heater controls
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Mt. Home, ID
heater controls
These are the controls I got with the heater out of a 52 F2 in my local yard. The part with the words imprinted in it is actually clear plastic with a light bulb socket in the back to illuminate them. You can see the cracked/missing corner in the picture.
Does anyone remake this part? I've only been able to find the metal brackets with the words painted on them. I might try an epoxy sand-casting kit from a craft store to remake the broken end if I can't find a new one. None of the other vehicles in the yard (1916-1990 vintage) have anything like this one.
Mike
Does anyone remake this part? I've only been able to find the metal brackets with the words painted on them. I might try an epoxy sand-casting kit from a craft store to remake the broken end if I can't find a new one. None of the other vehicles in the yard (1916-1990 vintage) have anything like this one.
Mike
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: San Jose, CA
A good piece can be used to cast in clear resin. It'll be just as fragile, but would work. I have a good one in my 51, which at some point, maybe used to create copies.
I wonder if Denny, firstride, has come up with a way to reproduce these???
I wonder if Denny, firstride, has come up with a way to reproduce these???
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,364
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From: Utah
I dont think i realized that they were made of plastic? Seems like i recall there being 2 different types. 1 with the backlight and one without?
I have some extra heaters and parts but am going have to go into the parts abyss (attic) and take another look.
I have some extra heaters and parts but am going have to go into the parts abyss (attic) and take another look.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,669
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From: San Jose, CA
Maybe this one from a 53+ will work in the mean time.
http://macsautoparts.com/ford-pickup...0R3CHL1099504/
Fleet Owner
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From: NM
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Hotshot
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From: Burbank, WA
After comparing the two photos, mine and MCarlson's seem to be slightly different, unless it's just the angle throwing off the perspective.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Mt. Home, ID
Wayne,
I think your bracket and mine are the same. I'll look again when I get home tonight. the front edge of the plastic was painted black with the letters left uncovered. I imagine it looked down right high-tech all lit up in 52'.
Mike
I think your bracket and mine are the same. I'll look again when I get home tonight. the front edge of the plastic was painted black with the letters left uncovered. I imagine it looked down right high-tech all lit up in 52'.
Mike
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: HAMDEN, CT
The one with the back lit plastic piece is 1951, and the all steel one is 1952. I had a batch of the plastic parts reproduced years ago, but they are long gone. It was done with a rubber mold, using a clear resin material. They came out pretty good, but some had air bubbles in them.
Chuck
Chuck
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Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Burbank, WA
The one with the back lit plastic piece is 1951, and the all steel one is 1952. I had a batch of the plastic parts reproduced years ago, but they are long gone. It was done with a rubber mold, using a clear resin material. They came out pretty good, but some had air bubbles in them.
Chuck
Chuck
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: San Jose, CA
Making a mold is actually not as expensive as it used to be. I have a friend that casts parts in resin for the model car hobby. He can make a mold for under $50 and produce about 40-50 pieces from one mold before it starts to deteriorate. The key with casting resin parts is to remove all of the air from the mold when the resin is poured in. To fill the bubbles in resin after it's pulled from the mold, use a mixture of super glue and baking soda. However, it will be visible in a part that was cast in clear resin.
If I can get a good 51 plastic piece, I can have a mold made and run off as many in clear resin as the mold will produce. I have a control panel in my 51, but never bothered to check if it was plastic or metal. If it is indeed plastic, I may pull it off to experiment with the mold and casting in resin.
If I can get a good 51 plastic piece, I can have a mold made and run off as many in clear resin as the mold will produce. I have a control panel in my 51, but never bothered to check if it was plastic or metal. If it is indeed plastic, I may pull it off to experiment with the mold and casting in resin.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,192
Likes: 4,805
From: Burbank, WA
Making a mold is actually not as expensive as it used to be. I have a friend that casts parts in resin for the model car hobby. He can make a mold for under $50 and produce about 40-50 pieces from one mold before it starts to deteriorate. The key with casting resin parts is to remove all of the air from the mold when the resin is poured in. To fill the bubbles in resin after it's pulled from the mold, use a mixture of super glue and baking soda. However, it will be visible in a part that was cast in clear resin.
If I can get a good 51 plastic piece, I can have a mold made and run off as many in clear resin as the mold will produce. I have a control panel in my 51, but never bothered to check if it was plastic or metal. If it is indeed plastic, I may pull it off to experiment with the mold and casting in resin.
If I can get a good 51 plastic piece, I can have a mold made and run off as many in clear resin as the mold will produce. I have a control panel in my 51, but never bothered to check if it was plastic or metal. If it is indeed plastic, I may pull it off to experiment with the mold and casting in resin.
That's very reasonable. If the mold could be made for under $50, and you could get 50 pieces from it, that averages out the tooling cost at $1 per piece. One could whip out a batch and sell them for $10-15 each and still make a reasonable profit. And 50 of them would likely be a lifetime supply. I'd be in.
If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Ilya, I'd like to see some more detailed pics of that unit. I always thought the plastic part was just a small strip that went across the top there. It seems that it's a lot bigger then I knew.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: San Jose, CA
The truck is at my in-laws. Next time I'm there (probably this weekend), I'll take more detailed photos. The pictures I have now are just some that I took a long time ago.
I'm curious myself now as to whether it's plastic or metal and how it looks in real life. I never paid too much attention to it. The more I look at the picture, the more I think that it's metal, judging by the scrapes in the paint and the reflection from the flash.
I'm curious myself now as to whether it's plastic or metal and how it looks in real life. I never paid too much attention to it. The more I look at the picture, the more I think that it's metal, judging by the scrapes in the paint and the reflection from the flash.
