Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps. The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has
perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring
is PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex
was being replaced by PVC?
--
Graeme

Yes sounds like an old iron flex.
Interestingly though most of my old train and slot racing transformers had
pace cables and those mostly did the earthing via a tag under one of the
transformer fixing bolts, with a strain relief elsewhere to stop rotation
and pulling moving it.
The airfix ones were very good with hammer finish metal boxes, shame their
controllers tended to melt after a while though. The train controllers
seemed to be wirewound pots in a plastic box with a cut out button that
pinged if there was a short. The transformers were in plastic as well, at
least the Triang ones I had were. You could make a good psu with the airfix
ones as plenty of room for some capacitors and a voltage regulator bolted to
the case. The volts if bridge rectified instead of that naff metal one they
used was 16 v.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Graeme" wrote in message
...

Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps. The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has
perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly to
the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and attached
it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all cleaned and
shiny. Hope that is OK?

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring is
PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex was
being replaced by PVC?
--
Graeme

On 11/10/2019 14:02, Graeme wrote:

Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps.

Coo that's posh... I had a H&M Safety Minor - one big rotary control and
a half wave switch, and not much else!

ISTR it became my experimentation PSU of choice (because it was all I
had) when I first started dabbling with electronics and electrics.

The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis.Â* I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt.Â* Metal all
cleaned and shiny.Â* Hope that is OK?

Yup, sounds fine.

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring
is PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex
was being replaced by PVC?

Yup PVC was commonly available by the 60's


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 11/10/2019 14:02, Graeme wrote:

Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps.Â* The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis.Â* I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt.Â* Metal all
cleaned and shiny.Â* Hope that is OK?

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring
is PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex
was being replaced by PVC?

If you are worried fit a RCD plug on it.

Graeme laid this down on his screen :
The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains rubber covered wires (old
colours, of course), and the rubber has perished.

Iron flexes were always rubber, probably still are, more heat resistant
than PVC - but I have no idea why on a power supply. Maybe they bought
a cheap batch?

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps. The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has
perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Yup.

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring
is PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex
was being replaced by PVC?

Dunno why they'd have used that type of mains lead. Perhaps they had
plenty in stock?

--
*If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:51:19 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
Been playing with an old toy train transformer/controller (H&M
Powermaster, for those with long memories), circa 1960, 0-12v DC output,
up to 2.5 amps. The mains lead, woven outer (like an iron) contains
rubber covered wires (old colours, of course), and the rubber has
perished.

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Yup.

Curiously, although the mains lead was rubber, all the internal wiring
is PVC, and looks fine. Probably constructed about the time rubber flex
was being replaced by PVC?

Dunno why they'd have used that type of mains lead. Perhaps they had
plenty in stock?

I thought cloth-covered mains lead was used for everything
irrespective of whether it was necessary.
--
Dave W

On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:02:08 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat washer
could allow the joint loosen.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Monday, 14 October 2019 11:00:05 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:02:08 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Any washer can. shakeproofs aren't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwWu2w1gGk


NT

In message l.net,
Dave Liquorice writes
On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:02:08 +0100, Graeme wrote:

I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Not shake proof :-(

Temporary hiatus. Wife now home from hospital, but that seems to give
even less time for toys! Add in son now home from uni for a week, and
one of his friends visiting us in a couple of days, time is tight (as
Booker T would say).

Back with photos later.
--
Graeme

wrote in message
...
On Monday, 14 October 2019 11:00:05 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:02:08 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Any washer can. shakeproofs aren't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwWu2w1gGk

Presumably they are too expensive to be used much at all.

On Tue, 15 Oct 2019 05:35:19 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:


Presumably they are too expensive to be used much at all.

Oh, darn! Did you HAVE to **** also in THIS thread, you senile pest?

--
Marland revealing the senile sociopath's pathology:
"You have mentioned Alexa in a couple of threads recently, it is not a real
woman you know even if it is the only thing with a Female name that stays
around around while you talk it to it.
Poor sad git who has to resort to Usenet and electronic devices for any
interaction as all real people run a mile to get away from from you boring
them to death."
MID:

In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Monday, 14 October 2019 11:00:05 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:02:08 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Changed for a modern flex, but the original earth was soldered directly
to the all metal chassis. I have soldered a tag to the earth, and
attached it to the chassis with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all
cleaned and shiny. Hope that is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Any washer can. shakeproofs aren't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwWu2w1gGk

Presumably they are too expensive to be used much at all.

they're certianly 'next day delivery' at Screwfix rather than 'in stock'.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On Mon, 14 Oct 2019 15:15:18 +0100, Graeme wrote:

I have soldered a tag to the earth, and attached it to the
chassis
with a nut, washer and bolt. Metal all cleaned and shiny. Hope
that
is OK?

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat
washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Not shake proof :-(

Wouldn't loose any sleep over it in this instance, assuming the nut
anb bolt were well tightened.
--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 14 Oct 2019 05:29:33 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Flat or shake proof washer? *Very* slight chance that a flat
washer
could allow the joint loosen.

Any washer can. shakeproofs aren't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwWu2w1gGk

Fascinating. Though only a split spring washer was tested not a
shakeproof one. This one does split ring and shakeproof and they turn
out pretty much the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ne19-3vkJg

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message l.net,
Dave Liquorice writes
On Mon, 14 Oct 2019 15:15:18 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Not shake proof :-(

Wouldn't loose any sleep over it in this instance, assuming the nut
anb bolt were well tightened.

Yes, well tightened. The unit itself is unlikely to be moved during
use, and the incoming mains lead is firmly held in a grip, within the
unit, so should be OK.
--
Graeme