Variable capacitor

[Sparks]

Home-made variable capacitor.     Aluminium plates.    Acrylic ends.       The size of the plates was sheer guesswork, I made no attempt to calculate what the final value would be, but it came out at exactly 150pF
Bob

[Murphyv310]

That's a really nice job. Well done.

[Mike Watterson]

I wish I could make stuff even half as well. I'd calculate the shape of the blades for a linear frequency scale, if someone would like to make it.
I'd want 9 gangs (LO, RF, RF preamp for three groups of bands ... 60KHz to 6MHz, 6MHz to 60MHz and 60MHz to 180 MHz approx).

It looks like it would be lovely as vintage style AM radio TRF reaction control, or Short wave RF pre-selector.

[tiv48]

Yet another work of art.
I a m so jealous of your ability
Rob T

[Sparks]

It all came at a price though!    I was never very good academically, and gaining my marine certificates pushed me to the limits.   I had failed my 11+, also entrance exam to technical college, and left school without a single O level.     But on the other hand, never had much trouble with dealing the with practical electronics, and could even manage the dreaded transistors and ICs when they came along. I could probably have become quite successful, if I had been better at the paperwork !
Bob  

[Old Sparky]

Although I have, in the past, built various things such as a signal generator, Variable voltage PSU, etc., I don't think I'd even attempt to build a variable capacitor, so congratulations on a very well made item, Bob. I passed my 11+ back in the 50s, but left school with no qualifications, then, 11 years later, went on a course and obtained my C&G 433 part 1 in Radio, TV & Electronics servicing, which is still, after 45 years, the only qualification, apart from several certificates from Robert Bosch UK awarded after completing update courses on servicing Blaupunkt Car Audio during the 70s & 80s, that I have.

[Sparks]

C & G was beyond me! Couldn't take much of it in, so I walked out after 3 months. The company said that it would hold back my career, but within a few months, advised us they were getting out of shipping, and started selling the fleet off. Fortunately I was able to find a shipping company that couldn't care less about qualifications, as long as I had the minimum to allow me to do the job. An ideal situation for the likes of me!
Bob