Chris Suslowicz

Some thoughts on how to proceed: 1) make up a mandrel the diameter of the valve inner but rather longer. 2) make a cork borer (thinwall tube with inside diameter the same as OD of the mandrel) 3) find a thick piece of suitable cork and bore a hole using (2). 4) make a second cork borer to match the bore of the hole in the valve body. 5) fit the chunk of cork to your mandrel and centre it in the lathe (possibly tailstock best) 6) fit the second borer in the lathe chuck and centre that. 7) "advance to contact" using the lathe as a press, (pulling the belt by hand) slowly cut the sleeve to size. 8) remove cork sleeve from borer and mandrel, trim to required length and fit to valve. I suspect this was the method used for the original manufacture. Alternatively: 1) Glue a slightly oversize block of cork to a block of wood. 2) cut the outside first :mad:there was more of this but the ba*d system said I wasn't logged on when I submitted the reply and the rest is gone. Consider wine or belgian beer corks as a source of raw material! Chris.

I would have though a "cork borer" would be what you needed! I remember these from Chemistry, "Lo! these many years ago" and they were thin wall brass tube sharpened at one end and with a 'T' handle on the other. You just screwed them gently through the cork (using water as a lubricant) for running glass tubes through. These days it's all ground-glass QuikFit joints, of course. I suspect that to make a sleeve you'd need to get the borers mounted exactly concentric and proceed very slowly using a fine-grained bit of cork. Chris. See: http://www.rapidonline.com/education/cork-borer-sets-78937/

Are you absolutely certain of that? (I ask because I SORNed my father's car last year, have just had the reminder stating that it expires next month and needs to be re-SORNed or else taxed & insured in order to avoid committing an offence. A quick search on t'Internet didn't find any evidence of this having changed.) Chris.

There are (were) several different variations of internal layout, with varying wireless fits. There were two and three compartment versions, and the "Maximum Staff" type with a closed partition wall between the operators and the staff. Type A & B used WS19/WS19HP and had the generator at the front There were various "high power" versions with BC610 and WS19, ET4336 and WS19, as well as the WS53 type. Types D & E had WS53 and WS19 installations Types G, H and J had the WS53 on its own (with one or two R107 receivers). What aerial bases are/were fitted? Chris.

Don't tempt me! (Anyway, I can't find the camera lead.):-( Chris.

Bits you will need: Carriers, Set, No.1 (or 21) + mounting straps. This takes the set and supply unit side by side. Leads, Aerial, No.1 (or Connector Coaxial No.10) - A set to variometer cable Leads, Aerial, No.3 (or Connector, Coaxial, No.11A) - B set to aerial base No.9 Variometer with aerial feeder No.4 or No.5 (depending on thickness of turret roof) Aerial base No.8 or No.10 with Mounting No.1 Aerial Base No.9 with Mounting No.1 or No.2 - depends on install, No.2 is taller for cluttered turret tops Supply unit to suit your set. (No.1, I suspect) Replacement power and control harness connectors for set. 6pt power lead from turret junction box to supply unit 6pt dogbone for supply unit to set (looks like a US Mk.II set) 12pt connectors for set to CU2, CU2 to CU 1 in appropriate lengths Cable for CU1 to rotary base junction box (may be screened conduit or plastic covered) Cable from JD3 to hull junction box Bucket full of nuts, bolts, hooks & cable clips Aerial rods F No 1, 2 &3 Aerial rod G Aerial base No.9 protector Brush guards for set & supply unit Waterproof cover for same Wiring plate Spare valve case (4G) Spare parts case (5C) Headsets for all crew members (not the ones with the grey "Tannoy" microphones). Headache tablets. Chris

Hi, it's Lamp, Electric, No.1 and JL is Joseph Lucas (prince of insufficient light) Limited. It is/was the standard military lantern during WW2 the shutter is to direct all the light downwards so that you can see where you're treading without showing light that would give your position away to aircraft or other troops. The knob on the front of the lens rotates a red filter for use at night so that it won't affect your night vision. The battery is the long-obsolete 800 size, used in cycle lamps until they switched to paired U2 or 'D' cell size. (1970s?) (It consisted of two zinc carbon cells (same size as used in the 996 lantern battery that is still available) in a cardboard case with a "figure of 8" profile viewed from the top. A brass spring strip on the top was the +ve contact and a second strip on the front was the -ve connection. The cells were connected in series to give 3 volts.) See http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_lamp_battery_800.html Chris.

Carpet layer attachment for a tank?

What I think is happening is that your tablet is trying to set up a secure session with Milweb, and the milweb site certificate has been issued by an "untrusted" company.In this case it's www1.indira.com - this may be genuine, or it might mean that the site has been compromised. Starting a secure session to milweb - https://www.milweb.com gets me an alert box about the "chain of trust" for the site, which might mean I just need to import the correct "root" certificate, or that they've screwed things up. I'd suggest pointing the problem out to the site owner(s) and seeing what they have to say about it. (I hope it's not part and parcel of the current Yahoo! script attack problem, or some other malicious intent.) Chris.

Has it still got its radio fit? :whistle:

That's "some of" the British "Aerials, Vertical, 34-ft, Steel" (ZA.11519), or the late/post-WW2 32-ft version. (the difference being that the 34-ft one is made up of 16-ft of aerial rods 'F' (4 x 4-ft rods) on top of 18ft of aerial rods 'D' (6 x 3-ft sections), while the 32-ft one uses the 14-ft sectional whip aerial as issued with the WS62 instead of the 'F' rods. The 32-ft version has the advantage that it all fits in the one bag (Bags, Aerial Gear No.2 Mk.2). The original components date to before WW2 but were improved/renumbered over time. The full kit list is: ZA,0437 Bags, Aerial Gear No.2 Mk.II (1) ZA.4432 Insulators W/T 'B' (1) ZA.5436 Antenna Rods 'D' Sections 3-ft (6 + 4 spares) ZA.5325 Antenna Rods 'D' Spikes (1) ZA.5341 Antenna Rods 'D' Reamer(1) ZA.11536 Stayplates, No.4 (2) ZA.4135 Antenna Rods 'F' Adapter No.1 (1) ZA.0374 Antenna Rods 'A', Pegs (8 + 2 spares) ZA.0378 Antenna Rods 'A', Peg Bags (1) FA.2137 Hammers, Engineers, Ball-pane 8oz (1) (This is ALWAYS missing from surplussed kits!) ZA.4444 Insulators, Chain, Small, 3-link (4 as spares) ZA.6579 Staytighteners, Small. (2 as spares) Plus either the 14-ft whip aerial or Cases, Carrying, No.1 with 8 aerial rods 'F' (2 x (2 No.1, 1 each No.2 & No.3)) plus webbing to carry the case and fasten the hammer to it, plus a Aerial Base No.11 and its spike. The full kit (laid out) is on Keith Watt's WS22 page: http://www.keithwatt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/museum/ws22.htm The stayplates come complete with four of the 3-link insulators and guy ropes attached. The 'D' rods are somewhat fragile, which is why four spares are included in the kit - the threaded portion is relatively easy to damage or shear off if the mast is roughly handled during erection or dismantling. It was later replaced by the 27-ft telescopic mast (based on the Canadian 34-ft mast) that is much easier to handle, quicker to erect, and will stay up (usually) if the guys lines are shot away(!), but cannot be turned into two masts for a horizontal aerial, of course. Hope this is some help. Chris.

The "Bag, Waterproof, Signal" is for waterproofing signals equipment for beach landings, river crossings and wading. There were several sizes of bag available, as well as a few "flat sheet" pieces (the latter intended to be stuck together with some kind of mastic adhesive (which I think contained asbestos fibre(!)) to waterproof large pieces of kit. Best, Chris.

The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham (close to the M42 and NEC) has two "armed" motorcycles on display in the public section. I'm not sure what make they are, but one has a Vickers MMG and the other a Bren. (The Vickers version is not intended for use on the move, more for rapid deployment, as in Bairnsfather's sign: "Bruce Bairnsfather. Machine guns removed at shortest notice. Attacks quoted for.").

The poles that go in the side racks are to make up 2 x 36-ft aerial masts. The ones for the penthouse are stored in the "coffin" on the front of the box body along with the plasticised canvas tent sheets. Chris.

It's based on the Austin Lodestar (a standard 1950-ish lorry), so I suspect it would have been a standard part for many vehicles. Classic Truck rallies? On a tougher note: Has anyone got a spare cable port for a K9 radio body? There's a broken one on Ron's truck and I wasn't quick enough when that airfield control tower conversiuon was being scrapped last year. Just need the outer section (flange and lid part). Chris.

Oh, if it's Naval that explains much. 20kW puts it out of reach of any army sets (apart from the modern fixed-installation kit for round the world use). Guesswork for date: 1923, for a CW set. Chris.

Scale is a problem here, I don't think it's particularly large (despite the apparent construction from bolted metal strip). The chunk in the middle is a centre-tapped airspaced coil for radio frequencies, but I don't see what the 4 cylindrical units are for as there's no apparent connection to the coil. I'd say it's an RF tank circuit, either for a transmitter, or some sort of medical/vetinary diathermy unit. Chris.

Oh my goodness YES! WS18 aerial rods WS46 headset/microphone assembly Various and sundry WS19 aerial feeder cables WS62 outer case. Field telephone amplifier, in webbing case. 44 pattern small pack (Should have gone for a water bottle pouch and stuff, too). Not to mention a 1994 (published by Kent County Council) booklet on Fortitude South (the deception operations) which revealed that not even the unit adjutant knew what the initials "S.P.F." (as in Wireless Set No.19 S.P.F.) stood for. Still, it's a useful research lead and quite interesting nonetheless. Plus, the WS62 case fits my set and is in much better condition than the other two attempts - restoration work will now commence! A good day out, even though the piggybank is hiding behind the wardrobe and refusing to come out. Again.

Thinking about it, the governor is fitted to prevent engine overspeed conditions, which may have been more of a concern for stationary engines (e.g. the water pump that ended up in your splendid Dennis) if the load was suddenly removed. That might well explain why there is no butterfly fitted to the truck. (Or not, I suppose.) :-D

I'm concerned that you may have to fit much more powerful springs due to the whole assembly now being made of steel rather than steel weights on a lightweight (Mazak or similar) frame. (Not that I have any suggestion as to how it could be re-made in Mazak, of course, though "lost wax' casting might be an option.) On the other hand, this project is still a brilliant example of the machinist's Art. Chris

The protractor has a VC stores code (as well as being in section W), and all the scales are for use with maps. I suspect it's a set for map making, artillery survey, or similar. (I have a Flash Spotting field telephone and some survey flags with VB (I think) stores codes on them.) Chris.

Ah, it was "Alfred J. Parker" and they did a lot of custom target rifles based on the Lee Enfield. I believe they were bankrupted over a government contract involving either cadet force rifles or SA-80 conversions. It was quite a while ago. A lot of (hopefully all) the metalwork in the photographs are the "instructional cutaway" No.4 rifles, which would not have needed a licence a few years ago, but now definitely would. (I assume the whole lot has been sold to other RFDs or been melted down. Chris.

Mobile paint-spraying workshop/spray booth? Usually that level of paint gets chiseled off the fittings that support the part(s) being spray painted. Chris.

It gets a bit more complicated.... WW2 period will have whichever WS19 was current at the time, for Dingo probably a British manufactured set but lend-lease ones would have been used in the event of supply shortages. Any major damage to the set would result in it being swapped for a new/refurbished one of the same "Mark", or set and supply unit if necessary. The fitting of the Canadian supply unit No.2 as a replacement was late WW2/postwar for noise/power consumption/repair reasons. (It was also fitted to 24V "2-wire" vehicles if they needed a 12V "tap" to run a WS38AFV. Post-WW2 a lot of the decals were simply painted over to hide the cyrillic lettering, and later had the front panels refinished at base workshops during major overhauls. Aerial feeder No.4 is used on the Dingo. This is the shorter "conduit" type also used on a lot of tanks for "through the turret roof" mounting. (The No.5 is longer to accommodate thicker armour.) Chris.

The "spacer" is an insulated centering plate to make sure the aerial feeder is kept clear of the metalwork. Depending on what type of base is in use (and where it's mounted) you may also want a rubber gasket to stop water tracking under the base and getting into the vehicle. Some bases have a plain metal mounting flange, others are rubber coated. "gten98" on eBay will almost certainly have any bits you need; he's certainly got the thick stranded wire used to connect the aerial base to the ATU output terminal (it's not co-ax), and did have the plastic insulator "bowls" in packs of 100 that are threaded over the wire to maintain clearance from any metalwork. Chris.