Rob.Brindley Posted October 29, 2023 Author Share Posted October 29, 2023 Another week and some more progress made on our MW! During it's post service life, our MW was used as a recovery truck by a local firm (Hissey's Garage). At some point, the rear canvas was removed, along with all of the hoops and brackets that support it, to allow a jib to be fitted in the rear bed. The original plan was to make the hoops from scratch but, last week, Dad spotted an OYC listed for sale on Facebook. Whilst the framework is not identical to an MW (It's both longer and wider), it would give us all the materials that we need to make our bars. Not only that, the bends are the same radius and, because they're original bars, they will be in keeping with the look of our truck. We got in touch with the owner (David) and made a deal to buy just the canvas framework. Friday resulted in a trip down to Norfolk to disassemble to the framework and bring it back to Stoke. Big thank you to Malcom (David's Dad) for all the help, use of tools / power and copious amounts of tea! On Saturday, we went over to the farm where the chassis is kept. John, the previous owner, also has another MW there and he kindly allowed us to borrow some of his framework to use as a pattern. Today, we made a start cutting down the OYC framework to match the MW dimensions. After some measuring and cutting, the 3 main hoops are now cut down to size and ready to weld. The bars that run the length of the bed are next... For anybody interest, the rest of this OYC is for sale - The owner is asking £500. I can forward contact details if anybody is interested. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted November 7, 2023 Author Share Posted November 7, 2023 A very productive weekend working on our MWR! On Friday afterwork we had a trip out and managed to acquire some very much needed parts for our restoration! Saturday morning was spent up at Dad's garage cutting up the rest of the framework we acquired last week to make our tilt frame. Just after lunch, we went over to John's farm to meet Chris who had come over from Bolton to collect the engines for overhaul. We can't wait to see what they look like when they come back! On Sunday, Alan arrived to come and weld up the bars that we had cut down over the last few days. We now have the standard MW layout. There are some extra bars on the MWR and now we have the basic framework created, we can measure up and cut the additional bars! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted November 13, 2023 Author Share Posted November 13, 2023 Only a short update this week as both Dad and I have had a busy weekend with gigs and remembrance day events. On Monday evening, we went to collect the parts that we purchased on Friday (more on this later). Saturday morning we returned and refitted the bars that we had borrowed from John's MW. We also bought back the bars that support the cab canvas and had a trial fit. This is probably the first time these parts have been together in 40 years... Hopefully a bigger update next week! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted November 26, 2023 Author Share Posted November 26, 2023 It's been a quiet couple of weeks, as we've both had a lot going on, but we managed to make some good progress today... Previously, we had cut down the OYC bars that we had bought, made a jig, welded (with Alan's help) the main hoops / bars that are common across all MW's. Over the last week or so, Dad spent a few nights making the additional MWR specific bars that we were short of. Alan and I arrived at Dad's at 9am this morning to weld up the additional bars and weld the entire frame into one piece. There's also a new addition at the end! Big thank you to Chris for collecting it from Kidderminster for us and delivering it to us yesterday. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1960 Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Could I just ask ..who is doing the engine rebuild for you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 5, 2023 Author Share Posted December 5, 2023 12 hours ago, andy1960 said: Could I just ask ..who is doing the engine rebuild for you ? It's gone to John Newbould & Chris Allsop. The engine that was built up is going to be restored first, whilst our original engine is done. That should help us get the truck on the road sooner and we'll have a spare after. (There's 5 MWs in our club now so having a spare between us isn't a bad thing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 10, 2023 Author Share Posted December 10, 2023 Some great progress on our MW project this weekend as we started repairing the bed! Our plan is to reuse as much original material as possible but, unfortunately, some parts are just too far gone to repair. Where replacements are necessary, we're very keen to try and use period materials to keep it looking authentic. Last week, Dad spotted some reclaimed wood from an old church floor (the correct 7/8" thick) in Leek. We managed to acquire the wood on Friday and spent yesterday morning cutting the planks down to the correct size. Each plank on our MW also has a chamfer on every edge so there are no 90° angles - This was a detail we were sure to replicate. After cutting the wood on Saturday, we spent today removing the damaged planks (It proved to be the correct decision as, on removal, we found there was more damage than what was immediately apparent), fitting the new planks, re-fitting the protective metal strips on the top edge and also adding the 3 additional planks that are specific to the MWR (bolted to the tilt frame). Not a bad days work! We have the planks cut down to make the wheel boxes next weekend. Unfortunately, the front / sides are too far gone to use but we should be able to save the tops. I think when you look at the photos, you'll see that the decision to use reclaimed wood was well justified. Other than the lack of paint, it doesn't look out of place at all. There is a small amount of wear and tear that help tie it in to the rest of the woodwork quite nicely. A lot of effort, but a job well done. Another update coming next Sunday! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 17, 2023 Author Share Posted December 17, 2023 Another very busy few days on our MW project! After work on Friday, Dad stopped to collect some new wood to make replacement wheel boxes as ours were to damaged to save. We then set about cutting all the pieces to length and chamfering the edges as before (using the original pieces as a pattern). On Saturday, we had a trip into town to collect a lovely NOS Air Filter, with thanks to Nigel Silver. On our return, we then started to assemble the wheel boxes using a mixture of screws and glue. We've matched the original screw positions against the original pieces as closely as we can! Dad recalls a story about his school woodwork teacher telling him "the only good thing you'll ever make out of wood is a bonfire"! Well, it's taken 40 years but I think we showed him! With lots of careful measuring and accurate cutting, the new wheel boxes went together a treat. Our original plan had been to fit the wheel boxes on Sunday. However, when we loosely positioned them, we noticed some damage to the floor that needed repairing first. With Christmas looming and the shops soon to be shut, we decided to invert the bed and take a good look at the cross members underneath. This would allow us to gather any materials required and form a plan of action to meet our goal of having the rear bed complete and painted by the time we return to work after the Xmas holidays. There was also lots of drilling out and grinding of old screws, nuts and bolts that refused to budge... With the body inverted and the toolbox / fuel can holder removed, it did reveal some rot that needs to be dealt with... Big thank you to Ian & Paul who gave up their time to come and help us turn the body over - We couldn't have done it without you! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 24, 2023 Author Share Posted December 24, 2023 So, the big Christmas push has started... As we discovered last week, there was some rot present in our cross members. The rear would require replacing entirely and we were undecided whether to replace or try and repair the middle two. In the end, we decided to replace them all whilst we had the bed upside down as we don't want to have to repair it again later... Saturday was spent measuring our original crossmembers and cutting / shaping the new pieces. We also took the opportunity to cut the last few remaining pieces required to repair the bed. First thing this morning we started to paint the crossmembers with red oxide to help protect them - particularly in the areas that we wont be able to get to once the pieces are fixed in place. We then set about removing some rotten pieces from the cab side of the bulkhead ready to fit the replacements that we cut yesterday. Unfortunately, as we removed these pieces, we noticed the the lower plank on the bulkhead was also rotten in the centre (This had been hidden by one of the pieces we removed). So, it was off to work with some of the extra wood that we had bought to make a replacement. A couple of hours later we were back at Dad's with the plank and it was also painted in red oxide before a test fit. The plank is now in position and will be fixed in place tomorrow (Yes, we are working on it tomorrow...). Whilst the red oxide was drying, we set about removing the rear crossmember ready to fit the replacement. Once again, we discovered some hidden rot that needs to be dealt with before can fit the rear crossmember. No big deal - there's plenty of other work to be getting on with! Tomorrow we're hoping the get the bulkhead tied up... Merry Christmas! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 25, 2023 Author Share Posted December 25, 2023 Day 3 of the big Christmas push... Another full day of work on the Bedford today but lots of solid progress made! We've nearly got one corner complete. The supports on the bulkhead were mounted first thing this morning before the front crossmember was fitted. This involved some uncomfortable drilling from inside the bed to get them in place. When I tell the lads at work that I spent Christmas day in some of the most awkward positions I've ever been in, I don't think this is what they'll be picturing! We then turned our attention to fitting the replacement plank (dark plank near the top) that we'd cut on Saturday. The pieces fit perfectly (we must be getting good at this!) and it was secured in place temporarily with 3 coach bolts. There is a large wooden block that mounts here that we'll refit later. Tomorrow, we aim to get the opposite corner to the same standard before start attempting to fit the next crossmember. Merry Christmas everybody - it's time for dinner! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 Day 4 of the big Christmas push - What a pig of a day that was! When I arrived at 9am this morning, Dad had already got the support piece fitted on the opposite corner. With this in place, we then set about removing the first crossmember. Having not taken an MW apart before and not having the drawings, we were not entirely sure what to expect. That said, we were working in reverse anyway as we really want to avoid taking the bed apart if possible. Unfortunately, we soon realised that the centre planks would have to removed and we worked very carefully to avoid damaging any parts we wanted to reuse. Following the removal of the old crossmember, we than began preparing the replacement to be fitted. We marked out the notches why they sit of the main beams that run the length of the bed and test fitted. Thankfully, it's a great fit! With the test fit successful, we secured it in place and moved onto the rear crossmember. As we moved to the rear crossmember we found two problems... Firstly, the small crossmember that goes between the centre planks and underneath the hatch has a large crack in it and will need replacing - It's not a big issue, but another job we didn't know about. Secondly, the plank running width ways that overlaps the crossmember that we're replacing is rotten at both ends and will also need replacing. More wood to buy tomorrow... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 Day 5 of the big Christmas push and it's an early finish for us! (We'd come to a little bit of a halt waiting for parts and figured after 4.5 days of solid work we'd earned a break!) First thing this morning we set about notching out the rear crossmember that sits at the back of the arches. As we'd had to remove a rotten plank, we had much better access to this one and, after a couple of test fits, it was secured into place in less than an hour. With that in place, we then set about working on the rear most crossmember. This would require some careful measuring and chiselling it is notched where it meets the main beams that run the length of the bed. Unlike the 2 centre crossmembers, this notch is only about half the thickness of the beam. With the sections chiselled out, we did a test fit and it fits like a latex glove! One of the corners has a little damage, that is yet to be repaired, that had caused the floor to sag on one side. With the use of a jack and a couple of bits of wood, we raised it to the correct position and the rear crossmember was bolted into place. Operation crossmember is hereby complete! Back to it tomorrow... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 29, 2023 Author Share Posted December 29, 2023 Day 7 of the big Christmas push and it's been another full day of hard work! First thing this morning we met at my work to trim the replacement plank, cut the small centre crossmember that goes under the hatch, one of the rear blocks and a few other smaller pieces. We got back to the garage at about 10.30 and Dad set about fitting it. This one involved multiple test fits as it was our first attempt at a tongue and groove fitting. After going on and off a few times for trimming, the plank now fits a treat! Whilst Dad was adjust the plank, I started painting some of the new components that we'd already fitted with red oxide. We want a nice thick coat to help protect the truck for as long as possible so, in-between helping to test fit the plank, various parts had multiple coats. With the plank it place, we then started to fit the new centre crossmember, using the old as a pattern. This is also notched slightly, like the other crossmembers, and has a couple of deep countersunk holes drilled through for the bolts / nuts to sit in. On the plus side, we're quite please with how much original material we've been able to save. Red is new replacements, everything else is original. Tomorrow, we'll start rubbing down the rest of the underside and giving it a thick coat of red oxide. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 Day 8 of the big Christmas push - It's been 8 solid days of hard work but we're really starting to the results of all our effort now. First thing this morning, I started rubbing down the front end of the bed whilst Dad was repairing the floor at the rear. Once the repair was finished, he continued rubbing down whilst I started to coat the underside in red oxide following him around. Whilst the paint was drying, we turned our attention to repairing the last corner. This had been left open to repair the floor damage as there's a piece of angle iron on the inside that covers it. We also had to fit the new block that we cut yesterday and countersink the bolts as they're hidden behind the metal trim piece that Dad made yesterday. Corner completed, we painted it with red oxide and packed up for the night. We're on track to hit our goal for our return to work on Tuesday. Green tomorrow! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 A quiet couple of days but the lower side of the bed is now painted in British Olive Drab! We'll turn the body the right way up on Saturday morning and then we can get the centre floor planks / wheel boxes back in and paint the exterior. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 Another long weekend on our MW today but we continue to make good progress! First thing Saturday morning we were joined by Ian and Paul who came up to give us a hand getting the bed the correct way up again - Thanks guys! With all the rot removed and the crossmembers replaced with solid oak, there has been a noticeable increase in weight! With the bed the correct way up, I set about rubbing down the bed whilst Dad was cleaning up the floor planks that we removed to install the crossmembers. Once the planks were cleaned up, we did a test fit of the planks, hatch and wheel boxes. The two latches on the hatch were seized solid but, after an hour long argument, they finally relented and were removed from the hatch so we can clean them up properly and reinstall. The wheel boxes were coated inside and out with red oxide and, once I'd finished rubbing the bed down, I managed to get one side primed before close of play on Saturday. Today, we carried on where we left off yesterday - Rubbing down the front and left side of the bed before coating them with red oxide. Other than the tailgate, the outer faces of the bed are all primed and ready for some green paint! There was a couple of placeholder bolts that need replacing for the final items and then all over the oversize bolts were ground down to the correct size. With the bolts ground down, we then turned our attention to fitting the wheel boxes. We first had to make the angle iron pieces that attached the boxes to the floor and the piece that protects the top inside edge. All of these pieces were cut to length, drilled, countersunk, cleaned with a wire brush and then the faces that would wouldn't be able to see after fitting were coated with red oxide. With the parts made, the outer floor planks were also coated with red oxide and fitted. This allowed us to position the wheel boxes and fix them into place. (We still have to fit the screws that go through from the outside of the bed into the wheel boxes to fully secure them). I've bought some parts back with me to clean up this week and Dad will continue to do bits and pieces until next weekend when we can put another shift in. All being well, the bed will be totally complete and back up at John's farm by the end of the month! Rob & Paul 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Go pour yourself a drink - This is a long one! So, it had to happen eventually, didn't it? Today, for the first time since we started this project, we failed to hit the target that we'd set for ourselves. Bugger. It's Frustrating, but it's certainly not a lack of effort that's caused us to fall behind... Unfortunately, combination of small jobs taking slightly longer than planned and (possibly) marginally under estimating the size of the tasks came back to bite us... Our goal had been to have the entire bed in green when we finished tonight. As you can see from the photos below, that didn't happen. Anyway, here's what did happen: On Friday, Dad joined me after work to cut the final wooden pieces for the bed. The two lower planks on the tailgate needed to be replaced - One had rotten in the lower corner where it looked like the bed had held a little water at one time or another and the other had been damage beyond repair. We also cut the 2 rub blocks that mount at the top of the tailgate and the 4 small upper rub blocks that mount on each corner. Saturday morning, we had a few jobs that required our attention. First thing, I started rubbing down the inside of the bed ready for primer. There is a small repair that needed doing on the floor towards the tailgate so I started at the bulkhead and worked backwards. The plan was to repair the floor later that day and paint it before we left for the day. It became obvious quite early on Saturday that we weren't going to get all of the primer on and, therefore, no green on Sunday. Again; bugger. You may recall that we fitted the wheel boxes last week. After fitting, we decided that we weren't happy with the screws that we had used, so I ordered some more ready for this weekend. With the boxes removed, we also took the opportunity to paint behind where they mount. This was one of those jobs that took a littler longer than expected... With the wheel boxes back in, I painted the angle iron and we moved onto the floor. Whilst I was rubbing down the bed, Dad was busy repairing the short planks that sit either side of the hatch. These planks had some small bits of damage (some from 81 years of abuse and some caused by used when we removed them to replace the crossmembers), but we wanted to reuse them in our efforts to use as much original material as possible. This again took a little longer to do than planned and wasn't helped by the cold temperatures prolonging drying / setting times. That said, they turned out well and were secured in place with the newly arrived screws. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Henry F. Phillips for ridding the world of slot head screws... With the floor planks now back in permanently, we tried the hatch (which we test fit last week). Of course, now it doesn't fit... We've deliberately given the underside a very thick coat of red oxide to help protect it over the next few years and I guess we didn't leave enough room to allow for that. So, it was out with the hatch, trimming it down slightly and, after if we attempts, it fit once again. With the hatch in, I rubbed it down, painted the underside and we called it a day at about 5pm. We hadn't even looked at the tailgate repair at this point. First thing this morning, Dad painted the upper surface of the hatch and then it was on to the tailgate. First job was to drill out the old bolts and remove the metal capping piece that protects the edge of the planks on either side of the tailgate. We hadn't planned of replacing the metal pieces but, as we removed them, they just crumbled to dust... Thankfully, it's a piece we can fit later so it didn't hold us up much at all. Once the old planks were out, it was time to fit the new ones that we cut on Friday. The planks went in very easily, fit well (we must be getting good at this woodwork stuff!) and were bolted into place quite quickly. However... There is a strip of metal that runs the length of the bottom plank. Fitting this on the new plank proved a little tricky as it required straightening and we managed to snap 3 screws whilst trying to attach it... Whilst I rubber down and painted the inside of the tailgate, Dad started trimming the rub blocks that mount on the upper edge and these were secured on place by end of play today. We still intend to have the bed in green before next weekend... All being well, Dad will have the floor finished off tomorrow / Tuesday night. I'll go up on Wednesday to rub down and give the final few parts a coat of red oxide. On Friday, we'll flat it down on paint in green. Wish us luck.... Rob & Paul 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1960 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 (edited) Hi ..really great to see your rapid progress..it took me over a year to do this job to mine !!......Really appreciate the Facebook posts as a quick catch up ...but to my mind this forum is by far the better for a project like this with better pictures..more importantly easier to use /see/review past posts , than Facebook . Keep up the good work. Edited January 15 by andy1960 spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, andy1960 said: Hi ..really great to see your rapid progress..it took me over a year to do this job to mine !!......Really appreciate the Facebook posts as a quick catch up ...but to my mind this forum is by far the better for a project like this with better pictures..more importantly easier to use /see/review past posts , than Facebook . Keep up the good work. Thanks Andy - we're really enjoying working on the truck and sharing the porgress as we go. Both the forum and facebook have their merits, but it will definitely be easier to look back here once it's done and follow the progress more easily. I've also started putting together a book (nothing special) that we'll keep in the truck at shows for people to look through if they're interested. We're lucky that we have time to work at the minute. We've put in 9 or 10 hour days every Saturday/ Sunday and worked most Friday nights since we've had it. I play in a couple of bands so, come Spring, I'll be out on the road most weekends. Got to make the most of the time now and try to get all the jobs that require 2 people done before I'm not available much. Will put up another update on Sunday evening. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 20 hours ago, Rob.Brindley said: Thanks Andy - we're really enjoying working on the truck and sharing the porgress as we go. Both the forum and facebook have their merits, but it will definitely be easier to look back here once it's done and follow the progress more easily. I've also started putting together a book (nothing special) that we'll keep in the truck at shows for people to look through if they're interested. We're lucky that we have time to work at the minute. We've put in 9 or 10 hour days every Saturday/ Sunday and worked most Friday nights since we've had it. I play in a couple of bands so, come Spring, I'll be out on the road most weekends. Got to make the most of the time now and try to get all the jobs that require 2 people done before I'm not available much. Will put up another update on Sunday evening. Rob That's a lot of hours you're getting in but like you say you have to make the most of it when you can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Mid week update: As we fell short of our goal last weekend, we (mostly Dad) have had a busy week of working in the garage each night to catch up. With all of his effort and a little help from me, we've managed to get back on track. The major job that needed completing was a repair to floor. We'd had to replace one of the floor planks that runs width ways (closest to the hatch) as it was badly damaged. Whilst it fit perfectly either side, we soon realised the the original planks next to it had worn / sagged significantly between the main support beams that run the length of the bed. Dad first cut a small channel into the original plank and gradually shaped the piece used to fill the gap. Once they were shaped correctly, the piece was fixed in place with screws, glue and nails - And a little weight added to keep it in place. Once everything had set, some fibre glass was added to help smooth the gap and hide the edge. With the Fibreglass set, it was rubbed down ready for paint. In an effort to keep as much original material as possible, Dad came up with a plan shape a piece of wood to try and fill the gap as best as we could. The piece was secured with a mix of glue, screws, and nails and it worked out very nicely! With the floor repaired, I went up after work tonight and painted the remaining parts of the floor and Tailgate. Whilst rubbing down the external faces of the rear tailgate, we discovered some evidence of red / white stripes from it's days as a recovery truck in the 60's. For the first time in over 40 years, the 'Kiwi's Kab' name has been removed from the bed. We've decided to keep the name so this will be re-applied later by a sign writing friend of ours. Next time you see it, it should look substantially different! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1960 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Great progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 After 6 weeks of hard work, we've finally got the bed to the point that it's ready to head back down to the farm and be mounted to the chassis. In total, just over 400 man hours and £1000 in materials has gone into making this happen. I hate to think what it would have cost us if we were paying somebody to do the work for us... To recap, All 4 crossmembers unfortunately had to be replace. 1 floor plank, 2 planks on the body, 2 planks in the tailgate and the wheel boxes had to be replaced. Where possible, all the original material has been saved - We estimate that 70% of the original wood is still here! There's a few little jobs left to do like refitting the latches on the hatch and attaching some of the metal brackets (when we get them), but we're very, very pleased with the results! Now it's time to finish off the tilt frame. Personally, I can't wait to see the bed and the tilt frame mated together in one unit! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 After completing the bed, today we turned our attention to the tilt frame. As our truck was used as a recovery vehicle in the 60s, the original tilt frame was removed and discarded (Along with all the brackets that attach it). We were unable to acquire an original set so we took a trip down to Norfolk to collect a set from an OYC tanker. The OYC bars were both wider and longer than an MW so they required cutting down to the correct size and welding back together. The welding was all completed a few weeks ago but we put it aside whilst we worked on the bed. Yesterday, we spent the afternoon priming the wooden parts and swapping out the placeholder coach bolts for the correct size. Today we spent the morning cleaning up the welds, removing 80 years of corrosion / surface rust and giving it a coat of red oxide prior to painting. The sum of a busy weekends work... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1960 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 Fantastic progress..thanks for sharing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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