Ashcollection

Thanks for the feed back guys. I got the impression that the site is not "manned" I'm after a few larkspur and clansman bits, I was also after a pair of the French sound operated handsets.

May be wrong but believe to be Meteor.

Question, either what was the wife doing in your shed? or why did you have truck parts in the bedroom! haha

large torque rod pin nuts finished just got to clean the split inserts up and the pins can be installed. rear pintle hook spring case has been stripped painted and re fitted. thank you to Andy Blackford for screw cutting the nuts, and showing me how easy it is to do.

 

large torque rod pin nuts being made from scratch, threads are screw cut as they are an unusual thread for the dia.

 

rear pintle hook spring case being reassembled and fitted back to the chassis.

lovey bit of old school machining.

Has anyone ever been able to buy anything off Army Radio Sales Co ? I've tried in a few occasions and never even had a reply.

the talk of bans are something we are going to see more of, if you keep up with your current politics you will be aware that the far right is making a big come back in Germany and several other countries, and the proposed bans are aimed at them, I'm sure you guys won't want to see the Nazi flag and associated regalia being waved here by a load of guys making Nazi salutes in our streets. our little military vehicle hobby might have to just cover some things up. and any way on a personal level I hate to see people strutting around in SS uniforms etc at show etc. so ban it on public. it won't affect my German vehicles.

---

 

Interesting to read , and QUOTE

 

I was one of thousands of students in the early 2000s who went to university but should have probably gone into an apprenticeship or job. What little careers advice there was given was focused on which university to go to - driven by the government of the day.

 

----

 

Government political will , yes you were directed - however you are probably unaware of the real truth.

 

Certainly on a UK regional basis (I was in a excellent position to witness) and probably nationally . Engineering training was annihilated at Technical Colleges by 1980 (certainly two different college machine shops I used were stripped out and equipped with stud-walls to train YTS how to emulsion , gloss and Artex. First year apprentice off-the-job full time training then the responsibility of local industry EITB workshops. I was born 1950 so was of the first year intake who had to do the similar EITB alongside Gity & Guilds craft . Of course the there had been (since 1950's) facility (G1 & G2 exams) to take the just sub-standard grades (failure at the 2nd part of 11+ , so to Secondary Modern , not Grammar School) . G1 & G2 - allowed entry to ONC (part-time) and OND (full-time, IIRC two extra subjects) - without the normally required 'O' level certificates. For apprentices , one full day at college and 2 or 3 evenings (doing "endorsement" subjects . Some would stay fully "in their trade" - a apprenticeship being 6 full years, others at 18 yrs. would convert to full time student on HND courses , often with a bolt-on as a "Junior Draughtsman" because you actually had to work during the holidays (other than the normal 2 weeks + Bank Hols.) . In the case of self - meaning another C&G T5 (Press Tool Design & Utilization) - that granted another "Full Technological Certificate". The system worked quite well - because you had the true 'technician status' within industry , when I had a problem on a 4-stage header tool for a National upset forger - I could at least talk to the Ch. Hand Die-sinker (that I had worked under for 6 months) on equal terms.

 

-----

 

Come Y2K , my elder son started at Lancaster Univ. (biology) , left 2003 . Passing on the M6 in 2004 there was a forrest of tower cranes on the site - I queried this with my son , yes they are intending taking in yet more 1000's of Chinese students p.a.

This then seems a new 'growth' indusry for the NW region. The even clever Chinese students (seriously clever cherry-picked from a nation of 800 + millions) spread more thinly around the "Russel Group" Univ. such as Durham and Newcastle where by then my younger son was doing chemistry.

 

So - yes , what you now have greatly in UK Engineering industry remaining , just sufficent craft trained to get by , the button pushers who may have been painters & decorators if that business had not been swamped out , + univ. trained management overseer (most of whom never enter the work field that they gained their degree in).

 

Final rant , actually a rant to me by a British Gas trained gas fitter / all appliance engineer with CORGI cert's and I presume G&G's. his training being 3 years - then self-employed , with refreshers by the appliance makers he covers . He is complaining that his job is now ruined, about the area being flooded with 'certificate waving' service van drivers - pushed through by this QUANGO on a 6 month course (part of a armed forces demob. resettlement plan).. STANDARDS compliance ?? questionable - his comment.

I Left School and went to college in the late 80's and they where closing the workshops and converting to what I call " basic DIY skills teaching" we lost the rows of manual lathes, mils, grinders, shapers, forge, hobbers etc, also a couple of years later the cnc mill and lathe, Fanuc robot, hydraulic and pneumatic test rigs, and materials testing labs all went. and I know that all those courses where always over subscribed. it was a policy decision. at the time, Old Hag Maggy had just had her war against the unions and in the process helped kill off more of the heavy industry, and the building trade was seen as the way forward along with the uk being a "service sector economy" I can remember being told at school all those long years ago that in the future we would have more leisure time because everything would be automated and life would be easy. Oh how we laugh looking back! nostalgia ain't what it used to be!

What is going to become of the used (electric/hybrid) cars after the dealers stop supporting them. Will they be supportable by your local garage at reasonable cost or by self maintenance. The technology used at the moment may mean there is no longer a long term second hand market, does this mean many people will be costed out of car ownership?

 

Iain

with luck our children will be skilled on computers and high tech equipment and fix them. everything moves on, I bet most of us have no problems with fuel injection systems that our grandfathers would have no idea about.

Diesel is the easeist to convert, after all Diesel's original concept was a cheap reliable engine 'For the Masses' and ran on Peanut oil. Sunflower Oil I was told by veg oil experts is actually the most volitile. As that what told to me whilst watching a 150 ton drum drier going up in smoke, I'm inclined to believe him. :-D

 

You know with all the 'Dangers' that seem to be being found latley I think it a wonder I've lived so long. For instance I don't drink alcahol, which all the Consultants I've seen over the last year (Another Story) have said great ideal for the treatment you need! But this morning a Danish bunch have announced that their statistics 'prove' I'm 30% more likely to get Diabties by not drinking.

 

What's happned to Hydrogen by the way? Part of selling London for the 2012 Olympics was a trip on a Hydrogen Powered bus. There were two at First Group up North London, great things went a like a rocket very reliable drivers and passengers liked them. Problem was, they were so quiet, people didn't know they were coming. I've bene told one company has been told stop using hybrid buses in one area as because they make no noise moving off people are walking under them. . Unexpected consequences.

Isn't the fact that Hydrogen and electric vehicles are quiet and people get run over a lot a bonus? after all the elephant in the room on pollution is really overpopulation, two birds with one stone I say haha

They built Tornado a few years ago and are building another the Prince of Wales. There is talk of a new build Nigel Gresley.

Exactly don't take it too seriously, chill and go with the flow and adapt where you need to. I stand by my bit on education though, if I put an add up for a CNC programmer/machinist, I might get 1 English guy, 5 Polish and the Polish will be more experienced, if I put up an add for a code programmer I will get a dozen English guys and 1 Polish. speaks for itself.

The original Disiel engine ran on peanut oil, the original Otto engine on coal dust. As long as there is an intrest in the vehicles there will be a market. After all it's a finite supply they 'ain't building any more.

Yes if someone wants it there's a market, and as for old tech and new tech, just take it as it comes and adapt. I love driving my old smoke belching trucks and I equally love working on the latest prototypes of massively powerful tiny light weight electric traction motors. my original soap box moment was about the lack of skills in the up coming generation, and hence the threat to skills for our hobby- our industry- our economy- etc, its all linked.

And they are correct.

 

My Dad was raised on a Share Cropper farm In the US that was legal slavery. You could not leave till you were even with the Company Store, and you never got even. I have a double barrel rabbit eared 12ga that was held on the owner while they packed up and left. He was on his on since he was 15, and got to a 8th grade education.

 

But has more common sense than a whole room full of College students. He told me one night, he had a rod knocking on a 38 Chevy straight 8. He pulled over took a flash light and dropped the pan, did not even drain it, dropped it full of oil, found which rod had slack in it. Pulled that cap, cut a piece off his belt, put it in the cap and piston, but it all back together and drove it home.

 

 

Now days, most would keep driving till it threw a rod, then call a wrecker, and HAVE a new engine in it. He always told me, "There is a big difference in a Parts changer and a Mechanic, A Mechanic can make it work."

Things just change too fast these days! I'm not quite middle age yet, I was brought up on a farm with no money so we had to fix things with what was at hand and crack on, I once took a head of a land rover on the side of the road, fixed the gasket with a piece of cardboard and re-filled it with water from the ditch, and that was only 20 years ago, if my 3 year old Mercedes van over heated today I'd call the AA!

I can echo a lot of the comments above. We have recently been interviewing for a graduate engineer position at work. The majority have done well in the talking about they have done section. But we have been very disappointed when it comes to the practical test we give them. It is assemble one of our products using two cutaway drawings. The lack of logic and some of the things people have done has left us very concerned. We have had a couple who did very well. But the majority really struggled with what we have previously regarded as a straight forward test.

 

On the other hand I know of a number of people in their twenties in the local area who are taking an interest in military vehicles and classic vehicles. In the last year we have had a couple of Matadors, an Explorer and a Pioneer being bought by people in this age category. Some of those vehicles ranging from basket cases up to those that need recommisioning. As the facebook, google side of things takes over I think we will find more people turning to things like military vehicles as a contrast.

 

Ed

I Can also agree with the above thoughts as an engineer, we struggle to get qualified people.( although we have gone off topic) but times are changing and without getting too political, schools have to teach what they are told to and what seems to be the best way to point children's education for the future needs. we have to admit that basic mechanical skills don't fit that as much as they used to, its why we employ a lot of highly skilled eastern European chaps over here as their education better suits what some of us want. As for our hobby, well its up to us to take the time to do that training ourselves as our schools are not going to teach kids how to scrape a bearing in or rebuild a carburettor, when those skills are only about 0.001% of the available future jobs, oh for the old days, I thing my dad and his dad and his dad used to say that to!

Steering Column repaired and re-built, it had lost it's dual steer gears, and the inside looked like it had been under the sea. the lower worm and leaver box had frost damage due to water getting in through the "hole" at the top of the column where the seal and bearings should have been! Now all up and running again. I should have taken more pictures. Fuel system next so we don't have to hang a can on the side with farmers weld then the brakes.

We have two of everything for a reason. one to use and one for spare. Its the bits we only have one of you have to really look out for!!! but personally I like to keep pairs of things as much as possible! haha

Some years ago I worked with a retired Royal Engineer Major. He done some time at Halton Camp on the River Lune near Lancaster where they used to train soldiers to build bridges. He reckoned that you could always tell a bridge builder sapper by the missing fingers. Seems that no matter how often they were told not to, they would stick their finger in the holes when mating two parts up to see if they were flush and the pin would slide in. Any movement in the structure and the finger was guillotined off!

 

Regards - David

When I was a trainee engineer my first machine shop lecturer told us "never put your finger anywhere you wouldn't put your dick" that sound advise has saved me many times. I always pass that though on when ever I spot anyone poking a finger in some dodgy hole!

shocking and totally bizarre, I stopped buying this publication a while back. The mind boggles at other titles they'd pick for the vehicles we own!

Yes a shame really, its become a "Photo study" good pictures though, and if I wanted to know that much more re-hashed stuff on land rovers I'd buy a land rover mag! I emailed them after a piece they did on a type of vehicle that I have and they said something like " this one had not been seen since" blar blar . so I mailed them quickly to say I have it and it still exists, they messaged back and said thanks, and they they would put something about it in the letters page. Well they did put it in. my exact email spelling mistakes and all! good job I didn't say anything incriminating!! who the hell checks what is published!

rant over.

Thanks John, will do.

Good pictures, I've been there a few times in the past but never got the chance to sneak any pictures.

So we end up as a society that wants to be independent and have a car rather that use the bus or train and now we are going to hand that independence to a machine? I wish I was a good hacker you could find the cars of people you don't like and lock the doors and drive them off cliffs. I don't want to quote the famous saying but "we are all doomed" haha as a species we are going backwards as tech takes over! as I type this on my laptop!

These engines have become quite sought after by the replica Rolls Royce and Bentley fraternity they could have gone in that direction for quite strong money.

when I had lots of them I'm afraid to say that's where mine went.

Does anyone have any information on the Bates of Eavesham Diamond T's I own the one on the Front page of the Flickr Diamond T Wrecker page.

cheers

Richard

Not a Clark Ranger, but the specification looks remarkably similar - rough terrain air portable (I assume) fork lift tractor. I have never seen one of these and I don't recognise the type, but the picture was taken from a 1970 document - the Eager Beaver may well have replaced this type of fork lift too.

 

Regards - David

I've never seen one of those either. very interesting.

Scurvey Knave you should post picture of everything you have and not just because you think someone will like them. I for a fact LOVE them and others who will follow behind will find this invaluable, please don't hold back, honest, they are smashing. It is the ordinary and everyday that no one takes pictures of that becomes obscure because of a lack of reference material.

I totally agree, any pictures of plant doing anything are interesting, there is a lack of them on the web. point in case is that Clarke Ranger fork truck of mine I mentioned in an earlier post. its only mentioned about 3 time with 2 pictures on the whole of the world wide web!

Yes great pictures, we use (play) with the plant we have so Next time we are shifting some heavy lumps around I will get someone to take a few pictures, I always miss out on recording what we get up to as I'm always driving!

Yes Excellent pictures, I love old Plant and as it's not Glamorous its hard to find pictures of kit in service. thank you very much.