swest rectifier resto

My old Swest rectifier has taken a beating from all the years of work anodizing and etching, etc. This past week I decided to strip it and repaint the sheetmetal housing for it. Adam told me I couldn't paint it red, so I had to find something kind of close to the original paint. After getting it painted, I reassembled and made some 3d printed bushings to isolate the terminals from the case. Then I made some stencils so I could paint the text with some sign paint I have had sitting around for years. I still need to pull out the stencil sections inside the letters but it turned out ok. I probably should have taken time getting things lined up and a bit more level, but it's probably just going to get abused by my students anyway. It gets harder and harder to keep the studio nice. If they don't pay for it, then they usually don't care about taking care of it. I'm starting to sound like an old curmudgeon...

 

airplane restoration

 

I stumbled on this older documentary on airplane restoration. I was talking to my nephew about flying during our recent visit to Illinois. I think I need to try and get to EAA this year. I don't really have an interest in flying but the mechanical aspect is so so interesting to me. There is something about the construction of these functional objects and the historical significance of these objects that I feel is important to know. It was interesting to hear a pilot mention that not enough WWII history is taught in our schools. Keep in mind this documentary was filmed long ago. On a different note, it makes you realize that the lack of knowledge in the past has been an ongoing issue in our country.

Regardless, this was an interesting watch. I feel like the skills that I am teaching in school would be perfect for someone wanting to get into the field of airplane restoration. "Making something from nothing" at its best.