• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Looking for switch caps for Gates console

R

RadioMan203

I'm in the process of tying to restore an 70's vintage Gates Yard 80 console and I'm trying to find replacements for the plastic switch caps that go on the ends of the source selection switches. These caps are also used on the Diplomat, Executive, Yard II as well as the Stereo Statesman series consoles. I'm looking for 8 or 9 of these. If anybody is parting out an old console or one heading to the landfill I would certainly appreciate the help.

To aid in identifying the needed plastic switch cap, here's a close-up of the console (mine is a Yard 80, this is the similar looking Yard II) and here's a close up of the needed switch cap. Thanks for any assistance you can lend. After this all I need to worry about is duplicating the paint finish.
 
Bill
Let me check how many spares I have. I think I may have at least 4 as long as the Stereo Statesman is complete that I will be working on this winter.

Lane
 
I found some caps on-line that worked. As I recall. they were replacements for a switch on a Fender Guitar. (A Telecaster, I think) I don't have a link, but I suspect you'll find them with a Google search for electric guitar parts. I also found some round screw on types that fit the old Switchcraft Lever Switches from the same source.
 
Chuck said:
I found some caps on-line that worked. As I recall. they were replacements for a switch on a Fender Guitar. (A Telecaster, I think) I don't have a link, but I suspect you'll find them with a Google search for electric guitar parts. I also found some round screw on types that fit the old Switchcraft Lever Switches from the same source.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Chuck. The ones I've found don't look anything like the original used by Gates on the console. I'm trying to restore the board as close to factory as possible. Luckily I have most of the caps but some were lost during the life of the console between its use in studio and when it was placed into storage some 25 years ago. When I acquired it everything was there except for the lever switch caps that were missing. My original post has a close up of the original Gates switch cap.
 
I'm glad to see you found a supply of caps. I could never get the picture link on the original post to open, but the "Top Hat" I used were similar to these from a guitar store: http://www.music123.com/Fender-Original-Telecaster-Top-Hat-Switch-Tips--2--361801-i1130302.Music123

The Gates Yard I have uses this same style, but I'll caution you that the shaft size may vary. I've seen both narrow and wide ones used, roughly 3/16" and 1/4". Perhaps they were replacement switches. A couple of seconds with a Dremel Moto-Tool will make these fit the wider switch lever.
 
Chuck,

The Fender caps look like the ones from the Gates Studioette and similar style consoles from the mid 50's to 60's. The first board we had at the community station I started at when I was 13 years old was a vintage Gates Studioette, which is how I recognized that style of switch cap. The console I'm restoring was actually the station's first solid state console back from 1974. It was given to me by the station's technical director 30 years later. I'm hoping to restore it and show it off at the next station reunion in 2013.
 
Bill:

I'm glad J Boyd was able to locate the parts you needed, I did locate 4 of the black ones and 2 red ones in that style. I do have a source for the older style caps for the older Gatesway series from a surplus company. If you don't mind, some of us would like to see the outcome of the restoration.

Thanks

Lane
 
Bill DeFelice said:
Chuck,

The Fender caps look like the ones from the Gates Studioette and similar style consoles from the mid 50's to 60's. The first board we had at the community station I started at when I was 13 years old was a vintage Gates Studioette, which is how I recognized that style of switch cap. The console I'm restoring was actually the station's first solid state console back from 1974. It was given to me by the station's technical director 30 years later. I'm hoping to restore it and show it off at the next station reunion in 2013.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. The Top Hat style caps are like the ones that are on a 50's era Gates Yard. Anyone in need of those can look at the various suppliers of guitar parts. A lot of older consoles used Switchcraft Lever Switches that use a screw on type cap that is common to Gibson guitars. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Toggle-Switch-Cap?sku=360922
 
Lane_Lindstrom said:
Bill:

If you don't mind, some of us would like to see the outcome of the restoration.

Thanks

Lane
Click to expand...

I will be more than happy to share the process and the end product of the restoration. So far, I have gotten past two of the three biggest hurdles. One was locating the colored knob inserts which I was lucky enough to find somebody online who had a limited leftover quantity to replace the worn ones. J. Boyd was kind enough to help me with the switch caps. The only hurdle left is to find a vendor who can duplicate the hammertone Gates green paint on the exterior. Most of the paint is in great shape except below the front panel with the operators tend to tap their pens and anything else that they can find. I may have to settle for a smooth paint replacement if I can't duplicate the exact finish (I'm hoping I will be able to duplicate the color).

The console has some great memories for me as it was the very board that I spurred my interest in broadcasting as a career choice, having got my start on-air at 14 (and passing the then-required FCC elements 1,2 and 9 just days after my 14th birthday). I'm also hoping to share my enthusiasm with the students I hope to mentor starting later this year once I finish building up the on-campus high school radio station in the district I'm working in.
 
Bill...Ask Sherwin Williams...they can duplicate the color from a sample perfectly....and, they may be able to special order hammertone...Guys...these people are a great resource...amazing...Thanks...J Boyd
 
jboydingram said:
Bill...Ask Sherwin Williams...they can duplicate the color from a sample perfectly....and, they may be able to special order hammertone...Guys...these people are a great resource...amazing...Thanks...J Boyd
Click to expand...

Great suggestion. I'll have to give it a whirl.
 
If you want a specific matching color and a nice job done try to get a paint man at an auto body shop interested. We had 2 RCA rack cabinets cleaned up and painted and they came back like new. The finish was even baked on.
 
Charlie Gee said:
If you want a specific matching color and a nice job done try to get a paint man at an auto body shop interested. We had 2 RCA rack cabinets cleaned up and painted and they came back like new. The finish was even baked on.
Click to expand...

That works for me, too, as I know a few folks in the auto body biz. I think the difficulty is while somebody is sure to match the color it's the finish that will be the tough part to match. I have to go digging through my scrapbook of the station and see if I have a close-up on the console showing the part that is worn. It's may be possible it was a smooth finish if the bottom pan was a sub-assembly and the sides were bolted on to it. I have to dig to the back of my closet and throw it on the ol' bench.
 
There is a spray can black hammertone available... you might use that for texture and then put the green on top as a last resort. You'll have to mix the green though, the black undercoat will affect the final color.
 
littlejohn said:
There is a spray can black hammertone available... you might use that for texture and then put the green on top as a last resort. You'll have to mix the green though, the black undercoat will affect the final color.
Click to expand...

Someone must still make green hammer tone paint. Wal-Mart stores carry spray cans of Rustoleum Hammer-tone Finish in a variety of colors, but I've never seen green in the stores. I could sure use some. I'm restoring some equipment that originally used it, and I'd love to find it in spray cans.

There is someone who regularly advertises in Hemmings Motor News that says they will put any paint in an aerosol can. I haven't contacted them, but it may be worth a call.
 
I have been able to find green hammer finish paint online, but not in the shade of green that Gates used in 1973. I think I may try contacting some of the bigger paint distributors to see how they may be able to accommodate me.

The only problem I see is unless I lug the console shell with me I don't know of a good way to get them an accurate color sample. Taking a picture of the unit may be close, but lighting and the output of the printer used can skew the resulting color a little - or am I being too anal? I just figure that for the effort I'm putting into the piece I'd like it as close as possible.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom