Minesweeper

Getting near the end of the job and a busy day on the final items. The main thing today was the linkage from the driver's controls to the Magneto and the Carburetor which Steve has worked on. We had a "mish-mash" of bits from different sources for that and Steve has made other bits to complete the job. However, not finished assembling that one today so the aim now is to finish that early next weekend as we plan to take the lorry out for the first time.

Tim has been filling up all the Greasers and amongst other final jobs, the tail board hinge pin has been crossed-drilled at the ends and pinned.

Two weeks to go!

This weekend, the "team" re-assembled in Devon with the aim of finishing off as many of the outstanding items that we could for final completion and fitting. Many bits had been previously made and finished and were just awaiting final attachment or fitting to the lorry. The front wings had been completed earlier and trial-fitted, but now that everything had been fully painted, they were ready for permanent attachment to the lorry. This was completed during the day and are looking good.

The brackets to hold the shovel and pick were fitted to the side, The brackets to hold the seat box to the chassis were bolted on - this was not an easy job as most of the bolts that hold the seat box are obscured by the body tub. We guess that when the lorry was first made, all of these fittings were completed before the main body tub was fitted as they would have been much easier to get at then.

Steve turned his attention to the throttle linkage - still not completed but perhaps tomorrow - and the final thing attached was the footstep up into the driving position.

We still await the canvas and this is now expected next Thursday!

b****y hell, that is the grandmother of all adjustable spanners you've got there!!

It's just a cheap chinese one which is always a gamble but it has proven to be sound and very useful. One of the problems with this game is in building your tool kit. To buy the lot would cost thousands but we have gradually built it up between us either as we want things or find a bargain. Two of my best investments have been the ten ton hydraulic press and the engine crane. The ability to apply controlled force or movement has made life so much easier and reduced the chances of damaging things. I certainly wouldn't want to manhandle an engine back into the chassis again!

Steve

Picking spuds after school! :-D Hapy memories of being with my Mother, she used to chit spuds and pack flowers part time during the seasons . Now how many are going to ask what Chitting spuds is? :cool2:

We think of "chitting" as standing the spuds up in something like old egg cartons when they start to shoot - removing some of the shoots so that you are left with just one or two growing upwards. Your definition as well - or perhaps something a little different?

Tony

Valentine Dyall............. Appointment with Fear, that was his radio show, on the BBC from 1943. (I think that he could still frighten me!!!!! ) :kissoncheek:

Ah, yes - that's right. Something that I had not thought about for many years! Our only wirelss was downstairs in the house and was left on so that we could listen to it from our beds - it was on quite late - and then it was either my mother or my sister who had to go down stairs when it ended to turn the wireless off! And I think that they were both left scared stiff by that time!

Tony

Valentile Dial (is that how you spell it?) I remeber well - "The man in Black"! Did you listen to Lord HawHaw as well?

Tony

A few years ago I had to go to Paignton regularly. On the main road on the outskirts was a large layby with a transport cafe mounted up on a bank. It was a chalet type building built on a solid tyred chassis - cant say if it was military but wondered if anyone knows anything about

it and if its still there.

If it is the one near Kingskerswell, then yes, we do know about it! It used to be called RJ Cafe and Takeaway. RJ standing for "Romany Jones"! In 2006, we heard that the site was being cleared but when I enquired by telephone, I was told "not so"! We never went to have a look, so don't know what it is!

Tony

I would say that it is/was a Settle! A lot of old farm houses had these in their kitchens - the high back to help protect from a draught - and certainly with storage space under them. As this one is on a farm, my bet would be that it was chucked out of the kitchen when the kitchen was modernised! And it does look now with the seat "up" that it was varnished or polished!

Tony

Are you anywhere near Axminster - if so, call in!

Tony

I assume a road test of some distance in the Dennis prior to to Brighton event.

Doug

In an ideal world -yes! Still lots to do with limited time left so maybe not.............We shall just have to wait and see.

Tony

To do what you're doing, you have to "make luck" otherwise, you'd never be able to assemble such an extraordinary puzzle! So definitely "Meant to be!", with a spare you won't need it!

 

It's a pleasure to watch your progress, Thank you for this thread!

 

Regards, Matthew

Thanks, Matthew - that's very kind - as are so many of our new friends who are watching us. We just hope now that we don't let anybody down!

Tony

Glad to here you are in.[/i]

Snap' date=' I will be joining and hopefully overtaking you if I successfully make the drive down to London in the Crossley Tender! [/i']

Please bring a rope as I will not be preparing my vehicle other than filing up a couple of big ends.

 

Tom

Great stuff! Barry's entry has been accepted, too - so it really will be a gathering of the Clans, that day!

Tony

The letter that we have been waiting for arrived this morning - formal acceptance of our entry for the "Brighton"!

We are in!

Tony

I think you should build another !pew! and put it by your garage doors so when friends come to see you they can sit there and worship the shrine of your iron gods. you are doing a beautiful job, I try to look every day to see how you are progressing.It will be wonderful to see her out and about are you booked into honiton hill rally this year?

Thanks for that. Yes, we plan to have the Dennis at Honiton Hill this year. Apart from London to Brighton i suspect that this will be its only outing in 2011.

Barry's great suggestion of having the Steering Wheel Rim powder coated black has worked out well - the spokes are meant to be left bright polished aluminium.

The pictures show the wheel as it has been received back from the Powder Coaters - it still has to be cleaned up. All very pleasing and at a very reasonable price - just £36.

One of the things that has been on our minds for sometime is what we perceived to be a rather slack fit of the back tyres on their wheels. When the new tyres were put on the wheels some time ago, they slipped onto the wheels very easily when really they should have been a very hard tight push fit. We suspect now that there might have always been a problem with these wheels as the remains of "staples" in them was apparent - these were sometimes used to hold the tyres on the wheels.

Over the recent years since they were fitted, we have noticed that they have "settled" and that it is now possible to slip a thin metal rule in a gap between the tyre and the top of the wheel. This will not do as obviously the tyres will "work" when the lorry is on the road and before long they will come off.

So our only choice now for peace of mind is to get the back tyres off the wheels again and get them pressed back on with a shim between tyre and wheel - we have opted for a 1mm steel shim all the way around the circumference.

So we have arranged to take the back wheels to our friend in Bedfordshire on Saturday who has the big Tyre Press. We have started to take the wheels off today - not an easy job because of all the space restrictions - and it meant moving the civilian Autocar out of the Lorry Shed into the Car Port so that we have room to move. The wheels are very heavy and we have used the engine hoist to take the weight of them.

The tyre pressing is an interesting exercise and we will take some photographs of the operation to show you.

Yes you are right. I have seen a photo of one Dennis fitted with just the seat and no body being taken for a test drive. It seems we have put this one together in the wrong order.

Anyway, the Seat is virtually completed - just a few more screws to into the back to see "job done"!

Started last Saturday morning - finished Tuesday evening - now over to the "Painting and Decorating Department"!

Next job now is the wings and mudguards - fortunately we had those made a few years ago by "Vintage Wings" and they have been waiting patiently for this stage. All the brackets to hold them have to be fabricated this week and then they can be finish-painted..

I am very confident that after you have written the 7 page risk assessment, donned the yellow jacket, hard had and steel boots then put up the obligatory signs and created a 3 mile exclusion zone to keep Mr and Mrs Publc safe that all will become clear and you'll realise there was no need to worry about it at all.

Nice one, Roy!

Tony

Thanks for the good ideas guys. The seat box is screwed and glued together. Due to the shortage of room once it is in situ we have no option but to assemble it on the floor. It just cant be done once it is on the chassis. Gordon, your idea looks to be a good one and one we had not thought of, so we are leaning towards that idea at the moment - unless anybody has any better ideas of course?

Anyway, today we painted up the capping strips that go on the edge of the body and the metal strips that run inside. Also, the seat box is looking better and more pew like every day:

Am I the only one who has noticed the amazing resemblance to a church pew ?

No you are not, Gordon! Someone else suggested that any one of us could be buried in it!

Tony

Two pairs of hands required to assemble it and move it around. The seat is very wide but the War Department specification for this was that it should be able to take four persons sitting side by side in the front.

Looking good but how are we going to get it on the lorry? It is going to be a very heavy unit by the time it is finished as there is still a lot to do to it

The seat has to be fully assembled and painted before we put it on. It has to be lifted over the top of the petrol tank which has about 1/16" clearance on each side and will dent if the seat lands on it. We cant use the chain block because the seat wont go over the radiator. We cant put the seat on and then drop the fuel tank in as the strenghteners for the seat will get in the way. The seat is very heavy, but we do have just enough roof clearance to get it over the tank.

Any good suggestions please?

Tim

I will be carrying a bag of them. They will make a handy "missile of correction" if the same daft women trys to overtake us on the inside again.

Anyway, work continued on the seat assembly today, but before we could assemble it for a trial fit, Steve still had one or two parts to finish off. No real problems with these.

The assembly is very tall but the 30 gallons petrol tank actually goes under the seat

These photographs showing the process and the tools available are self-explanatory.

Thankfully a lovely sunny day and mainly working outside!

Straight back to it tomorrow and hopefully more significant progress!

Work commenced on the Seat/Cab assembly today. Once again, Mark had kindly sourced and prepared the timber to our specification and we worked from Steve's drawings of the similar set-up in a Thornycroft J Type which he had set out some years ago. The two assemblies are not entirely identical but the Thorny drawings coupled with photographs of the Dennis have provided an adequate guide.

We are always handicapped by a lack of space - but we get there!

Earlier this month, we got on to the subject of Coach Bolts and Square Nuts - and in particular, the difficulty of obtaining ones with Imperial threads. Some members also mentioned that they were after them and asked if we knew where they could be obtained.

Since that time, I did find a Supplier - he has fixed us up with our immediate requirements and we have also bought others for "stock". He does not advertise them but has said to me that if anybody would like to Email him, mentioning what they want - and the number, he will be pleased to respond to say if he can help. This is Mike Fowler and his Email address is:-

mikejfowler@BTinternet.com

I understand that he also carries standard nuts and bolts with Imperial threads and he will welcome enquiries for those as well.

All I can say as a Customer is that I have found his prices very reasonable and that I am well pleased.

Tony

The grey floor of the body "tub" is an undercoat - it has still to be finished in the same brown/green as the sides of the body.

Tony