After several weeks of disruption, mainly down to the weather which caused problems with travel especially for those who travel a good distance, restoration work remains focused on the T86.
T86
Pedestal Covers
Restoration of the aerial pedestal covers will be carried out over the next couple of months. The covers need to be refurbished to eliminate corrosion, re-rivet several securing catches and repair and re attach much of the RFI material covering the covers; seals also need replacing.
All work required to weatherproof the aerial pedestal. Two accompanying images show the severe corrosion in one corner of the original pedestal cover over the pedestal retraction motor and gear box
Fortunately we have a replacement in better condition. The seals are also perished, no surprises there, and will need replacing, as can be seen in the images.
Harness Safety Ring
Working on the T86 roof on top of a 30’ tower required the wearing of a harness (I can confirm that a harness was not used when the T86’s were on 17’ towers in Germany) which is attached to a securing ring on the apex of the aerial pedestal. A task carried out by Pete J last Saturday was the refurbishment of the securing ring and the result is shown in the accompanying image. All original paint has been removed and any corrosion treated.
Transmitter Arial Paint Bubbles
The transmitter dish has suffered from several ‘bubbles’ on its radiating surface where paint has come away from the fibre glass structure of the dish. The accompanying image shows one such bubble that requires repair. A start was made on Saturday on filling and smoothing the depressions left by the bubbles.
Preparation for Painting the Cabin
It is the usual situation with the T86 cabin where preparation takes much longer than painting. An accompanying image shows further work on removing corrosion to the alloy sheets forming the base of the two chiller housings on the side of the cabin. Regarding painting. The approach is to await warmer weather before any painting is carried out, the hangar at Cosford is damp and cold this time of year.
Restoring the Cabin Floor
Neil and Dave spent a day on their hands and knees repairing and scraping the rear cabin floor. Over a hundred rivets have now been replaced on the cabin floor but hopefully the end is in sight for what has become a significant task.
BMPG 