Silver plating an old radio switch

[MBfreak]

Hello to all.
I am repairing an old and quite unusual radio ( submarine unit from 1937))and want to keep it as close to original as possible.
A wavelength switch ( the old rotary type , ceramic body, brass switch sectors and clips ) was very corroded.
Removed, disassembled and cleaned. Want to hard silver plate the brass switch elements.
Very low current ( a few milliamps ) and no voltage higher than 50.
Has anybody a good way to silver plate the brass parts. At home.
I know of a way, but highly toxic. ( silver cyanide)
Or should i go to a silver smith and have it done?

Best regards

Ola

 

[mike93lx]

How about nickel plating instead?

 

[inphx]

Seems like display piece rather than need durability for return to service (we hope).. a pic would be fun.

Can you use solder and tin the contacts?

Is it a radio like this?

 

[PCustoms]

Seems like display piece rather than need durability for return to service (we hope).. a pic would be fun.

Can you use solder and tin the contacts?

Is it a radio like this?

This is real, and not some steampunk project?

That's amazing!

 

[mike93lx]

This is real, and not some steampunk project?

That's amazing!

Those images look Ai generated

 

[PCustoms]

Those images look Ai generated

Strong 3rd option.

So real or not?

 

[mike93lx]

Strong 3rd option.

So real or not?

The text being all gibberish is a strong tell


Anyway, curious to see where this goes, Ola. Any pics you can share?

 

[inphx]

i am real and write that way. I used to have a lot of ww2 radios to modify and tinker with so the thread is interesting.

But yes the pic came from ai search for a 1932 sub radio as the OP described. Reverse image searches on those dont direct hit on anything but they do find a lot of similar fake/ai generated looking art.

 

[mike93lx]

i am real and write that way. I used to have a lot of ww2 radios to modify and tinker with so the thread is interesting.

But yes the pic came from ai search for a 1932 sub radio as the OP described. Reverse image searches on those dont direct hit on anything but they do find a lot of similar fake/ai generated looking art.

Wasn't implying you are an Ai bot, just that the pics were ai

 

[whateg01]

I certainly understand the desire to keep it as original as possible but I would second the suggestion of nickel plating. I think the functionality would be ok with that.

 

[rlitman]

... Want to hard silver plate the brass switch elements.
Very low current ( a few milliamps )...

I've used Cool Amp to silver plate non-moving parts for better conductivity in bolted connections. But the rub-on silver plate it creates is so thin that it can easily be wiped off if used in a switch contact (especially if that contact makes a wiping motion). Electroplating can give a thicker coating that can stand up to SOME movement, but only so much.

Are we talking about a sliding type switch, or something more like a contactor pad? If it's a sliding switch, I'd see if the brass parts are replaceable before reaching for a torch, but I'd consider wiping with silver solder. If it's a contact, I'd de-solder silver alloy pads from a doner contactor and solder them onto my part. I'd expect any decent jeweler could take on the task. It's not much different from soldering on stone setting prongs.

 

[MBfreak]

Nickel is not a very good conductor for low currents.
The radio and the repair site is in a military area, partly museum, partly training area.
Camera, phone, computer not allowed.
Sorry abt that.
I may be allowed to take the disassembled switch to an outside location.
If so pics will follow.

We used to have THE radio repair ace here, Radio Ron.
But have not seen anything from him the last couple of years.
His work was TOTALLY outstanding. Miles ahead of my tinkering.

Ola

 

[mike93lx]

Nickel is not a very good conductor for low currents.
The radio and the repair site is in a military area, partly museum, partly training area.
Camera, phone, computer not allowed.
Sorry abt that.
I may be allowed to take the disassembled switch to an outside location.
If so pics will follow.

We used to have THE radio repair ace here, Radio Ron.
But have not seen anything from him the last couple of years.
His work was TOTALLY outstanding. Miles ahead of my tinkering.

Ola

I had no idea nickel was a bad conductor. Considering the application, will that matter? Or is the desire to make it correct more important?

 

[RPH]

We would electroplate the contact fishtails on the induction coils. We were trained not to use any conductive type grease on the contacts. At high frequency the grease caused problems that was traced to the grease.

Plug N' Plate Silver Plating Kit

caswellplating.com

 

[RPH]

In frequency resonant circuits any small change from original may well take the circuit resonance. Different materials affect the capacitance of the circuit. Just moving wires have created problems in this situation. We are talking about micro volts at the first stages in the amplifiers. Doesn’t take much to screw it up.

 

[willy3486]

In frequency resonant circuits any small change from original may well take the circuit resonance. Different materials affect the capacitance of the circuit. Just moving wires have created problems in this situation. We are talking about micro volts at the first stages in the amplifiers. Doesn’t take much to screw it up.

I am glad I am not the only one who knows that moving wires can cause issues, I told someone that a wire in a Hallicrafters 38 was placed in a position for a reason and if it was moved it would cause tuning issues. I have seen techs that did not realize this.


Anyway with the original topic. As far as the switch goes was it a fairly common switch made then used in the design off this radio? Or was it a component so off the wall designed that only one designed for this specific radio will work? I have had to rebuild switches in the past and what I did a few times was look into my junkbox for one similar and made by the same company. If a switch is made similar and you are building it anyway could you piece one together to use? If you knew the model of the radio could you look for a donor radio for parts?
As far as coating the silver at home would it give you the durability and thickness you might need to get it as close to original ,while sending it out to a plater could get it to a factory type coating for thickness and durability.

 

[MBfreak]

Well, the switch is the typical receiver speaker selector.
So the positio of the wires are absolutely unimportant.

Solution was to remove the switchgarbage and wire the amp outputs straight to the speaker connectors.
Ola

 

[Lassen Forge]

Functionwise, gold is a better conductor than silver. But yeah, if you don't like playing with chemicals, I'd do the silversmith route. Or replace the switch with a modern unit. It's like the old carbon pile variable resistors - at the time they were OK, but time and whatnot took their toll.
-- - - -
I did play with an old Radiola (1928 - first year of the AC wall current and transformer/tube rectifier set up) with bad switches - total PITA to get apart and clean the contacts and get it all back together, and even then I know it was nowhere as good as the original. The speaker, OTOH - NOTHING should sound that good after almost a century.

- - - - - - - - -

Seems like display piece rather than need durability for return to service (we hope).. a pic would be fun.

Can you use solder and tin the contacts?

Is it a radio like this?

Taking this opportunity to express my absolute disgust and abhorrence of AI GENERATED **** like this.

Sorry, but double skunk dog damn. I doubt the OP doesn't have a fake (eg non existant) AI generated image for a radio...

 

[gungatim]

This is real, and not some steampunk project?

That's amazing!

Looks AI generated. Zero function of 90% of the doodads stuck on their for looks.

 

[gungatim]

Functionwise, gold is a better conductor than silver. But yeah, if you don't like playing with chemicals, I'd do the silversmith route. Or replace the switch with a modern unit. It's like the old carbon pile variable resistors - at the time they were OK, but time and whatnot took their toll.
-- - - -
I did play with an old Radiola (1928 - first year of the AC wall current and transformer/tube rectifier set up) with bad switches - total PITA to get apart and clean the contacts and get it all back together, and even then I know it was nowhere as good as the original. The speaker, OTOH - NOTHING should sound that good after almost a century.

- - - - - - - - -



Taking this opportunity to express my absolute disgust and abhorrence of AI GENERATED **** like this.

Sorry, but double skunk dog damn. I doubt the OP doesn't have a fake (eg non existant) AI generated image for a radio...

It's only going to get worse. I point this AI fake **** out all the time. it's getting to the point that 80% of everything posted on the internet is either fake or greatly exaggerated.

 

[whateg01]

It's only going to get worse. I point this AI fake **** out all the time. it's getting to the point that 80% of everything posted on the internet is either fake or greatly exaggerated.

Yup. None of us are real. We are all AI. Except you, that is.

 

[gungatim]

Yup. None of us are real. We are all AI. Except you, that is.

True that. My intelligence is real. The rest of you in Kansas? well, that's up for debate.