Back to topic I had some extra time today and I believe I fixed the dial ( I hope )
What I first did was sit down with a rubbing stone and some ATF and slide the dial across it repeatedly making sure to turn it every few seconds so that I did not get it ground down too much on one side. Id like to say I sweated with this and worked all day but it may have only taken 20-40 minutes or so. Soft brass, moved pretty easy.
I dont know if you can see it in the pictures but I learned to know when it was flat by looking at it, I figured when it was bright and shiny all the way around its circumference than chances are I had hit all the low and high areas.
Unfortunatly when I was done with this it looked great when held at eye level but looking down upon it or into it as I would have when dialing it the eggshape really stuck out. I contemplated leaving it alone cause I was already losing parts of hash marks on the dial.
In the end I decided I could not live with it, I do not have many high tech machine tools at my disposal and didnt want to ask favors. I do however have just about any air tool or hand tool one would need to do some pretty un-ordinary things so I came up with this simple jig to get an even circumference.
I started out with 36 on my grinder and hit it real light while spinning it by hand, moved waay too much material at one time, I then went to 80 grit on my mini DA and then polished with a 180.
I did not lose any of the strike marks but yes they are shortened a bit. Its not perfectly round but I have a very good eye and my eyes are happy with it and without careful scrutiny one would never know.
Best part is that I assumed now I would have just a bit of a gap between the dial and the escutcheon ( I think the proper term was dial plate ) I was going to live with that but too my happiness there is no gap, appears as if it were never repaired once inserted back into place.
EDIT: OK I can see now that I blow up my pictures there is a small gap there and that only makes sense but that is with the flash of the camera highlighting everything. It looks good anyway PERIOD !
I think I was incorrect in thinking that the dial was bottoming out within the dial plate, I think now that the problem was within its out of roundness, I think that chances are better that it was rubbing the outer circumference of the dial plate as it was spinning. I think this because I KNOW i removed some serious material from the outer edge of the dial and yet it still seems nice and tight to the dial plate.
Anyway I also cleaned it up sorta and am looking forward to any tips toward it finish.
I do paint and body for a living and would be all over restoring the entire safe but one thing that holds me back is the beautiful paintwork on it. Can anyone tell me if these labels ( on the inside of the door ) were hand-painted ?
I am assuming the large lettering on the outside of the door itself are hand laid but what about the GLOBE insignia just above the center of the door on the main body of the safe.
I couldnt bear to lose all of that.
I finally bought some lighter fluid and am going to hopefully have luck with removing the decades old tape all over it. After that done maybe its back onto the lock assy.
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