3351]

For those who are interested, here are a couple of before and after:

[Box3351]

More progress:

[Box3351]

More progress but missing the cover glass. And it works!
Now for the outer box.

[magicitybill]

Looks GREAT! What did you clean the brass parts with?

[Box3351]

Thank you for the complement.

In cleaning up the brass, EVERYTHING, except the clockwork, was taken apart and cleaned with a brass wire wheel. DO NOT use a steel wire wheel. Steel is harder than brass and you will wind up with the dreded "highly polished, deeply scratched."

After all the "crud" was off, I used "Brasso" cleaner. Some of the brass screws were replaced with new ones.

[paulbalentine]

things are looking good, you have done quite well so far!!!!

[FDCJ240]

I think that I may have an original Gamewell glass replacement for this box.  As soon as I have time to dig around my basement for it I will get back to you.