Progress Reports on the ETF Rebuilding Project

[Username1]

Untreated steel is the best option. High heat keeps rust from progressing to the
point it will become a problem. And if the oven remains unused for any period of
time, heating it and or wire brushing it down will remove any rust.

You can keep a dehumidifier in the room to keep humidity levels down and
keep the bare steel from forming any oxide from becoming a problem.

I believe in time you guys will have no choice but to rethink how you will rebuild
tubes. And I am thinking the gun, stem, and pinch off will be changed because spare
items will not be available. I think in the future, guns will be rebuilt, and the neck
will have to be rewelded to the old tube envelope at the point that use to be the separate
stem, and the entire oven may need to be under vacuum.... Just thinking about how things
will have to be done when new guns complete with through wires and stem/pinch off's as
a finished assembly are not going to be available.... For that reason, you may well
begin to think about a really clean oven...

.

[NoPegs]

Originally Posted by Username1

For that reason, you may well
begin to think about a really clean oven...

Lets bootstrap things here and start with a laminar flow hood for the gun reworking process area. Someone keep an eye open on the local used markets and pick one up for a song and store it until needed. The vacuum kiln will come in time...


I'm going to regret saying this, I'm sure...

Hawkeye was a master artisan of tube doctoring, he used tried and true methods and equipment to re-gun tubes with a high rate of success and had a very solid understanding of the fundamental processes involved. RACS were a bit more cavalier about their process, but knew a lot of tricks and reliable methods, especially for Pyrex jugs. However, their bench methods were just a bit on the scary side of things. I shudder to think about the lit cigarette accompanying most of the process.(Both for the quality of the rebuild, and from the ingesting all kinds of fun things aspects.) The communal spoon and weighing pans are also up there on the list of crazy stuff. One spoon per compound, and at least use weighing papers... I understand we're not cloning cell cultures or building a space probe here, but just because RACS got away with their cowboy techniques doesn't mean that following their lead is a good idea. (Props to Nick rocking out his E-cig though!)

Again with the car engine analogies: If my mechanic is pulling the head and sending it out to be rebuilt, I'm expecting him to securely cover the open block while it's out for service. I don't want chunks of cutoff wheel and rusty exhaust clamps flung into my open engine from the next bay over. Obviously it will still start and run, but in time all that crap will take a toll on something important and shorten the life.