Very interesting thread-thks for the info DF. This fellow in bus restoration has a neat out using a dremel and assuming the gulmite driver set is rarely, if at all, obtainable.

Not sure whether this guy uses handwash!!

A good image of the gulmite screwhead (8/32) and tool. Seller sells the screws but apparently not the tool!!

ebay.com link: 20 Drive In Speaker Specialty Security SCREWS GULMITE HEAD Hard to find NEW

Kens' post twigged my thought process & I just purchased a pair of drive in theatre speakers for resto to use with my Seeburg wallbox. I am not sure whether they will contain the dreaded 'gulmites'!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Drive-in-speaker-parts-NTS-brand-suit-restoration-or-display-as-is-/331419888993?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=ccqL11%252FQctdpI%252BI6Rr%252FEoDEQYBo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I thought they would add some nostalgic charm from the EM era to my games room. Anyhow the seller David Kilberry was an example of a high integrity (in Australia we would say 'a damn good bloke') seller. After corresponding he said he would throw in an unbroken hook mechanism as part of the sale. He also has reopened a drive-in theatre in our State of Victoria:

http://www.lunardrive-in.com.au/

and has previously been a large seller of pins & jukeboxes trading as Chicago Amusements-it is indeed a small world.

Ahh that was part of the magic of that era-did things need to be perfect but in any case at that time who cared about the sound! There were other more pressing horizons!!!

Great post, story & pics Ken! What was the width of the roller to paint that screen?

No luck with the Snap on site which on my short experience is far from 'snapping on' during the search process.

As I have ordered a couple of drive in theatre speakers (NTS) I am unsure whether they will contain the gulmites but I have given a solution some thought.

Is it not possible to take a short length of mild steel or stainless tubing with maybe a ml or 1/16 wall thickness which is a neat fit over the head of the gulmite screw (depending whether an 8 or a 10) and then either cold or hot nip the end of the tube with a small cold chisel into the gulmite crevices. There may then be a need to slip a further neat fit tube over that to prevent distortion during tensioning or detensioning. The tube can then have a T handle provided.

To me this is a simple solution which should work given it seems near impossible to acquire the specialist tool apart from estate sales.

I am in the process of restoring two NTS drive in theatre speakers for use with my game room Seeburg wallbox. Fortunately these speakers did not contain the 'gulmite screws' but each screw was rusted in there thread socket and required to be drilled out and re-threaded. On one speaker cover a screw head orifice had been damaged preventing the retention of the screw head. Not sure whether anyone has tried the product 'Cold Weld' which is a two part epoxy for metal repairs.

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Permatex-Cold-Weld-Bonding-Compound-57G.aspx?pid=129919#Recommendations

Anyhow I used the product and was pleasantly amazed by how well it worked. It enabled me to rebuild the orifice, provide a new screw hole and provide a chamfer for the screw head. I thought it was terrific and clearly has many applications in our hobby.

coldweldrep.jpg