Fuel Gauge

While working on the wings, I'm also managing to get some of the smaller stuff done.  Like the fuel gauge, as discussed below.  The carburetor is almost done.  I'll create a post on it when finished, and I plan on doing the magneto after that.  I find in restoration work that it works best (for me anyway) to have several things going on at once.  That way, I'm not at a complete standstill if I'm waiting on parts, etc.

 Here are some "before" shots.  The gauge is an interesting design.  A brass float twists a spiraled rod in the center that, through several gears, turns the dial.  The gauge mounts above a 40 gallon fuel tank that sits between the firewall and front cockpit.

I had to machine a new threaded shaft that holds the tear-dropped shaped housing to the base that mounts on the tank.  It apparently broke when the airplane crashed in 1929.  I re-finished the dial.  It is brass with raised lettering.  So, all that's done is the dial is repainted (flat black).  The portion on the raised lettering is then wet-sanded off using 1500 grit sandpaper on a glass plate for flatness.  I also had to install a new glass lens.  Once reassembled, everything worked great.

Detail picture of the inner workings

Finished product