I have a 17.5 Home Talkie with no end cap for the lamphouse. So I've had to make one. Below are pix of the cap; note shallow recess on outer end and internal baffle to try to reduce light spill. I suppose I could make up a bit to match the vertical section on the original cap, but right now I can't be bothered. The recess referred to will take a paper copy of the original end cap, as improved on the computer and so available in many colours. Sprayed over with clear lacquer this should be reasonably durable.

The reason I was making the end cap was the prospect of a sale. As you know, I always find this painful, but I steeled myself and let my spare (fully working but cosmetically challenged) Home Talkie go. However, this has spurred me on to re-commission another, of which I have most bits save the spool arms, the amplifier cover and, of course, the lamphouse end cap. So I have had to make a second end cap and, this time, I am trying to make the upright bit, too. I will show you this as and when it's finished. I have made the amp cover. Construction is exactly the same as the original, except I have used a filler/glue material instead of spot welding to fix the ends to the main body. I have also left the double holes at the back, rather than opening them out to slots as in the original. This is because I have used thin alu, and I thought it would help to keep it a bit stiffer. Now, of course, it has to be painted, as does the main casting, seen here as sanded down in preparation. I would point out that I am responsible only for one of the extra holes, viz the one for a separate lamp switch alongside the original combined motor/lamp switch. All of the insides of this machine have gone, and the other holes secure a tranny etc. I shall endeavour to make them as unobtrusive as possible, by countersinking the screw heads and painting them black. Although it will be far from original, it will I think be able to show 17.5 quite successfully. I haven't decided about the spool arms yet - one idea I am toying with is using a 16mm long-play device instead, which has its own motor drive for take-up. 

I have now painted up the amp cover, plus my now-completed end-cap (made in two parts and fixed together after), the shield tube leading the reflected light of the soundtrack to the photocell (you can  see that I chickened out of copying the punched, folded tabs that hold the sound chute on the original and opted for a simple nut and bolt fixing) and the lens-holder. 

 The Home Talkie lamp reflector mirror had been glued it in place or something; by the time I got all the gunk off, little sivering was left.  I looked on the internet and tho' one can do some form of silvering at home, it's complex and needs various stuff - not worth the time, money or effort, wot I do not got anyway. Out of curiosity, I tried spray-painting it with a metallic-look paint but, of course, that didn't work. I have had a mirror re-silvered before, but it cost something like £25, and that was several years ago.

The mirror from a Bolex P8 is a close match - the hole is about 41mm and the P8 mirror is 40mm - and I have in the past hacked about the P8 mirror surround to get a rough fit. Quite a bit of light spill tho' as the P8 surround is not quite right. I just tried making a ring to cover the size difference, but it's very hard working with such a tiny thickness of metal - not a lot of strength in it. I achieved some sort of result, tho' I am not dreadfully happy with it and I am unlikely to do it again unless I can come up with a better idea. Also, the P8 mirror is much thicker than the original, so the plastic back which holds the original in place is no use. I have fudged up a strip of tin across the back to keep the mirror in place for now - I have a friend who has done metal spinning and might be able to help. One has to bear in mind at all times that there is only just room behind the lamphouse to give clearance for the lower loop. 

This seems like a good place to stop and take a look at the Natan 175.