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WW1 Dennis truck find


Great War truck

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Robert;

Some time back I started a thread on locations of stamped chassis numbers from different vehicles of our period of interest. Could you copy over the photo of this Leyland stamp into that thread. It would be fitting.

Doug

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The star is the non-standard stamp ( the difficult / impossible one to get / forge )

 

I just thought I'd point out in passing that a star is in fact an easy punch to make, a drill dimple in the middle and filed grooves around the outside, temper and it's done.

 

Regards, Matthew

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You are right Matthew, anything that can be made, can be faked, but the amount of effort involved is proportionally greater that faking the other two stamps, which could be bought over the counter.

 

The star stamp is therefor the most significant of the bunch.

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Steve,

 

Any thoughts on W.N. and a five pointed star?

 

A register of acronyms would be useful.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]72442[/ATTACH]

 

I'm sorry, I can't add any more about your markings. Shrewsbury and Challoner were a known wheel manufacturer and Ransomes Simms and Jefferies were traction engine makers so they would have the requisite equipment to do the job. Both, however, are guesswork on my part.

 

Steve

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  • 1 month later...

‘Considerable astonishment will be caused, we feel sure, in manufacturing circles, by our announcement that the War Office has approved the Dennis worm gear under its subsidy scheme'

 

From "The Commercial Motor"

19th June 1913

 

This meaning of this comment will be understood by some!

Edited by Charawacky
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  • 3 weeks later...

Mother has been grumbling about the smell of canvas in Steve’s bedroom so we decided that the safest place for the side curtain would be on the lorry. Martin at Allied Forces had made up the curtain when he did the cab and main canvas but we simply ran out of time before Brighton to finish it off and fit it. It has been sitting in Steve’s room ever since.

Steve stapled the canvas to a batten, wrapped it around and then drilled through from the holes in the scuttle to allow coach bolts to secure it. He had already made up the end bar so this was inserted and the door held up.

 

DSCN7771_zps4a3b65cb.jpg

 

DSCN7773_zpsea50471c.jpg

 

 

DSCN7777_zpsb1309c6e.jpg

 

Once the curtain could be held up. Steve fitted a screw eye as the bottom mounting and two leather straps around the batten to secure it when not in use.

 

DSCN7778_zps8e5ad6a5.jpg

 

DSCN7774_zps9b411024.jpg

 

DSCN7776_zps39f87d80.jpg

 

The straps had been in stock for some years and although exactly the right size, were pale blue. Steve tried soaking them in wood dye to make them brown, but the colour change was limited and the leather cracked when they were bent. These remain to be replaced.

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We had thought that the curtain was secured by having an over-length rod at the edge which was first pushed upward into the top eye and dropped down into the bottom. As you can see this doesn’t work as the canvas is not flexible enough to do this and this was a bit of a surprise!

 

DSCN7781_zps18939478.jpg

 

 

We went back through our photographs to see if we could find any clues as to how it was done and eventually found this one.

 

Dennis_Side_Curtain_zps58e8a05d.jpg

 

It appears that the top corner is secured with a spring in the style of a bonnet catch and that the bar is bent over at the top into a hook. In spite of a lot of searches, this was the only photograph that we found but it was enough. Steve went and reworked the end rod starting with the hook at the top.

 

DSCN3162_zps738acefb.jpg

 

 

A search through stores found a bonnet catch and a quick turning exercise produced the catch.

 

 

DSCN3165_zps80feb772.jpg

 

DSCN3167_zps0ba186ba.jpg

 

Another trip to Devon and the parts were fitted. We are very pleased with the results and it remains only to touch up the paintwork.

 

DSCN8041_zpsfc707a17.jpg

 

 

DSCN8042_zps85302619.jpg

 

That is one more job done on the road to completion!

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Nice job. It'll wear the paint underneath the top bit, rattling about, I suppose.

 

How are the radiator tanks holding up then? Will they do, or are they on the list?

 

We keep on patching the tanks - but they have to be done sooner or later! So much on - and it is knowing - and wanting - to do certain other things first!

 

The biggest problem is - the more "toys" that you have, the more that you have to maintain! The secret really is to do things properly the first time so that you do not have to return to them!

 

Tony

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  • 4 months later...
The Dennis together with the two Autocars will be going to the Honiton Hill Rally, this coming Sunday and Monday, 25th and 26th August. Tony

 

Bleeeh, wish I could be there. Love the trucks and area.

 

Enjoy and take some pics.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Over the bank holiday and when we put the lorry into store, it has become apparent that the fuel tap has become very stiff, to the point where I am concerned that I will either break off the handle or worse, break it out of the bottom of the tank. You may remember that I made it up to represent the one in the fuel tank drawing but I took the liberty of using PTFE for the liner sleeve instead of cork. This may have been a mistake! Well, I had the great good fortune to meet the delightful Sarah at the rally at Old Warden over the weekend and she worked for some years in an organo-fluorine chemical laboratory. I asked about the sleeve and she told me that petrol will not corrode or degrade it. However, she did explain that the octane molecule, a major constituent of petrol, is of a similar length to the ethylene molecule such that inter-molecular Van-der-Waals forces will securely attach it to the PTFE. (Gosh, I wish I had paid more attention to my chemistry at school!). The net effect of this is that the PTFE grows which explains why the valve has tightened up.

 

Now that I understand the problem (more or less...) I must find a solution. At the moment, I think that a cork sleeve may provide the answer but does anyone have any suggestions how I should make one? Do I use a lump of whole cork or some reconstituted crumb material? How do I turn it? Any advice would be gratefully received!

 

Steve :embarrassed:

DSCN1693c.jpg

Edited by Old Bill
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Hi Steve,

I have a set of Swedish made hole punches for making washers, they has given me an idea. You make a double hole punch. It would need to be thin walled and use solid cork, not the crumb type. If using a wine bottle cork or similar, it may have to be in a sleeve to stop it bursting as the cutter is pressed in.

 

regards Richard

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Thanks Richard.

 

Punching is an interesting thought. The sleeve, if I remember correctly, is 5/8" outside diameter and 1 1/2" long with a wall thickness of 1/16". The brass centre has a piece of tube pressed through it crossways to secure the sleeve. I drilled the PTFE through, fitted it to the spindle and then turned the outside afterwards. It hasn't leaked at all which I count as some success but not being able to turn it on is a bit of a downer!

 

Steve

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  • 1 month later...

That's an interesting thought Andy. Laying my hands on liquid nitrogen might be a bit tricky though! I am currently thinking of grinding it by using the Dremel with a small wheel, mounted in the toolpost. I have managed to drill a hole through a reconstituted cork from a bottle so I might be able to mount it on a mandrel and attack the outside. A bit of experimentation is needed I think.

 

Steve

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