The Hacker Herald - RP37A

Funny things happen when you venture into your Yahoo Groups not too often. I saw a post  where someone was giving away a tired Hacker Herald - RP37A. I had no idea what it looked like, but said... yes please... parted with postage and awaited its arrival.

A few days later it turned up and I eagerly carried the box upstairs not really knowing (as I was too lazy to find the pics) and opened the box with anticipation. It really wasn't that bad, a bit on the grotty side with years of use and, by all accounts, living next to the chip pan for years... we all know what sort of gunge they can dish out. So, this was it, time to make plans for my first ever attempt to give it a clean, rip it apart, replace the leatherette and get it all back together again without having bits left over that I was sure should go somewhere.

 

You could say it had done well to get this far in life. But I was very confident that I could do something, and it wouldn't look any worse when done. First thing I did was pinch the on/off knob, as I have a Sovereign II RP25A that needs a better one. Polished it up, and re-did the white line in fresh Tamiya Acrylic White, and it came up a treat as you can see below.

 

 

It's not super perfect, but for a 40 year old bit of plastic, it's not doing bad! Anyway, on with the project. I had done some research on the Rexine covering and recently found out that the last roll of Rexine was made in 2005 and that a company up North makes their own equivalent. I was a bit stingy to pay over £22 for a metre delivered, so went hunting at Fabric Land here in Bristol. Voila, they had black faux leather, so I grabbed a metre of that and some synthetic 5mm wadding for the front and back and went home happy with the fact that I could now do something constructive.

 



The radio was duly deconstructed and a photo taken, to show that I wasn't telling fibs and the box it was delivered in was the parts box and sat next to the coffee table for the next few weeks as I patiently tried to get a decent finish on those confounded rounded edges.

Case 109 was in for a shock, mostly because its covering was about to be removed. The front and back was pretty simple, but the case itself, well, they used a pretty good glue on that as it pulled quite a bit of wood off (forgot to research how to get it off without ruining stuff). Anyway, we got there and theback cover was duly removed and uncovered. I gave the wood a light sand, and measured out some wadding to cover the back and clipped it as close as I could to the top using gigantic dressmakers scissors. I gave the panel a liberal coating of PVA, put a weight on it and let it set overnight ready for the fun to begin with the faux leather..

It had started out looking rather sad, a bit like this......


But ended up looking rather nice like... well a bit like this......

 

Spurred on by this flash new arrival in my midst, I was gung-ho to give the front a go. It was looking rather sad, but I was confident although a tad scared I might chop bits of my fingers off in the process!

 

 

I thought that it would have been much easier, but I made a fatal mistake of cutting the speaker aperture out BEFORE I had glued the faux leather on. Yes, you could call it a doh moment. But, onward I plugged and after a bit of polishing, bending, urging, tweaking and painting the black fins in the grille in Humbrol Matt Black, it looked really cool. Almost like a bought one.

 

 

After finishing the front, I was keen to get the casing sorted. I did forget to mention that I took extreme care in removing the plastic piping from the original cases and spent probably an hour on each scratching off the old glue from every part of it. It was a bugger of a job, but it had to be done. I gave up on standard PVA, it just didn't have the strength so obtained some extra strong PVA from the Bostic range and that worked a treat for all the essential gluey bits. Front grille and the dial were polished up with T-Cut, available from most shops that deal in car goodies. It's a tad on the expensive side, but I doubt if I've used a tablespoon since I've had it, and it has come in handy for polishing all sorts.

 

 

 

The old case had been modified by its original owner and a 12v AC supply had been fitted, and had obviously been up to the task although I have removed and refilled the hole with Milliput and you'd never guess there ever was a hole. The fill was given a liberal dose of Stayzon Black to match the inside of the box along with the grille cloths which gave them a nice deep black look, hiding the years of light damage.

 

Where the hole was, can just see where it used to be but I guess if you never knew, you'd never bother to look.

 

 

 

Other tools and a dabble with Bostic Leather glue, although not much, helped to complete this lovely little radio. Yes it still goes, but needs a few tweaks inside to make it completely refurbished. The only things missing now are the tone control knobs and the clips for the handle. I replaced the original rubber washers on the handle mounts with 1/2 inch tap washers, suitably drilled to take the brass washers that the screws sit in. Oh, and some work to do on the corners on the dial plate. Apart from that, I think you'd agree that she looks fabby now!

 

A tale of two Hackers, the RP25A Sovereign II on the left and refurbished RP37A Herald on the right. A few more in the wings, so more fun coming up.



Vintage Buses - Harbourside Bristol 27th April 2013

Just a few photo's taken on the Sunday morning, a nice stroll and a trip down memory lane. Was great to see the old Green on the road again.

Into the mists we went....

.... and we ended up in Glastonbury...where we bought this... a very very quirky clock... Steampunk if you like... :o)

We're going to paint the hands a suitable gold as they're quite hard to see from a distance. 

Not much else happening, but we did have a glorious week in snowbound North Wales last week... bloomin lovely time and   well done to the Councils up that way for a really great job of keeping the roads open (except in a few places).

As  you can see, the lake was beginning to ice up, it was a tad chilly at the time but the scenery was fabulous. 

TIM aside, Setright in progress, but on hold...

February 11 2013
Well, I've not been too busy... well, I have. What with studying for the ECDL Extra qualification and sourcing other learning to help me get back into work the T.I.M. and Setright's have taken a back seat.
I did get the VHT paint, and I think I posted that earlier and I have used the T-Cut... and thought it best to put some result shots up... just for good measure.

Below is the front-most panel of the Bristol Omnibus Company Setright. The paint was removed by force mostly and the "spray can variant" of  Nitromors All Strip Mousse. It was a bit of a fizzer as the nozzle kept blocking, but, it did "soften" the wrinkly bits eventually. So I can't really recommend it with 100% conviction.

But, you can see that the VHT paint did a fab job of covering the plate and giving the desired effect. The only thing to remember is to apply it like you've got loads to spare and give it a good covering as if you go too light it will not give the wrinkle that is desired, it will flatten and annoy you. I know, this had two light coats and then one sod you, get bloody wet, coat... worked a treat :o) And, the wrinkling you get is shown below.

When it dried like this I was more than happy.... I forgot to add that I did lay a coat of metal primer underneath, but a light coat as it seemed to not "dry" properly. Anyway... onward.

Thanks to a tip via one helpful chap, I obtained some T-Cut polisher/cutting compound. Having removed the part of the Setright that doesn't leave you with a mass of parts, I attacked it with 1000 grit wet and dry, got black fingers and then with the high speed brushes on the Dremel and... finally a gentle and effective job with the T-Cut... this is the end result. I will endeavour to treat the rest of the brightwork the same as I want the Bristol unit to look pristine on the new Setright mount (with leather strap) I found on a certain "you can get it here" website. :o)

So, after a while sanding and polishing, and making the spare room smell like an engineering workshop this happened. The scratches are still there, the edges a bit rounded, but it will look great once finished. My last thought would be a coat of clear varnish on the brights and a satin varnish on the black. The four holes you see around the edges are from security bars that were attached to stop the conductors fiddling the counters! I am hoping to have it ready to lug down to the Vintage Bus gathering that usually happens in May down at the Harbour here in Bristol... might even pop a few tickets out for the kiddies :o) We shall see!

So, that's about it for now... oh, I did paint the roll container with a hammered metal paint, but it's not come up to my expectation, but I might just let it roll (no pun intended)... it's not hammered enough... too much paint?

Cheers and thanks for taking the time to have a wander through my ramblings!

Things for your ears and eyes...

I just thought I'd let you into what I like listening to, apart from music.

Try Old Harry's Game by Andy Hamilton (from the good old Beeb), the Now Show and News Quiz on |BBC Radio 4 and I'm still enjoying The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy... I've read the books, seen the TV series, have the records, seen the movies... and... yes, it's still bloody good entertainment.

Oh, and I love Flight of the Navigator... it's corny, but I'd love to be 12 again!

That's all :o)

Streuth mate... nice pie!

This recipe, found in Mrs Beetson's Family Cookery book, new edition dated 1912... we found this under
"Colonial Cooking" good job we don't have parrots, but there is a link to merry England!

Mmmmmmmm :o) These days, it would be a very, very expensive meal!

T.I.M. B135 onward...

26th January 2013
Today I decided to give the lower casing its first coat of primer but before I did I took two photos so that I couldpost before and after shots. There is still some black paint remaining but I couldn't find a paint stripper and thought that I couldn't justify the cost for what remained so sanded it off a little more with 140 grit and then a light sand all over with the 140 to give a key.

I must admit that adding the first coat of primer is indeed progress, as I usually get discouraged, put it back together and then it ends up in a box in the garage somewhere never to see the light of day. But, onward... it's been a bit of fun and I've learnt a bit about these beasts!

So, for now, there you have it - and yes, there is masking tape over the RETURNS window. I was going to mask the rivets but have decided to paint them using  Humbrol Metallic Enamel... more to follow as I progress.

27th January 2013
Well, after a few coats of lovely black paint, the lower compartment of the T.I.M. is looking fabulous. The info on the paint tin says to wait 7 days for it to dry (cure/harden) so... I will wait! But it does look great!

So, we now have 7 days to wait for the paint to really cure. 

Unfortunately for my wallet, we went to the Flea Market at the Bath and West Showgrounds this morning... I returned with two Setright machines and I would have left them there except one was ex Bristol Omnibus Co. Ltd... the other is plain and the imprint is "Duchy Travel". So I have at least one to research. The Bristol variant is pre-decimal that has been converted to decimal (can't select anything over 9 1/2p on the penny scale) and the Duchy is decimal.

I'll have a separate blog up for these two machines in due course. I'm not sure who thought of it, and how many got on by themselves, but there was an option on the Bristol Setright for a Dog... :o) It seems I am now addicted!

I had a thought, and that was to remain on topic with the T.I.M. machine... so, here is the new look ticket using fresh ink and fresh rolls.

Note that the T.I.M. ticket is 90mm x 37.5mm, the Setright Bristol ticket is 58mm x 25mm and the Duchy ticket is 59mm x 25mm. The Bristol ticket rolls were pre-printed with company info and an advert on the reverse promoting "Send your parcels by country bus".

28th January 2013

Here are two shots for the uninitiated of the internals of the TIM machine B.135. On the second shot, I've reversed the image of part of the print drum and inserted it lower left. Complex little machines!

On the Bristol Setright, I've removed the added Bristol Bus security strips (they didn't trust anyone by the looks) and had a cursory glance inside. Quite different to the TIM. But I will post photo's on a new bit. So, here are the TIM internals.

Last Friday... all was white

The view from the apartment after a decent dusting - 18th January 2013

Things from the past... all fares please!

Liz and I went to the ICAF (International Collector's and Antiques Fair) on Saturday. It was very cold, windy, and snow was in the air. Not many sellers had turned up, and entry was free. We had heard that one local radio station had said it wasn't on, when in fact, it was! Always check the website!
I bought one of these...

It's a Bus ticket machine made by Ticket Issuing Machines Ltd, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and is definitely pre-decimal. I just have to find out when. Originally used "On The Buses" in Bolton City Transport, it has now found it's way to me and I am in the process of cleaning/restoring.

Yes, it works, has ink, a roll of paper... although the ink is a tad dry, but the imprint is readable.

I've always wanted one, and saw a few at a previous fair and decided to bite the bullet and have a go at not only owning, but restoring to some form of glory that many from the older generation will remember (and not so old!) I've been warned not to start a new collection, but I might be able to forget I ever heard that comment ;o)

Above, the underside of the machine shows a running total of shillings, pence and tickets sold. This was, I assume, reset at the depot every day so that the conductor couldn't fiddle the takings. The little button centre right enables access to change the date on the ticket and to re-ink the roller.

Above is the left hand side of the machine, where the "Stage" could be entered by rotating the larger knob, a Stage being a known part of the route (from 0 to 99), and the type of ticket. This machine did away with two tickets for the return trip by printing a large R on the ticket, thus saving the bus company a few bob on paper rolls.

Above, the business side of things where the value of the ticket is selected, the button at bottom right is pushed and the handle rotated to issue the ticket for the lucky traveller. It had 5 selectible values on the curved dial (centre) and 12 on the tele-dial as shown in the next photo... the cheapest fare was 1/2d, or, highly unlikely free, and the dearest 4/- and 11d, that would have probably been a return. Tele-dial shown below.

This photo is upside down, but gives you a better view of the different values that could be selected. To reset it back to the home position the lever at top right would be pushed up and it would reset itself.

I have cleaned up the makers plate and done my best at re-inking the plate with reasonable success and the inker/date cover plate is currently bathing in primer ready for a sand and a new coat of black to start the process. The leather strapping is original, but that is all there is, so there could be some hunting going on to find an original. New rolls and ink are in the pipeline and I hope to have an image of a new old ticket here soon.

Well, I faffed about a bit and printed out a reasonable copy of a ticket... shown below... on original paper, with what is left of the original ink. Date is confusing... but 35FEB was what was originally showing when bought. New ones to come soon :o) Must see what the route should be and whether this was a slug depending on which route... Update: this was not selected in the machine and was intentionally left blank, I've left it showing 812 for the time being (not shown here).

If you want to read a tad more about Ticketing Machines, have a gander at the following:

http://www.ticketmachinewebsite.com/

It really wasn't just about the buses!

OK, busy today... update on the inker cover ... In situ, and ready, probably tomorrow, for a coat of black... I know it's going to get dealt to, but... 

As you can see, the Dremel and wire brush attachment has been busy... vast improvement... onward!

Below is the manufacturers plate, after a little titivation with some Tamiya acrylic and a light sanding with 1000 grit wet and dry... if you look at the top image, it is a vast improvement. Unfortunately all the dings from the past are highlighted also, but... still looks great to me.

21st January

As suggested in the comments, I rigged up the Dremel with a cutting disk and had a go at the least visible security bolt. My hand wasn't steady enough so I grabbed a hacksaw and cut a nice notch for a screwdriver to get the bottom casing off. Worked a treat, and all screws were removed and the bottom casing was removed and sanded using the Dremel last night. The before and after shots are below, with a small amount of work left to do (stiff neck last night curtailed my fun!). The perspex cleaned up nicely with some Mr Muscle Window and Glass, so will be left as is.

22nd January

The oil based ink arrived this morning and the roller will be re-inked closer to finish, it's available here and time from order to receipt was less than 24 hours, fantastic service:

http://www.stampsdirect.co.uk/metal-stamp-ink-56-p.asp.

More updates to follow on a new post... save you endless scrolling :o)