1929 Bradley Challenger restoration

[mei-mei]

P.S. with regards to the button polish: The high gloss shine can only be achieved if you apply the final coat of wax polish and linseed oil. Stop me if I'm preaching to the choir! I find the shellack finish is as tough as old boots and just gives enough shine to match the age and condition of an old machine.

[badpenny]

No no, tell us more.

It's only by sharing skills that we all benefit. Approach it as if nobody knows anything.
It doesn't matter if only one of us learns something.

Perhaps you could do a beginners guide to Effective Polishing and shove it in "Tips" ?

[mei-mei]

Like you said it is rather a labourious job especially with all the knobs and vents and handles sticking out. I think it would rather put people off. But I recommend you try a small patch of wood using all the technique to see the difference between painting it on the using the 'rubber' method. It really does bring out the grain and natural lustre of the wood.

[mei-mei]

Hi, to all Challenger owners who are short of instruction plates. I have made contact with a guy who can make up these plates exactly to spec. He is quoting aprox 60.00 - 70.00 for the set of 3 if more than one of us needs them. He can do them in either brass, aluminium or stainless steel for the same price. The plate can have a black coloured overlay or just left plain for you to paint your own. I direct you to his website for examples.

http://vintagebrassplates.co.uk/

To get these plates normally the cost is 120.00 because of the set up for artwork and lazer cutting of screw and lock holes. I have listed below the sizes of the ones I am going to get cut, so please check your sizes to see if they match. Mei-mei


The sizes of the three pieces is as follows:

Triangular

Length along the top - 17.5 cm
Length along the side - 8.5 cm
Diameter of the large hole - 2 cm
Diameter of the 5 screw holes - 2 mm

Rectangle

Length along the top - 11.5 cm
Length along the side - 2 cm
Diameter of the 2 screw holes 2 mm.

[pennymachines]

Just a reminder to anyone that needs a set of Bradley Challenger instruction plates - now's the time to order them.

I just spoke to Chris at vintagebrassplates.co.uk and will be sending him my original plates to ensure the copies are as accurate as possible. The originals were brass, electroplated, so the best option (to avoid the extra expense of plating) will be to have them made in bright stainless steel, with black painted inset. Chris says the polished steel he uses is a very good match for nickel plate (not as bright/cold as chrome). Black is the only available inset colour, but of course this could be over-painted in a different colour, if required.

There are many reports on the internet of work done by vintagebrassplates.co.uk, all of them very positive, as far as I can see.
Mei-mei mentioned a quote of around £60-70 a set, which seems very fair to me. Chris will provide exact pricing when he has the plates and knows how many are required.

[mei-mei]

Hi Penny Machines, glad you were able to sort something out and hope that others read your email to make good use of the offer. Mei-mei

[pennymachines]

The left hand instruction plate shows the machine number. As Gameswat noted (in the definitive Bradley Challenger thread), your machine's number can also be derived from the number on the locks, minus 1000 (provided they're original). So my locks are 2256 and my machine number is 200/1256. The first number refers to the model and should be the same on all but the variants. The Shooting Star is 202, proving, as might be guessed, this came after the Challenger. I'll get Chris to include the 200/ so the unique number can be engraved later if known/desired.

Treefrog also mentioned possible modern replacements for the original brass Vaun locks. I've used these Lowe & Fletcher long barrelled locks in the past - not perfect but can be made to do the job. However, they don't seem to be readily available now.

[mei-mei]

Thanks for the heads up, I will now refine my lock search. Mei-mei

[pennymachines]

Instruction plates arrived today - can't fault them. There were a couple of Challenger wrecks (with chopped-down cabinets, sans instruction plates, castings and locks) in yesterday's EH auction, but bidding started above what I would have thought reasonable for junkers/spares.

[arrgee]

They look very good Mr PM
The plates............ not the machines

[mei-mei]

Hi Penny machines. Re. (Instruction plates arrived today) Did they send my plates too?

[pennymachines]

Yes - they're packed and ready to post to you on Monday. I'll send you a paypal invoice.

[mei-mei]

My hero thank you so much, I am really looking forward to finishing the machine. Mei-mei

[badpenny]

Hang on a minute Mei-Mei you said I was your hero! ..... on more than one occasion.

[mei-mei]

Can't an old gal have more than one hero? Mei-mei