My Former WC51 "Flying Control Dodge" - A New Chapter

[Jessie The Jeep]

I was happy with the location so welded it up solid, then added a brace across the top of the two vertical mount pieces. 

[Jessie The Jeep]

With the winch in place, I wanted to check its position in relation to the child seat. I'd removed it to make more space in the truck, but lifted it back out from under the truck for a temporary fit check. It's heavy and awkward to move, especially was there wasn't much room at the back of the Dodge to get passed, but it was necessary. There was enough space for my daughter to climb in passed the winch and it also allowed me to check the winch cable would clear the seat. The winch cable will normally be fully wound onto the drum when not being used, so she won't have to climb over the cable to get in.

From the rear, the cable just clears the seat as it passes down the centreline of the truck towards the A-Frame.

The last picture has the cable stretched out, about to drag a tent off the storage shelf! That was simply used to hold the cable out straight for pictures and to stop the cable from unwinding from the drum. All that's left on the base frame are the hinge points for the A-Frame.

I need to turn the Dodge around in the garage so the tailgate is at the garage door end. I'll then be able to open the garage door and jig up the A-Frame bars sticking out of the door to work out the hinge angles and to trim the mating faces of the bars where the chain hoist mounting plates will attach. Cutting and drilling the A-Frame hinge plates and the chain hoist plates will be the next job before the A-Frame can be assembled. That's all there is to do, other than priming and painting all the metalwork.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 14th - A-Frame Head and Hoist

On Tuesday afternoon, I started the A-Frame head, the flat plates that both the winch cable and chain hoist attach to on the end of the round bars. A 1/1 scale drawing was made first to check how the hoist would hang in relation to the hole, plate and bar at various angles. The angles and hole centres were marked up with tape next, then drilled for a joining bolt. This will be used for holding the two sections of the A-Frame together when complete. Another bolt hole was drilled in an area that will be cut off. This bolt is just to hold the two plates together while being cut and shaped. With the two bits bolted firmly together, centre holes were drilled for the winch cable attachment and chain hoist hook.

Since I don't have a 20mm and 40mm drill bit, or a pillar drill big enough to handle them, the large holes would be opened up by chain drilling. Wooden templates were epoxied over the centre holes as a guide for the chain drilling. They would also help to hold cooling oil in the area while drilling. It took some time with a 4mm bit to chain drill both holes, after which the plates were separated and the webs between the holes broken through to release the waste from the centre of the holes. Both parts were washed of swarf and oil and then put in my curing cabinet to fully dry. They need bolting back together before the round and half round files come out to clean up the holes.

[Jessie The Jeep]

I wanted to join the winch hook to the A-Frame head via a 'U' shackle. However, the shackle was to thick to clear the safety jaw on the hook. I didn't want to reduce the diameter of the shackle, so modifying the hook as the only option. The end of the spring loaded jaw was cut off, allowing it to open back away from the hook. This of course meant it would no longer stay closed, but it would open outwards to let the shackle into the hook. A new tip was added to the safety jaw, pivoting on a small bolt. The end of this tip was formed into a 'V' shape so that it would seat into the inside shape of the hook with the original spring keeping pressure on it which held it in place.

The chain hoist was partially dismantled this afternoon and both the case and hook given a coat of olive drab. The main hoist needs to dry before turning and the other side painting.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 15th - A-Frame Head

It was a hard day of elbow grease on the 15th. With the holes rough cut the day before, it was time to get the files out to clean up the edges of the holes. The larger hole took most of the morning using a combination of a half round file to take most of the material off and a power file to finish.

The smaller hole was too small for my half round file, so I started off with a smaller round file. Again, it was slow progress until I spotted a conical grinding wheel in the bits box next to my lathe. This was fitted to my pillar drill and was spot on for the hole size I wanted. It took around an hour, working from each side of the combined 1/2 inch thick steel plates. I found it worked better with a little oil to both lubricate the stone to stop it jamming and to create a cutting paste from the debris it was removing.

[Jessie The Jeep]

With both holes cut, it was time to start trimming the plates. I don't have any huge metal shears and with 1/2 inch of steel to cut through, the angle grinder was the only option I had. The top angle and rounding off by the shackle hole was cut first. The bottom corner was still being used to bolt the two plates together. The 1/2 inch thick steel put up a good fight, but eventually, the top was cut free. All the other corners were rounded off next and lastly the bottom angle.

I cut from both ends, all the way through, leaving a small section in the middle holding everything together and aligned until the last minute when the corner was finally broken free.

[Jessie The Jeep]

The plates were then separated and the edges all cleaned up with the belt sander and a small file to make sure there were no sharp edges or swarf remaining. The picture below shows the plates with the A-Frame bar positioned on top. The bar needs a tapered cut for the plate to mount on to, but I need to jig it all up in the back of the truck to get the angles correct. I had thought about turning the truck around today, but had nobody to help guide me out of the narrow door, so I'll probably do that tomorrow.

The only other jobs done today was giving the hoist and winch another coat of olive drab. The winch and hoist cover plate were left in the curing cabinet while the hoist was hung over a heater.

[ruxy]

Rather than chain drilling the big holes - you should have used a hole saw.  Such as the Morse & Starrett ones cut very accurate to the stated dia.  I suppose it depends on what hand electric drills you have  -  the Spennymoor better DIY models would more than cope,  I have Makita industrials , one with a very low bottom cog , a brute of a variable & a 0-500rpm variable I use for honing bores etc.

[Jessie The Jeep]

2 minutes ago, ruxy said:

Rather than chain drilling the big holes - you should have used a hole saw

If I'd had one, I would have used it.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 16th - Crane Build Preparation

The Dodge was turned around on the 16th, allowing easy access to the back of the truck and more space with the garage door open. With the truck tail in, there was no room to lay out the crane parts.

While I was out there, I balanced the bars on a stool, along with the crane head, to get a feel for the scale of the crane. Longer would have looked better, but I needed to compromise on the length so the bars could be transported inside the Dodge more easily. In the future, I could look for a larger diameter bar that would slot over the originals to create an extension, but that wasn't really important for now. The bars for the A-Frame are two metres long, plus a little extra for the hinge and crane head.

[Jessie The Jeep]

Inside looking out. With the crane out flat like this, the winch wire would be at a very shallow angle and probably wouldn't lift it. I'm contemplating putting a stop in to prevent the crane from lowering too far.

Lifting one of the bars up, I tried to get an idea of the angle and height if the crane was lifted high enough for the tailgate to close. At events like Beamish where we can drive around, I'd like to be able to do it without dismantling the crane.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 17th - Crane Construction

I began the 17th in the workshop, drilling the hinge plates for the bars and floor frame. The bars were then taken onto the patio and one end slotted for the hinge plate with an angle grinder.

Out to the garage next and the hinge mounts were jigged up on the floor frame using some studding to hold the position and spacing. They were then given a few small tack welds to hold them in place in case I needed to make any changes.

[Jessie The Jeep]

After a quick check that the hinge plates were clear of the bolt holding the floor frame to the floor, the hinge plates were welded into the A-Frame bars. This allowed them to be temporarily mounted to the hinge mounts with some studding.

With the bars fitted in the truck bed, the top ends were pulled together to work out the taper angle that they would need to be cut to, in order to fit the frame head. The cut lines were marked with masking tape.

[Jessie The Jeep]

More noise and sparks from the angle grinder got them cut, followed by more noise as the faces were fine tuned to fit together with the crane head between them.

With that done, the crane head was jigged up between the two bars, using some G-clamps to set the height and some copper wire wrapped around the bars to hold them against the face of the crane head.

[Jessie The Jeep]

After a few tack welds, the A-Frame was lifted and propped up on a piece of wood to see how it looked. I was rather pleased with myself and the way it looked.

It then occured to me there was nothing stopping me from rigging it up properly, so I went to the workshop and brought the winch and chain hoist back out. The winch was bolted in place and the cable strung to the A-Frame. It was winched up and the chain hoist hooked in place for some pictures. I was really liking the look of it now. It should be great on the show circuit next year.

[Jessie The Jeep]

It was after 1pm and I was feeling hungry. I didn't want to leave it hanging unattended while I was still working on it, so lifted the A-Frame a bit higher, allowing me to close the tailgate to help support the crane while I was away. With the chain hook attached to the Dodge tow hook, I could probably drive around an event quite safely like this. I plan to weld some small hooks to the bars so the hoisting chain can be wrapped over them and secured. I think it is better dismantled for on the road travelling to events.

Back from lunch and I welded up the hinge mounts fully and also the crane head. I used the tips from the tube offcuts to cap the ends of the tubes against the crane head to keep water out if it rains. When I bought the Dodge, it also had some shackles, plus a hook and pulley in one of the lockers. They were probably accessories from a WC52. So the crane was lowered and re-rigged with the hook and pulley at the top end of the crane, looping the winch wire back to the winch. This rigging halves the load on the winch and I think makes it look more interesting.

[Jessie The Jeep]

Below is a closer view of the crane head and pulley. I like this system better, but would like to make some form of guard on the hook to prevent it from accidentally unhooking. Once complete, I'll need to start testing it under various loads to see what it can manage. For now, I know it will support at least 14 stone - me with my warm clothing and work boots on!

By late afternoon, it was getting pretty cold outside, so I de-rigged the crane and packed up for the day. 

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 18th - Crane Construction

Final fettling work today. Another hole was drilled in the crane head for a second bolt to hold the two plates together. The welding distorted them slightly, so the additional bolt in the lower half helps to keep them together. Three hooks were welded to the right side A-Frame bar next. If I want to drive, I need to stop everything swinging around.

The hoist lifting hook is a good fit in the Dodge tow hook, so that can be fastened in there and the slack taken up against the pull of the winch cables. The hoist chains can then be wrapped around the A-Frame bars and over the hooks, keeping them out of the way.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Some heavier loads would be better lifted with the crane raised higher, putting more weight down the A-Frame, rather than loading the winch cable. This would bring the load closer to the rear of the truck, but then the tailgate could be in the way of the lift. 

To allow the tailgate to fold down out of the way of any heavy lifts, the pioneer tool rack was removed. Now any heavy loads can be lifted near the back of the truck, passed the lowered tailgate. If the load can be lifted high enough, the tailgate could be raised beneath it, allowing it to be lowered onto the tailgate and pushed into the truck bed for transport. The tool rack will probably be mounted inside the truck, possibly on the bench seat back rest, next to the child seat.

[Jessie The Jeep]

Before moving on, I did another load test with me swinging from the crane. 

After that, I dismantled the crane and then removed the floor frame. With the frame out, I was able to finish the welding that couldn't be reached with the frame fitted in the truck.

It was then taken into the workshop where a nut was welded into the hinge mount and a quick release bolt made for the hinge pin. It's now all ready for a final clean up and prime, followed by top coat painting.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 19th - Crane Construction

Sunday the 19th was a bit of an easier day with just a little welding and some painting. The two A-Frame bars were cleaned down with thinners and given a coat of red oxide primer. While they were left to one side, I welded some triangle reinforcing pieces to the uprights that support the winch, then added a loop for the pulley block to hook onto when not in use.

[Jessie The Jeep]

The old observer's seat support tube needed trimming down a bit so that it wouldn't rub on the winch cable, but now that the pulley has somewhere to hook onto, it stops the cable unravelling from the reel. The original dull dark green floor frame paint was given a quick sand all over, then all the upper surfaces were painted in the same olive drab as the Dodge. That was as far as I could go until the first layers of paint dried. 

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 20th - Painting

Nothing much to report other than the bars got their first coat of olive drab and the floor frame underside was painted, plus a second coat on the upper and side surfaces. 

The bars still need a second coat of olive drab, but the floor frame is fine and just needs the paint to fully cure before it can be fitted back in the Dodge.

I need to think about some form of storage for the bars in the back of the truck. The Dodge won't fit in the garage with the crane attached, so for storage when parked up and also for driving to events, I want to have the bars secured so they don't roll or slide around.

I also want to add some small wooden blocks to the bars, like Jeep screen hood rests, so stop the metal to metal contact between the bars and tailgate when the crane is rigged. They only need to be 1/4 inch thick, held on with some small self tappers.

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 21st - Final Details

The A-Frame bars received a second coat of olive drab and were once again left to dry. The winch was mounted onto the floor frame and the handle painted with 'UP' and an arrow to avoid confussion due to the gearing, as the handle rotates the opposite direction to the reel.

The reel was fully unwound too, as the inner crimped end was pointing into the reel and the cable was getting snagged on it wound onto the core of the reel. To solve this, the inner crimped end was cable tied to the centre bar of the reel and taped over with duct tape to give a more even surface for the cable to wind onto.

Approximately half of the 20 metre cable was carefully wound onto the reel and this was then given a couple of wrappings of duct tape. I don't need the full length of the cable anyway and this keeps at least half the reel from unravelling if there's no tension on the wire. The rest of the wire was then wound onto the reel, forming a nice even coil side to side as it was wound into place.

On the 22nd, the chain hoist was stencilled to avoid confusion as to which chain to pull. It's actually a 1 tonne hoist, but wanting it to represent US wartime, I stencilled it slightly under rated at 2,000 pounds.

I'll give it all a couple of days for the paint to harden, then the frame can be fitted into the floor of the truck. With that done, I can work out where the wooden pads need to go on the A-Frame bars which I think is the final job.

There's rain forecast for the next few days, but looking ahead, the 28th looks dry, so I may try to take the Dodge and Jeep out for a short drive and photoshoot with the crane.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

December 23rd - Frame & Seat Fitting

On the afternoon of the 23rd, the frame was carried back out to the Dodge for fitting. Most of the bolts were reused as they were, but a couple that went through the floor needed around a half inch trimming off. The wooden shims at the front fixings needed a little trimming, but everything went together without problems.

Once it was all fitted securely, I brought the A-Frame bars out and fitted those to establish the position of the wooden blocks I wanted to add. They were epoxied in place and left to set for a while.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Jessie The Jeep