Labelling Valves with Water-Slide Transfers ('Decals')

[Yorkie]

I'm in the process of restoring an Ekco AC77 radio and have gathered together the valves I need. Some are NOS, others have been around the block a few times and though I hope thy will perform OK, they look a bit shabby. Sometimes I just make a Dymo thermal printed label and apply it to the valve base, but I thought I'd try a water-slide transfer, as I did recently with a large can electrolytic.

The valve in question is a VP4B which has gold metallic shielding, bits of which had flaked off, though the rest of it was sound. I first filled in the missing patches using electrical conductive silver paint as used for repairing car window elements, then I noted what bit of lettering was still on the valve before spraying it gold. I then made a transfer using Photoshop to resemble the original lettering as best I could. The results are I think quite presentable, and certainly better than other methods I've used, notably, a white 'Edding' pen on the glass, or a Dymo label on the base.

I don't know what effect the heat might have on the transfer over time, but I don't envisage this radio being on for hours a day when it's finished (which won't be any time soon!).

I've attached a pic of the valve, and alongside it, a pic of the electrolytic cap that I made a transfer for to apply after I'd cleaned up the can on the lathe (including skimming the two parts of the can so that they mated accurately), and re-stuffed the cap. I felt that the can was too pitted to leave just as it was, and the new label reflects what's inside the can now - not the original lettering, which has no relevance.

I'm impressed with the decal paper from Crafty Computer Paper Ltd - it prints much better on my Epson SX535WD Printer than I'd imagined, given that the printer is useless with acetate sheets. I've had the paper for two or three years, which I originally bought with a view to making replacement dials from scans, but have never got around to.

Hope that's of interest.

[Aerodyne]

I suspected there'd be another use for a lathe, David. I think that between you and Col you could write a book entitled '1001 radio-related things to do with a lathe'. The valve label is impressive. I hadn't thought of using decal paper for that purpose but its an idea to bank for the future. Thanks for sharing this.
Tony

[Eddystonepete]

Hi David, that must have been a very thick capacitor can to be able to turn a step on both bits ! Think I would have taken the easy way and turned a ring to fit inside both bits. Your right though a lathe is only limited by your imagination. I had a need of a way of cutting a 2mm hole in photo paper with no burr (I was making a watch dial) It needed to be punched rather than drilled. The answer ? put a 2mm drill in a pillar dril. a Fobco star, and brill a hole in a piece of scrap ali held in the drill vice, take the 2mm drill out of the chuck and grind the "blunt end" square, refit blunt end down and use as a punch, hey presto, a perfect clean hole.

Peter

[pwdrive]

Re the can electrolytic, I don't have a lathe but with the type shown in Davids picture there is a simple way just using a hacksaw and a file for those that do not have a lathe, I used this method on some can electrolytics in a Hallicrafters, looking at the capacitor when it's standing upright I cut through the can at the top of the rebate and pulled apart to get the innards out, the edge of the main can is then filed so that it is an exact interference fit over the rebate, it was then restuffed, a thin trickle of superglue was then applied to the top edge of the rebate and the main part of the can pushed on by about 1.5 mm, it stuck solid and still left the rebate for asthetics and you cannot see the join, the only measurable difference is that the overall height of the can is reduced by the said 1.5 mm which in most case will not be noticed.
This method gives a better authentic result than cutting the can half way up and rejoining using metallic tape etc.

Hope this is of some use.

Lawrence.

[Yorkie]

Hi David, that must have been a very thick capacitor can to be able to turn a step on both bits ! Think I would have taken the easy way and turned a ring to fit inside both bits. Peter

I should have perhaps gone into a bit more detail - the can was the usual thin walled aluminium - what you see is an internal aluminium sleeve which I made from 18SWG sheet to mate the tube with the base, using epoxy cement to secure the two parts together. I only used the lathe because I have one. (I used my woodturning lathe at the lowest speed - about 750RPM, rather than the metalworking one as the type of jaws are better for that purpose). It's true that with care, it's perfectly possible to use a junior hacksaw and file.

I really only posted the info about the use of water-slide transfers as these two recent examples of their use is my first, and I thought the info on their use might be of interest to others.

[Nick]

I used water slide transfers for a DAC90A restoration - the new mains filter cap was the BVWS one, i.e. covered in blue plastic - I removed that and made up lettering the was identical to the cap I was replacing EXCEPT that the original had a date code that was in 1953 or somesuch which I replaced with 2012.

I'm not sure how the transfers would last on a valve - the heat may well affect them.

[Retired]

Hi,

Excellent work David and up to your usual high standard; both valve and cap look like new as will the set once you complete it the way you are going. Well done so far.

Thanks Tony, once a lathe is obtained it comes in handy for so many jobs; I wouldn't be without a few lathes to play with.

Kind regards, Col.