Minesweeper

They are machined out of EN8 - we used the same material on our previous restorations and did not case-harden any of them. As Steve has commented - they are essentially consumable items and we do not see ourselves wearing them out "in any case" (boom-boom!)

Tony

Now, would this be Jonathan F - son of C and A F?

We couldn't get the Flywheel off the Thorny Crankshaft either and took the crankshaft out of the Crankcase with the Flywheel left on it. Then it was not the easiest to deal with but it all worked out satisfactorily - not the end of the world!

Tony

Great stuff! A lovely job!

Tony

You seem to have a bad effect on paint companies ! Can I suggest that you paint some 3" squares of something that could be posted easily, with WW1 Khaki so that there is a record of this colour despite the trail of closed paint companies. Presumably it could be described by the RAL system as I think that that describes the colour itself rather than just being a code for existing colours but I could be corrected on that.

 

David

Interestingly, we have already mailed samples of the paint applied to pieces of 16 gauge steel - probably 3" square as you have just mentioned - one to a UK Restorer and the other to the USA to an enthusiast there!

The original match for this paint came from us. When we restored the 1916 Thornycroft J type mobile anti aircraft gun for the IWM ( now on show at Duxford ) in 1987 we found various amounts of original paint under brackets , fittings etc. This was match by ICI at the time and we have retained this ever since. It has always been supplied to us in gloss and we have added matting agent, usually about 5 parts gloss 3 parts matting agent to give the desired finish. Our latest job finished in this is the 'B' type bus for London Transport museum. The Thornycroft at Duxford has stood the test of time for over 25 years now. The matting agent destroys the varnish in the gloss so beware do not make the finish too matt or it will not have any durability or weather protection. The paint is now supplied to us by Breakwells Paints ,Walsall.

Richard Peskett.

Richard first advised us about this colour and very kindly gave us the reference number of the then manufacturer and supplier of the paint when we completed the military Autocar some years ago - it had a reference number but not a name. When the paint arrived, we noticed that it had been given a name - "Richard Peskett Brown" - we thought an honour - rather like having a new variety of Rose named after you at the Chelsea Flower Show!

For the next restoration we completed (the FWD), we found that the original supplier had gone out of business and we went to another reputable company who colour-matched it beautifully from a sample of the paint used on the Autocar.

When the Dennis came along, that second Supplier had also ceased trading - so it was then colour matched by another company - again very cleverly. We went back to the same company for the Thornycroft paint - the original match which they completed was no longer available - so it has been matched yet again with the Dennis paint - and that was when its further new name was applied by them - "WW1 Khaki".

The original colour has been maintained very well.

We are using Craftmaster Paint - colour-matched again for us by Craftmaster with the paint that we used on the Dennis and now named by them as "WW1 Khaki" in their records should you wish to go to them.

We use the satin finish - not too glossy for an army lorry. You could have it in "dull" should you be looking for a very matt finish.

Tony

As for the tyres 'I need to follow up the thread on the Thornycroft restoration about polyurethane tyres. They seem to be much cheaper. First problem is to remove what remains of the old rubber.

 

We removed the old rubber on the Dennis Tyre Steel bands by cutting it through crossways in one place and then putting a propane torch against the inside of the steel band - got it hot to start lifting the rubber - and then levered the rubber off with a crow bar, bit by bit along its length, heating as we went. This time for the Thorny, our Poly Tyre Makers say that they have an oven which will do the trick for us and that will save a lot of work. They then sand blast the steel bands to make sure that they are thoroughly clean before the poly is bonded to them.

Absolutely brilliant, Ben! So pleased to see that things are on the move again!

Look forward to catching up with you at Beaulieu next weekend!

Tony

I managed to get a sneak preview of the GDSF today. The effort that they are putting into the WW1 area was really very impressive. They have been building a trench network which looked spot on and very large. To add to the atmosphere they have built a ruined farmhouse which when finished will be complete with furniture. They will create a copse of shell damaged trees. Blown up telegraph poles with wires hanging down. Two foot gauge railway.with Simplex loco. Lots of other decoration such as blown up carts, trees and other debris etc. They obtained vast quantities of sandbags complete with sand from the local council who wanted to dispose of them. Lots of barbed wire with poles all ready to go in. All in all it has the making of the best trench recreation I have seen. Looking forwards to seeing it completed next week.

Lots of WW1 vehicles are lined up ready to come with a couple of real surprises. Here is one of them. An ex WD FWD in its second life as a fairground lorry. Not seen this one for 25 years or so, although it is currently on display at Dingles museum.

Enjoy

Tim

The tyres on the Thorny were identical in size to the ones on the Dennis and these are the two sketches that were prepared for the Dennis Tyres when we had them made. We shall use the same ones again.

I'll try again with the photo of the brake casting.

Doug

Doug - there are no markings at all on our cast iron ones - and in fact yours are quite different from ours with no flange or lip on the outer edge of the "ring" away from the bolting flange. I would have expected the number cast in on yours to have been the "Part No." - but it is not - the Part No. is 54482 - nothing like! So another mystery!

However, all of this discussion has helped us make our minds up about what to do with the drums - and that is to replace them with newly cast ones! Yet another pattern for Steve to make and to join the queue.

Thank you, chaps, for your input into this - all of your comments make sense!

Tony

[QUOTE=42 chevy;417532]From a safety angle, have you considered using the the thicker drums as a pattern and having new drums cast. I do not know what the process is called to check for cracks (magna flux?) but I might recommend that be done on these drums if you decide to use them.

As always, your crew does superb work.

John G

Thanks John - something else to consider! As you will have gathered, we do like to use the original parts as far as possible so we will not give up on either set just yet. We will get them off first and have a good look at them before finally deciding!

Tony

Hi Tony,

 

Please can you answer the following question?

 

Tim's post refers to brake drums. Are they full drums as per classic pre disc brake cars or are they just rings bolted to the inside of the wheel?

 

Thanks. John

They are just "rings" John with a bolting flange flared outwards on the bottom through which they are bolted to the wheels.

Tony

Just returned from a walk down back inspecting the bits here and three sets of wheels are the same. None have the additional band about the edge. Even the latter model J of what appears to to about 1924 has the single brake band.

The 1920 manual shows an illustration with the extra ribbing band in the parts pages.

Are there any casting markings on the brake band you have had sand blasted?

Your could be casting be by a different foundry. Two sets I have here have JAC cast on them.

Doug

Steve and Tim will be with me over the weekend and we will turn the wheels around so that I can have a look! Too heavy for me to move on my own!

Tony

It is for making some kind of dam

I agree that a plasma cutter is probably the best way of cutting bites out of a piece of angle and lots of other profiling and cutting jobs. The problem is that you do need quite a big compressor as well, probably big enough to run a blast cabinet which would also be very usefull. I think most people can't justify this level of plant but I must admit that a 9" angle grinder with a thin cutting blade would have considerably reduced the chain drilling and the subsequent tidying up. Then again most people have neighbours that don't appreciate the noise of angle grinders. Back to chain drilling then :-(.

 

David

And it also comes back to your level of skills - mine are limited and basic and it is easier for me to live with what I know I can do. I am not happy with a 9" Angle Grinder, either! With my advancing years and reducing strength, I find that a 9" Grinder is too much for me to safely handle!

Tony

Always lovely to see the old details

would the smaller numbers be more rare? i know that multiple foundries were used.

The smaller numbers were not cast in but were stamped in after casting - using "number stamps". See posting no. 1337.

Could be a different maker but also perhaps another Pattern was used without the numbers on it so that the Foundrymen just stamped the numbers in afterwards. I guess we shall never know!

Tony

As i wonder, did the museum torney had them with the large or small numbers in the cast?

Large numbers - I will ask Tim to post a picture for you!

Tony

Did you happen to check the casting numbers on the headlamp brackets of the museum Thorney? I was wondering how they compared with your 'new' ones.

 

trevor

Yes, the Brackets on the Carlton Colville one also carry the correct Part Number - 57862.

Tony

Thanks Jack - but have a look (again!) at the Maudslay thread on the Forum. You will see that Steve has become quite involved with the project and went "all out" to help them try to get the Maudslay ready for the London to Brighton Run this year, but very sadly the lorry could not be completed in time and our friends in the Coventry Museum had to withdraw their entry.

Tony

The Peerless didn't sneak home in your back pocket then !!:wow:

From all accounts, that one could be going even further afield..............

Tony

I have just returned home after attending the Michael Banfield Collection Sale in Kent - have been very fortunate to find and buy at a very reasonable cost, a complete Water Pump assembly with original Thorny J fan still attached, and an Inlet Manifold with most of its fittings still attached, again for peanuts - so a successful visit! You may remember that we do have a water pump which has already mainly been completed and repaired with the exception of the big onion-shaped aluminium "shroud" or bracket that had rotted away around the flange area - and could not be welded. Steve has been working on a pattern so that we could have a new one cast. However, the one purchased yesterday is sound - so that is one job that we will not have to do now!

There was also a large pallet there, fully loaded with all sorts of Lamp Brackets and we rummaged through them just to see what was there - and we found three Thorny J Headlight Brackets! I tried to buy the whole lot but it went for much "bigger bucks" than we thought acceptable and let the whole lot go. Fortunately, I found the Buyer afterwards and he very Kindly agreed to sell a pair of the Thorny Brackets - but understandably, he knew that he was holding us over a barrel and the Brackets cost as much as the other two items together! Steve and Tim are taking the Dennis to Duxford today but Tim will post some pictures when he gets home!

There were several WW1 Lorries and chassis in the Sale and we understand that they were all sold and that many of them are now making their way to NZ ! That is "hearsay" and not officially confirmed.

The auction and the results are on the web and if anybody is interested, then find "Bonhams" - the "Michael Banfield Collection".

Tony

Hessian, apparently!

Tony

You called?

I enjoyed that one!

Tony