On Thu, 14 Sep 2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I have a question.... HOW do you get these things apart? There must
be a better way than stripping the heads off the screws and trying to
use a razor blade as a screw driver.... band aids are getting
expensive klc
Might I suggest 'finesse' and mercurochrome, in that order? ;}
Seriously - in the first place, there are a number of different ways
that the various manufacturers used to assemble the meters, so "these
things" must be a bit more specific.
Then - in the case of the 3" round (older) Tripletts - there are three
or four flush-head screws, usually flat-blade, and usually brass, that
hold the meter 'guts' into the case. The case is shaped like a cup, with
the glass on the 'bottom'. The rear piece carries the terminals, and
these terminals also (quite often) carry the rest of the 'guts'. If you
are stripping the rear screws, then either corrosion has entered the
threds, or some misguided boob has put Loctite (or similar) on the case
screws - been there, done that, made the same curing sounds you are
now... ;}.
The screws *should* come out easily - sometimes the threads are tapped
into the bakelite of the case, sometimes there is a threaded brass insert
(that is the first thing to come out when the screw strips.
Back to your problem - if you've mangled up the screw heads - it's
possible to drill them and use a tiny "Easy Out" or similar - but that's
going to take a lot of precision work, and (hopefully) a 'micro' drill
press. It's also sometimes possible to file (or grind with a Dremel tool
and ultra-fine bit) a new slot - enough to get the screw broken free.
At some point ya gotta ask where the 'diminishing returns' start -
meters are still plentiful and cheap, save for the bigger sizes and
odd-ball scales - it's the old "fix it / replace it" decision.
Cheers
PS: in the case of "sealed" meters (notably Phaostron) - the cases are
actually soldered to the front glass - unless they are irreplaceable,
these are not worth fixing - unless you're just Curious...
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