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Enigma Restoration Materials
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Many Enigma machines were built, but only a few have survived.
Most of these are now in the hands of museums and private collectors.
Some of these machines are in very good condition (cosmetically),
but many are not in working condition.
If you have an Enigma machine that doesn't work, it might be a good
idea to bring it to life and preserve it to some extend. Using the
machine frequently will clean the contacts and keep the moving parts
moving. In our experience, deterioration of a machine is slowed down,
or even halted, when it is used frequently.
When restoring an Enigma machine, you may need some (reproduction) parts
in order to bring the machine back to its original state. Some of
these parts are listed below; others are available from various
sources, listed at the bottom of this page.
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Reproduction Enigma Battery (Standard)
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Most Enigma machines use a standard 4.5 Volt batteries that was
commonly available in those days. Unfortunately, only a few people
have found an original battery and all of these are, of course,
now empty. Such batteries can not be recharged.
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Günter Hütter in Austria has produced modern good looking replicas
of the original Wehrmacht battery. They have all the labels, stamps
and marks from the original, but are empty and contain a modern
battery holder for 3 AA-cells (penlight).
These batteries are suitable for all 3-wheel Army Enigma
machines used by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe during WWII.
They will also fit most of the earlier (commercial) Enigma machines.
No longer available
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Reproduction Battery for Enigma M4
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The 4-wheel Naval Enigma variant, the M4,
not only has an extra wheel, but uses a different battery as well.
The size of the battery used for this machine is not very common
and only a few have been found inside a machine (empty, of course).
These batteries were made by a variety of manufacturers,
including the one shown here.
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Günter Hütter in Austria has produced a limited quantity of accurate
replica batteries, especially for the Enigma M4.
The batteries match the original size. The contact strips and labels
are all identical to the original.
Click the image to view it at close-up.
The batteries are empty and can be opened easily. Inside them is a
modern holder for 3 AA-size (penlight) batteries in order to produce
the necessary 4.5 Volt for proper operation.
➤ Now available from our shop
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The lamp film of an Enigma machine is made of celluloid, one of the
earliest plastics. Unfortunately, celluloid has the tendency to shrink
over time and become brittle.
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Furthermore, it is very flammable and in
many cases has burn marks as a result of the use of incorrect
lamps.
The image on the left shows a damaged lamp film where the lamp has
protruded the letters 'I', 'O', and some others.
Over time, various typefaces have been used
for the original films, but the most common one is the fat typeface
shown on the left. This typeface is found on most Enigma machines used
by the German Army and also by the earlier commercial Enigma machines,
but other typefaces do exist.
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We now have a limited number of reproduction lamp films available.
These films are professionally made lithos and the lamps will not
shine throug the black parts.
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The original typeface has been carefully
reconstructed, including the mistakes and jaggy edges, and the colour
of the letters has been faded somewhat (often called 'off-white).
Different shades of faded white are available, so that it matches
the age of the machine and the original lamp film.
At present, only the common bold typeface is available.
Other typefaces are currently in production.
➤ Available from our shop
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One of the most problematic parts of an Enigma machine are without doubt
the lamps. Many people have tried ordinary bicycle lamps but in many
cases these will penetrate and damage the lamp film.
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Originally, flat-faced lamps
were used for all Enigma machines.
These are no longer in production
and originals are a rare find at flea markets.
Glen Miranker in the USA has arranged a limited production of very
good looking replica lamps, built to the original specifications.
They are available from Jim Oram.
➤ Reproduction lamps (off-site)
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Other sources for reproduction materials
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- Jim Oram (enigma-replica.com)
For his Enigma Replica project, Jim Oram has produced many
replica materials. Some of these are now available directly
from him. Jim also sells the reproduction Enigma bulbs shown
above.
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Any links shown in red are currently unavailable.
If you like the information on this website, why not make a donation?
© Crypto Museum. Created: Monday 31 August 2009. Last changed: Friday, 23 February 2018 - 22:29 CET.
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