10EE knob metal type?

[Hobby Racer]

I'm wanting to cleanup the knobs on my 42 10ee round dial and was wondering what material they are made from. I tried a few ways of searching but didn't come up with much, other than some threads where guys made new knobs. They are not magnetic and feel too heavy to be aluminum. Magnesium maybe?

I hit one with a brass wire wheel and one with a scotch-brite disc. Both seem to polish up nice.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

If you want bling, go with polished brass.

 

[Mr_CNC_guy]

Probably zinc or pot metal.

I'm wanting to cleanup the knobs on my 42 10ee round dial and was wondering what material they are made from. I tried a few ways of searching but didn't come up with much, other than some threads where guys made new knobs. They are not magnetic and feel too heavy to be aluminum. Magnesium maybe?

I hit one with a brass wire wheel and one with a scotch-brite disc. Both seem to polish up nice.

View attachment 341352

 

[Don's Engine]

Probably Zamac from melted down Atlas lathes.. ha ha... Don

 

[rimcanyon]

Zamac. Search the forum, the topic has come up many times. Not all round dials used Zamac. At some point during the war years they switched to Zamac, but earlier knobs were chrome-plated cast iron, and later knobs were aluminum. Aluminum is a good choice if you plan to make your own. See DaveE’s thread on that.

 

[Hobby Racer]

Zamak it is since its not brass, bronze, ferrous, and definitely not aluminum or stainless. Since they are in great shape, I think I'll polish them up and clear coat them.

 

[bellaireroad]

Does Dr Thermite take PMs from those with limited Monarch 10EE knowledge?


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[Cal Haines]

My knobs, sight glass bezels and dials are all made of some sort of grayish pot metal. At first blush, the bezels and knobs seem to be made of the same stuff, but I don't think they are. The dial would not polish up, but the knobs and bezels both polished up nicely to a high shine:

Before:


After:

Twelve years later the bezels look much the same but the knobs are pretty dull (but not nearly as bad as before). Clear coating the knobs after polishing is a good idea. (I had the dial chrome plated and it still looks great.)

Cal