MTFCA Forum

Im looking to buy/trade for old cutouts. I'm building diode cutouts and Model T & Model A voltage regulators and I have the bases I'm currently manufacturing, but the "cans" I'm thinking of ordering have an 8-10 week lead time from manufacturing .

The specific cutouts/tops I'm looking for are these - they have the rectangular notches in the base. These are the ONLY ones I'm looking for:
.
I prefer to buy multiple. 1's and 2's don't do me much good.

The hard work is now done. I'm in production now. More info here:

https://modeltstarters.com/voltage-regulators-cutouts/

Jeff

My question is what was the original finish on the cutout cap?……Black paint, nickel or zinc maybe?

I've read in several places that it was Cadmium. That's LONG gone by now

Jeff

This is a GREAT opportunity to buy a voltage regulator for your generator.

Jeff,

Caswell Plating sells a kit that is similar to cadmium plating but without the hazards of actual cadmium. I've never used any of their products, but from what I've read, all of them are top quality. Just my two cents worth. Good luck and thank you for taking on this badly needed task.

Mike.

That's pretty cool, and not even that expensive!

https://caswellplating.com/copy-cad-reg ... 5-gal.html

Can I buy a model t voltage without the top cover.

Art Mirtes

Art, not curently. I adjust the fitment of the top on each one I sell before it leaves my door. The #1 way to blow up these devices is touch the generator terminal to ground when it's installed and the car isn't running. If the top isn't set correctly, that can easily happen.

Perhaps when the insane demand dies down, i'll offer all kinds of different options.

Jeff

modeltspaz wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 13, 2023 9:57 am

Jeff,

Caswell Plating sells a kit that is similar to cadmium plating but without the hazards of actual cadmium. I've never used any of their products, but from what I've read, all of them are top quality. Just my two cents worth. Good luck and thank you for taking on this badly needed task.

Mike.

Need to do a bit more searching for information about the finish on original cut-outs. Many photos of the rectangular ones were painted black. The industrial scale production of cadmium started in the 1930s and 1940s, the major application of cadmium was the coating of iron and steel to prevent corrosion. This makes cadmium plating suspect. Perhaps the coating was zinc. The introduction of Ford Script also needs dating

Well, if we can settle on what the plating is, I'm happy to investigate the plating for them. Personally I don't think the yellow hue of the Cadmium looks authentic, but then I'm no expert in this area. A little rust would add a nice patina!

There's nothing I can do about the script, so whatever old cutout I can find from 100 years ago is what we get! I've noticed that some cutout tops have a tiny script and others it a little larger. These are all on original Ford Cutouts, not other 3rd party vendors.


Jeff

Might be better to install with the battery disconnected.

Have you contacted John Regan about these cans? He may have some left over or they may have gone to Birdhaven. You know he didn’t make one each time he made a voltage regulator. He also may have a source.

Dan Hatch wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 14, 2023 1:30 pm

Have you contacted John Regan about these cans? He may have some left over or they may have gone to Birdhaven. You know he didn’t make one each time he made a voltage regulator. He also may have a source.

No only did I speak with John (I'll reserve my comments about how well that went), but I then spoke at length to Bill Devine at Birdhaven who bought his business. This road is a No Go. As I said, I've exhausted ALL other avenues, so I'm making the bottom portions and having a vendor fabricate the can tops, hence the 10+week delay. Using old cutout tops lets me get some done now.

Jeff

Score!! 37 Cutout tops. I still need a few hundred more

This will be enough to fulfill the orders I currently have. They should be here end of week then I need to disassemble and clean them up.

Jeff

Clear zinc (not galvanize) would clean up old covers and look pretty close to cad plating. Just an idea to consider. Note sure why you think Cad has a yellow tint??

Tin was once widely used to make steel rust resistant.

Does anyone else have some cutout caps?

Dan McEachern wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 15, 2023 1:41 pm

Clear zinc (not galvanize) would clean up old covers and look pretty close to cad plating. Just an idea to consider. Note sure why you think Cad has a yellow tint??

I assumed it had a yellow tint from what I've read and seen on some of the plating vendor sites. I think zinc is the way to go, there's a vendor in Portland who can do it called East Side Plating Inc. I'm just waiting for a quote.


I still need more cutout cans! Anyone else?
Jeff

Dan

you posed an interesting question!

I used to be very heavy into the scale live steam hobby and once built an Allen 10 Wheeler...to the point, I paid a company to CAD plate the axles of this locomotive and they came out a beautiful golden-yellow...I cared not until your comment. Never having bothered to research it before, it looks like a chromate additive is used for some of the old CAD plating specs and I very much suspect that is what was used on my locomotive. It sure wasn't clear!

Perhaps my clear request of "Cadmium" came back to me as Cadmium Dichromate...I know until your post 25 years later I never gave it a single thought!

As an aside, I had to remove a few .0001 to correct for a miscalculate (before plate) press fit and found that immediately below the "color" it went to pure clear/silver.

How many do you need to make it worth the shipping? I can come up with 6-8, maybe a few more.

Jeff, If you need more I have 5 of the correct type you need, except that one of them is pitted on top. Let me know your mailing address and I'll send them to you. I can remove the old guts also if you like.

Keith cgumbinger@att.net.

He needs more!

Don ellis wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 21, 2023 7:56 am

How many do you need to make it worth the shipping? I can come up with 6-8, maybe a few more.

Any number helps! I can send you a shipping label. Email me your address to Jeff @ modeltstarters.com.
Jeff

Can I ship a couple caps and have you build them into regulators and ship back?

Paperman wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 29, 2023 9:18 am

Can I ship a couple caps and have you build them into regulators and ship back?

Yes! Email me Jeff @ modeltstarters.com

Im still looking for more!

I'm from Switzerland and can't help much.

But maybe there are some suitable ones on ebay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126073704307?m ... olid=10050

I saw those. Mostly Model A….

He needs more

Yes, he does! I'm probably going to have to sell these on an exchange basis...

Im literally packing boxes tonight and will ship my first 10 tomorow. probably the rest Friday.

Jeff

Back to page one.

Yup, I still need more old cutouts.

Back to page one again

More more more!!!!

Page one again!

you guys are looking out for me!

I put a wanted ad in both Vintage Mag and Model T International.

Page one again and again.

Here you go I guess???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364515087970?h ... R4yt96fgYg

No connection to ad whatsoever!

Those are all for a Model A!

The Model T version has rectangular notches for the battery and generator connections.

Jeff

Sorry Jeff, that's why I was guessing and going by what the ad said. At least I bumped you to the top, for a short time...

The model T cut outs with which I am familiar have the two terminals on the flat. Any cutout with an output screw on the side is likely for a model A or something later. That said, on the Ebay listing, only the two on the lower left of the offering are T model items.

Hope this focuses attention.
Allan from down under.