Would rubberized flashing cement be suitable for re potting coil capacitors? (Karnak 19 Ultra). Seems not to contain any silicone and dries hard. Trying to avoid home made tar melting process but if I have to is there any reason the hot tar would affect the new caps?
Also is it OK to make up wood "spacers" to surround the cap. before re potting instead of filling the entire cavity.
Rubberized roof cement might be OK, but it really isn't difficult to use the equivalent to what's there now...High slope tar works well. It reflows and bonds to the old tar and makes a seamless job. I use an old aluminum pot and a hot plate...all from local thrift shop.
Hot tar won't bother the caps that are sold for this job.
I also use wood spacers (as did the manufacturers prior to use of glass plate).
The wood spacers were just there to hold the glass up against the original capacitor. I do re-use them but only to to hold the glass up against the coil and to take up space before I found a source of tar. Before that, I was digging it out of old coils with bad secondaries just to have enough to go around. You can use canned roof cement if you want, but I wouldn't do it.
CharlieB:
Contact me at my e-mail address. I will give you some tar to "change the atmosphere" of ther wife's kitchen.
Building Supply on Rt. 37 West sells in 50 pound slabs..... may be a bit too much for your 2 or 4 coils
Bob Jablonski
I melted my tar using the burner on the side of my gas grill.
Coleman make a single burner camp stove. Place a partially squashed (to make a pouring spout) large coffee can on top of that and you are all set to melt and pour tar. Use a pair of pliers on the edge of the can for a handle when you are ready to pour. Do the whole job in your driveway to save your marriage. The neighbors will get over it in due time. I have done this hundreds of times and still have neighbors. I just do it in the winter mostly when they have their windows closed.
I used my Mother-in-Laws deep fryer for melting tar, after my Father-in-law sneaked it out of the house. She also had a nice stainless soup ladle, that makes pouring it a snap. Needless to say she has a new ladle and deep fryer!!
Andy, you are lucky she didn't ladle your head. I bet that setup works well though.
John, I like the idea of using the coffee can too.
William:that side burner on the grill is the one for me. It'll be the first time I've ever used it for anything. Will probably go with the coffee can or something similar. Very good.
Sorry Jim. I meant you. No Williams here yet.
Hal
I've rebuilt quite a number of coils which had no glass separator. In it's place was a thin piece of wood, occupying the same space as the glass. It was original, and not a replacement. I cannot recall for certain if they were KW or Ford coils, but do recall that this is a pretty well documented configuration of coils at some point in their manufacture. I think Ron Patterson or Steve Coniff may have mentioned this in one of their coil articles, too.
I've seen those too. I was thinking about the small wooden blocks, when I made my comment. Yes, I put those wooden panels back in, just like I do the glass. I'm thinking those were used in the non-Ford coils, maybe the KW's. I found a couple of those just the other day, but I don't remember which ones they came out of.
Scott/Hal
In the 1917/1918 time frame the price of glass in America shot up and during this period both Ford used a maple wood insulator in place of glass inside the coil. From my observations it appears they went back to glass sometime in 1919.
Ron the Coilman
After I replace the capacitors I use Duct Seal or Seal Flex (brand name)to fill all the space in the coil box. Electricians use it to seal electric boxs and conduits. It has the consistency of Play Dough, Never hardens and is non conductive. I have coils that have this stuff in them for 20 years.
I found a single burner hotplate at Goodwill for $5 - it works great.
Be_Zero_Be
I use a hot plate, but never had any luck with the coffee can. I'm sure it would work fine with a gas burner, but the electric hot plate never got the coffee can hot enough to melt the tar. The bottom of the can was bowed because I had squeezed a 'Spout' into the side of the can. I guess because the can didn't sit down flat against the heating surface, it would never absorb enough heat to melt the tar. I bought a cast iron tea kettle from Tractor supply for $20. Works great. Has a spout and more importantly, has a lid. Keeps some of the smell in and reduces the heat time. Up until then, I was using an open top cast iron skillet. It would only hold enough for 4 coils.
I was advised not to use open fire so I use an old electric hot plate and a friend of mine had a very nice cast iron coffe can:
Michael,
I bet the coffee will never taste the same!
The kettle I use is pretty much a repro knock off of that one.
Open flame......First time I did a coil, I used my little cast iron skillet and a blow torch, underneath. It caught fire and scared the hell out of me, but I was able to blow it right out. Molten tar is indeed flammable. With a deep pot and a lid, it wouldn't be nearly so apt to do it, but I would only do it outdoors away from anything else that could catch up.
@John: I can only do black coffee now :-D
What other colors do you have over there?
"Ford Brew, puts a buzz in your morning"
It'll never catch on.
Bob C.
I use 1500 Watt hot plates with one quart cast iron pots with wood handles and pouring lips. The hot plate I use is on on eBay for $0.99, see item #280563181464.
Hal D.
Keep the tar temperature below 400 degrees and it pours well. Higher and you risk exceeding the flash point where it will start to burn.
Ron the Coilman
No problem since that first time. I was using an acetylene torch and you can imagine how the flame went around and up the sides of the shallow skillet. In retrospect, it was a BAD idea. Like they say, Good judgement comes from experience, and most experience comes from poor judgement.
I did one today in a very low tech style by using what was at hand. I had an old dead gen cutout that donated its helmet. I clamped on a hemostat for the handle and use a propane porch for heat. Little by little, I was able to remelt the tar and cover up the orange cap.
Made the coil hospital look more like a field expedience hospital.
Ok Mr. Patterson, your $0.99 cent 1500 watt eBay hot plate trumps my $5.00 1100 watt Goodwill Hot Plate.
How much was that shipping again? LOL
Be_Zero_Be
Here is my chepo, single unit, use whats at hand method described above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruckzone/5001499802/
Uh-Oh...Here we go again!
Don't worry Charlie, I won't get into the fact that I only power my burner with 5w-30 oil because that's the best.
Aaahh, now it's all clear. The local restaurant also rebuilds coils!
I can't believe that this thread has gone on for more than three days without someone suggesting the use of Modified Bitumen Asphalt Roofing Tar!!! It seems to be the obvious solution.
Mike, I was also thinking of that but couldn't get my hugh jass into gear.