Minesweeper

Is this the Postcard that was sold on EBay last week?

Tony

There were about four of these RAF Pinnaces based at Falmouth in the 1950's. They were generally moored up in the harbour there but were brought ashore from time to time - dragged up on a slipway - near what was Taylors Garage in those days but now a branch of Trago Mills - presumably to have their bottoms scraped or some other kind of maintenance. I understand that they were mainly used for recovering practice torpedos from the sea.

Tony

"Tangmere" is the one on the main line at the moment!

In the note of the 26th November, Tim (and his family are at present in the USA on holiday with his in-laws) mentioned that we were getting on with the Universal Coupling whilst waiting for the Water Pump castings from the Foundry. Some of the parts of this have to be machined from a very tough steel - EN24 - which I really did not fancy taking on in my home workshop. The final two pieces of machined EN24 came back yesterday - these are the sockets for the Universal Joint and are contained within two mild steel tubes. Mild Steel tube of the required diameter is not available commercially, and the two tubes were machined out of solid steel bar. The photos show the completed two pieces of the EN24 with the steel tube fitted to the outside. We are well into making this assembly now and would hope to complete that sometime in the new year. Then back to the Water Pump.

Tony

Many thanks, Lewis! We really are amazed on just how much interest our Dennis has attracted and are so pleased that so many folks are getting some pleasure from these strange activities of ours!

I think that we will be pleased to see it completed so that we can look to the next one. At the present rate of progress, I reckon that I shall be over 100 by the time that we finish the last one.

Tony

And if you look on Page 2 of the WW1 Dennis Find site, you will find a picture of our Peerless Lorry - the one that awaits some work!

Tony

Just as a matter of interest, I can tell you something about the origins of those two Peerless Chassis'. A few years ago, I was given the tip-off that two old "caravans" were being dismantled at Christchurch near Bournemouth - they had been used as holiday accommodation for many years and the site on which they were located was to be properly developed by Builders, so they had to go. The "caravans" were home-made and like so many holiday or temporary buildings put up at the time - probably 1920's or 1930's, they were erected on old lorry chassis'. Whether this was to get around Planning Permission - because the caravan/hut could then be considered as moveable and on wheels, I do not know.The "grapevine" was active again and a friend knew that in our "queue" of things to be done, we had a Peerless and that perhaps they would be of some use to us.

I went to see them - the wheels were pretty rotten - and there was really nothing there that we wanted apart from a few original Greasers and some sound brackets. On top of this, it appeared that the only way that they could be removed from the site was by crane. So apart from salvaging those few bits and pieces, we let them go.

Sometime, later another friend contacted us as he wanted an original WW1 lorry chassis to adapt it or use it for something else - and we gave him the tip-off about these Peerless'. He recovered them, but ultimately did not use them and they ended up as shown in Tim's photograph above. It is very satisfying that one has survived "to fight again".

One very interesting thing about one of those two chassis' - it was heavily re-inforced with a lot of additional steel. Now some Peerless' were used as Gun Lorries and we wondered at the time if that particular chassis could have been one of those - with all the additional steel inserted to cope with recoil? I guess we shall never know.

And how many other chassis' are there still scattered around the countryside, hidden under old sheds or caravans? Please keep your eyes open and be aware!

Tony

I think that Steve and Tim are probably the best ones to answer those points, Norman. Most of the pictures that we have show "scuttles" - which are sometimes called "dashboards", curved over top and sides with the top corners nicely curved around in both directions - like ours - but some did just have the top curved over with ordinary straight sides like the green "civvy" one in these pictures. The wheels look about the right size - but I was in the company of a knowledgable person when looking at this lorry and he thought that the wheels were not quite right. So you are perceptive!

Tony

Yes, I have one and would use it for smaller threads - but a 7/8" BSF thread is just a little too hefty, I find, to do it with a tailstock die holder on my gear! Screw cutting that one is a far better alternative for me.

Tony

Mainly screw cut in the lathe and finished off with a Die! I think that I was concentrating too hard on the screw cutting and forgot the camera!

Tony

Where ever do you keep it?

Tony

I took it to be that.

Tony

This chap is a real expert - you will find more of his work on the Great War Forum.

Tony

That made me laugh!

Yes it is coated with something - I am not quite sure what it is - but we took the opportunity of speaking to some people at Beaulieu who restore steering wheels as their job and they told us that they would be prepared to put a coat of something to look right on our finished replica. Nothing further done about it so far. Steve may have more precise knowledge of what the original coating was and no doubt he will pick this up when he looks at the Forum next time and comment appropriately!

Tony

What about an outline of the truck as she stands today, highlighting parts to hand and parts still needed? I'm sure many of us on here would happily look out for some of the missing bits if we knew what to look for, and we could also spread the word even further than at present?

A very kind offer, Gordon, and thank you very much for it! I think that we have most parts that we need apart from the few we have to make! Perhaps, though, I could just elaborate on Tim's comments about the Steering Wheel. I never gave Steering Wheels much thought until we were faced with finding one for this lorry - I think that we just assumed that a Steering Wheel was a Steering Wheel - a round thing with four spokes! But this lorry and I think other Dennis's had Steering Wheels with five spokes - and we have been scouring Autojumbles, and Beaulieu in particular, for a suitable one - but without success. Having reached this far, we cannot fit a steering wheel with four spokes - so we have decided that if we cannot find one, then we will have to make one. (Ships and ha'porth's of tar and all that) A Laser cut outline has already been made around which we thought that we could make one up - with the appropriate "dishing" in it to get it right. Not a straight forward job, as you will see from Tim's picture that it has "notches" all the way around the circumference for fingers. So a lot of work there, too.

Many Steering wheels have splines to fit them on to the steering column, but this Dennis has a square hole in the centre to fit to the appropriate square on the column.

There must be one somewhere tucked away in a garage or shed with perhaps the owner not realising what its origins are!

I'll try to get some more pictures of our Dennis over the Christmas break so that they can be posted - we have to get it out of its shed shortly to drop the "diff" in - but it is so crowded in the shed, it really is almost impossible to get back far enough inside from it to see it properly and photograph it as a whole.

Thank you again!

Tony

Nice one!

The Pump Spindles on the two Autocars were originally of mild steel and we had problems with them rusting, so that there was always a leakage problem. So they have been replaced with stainless steel. We had anticipated the same problem with the Dennis and opted to go for Stainless Steel from the outset.

The machining of the Clutch Centre was all done on CNC. You may have noticed that the spiral has unfortunately, been cut the wrong way and may therefore drag oil out into the clutch to soak the linings. We will have to keep an eye on it and if it gets really bad, fill the groove and re-cut it.

In the past, we have cut similar grooves with a Dremel - freehand - not nearly so neat but every bit as effective.

We have all done that!

Tony

Lucas - "King of the Road".

The only ones that I have seen with the WD marking are Lucas, Miller and "P and H". I do have a Horn made by "H and B" which is engraved "WD". I think that this firm may have made lamps as well but not sure of that.

"H and B" = "Howes & Burley Ltd"

I have taken photos of that Rear Lamp mentioned above and Tim will post later.

Tony

We have a rear light just like this one on the Military Autocar - I'll get a photo tomorrow - and the number.

Tony

Great progress and looking good!

That looks good, Ben! Fun and games ahead!

Tony

Quote - "We have Acetylene Searchlights on our FWD and on the two Autocars instead of orthodox headlights, so they are relevant."

The single Headlamps on the FWD and the Autocars are described as "Searchlights" as they swivel on their mountings and are swivelled by physically grasping the wooden handle on the back of the lamp and aiming the lamp in the desired direction!

You and I are talking about different types of Searchlights, Doug!

Tony

Yes - you are right! We have Acetylene Searchlights on our FWD and the two Autocars instead of orthodox headlights, so they are relevant. No doubt Tim will pick this up.

Tony