MTFCA Forum

Is there a sure-fire way to identify an original New-Day timer cap? With all the Repos that have been made I suspect it would be easy to be mistaken at a swap meet.

Oldav8tor wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:25 pm

Is there a sure-fire way to identify an original New-Day timer cap? With all the Repos that have been made I suspect it would be easy to be mistaken at a swap meet.

Tim don't quote me 'cause I'm not a New Day expert, what with being a "TW timer snob"...ha ha...but seems to me the original N.D. caps were black. Best I can say. Thought I read it somewhere. The "other Tim"

The original New Day timers were dark brown. The bodies were made of Bakelite. If you rub a spot fairly hard on one for about five seconds to get it warm you'll notice a sort of petroleum aroma to it.

As Bryan said above, the originals were made of dark brown bakelite. They also had the letters PTND just below the the hole where the timer rod connects to the timer.

Further, there are repos with an "S" instead of the PTND below the timer bracket rod mounting hole. These are poor quality and don't hold up. These haven't been made for many years but they do show up sometimes.

Keith

Here’s an older post where photo differences of the New Days for comparison

The latest New Day by Tip Top is very spot on an original to casual observation. Even has the patented initials under the timer rod hole.

The black S version (Synders) no longer made is black plastic.

The dark brown older repro from the late 69’s -70’s has a large flat beaded nose for the timer spring.

The original period made dark brown can be quickly identified by the very elaborate nose with rounded snout for the timer spring.


http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1502041594

Look inside the cap. In the center of each contact is a little hole. In an original New Day the little hole is a rectangle. There may be a repop with rectangular holes, but if you see round holes or none at all you know it's not original.

old_charley wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:53 pm

The original New Day timers were dark brown. The bodies were made of Bakelite. If you rub a spot fairly hard on one for about five seconds to get it warm you'll notice a sort of petroleum aroma to it.
20240412_164420 (2).jpg

Thanks Charley! Now I know. Perhaps I cornfused the dark brown with being black, doesn't matter. I did know about the "crappy "S" version" being black also, just thought that was the only difference. Good to get the stuff straight.