Help with Collins TCS refurb
 

Hi
I have an old Collins TCS Transmitter that I'm
in the process of getting back into a working
condition, everything is fine inside but the front
Panel paintwork has become unstable in as much
as over the years it has been badly stored and the
paintwork is flaking off quite badly probably due to
damp, at the moment it still has enough paint left to
look reasonable if I can sort of fix it as it is.
Or is it a complete rub down and respray job? has
anyone done this? I notice the lettering is raised
above the surface of the panel? would it be possible
to respray and then rub the new surface to retrive
the lettering? again anyone done this
thanks for any useful advise

I used to get black crackle finishes to look real new while I was in the navy
in the fifties. I used flat black enamel paint and thinned it so it would
flow about like the thinner flowed with no paint. Basically I just floated the
stuff on and wiped immediately over it with a cloth to take the black off the
lettering. Sometimes took two treatments but it always worked very well.
(broke=not working, retired=not working, retired=broke)

Ron, you might check with Columbia Electronics in CA. Years ago they
refurbished TCS's, to include the panels. One of the current owners is
knowledgeable of the process. Maybe he'll tell you how they did it?

Ron wrote:

Hi
I have an old Collins TCS Transmitter that I'm
in the process of getting back into a working
condition, everything is fine inside but the front
Panel paintwork has become unstable in as much
as over the years it has been badly stored and the
paintwork is flaking off quite badly probably due to
damp, at the moment it still has enough paint left to
look reasonable if I can sort of fix it as it is.
Or is it a complete rub down and respray job? has
anyone done this? I notice the lettering is raised
above the surface of the panel? would it be possible
to respray and then rub the new surface to retrive
the lettering? again anyone done this
thanks for any useful advise