Tony Lawrence Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Post some more photos please. If you look at my previous posts and photos you should get some ides of the various metal work. The timber is ash and imperial measurements .All planks are 7/8" thickness. The sides are 4 1/2" wide planks as are the front hinged section and the rear. The floor has one 2 3/4" width on the outside, then three 4 3/4", one 9 3/8" in the centre, then three 4 3/4" and one 2 3/4" on the outside. I have had to get the cleats cast and mentioned previously. Use M6 coachbolts with square nuts as it is impossible to get Imperial thread ones. These three pictures show close of play before the storm is meant to hit us tonight. The outside planks of the floor are slightly raised as the chassis forces them up. I cannot believe that the manufacturers would have gone to the trouble of planning different thicknesses of wood to make everything level unless anybody can prove me wrong by showing some original planking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Hope the storm doesn't blow you away! have taken a couple more photos, but won't start stripping her down until next weekend, I've taken hitch off as it as stiff as a board and needs some of the pins remaking as they have been damaged. Its a MK1 type hitch with the handling arms on the hitch itself. Tyres are shot and the spare underneath is scabby too. Same tyres as my 38 hillman. I thought these had a rear dropping tailgate! good to see that it hasn't, it will be easier to remake without it! I'll find a hardwood timber supplier here in suffolk and have some ash machined up, not cheap I guess! Rear quarter Spare wheel front strut. These things are unbelievably heavy! but not bad to move unless you forget to take the handbrake off! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Mine never had a spare wheel mount, also no sign of any wiring. I see you also have the strange downward plates towards the rear - no idea what they were for. Could you put some photos of the rest of the body up? The tyres should be 6.00 x 16 - larger than the standard GS trailer tyres. Mortar trailers always had the front tailgate, not the rear. Again it appears that your spring shackles are tatty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon king Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 First r/os corner replaced - only three more corners, four mudguard brackets and the complete neck to fabricate before I can start putting the trailer back together again and fit the woodwork. It will be drilled off as the woodwork is fitted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Finally finished the woodwork on the Mortar trailer - I might apply for a job in B&Q!! Various issues found such as the fact that the metal work is not symmetrical eg. the rear centre upright is not central, it is 1/2" off centre and the spacings between the uprights on each side are different so if you are going to restore one of these then measure each wooden component, don't assume identical measurements on each side. The front 'tailgate' also has to be offered up to the hinges in situ as there are slight discrepancies on each side. Next stage an overall coat sprayed on outside and hope my new cleats turn up this century - the casters are rather slow.. And Before anyone comments, the bolt holes on each side of the tailgate strakes are lower than the rest to fit the holes in the metal side edging - all the other spacings are taken from photos of unrestored or restored trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I found this photo of a Mortar trailer while trawling Google images - it looks fairly complete and original except for the missing side stand and additional woodwork. It links to an old thread on HMVF it sold for £350 in 2010 apparently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordenj Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I found this photo of a Mortar trailer while trawling Google images - it looks fairly complete and original except for the missing side stand and additional woodwork. It links to an old thread on HMVF it sold for £350 in 2010 apparently Just goes to show how value of WWII trailers have outperformed most other investments in last 3 years! Better forward this to Mrs Corden............:laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordenj Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 [ATTACH=CONFIG]77470[/ATTACH] My towing eye is also a mystery - it has the larger ring (as for 15cwt trucks) but a strange housing. Anthony: By chance, I may have an answer to your "mystery" trailer hitch housing. We know we'd expect the welded "barrel" design on the early trailers, but I've just found this drawing of the hitch for a post-war Brockhouse trailer. A quick Google comes up with lots of images of the hitch in use. As you can see the housing body is identical to yours and explains how the serrated top was originally designed to hold the handbrake on. So the question remains - why was the early barrel removed and replaced postwar. At same time that the larger ring was fitted? Because early barrels were found to be a weak point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 What a clever bunny!! As it appears to be a genuine fitting for both civilian and military use (see Landrover trailer)I will keep it as it is. Also I now have a second purchased from E-bay for 99p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Next questions for my restoration........... what dimension is the top reinforcement strake running around the top of the trailer sides- just from a general view of the photos of complete trailers it looks to be 2' x1' but thats only a guess! Also, the vertical channel sections on my trailer are 23 inches long (including the weld at the bottom) and do not have a flat part at the top like Tony's trailer seem to have, they maintain the channel section to the very top, with only a small chamfer, is this correct? I dont quite trust the state of my trailer as there have been many bodges to it over the years- the mudguards are welded on for example! There seems to have been a bolt shortage since the 1940s! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Could that hitch have been a 'Civillian extra'? Sold speciffically to convert the many ex military trailers about to a ball? Is it a 2 inch ball by the way rather than a 50mm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 The rubbing strake around the top of the trailer is 2 1/4" by 7/8". The tops of my supports appear to have been cut - whether during manufacture or later I have no idea but it does seem a lot of effort if it was going to be cosmetic. I have rebuilt the rubbing strake as though there was no cut away. I have photographed my hitch with the new one I purchased from e-bay. Brockhouse bought out Orme Evans during the war and possibly as John suggested it was a stronger casing to replace the cylindrical Mk1 hitch which was probably originally fitted to my trailer (hence the lifting arms welded to the trailer chassis). It obviously could take any form of tow hitch; ball, 1" or 2 3/4" ring. I am going to keep it as it is part of the trailers history even though it is probably just post-war. The General Arrangement diagram may be helpful to show the cleat positions as well as the rubbing strakes and other O&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Hi tony, the trailers looking great, I'm still amassing parts for mine. what is the book you display, is it still available? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
river6 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Hi, I've found some letters and numbers about 2 inches high in white paint across the planking on the underside of the trailer I'm restoring. The numbers/letters read - WSR860396VM directly below those are the sequence B 399. Any ideas what they might mean? They appear to be original and cross two of the planks so are not a later addition. One more little mystery to solve!!:undecided: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Hi tony, the trailers looking great, I'm still amassing parts for mine. what is the book you display, is it still available? Dave This is a copy of the manual - I do not know if it is available now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B. Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 This is a copy of the manual - I do not know if it is available now[ATTACH=CONFIG]83627[/ATTACH] Was this the edition copies of which were available on Ebay USA. They were quite expensive if I remember. I had some bound copies done of the 1960 revision and was charged £20. I could probably get one or more done if that would help anyone. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Was this the edition copies of which were available on Ebay USA. They were quite expensive if I remember. I had some bound copies done of the 1960 revision and was charged £20. I could probably get one or more done if that would help anyone. David. It could well be - via e-bay I exchanged a pair of WD 5-15 tyres that were well shot with an American chap for this manual and the equivalent on Lightweight GS trailers. He had copied them from a manual held by a Belgian museum and I believe he was selling copies on e-bay. He was an avid collector of British airborne equipment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Tony, you said you had managed to find a foundry to cast your cleats, would it be cheaper per unit to order more? I need a whole trailers worth or has the deed been done? mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Tony, you said you had managed to find a foundry to cast your cleats, would it be cheaper per unit to order more? I need a whole trailers worth or has the deed been done? mike It was Marshall Brass in Norfolk - they may still have the mould. They cast in brass - cheaper than cast iron. I would suggest that you contact them soon but the cleats are not cheap but better to have them than not. You need 16 for a full set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Spoke to Marshall Brass, you are correct, they are definitely not cheap! I think they must be diamond encrusted gold, rather than brass! Can't afford them just yet. May do some autojumbling or swapping- I have a spare wheel to part with for a 10 CWT trailer with a 6 stud hub, but i guess these cleats are hens teeth, if you had to get some cast then i will eventually have to bite the bullet! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Spoke to Marshall Brass, you are correct, they are definitely not cheap! I think they must be diamond encrusted gold, rather than brass! Can't afford them just yet. May do some autojumbling or swapping- I have a spare wheel to part with for a 10 CWT trailer with a 6 stud hub, but i guess these cleats are hens teeth, if you had to get some cast then i will eventually have to bite the bullet! mike Don't tell the wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordenj Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Don't tell the wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wouldn't dream of it :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 ...............Certainly not! though she was witness to the original purchase.......still waiting a quote for the replacement woodwork........so I shall be sat down when that arrives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broken arrow Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Good day one and all, i notice that members have trouble getting things like wheel nuts made, some years ago in my youth i required the odd item and rememberd that whilst at school we had the old metalwork lessons were all types of machines were available, so visit school seek out metlewok master, a few words and hay presto thay were more than happy to knock up the required parts and produce somthing more than a poker or toasting fork. Any school or collage i am sure would be more than happy to help with something historic and is possibly a way of interesting the younger generation in our hobby.:beer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWMike Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 ...........My other hobby is model engineering so I possess a lathe, milling machine, MIG, TIG and MMA welding sets, and a grinder or two, so its not the turning or other machining, (I had to make a lot of stuff for my 1937 Hillman staff car), but casting is out of my league! Plus the neighbours may complain if I build a blast furnace in the back garden! I suspect if i went to my local school they would want to make it from composite or plastic! My sons school has a 3D printer so i should have had him make me a plastic one as a plug for casting!!!! I may have to machine up some studs etc for the trailer but the cleats don't lend themselves to that! I need to find one to make a pattern or to see whether I can fabricate them with a bit of devious welding! mike 1943 Bedford MWD 1937 Hillman Minx Staff car 194? 10 CWT trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.