Jerryjeeprichard

Technical question, 

Where is the best place to get wheels re-spoked?  

I've added a close up image of the front section, the black circles identify two location pegs. 

These seem to match your trailer. I think this trailer would have had a front gate... 

6 hours ago, Niek Baecke said:

Good to see another one being saved. Yours appears to be the no1 mk1 type with fixed front/rear panels.
Any dataplate still present?

We found this one about 7 years ago on the border of France/Spain. No idea how it got there but it's a July 1944 No1 Mk2 made by Orme & Evans.

Also attached is one of the only photo's of this type of trailer i could find in service during ww2.

 

 

 

Hi Niek, 

Many thanks for the message, so pleased you have complete stores trailer, I may need you to help if possible??

I have a few construction questions. 

I've been pondering over which model mine is, 

My trailer at some point in time has been "farm modified" 

I guess these modifications have been made as the trailer started to rot and fall apart, the locker lids have all been removed on the left hand side, and plated over. 

Wheel arches added left and right 

The front end panel has been plated to fill the gap. 

Angle iron added to the topside of the trailer, fortunately this final modification has held the trailer together. 

The data plate is very very rusty, there are a few numbers, at this stage i'm not sure the best method to clean this up, without making it worse and loosing the numbers all together.   

There are three bikes in total. Enough parts to certainly restore two complete… ish bikes and then enough to build the third into a rolling frame. As bits turn up at some point in time i may get a third. 
Any parts most welcome at this stage. 
 

My restorations are a little further on than my post suggests. I will add more pictures today to update the current status. 

The restoration of the bikes has officially started 

Progress so far.

Bikes fully stripped, all parts de-greased. Then itemised ready for blasting. 

Though I would start a new thread. 

As the restoration of the 100 gallon bowser is nearing completion, i'm itching to start another trailer restoration. 

I have two worthy trailer restoration project lined up, the down side is the owner doesn't want to sell them... 😞. 

So i'm thinking...... of taking on something a little more of a rebuild than a restoration. 

Few years back (12 years) I bough the remains of 10 Cwt trailer, plan was to strip the useful bits, scrap the rest as it was beyond repair. 

Since then the trailer has been pushed under a tarp at the back of the yard until this morning. 

The trailer  is a 2 wheeled lightweight binned stores trailer, doesn't have massive value but is quite rare, So worthy restoring??? 

Not counting mine I know of another two originals and one new build.  I'm sure as this thread progresses there will be others. 

The pictures below show its current condition. 

Can I put my name on two original Miller switches and two rear Miller tail lights. 😂😂😂

Another question. 
 

This time WD bike manuals 

I have an original manual. What other WD manuals are there for the flea? 
Drivers Handbook 100/RE4?

This is all very good information. 
So the hunt for the right switch needs to continue. Anyone with a spare four position switch? 

Or a case of hunting? 
 

Sorry. 
 

Hi Ron 

I have attached picture of two switches I have. 
 

Will these work? 
 

I have or believe I have two original Miller head lights. Pictures above. 
 

The switches physically fit into the body. 
 

So what am I missing to make the suitable for my flea? Just the cover plate? 

Hi Ron 
 

many thanks for the pictures 

How easy are the switch’s to obtain. I guess being Miller they are difficult.?

Base on your switch. What are all the switching locations?

I need some royal Enfield flying flea advice. 
 

Slowly getting stuck into restoring the bikes. Currently working on some of  the smaller components. 
 

First question, the WD flea light switch. What does it look like? How many switch positions does it have? 

Today’s update. 
 

The original meta filter I purchased was missing the bottom hose connection so I’ve had to try and replicate one. 
 

I’ve had to make them in parts and silver solder them together? 

Slowly nearing completion. 
 

Update with today’s progress. 
 

Under belly diff plate brackets were so badly pitted I have decided to make some new ones. 
 

The whole process was a little trial and error.
I initially hoped to fold them, due to the complex shape this turned out impossible. 
I also wanted something that could be repeatable, in the end I fixed on making a little fixture to fold them. 
 

The picture detail the progress. 
 

Can you confirm exactly what you are looking for. 
 

Nice little find. What are the plans for it? 

An old friend downsizing allowed me the privilege of rummaging through his many sheds. I managed to amass a lot of (good stuff) some of which will help with immediate restorations. The rest will more than likely sit collect dust in my sheds. 😂 But I definitely need it…

Water bowser parts I turned up some nice original ww2 brass 7/8 bsp hose tails with nuts and extension unions.
 

We spent many hours discussing where my haul came from. One of the tails that the brass fittings were just a small handful that didn’t make the scrap heap in the 50, 60 and 70s the family business was to buy sell ex military equipment. Water trucks/ bowsers were a a good sellers.

Buy them cheep at dispersal auctions. Sell them high broken up. 
Water tanks were sold to farms for water feeders , trucks were then converted for general haulage. And sold on for a new purpose,

Water trucks apparently were always good low mileage trucks. 
water filters/ pumps pipe work, sold for scrap. Apparently there were a few filters sold to local farms for filtering the spring water….

Spent the evening getting the tank bolted onto the chassis. 
 

It’s been on and off three times to get it just right. Then you trash all the nice paint. 
It didn’t make me mad at all. 😤
 

That said it happy days when you get to bolt everything back on. 

Little more progress last night. Few more hours on building the hoses up. 
 

Really pleased with the final results. 
 

John, I still used the children I just equipped them with angle grinders. Much quicker. 🤣🤣

Next task was the tank. 
 

Although the galvanise was in good order few small areas that rust had started to get a grip. 
 

Unfortunately the rust had started to catch under the two straps. The only option is to remove cut out the bad metal and replace. 
 

Then the laborious task of cleaning the tank. I found the best solution was a wire knot in the grinder.

Good clean with thinners then onto paint.  
 

Filter then mounted to the bowser. 
 

I used a 303 rifle sling to pad between the filter bracket and filter. The profile of the sling lends its self really nicely to loose the head of the rivet. And grips the filter tightly. The width of the sling matched that of the bracket too. Perfect all round. 
 

results speak for themselves. 
 

The clamp brackets were a little twisted and buckled. 
 

Although the brackets straitened out ok I feel the pitting in the metal was a little excessive so I decided to make new brackets 

Thought I would post an update on the trailer restoration project. 
 

With the nice weather I’ve had a week off work to get some jobs done at home. (Paint the windows) 

Rest of the time spent getting the bowser nearing completion. 
 

Needless to say the windows remain unpainted. 
 

Progress since the last post. Few things have happened ....I’ve  been very lucky... I’ve managed to pick up another original pump along with the holy grail original 43 dated meta filter.😁 

Filter was generally in good order,  sandblast to remove all the crud, old paint etc  Back to the original copper and brass, primed, and top coated.