Great War truck Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Last weekend, Steve went down to Devon to join Tony for a bit more work on the lorry. They started off by fitting the last main body brackets. Steve then set up his forge to see if he could make up the hood bow brackets completely by hand. Unfortunately, he isn't good enough with the hammer yet to do this so he settled for bending up some blanks to file to shape instead. While the fire was hot, he took the opportunity to make up some countersunk coach bolts to hold the body top rail on. He simply heated up some opdinary cap-square bolts and hammered them into a previously made die. It worked well and he had six bolts in no time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Then a couple of friends turned up so with the extra hands available, they decided to try to broach the steering wheel centre. The plan was to pull the broach through by attaching a piece of stud and then just winding the nut down against a thrust washer on the end of a piece of tube. At the first attempt, after a handful of teeth had entered, there was quite a bang and the stud broke throwing the top end and spanner into the air. Everyone ducked! Mike then took the majority of the metal out with a file and they had a second go which worked. The hole has come out a little ragged but is OK and the wheel dropped onto the first 1/4" of the column with no problems. It just requires a final dressing out with a file before fitting it down hard. Finally, they used the countersunk bolts to fit the top rail onto the body and this week, Father has primed it all. Steve is pressing on with the hood bow brackets this weekend so hopefully we will have some photos of those tomorrow. We need to get the hood bows completed now, to enable the canvas to be made as we might have a lead time problem there. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) That's beginning to look like a truck, well done ( as usual ) I was desperately trying to think of some clever line about putting more air in the tyres and hitting the roof, but alas for solid tyres. Gordon Edited January 24, 2011 by Gordon_M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radek Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I am watching your work from the beginning. It is amezing. :nut: :clap: Could i ask where is possible to get the whitworth coach bolts with square nuts? I will need them for my Austin K30 GS body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8_10 Brass Cleaner Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Luck!. Whit stuff is not easy to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Could i ask where is possible to get the whitworth coach bolts with square nuts? I will need them for my Austin K30 GS body. Hi Radek. I'm afraid it is a matter of luck and talking to friends. In our case, several friends have given us handfuls of bolts which have been left over in their sheds for years. A lot are second hand that have been salvaged from other places. For our first lorry, we used metric coach bolts and I turned up all of the nuts from square bar which was very boring. Since then, we have found that they still use square nuts in the USA. These are UNC thread form of course but look fine once the letters have been filed off the bolt heads. Father has ordered the latest batch on line and they are on their way at the moment. The carriage is the main problem as it doubles the total cost but we must get the lorry to look right. Good luck! Steve :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radek Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Hi Steve, metric square nuts aren´t problem, in Uk is possible to get them on this place http://fasteners.fabory.com/smartsite.dws?ch=CZE&id=LOCATION_2542&location=8701 Radek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rippo Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Hello, Countersunk coach bolts now there's an even harder thing to find. What a great way to make them. Is that an ordinary coach bolt you start with? I take it the die you've made is hardened? Have you got any pictures of the finished bolts? A couple of us need some for the mw bodys so will be looking at making some too. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Hi Rippo. No, the die isn't hardened. It is just a piece of mild steel with a hole to clear the points of the square and a 90° countersink bored in it. I just took standard bolts, heated them bright red and thumped them in! I put them in the lathe afterwards and took a skim off the face but they worked out fine. Surprisingly, I don't have a pic of the finished job. I was in too much of a hurry to fit them! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Steve has been working on the hood bow irons this weekend but unfortunately, they have proven more time consuming than expected so here is the progress to date. First, he put the joggle in the blanks previously hammered over the anvil. This was simply done by heating them and then leaning on them in the vice. Then it was just a case of angle grinding and filing them to a half-round section after which the screw holes were drilled and countersunk. Turned bosses were welded onto the vertical irons and then they too were ground and filed to a half-round section. There was an additional complication here in that the first 3 1/2" are oval in section, changing to half-round just before the first hole. The first was finished this evening and the second should be done this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Our friend Mark who is a skilled woodworker and who has done so much for us in providing and preparing the timber for bodywork has also taken on the task of making the three wood bows which support and shape the canvas cab roof. Tony joined him this evening to provide the extra pair of hands which are needed for this operation. A jig is required around which the wood for the bow (Ash) is bent - the curved "corners" of the bows are all very fortunately, the same radius of 12" and the same jig can be used for the manufacture of all three bows though it will have to be modified after each bow has been made as all three are of different sizes. The rear cab hoop which they worked on this evening has a section of 1 3/8" x 2" - is 75" wide and 43" long. It is not easily possible to bend a piece of Ash of this thickness without steaming it and the chosen alternative was to cut the Ash into thin sections and laminate them around the jig. This is what was done and the Ash was cut into 12 strips - each 1/8" thick by a slightly generous 2". The jig is visible in the photographs but is covered in Newspaper, designed to stop the bow sticking to the jig when it is glued. The 12 strips are glued and laid horizontally on top of one of another and then turned over and placed against the jig - again with newspaper used to ensure that the embryo bow does not stick to the jig. Positioning starts from the centre where it is clamped and then the strips are pulled around the jig and further clamped as it progresses around the jig to each end. As the glue has not "gone off" at this stage, the wood strips slide around the curves to take their final positions. This series of photographs shows in better close up, the process of bending the Ash around the "corners". Numerous clamps are required together with bits of supporting or packing wood which have been shaped to match the curves, to make sure that the Ash strips are held tightly in place whilst the glue dries.. The Bow will be taken out of the jig tomorrow when the glue has set - the wood will be cleaned up and planed to final dimensions with the corners rounded. The jig will then be modified for the next bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 We had a pleasant day today at the Militaria Fair at Stoneleigh. No spectacular finds but we had a nice chat with Martin of 'Allied Forces'. He did the most beautiful job on the canvas for our FWD a few years ago so we have now asked him to do the same for the Dennis. He is busy with jobs ready for the Summer but has promised to 'see what he can do' for us. The driver's hood bows are now the key factor. We should get the third one on Wednesday whereupon Father will prime them. I plan a working weekend next week to put them together leaving Father to paint them during the week after ready for transport to Martin the following weekend. This project planning is getting hard! Steve :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Tony called on Mark this morning to assist with construction of the second of the three Hood Bows - exactly the same procedure was repeated as outlined for the first one completed earlier this week. This was then left in the jig to dry off - the third one will be made early next week. Since Tony's last visit, Mark has taken the first Hood Bow out of the jig, cleaned it up and bevelled the corners - a superb job, This now has to be primed prior to having its ironware fitted. In the two close up pictures, the laminations of the Ash are clearly visible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You never do anything by halves do you? Great work she is a beauty, and the men who built her would be proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks Tony. Very kind of you to say. Here are a few more photos. Nothing that dramatic but just to show that Dad is keeping busy. More coach bolts: After the letters on the top have been filed off: And a quick coat of paint to stop them going ginger: The nuts all needed a good wash: Body is coming along: The number templates for the bonnet and the back (what wonderful friends we have): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 We really are on "countdown" now for the Brighton which is only 83 days away and there are still a considerable number of jobs to do and to finish. We are hoping that our entry has been accepted, but we still await hearing. With the time left running down for us, it is a case of sorting out priorities now and coordinating everything that has to be done so that everything is completed within the time remaining. We have spoken to the canvas suppliers for the cab roof and for the body sheet, and they now need the framework of the cab as soon as possible so that they can cut, tailor and fit the folding roof. So Steve went down to Devon this weekend to join up with Tony so that they could "marry" the ironwork that he had made for the cab to the wood bows which have just been made. This was all straight forward but it was then necessary to make a jig out of a couple of pieces of plywood to hold the bows in their correct running places and at the correct distance from each other so that the canvas could be cut and fitted exactly to correct size, so that it would fit the truck. The series of photos are quite self-explanatory. The bows have just been primed with an aluminium wood primer and now the three pieces need to be finish-painted this week so that they can be delivered to the canvas men next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Today's project was to make and trial-fit the tailboard. We are very limited with space and today's exercise really illustrates that! It consists of four planks - these had already been primed, undercoated and one coat of finishing paint applied. They will be finish-painted after assembly. Steve had again previously made the ironwork and those bits had already mainly been painted. We decided to fit the hinge eyes to the body first of all, insert the shaft into them and then hang the hinges one at a time on the shaft, bolting the planks, one at a time to the hinges in situ. Not all the bolts were inserted at this stage - just sufficient to hold the assembly together and then the tailboard was lifted out, placed on trestles for final assembly. We shall leave the tailboard out for the time being for final painting and we think that the Signwriter would probably prefer it that way as he may not have enough room to move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 About the cab bows. Does the canvas itself prevent the front-top part from being blown up by the wind or does it get fixated by a strap to the bonnet or such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 There are two leather straps which join the front edge of the hoop to the rad protector to hold it down. The funny thing is that in the majority of old photos that we have, the hood is folded back. The first time we wanted a pair of these (for the FWD), I tried Googling 'leather straps' and got much more of an education than I was expecting! Another dear friend made them up for us in the end. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Suslowicz Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 There are two leather straps which join the front edge of the hoop to the rad protector to hold it down. The funny thing is that in the majority of old photos that we have, the hood is folded back. The first time we wanted a pair of these (for the FWD), I tried Googling 'leather straps' and got much more of an education than I was expecting! Another dear friend made them up for us in the end. Steve Heh. On the radio/wireless front it is extremely unwise to search for vibrator without including the words Mallory or Plessey (a third manufacturer, Oak can give surprising results too). Including the words radio or wireless tends not to help much, but synchronous or non-synchronous (or the number of pins) can keep the noise down. Excuse me while I go and find the brain bleach. Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8_10 Brass Cleaner Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 The funny thing is that in the majority of old photos that we have, the hood is folded back. Steve Photographers only work in the dry! I have a photo of a Leyland, probably a subsidy type of some sort with a bus body on the back, and it has its hood up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Good point. Would you like to post it here? Steady progress continues although we still have not heard if we have been accepted for the "Brighton" Tony and Steve delivered the three completed Cab Roof Bows to Martin Hammond and Jim Clark at Allied Forces today so that the canvas could be fitted. We were familiar with Martin's work as he made the canvas for our FWD some 7 or 8 years ago and he made a superb job of it. Apart from making the Cab Roof, Martin will also cut out and sew the big canvas rectangle to cover the main body, the side cab canvas "door" on the passengers' side and also the seats. The seats are simple rectangular foam filled cushions with a similar separate "back". Steve has now finally fitted the steering wheel to the column by filing and scraping the last few "thous" out of the centre so that it is a good snug fit on the square. It still has to be final-polished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8_10 Brass Cleaner Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Good point. Would you like to post it here? Sadly I do not have the equipment to reproduce it here currently, so a shot of the picture via mobile phone will have to do. The original is pin sharp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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