...or perhaps the blast pressure wave itself causing distortion Tony

Attachment 79913

Now THAT is a cool photo! :salute:

Went on a bit of a sad road trip today. Mrs B and I made the drive to the resting place of her Father, who passed away 2 years ago tomorrow. Be wary of asbestos, folks. The journey of roughly 170km took us past another 25 pounder I wouldn't normally get to see, sitting proudly outside the Murgon Returned Services League. As a point of interest, I have posted some of the photos below, and in two following posts. You're welcome to copy them all. What is the round piece that sits on the trail, in photo two? Some form of socket something else fits onto?

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Tony, the socket is for the horizontal air pump that tops up the recuperator air pressure.

Thanks Adrian

My sight door track is finished, courtesy of my neighbour.
Attachment 80009
Typical that I am rostered to work this weekend, both days, and won't get this or the door onto the shield until Monday next wk.

Anyone have suggestions for suitable WWII Australian unit markings / TAC signage?

Once the telescope mounts and box frame are done, I will paint the entire shield properly and put signage on.

Shield work continues.
 

Having worked on the weekend, I had yesterday and today off. Monday I went to the beach and got thoroughly cooked. Today I went back to working on the gun.
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The sight door is in place. I initially had a big problem with the door binding along about half of the distance, and despite shaving a little off the back of the track, it wasn't much better.
Attachment 80238
All I can say is I must have been tired, because it was easily fixed once it dawned on me that the problem was caused by the pivot point, not the track clearance. A thin sheet of plasticised paper was an instant remedy. The thickness I pruned from back of the track will allow me to apply a very thin anti friction sheet to back side of the door, in the area which is hidden under the track. I really don't want to scratch paint when sliding the door! The anti friction material SHOULD fix that issue. The unsightly nut holding the door in place will be replaced with a grease nipple......when I find where I have put them!
Attachment 80239 Attachment 80240
To end the day, I started cleaning up the spade. Gee that timber looks good for it's age.
My original plan was to paint the blade green, then I had a rethink and thought black might have been better. I would prefer seeing the bare metal, so I'll take a drive to the gun shop in town tomorrow and buy a bottle of blueing liquid. If that looks good, it'll stay that way. If not, it will get sprayed black. The timber will get sprayed the same stain as the zero block. By the way, did I mention I put that on today too. Had to move the clinometer case up a little to accomodate the space, and now I have four holes to fill in!!!

P.S: Tomorrow I get the ground anchor cover back from sandblasting. Panelbeating will follow, no doubt.

25 pounder shield shovel/spade
 

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Hmmm, it's a bit, sort of, er.....lolly like.
Maybe the color will grow on me, cause I don't like it just yet.
Fading light could have made things look a tad more orange too. Looks like somebody stuck a shovel blade on a nice long stick of Blackpool rock!
Attachment 80261
Can anyone identify this makers mark?

Made the brackets for the telescope case, this afternoon.
Attachment 80322 Attachment 80323 Attachment 80324
I've been looking back through my files of reference shots, and gather both restraining straps for the telescope case are thick leather? Found two photos with webbing straps, but wonder if these were used for convenience instead of originality (says the guy making a fake gun)
Attachment 80325
My bracket pair won't have the top of telescope case lean out so far as seen in the above photo.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll start on the spares box carrier.

The telescope case brackets fit OK.
Attachment 80453 Attachment 80454
In fact, the scope sits better than I thought it would.
Yes, it is actually held in place with string in the photo. I don't have any leather straps yet.
Attachment 80455 Attachment 80456
Started on the upper shield locking mechanisms, and the latches were able to be placed in a way that doesn't look too ackward. Nothing like original setup, unfortunately, but that's my fault and I just have to wear it!

I did make a start on the spares box carrier, thanks to a neighbour who folded the parts for me. Got most of the welding done, but as it approached dusk the helmet had difficulties changing to/from weld flash, and I copped several closeup bursts in the eyes. Now partly blinded to shadows, I thought I could finish regardless. Made a significant error in one corner of the carrier, when I misloacted the MIG wire and blew a nice big hole in the metal. Attempted a remedy, and promptly jammed the wire into feed hozzle. Unable to clear this, the job came to a halt right then. I have a number of replacement tips, BUT do you think I can find them, noooooo!

Is anyone able to give me precise measurements for the spares box, and better still, some detail photos of the box itself? I would greatly appreciate that, because I will try to find a local wood wizard to build me one from scratch. We have a woodworks museum in Gympie, and one of the workers there (volunteers, mostly) may like to take on the commission to produce a replica for me. Besides, the gun itself is a fake anyway!

All the brackets and fittings made so far, have now been painted in their final color.
Attachment 80688 Attachment 80689 Attachment 80690
Spare parts box carrier frame is on hold until I receive a replacement part for my MIG welder, which went west during work on the frame.
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Instead of working on the box frame, I bit the bullet and set to work doing the rectangular slots for upper shield securing latches. This small, and as it turned out, simple job is something I had fears of messing up badly. Fortunately I only messed it up slightly! Next will be the securing arms for both positions (up & down, obviously). I'm keen to finish shield entirely. Getting the paint on and being able to stand back and see it finally completed will be a huge step for me.

No further work will be done over Easter. Bryce has come home until Monday, so he will be our focus of attention. Every time we see him, he is bigger in stature and musculature.

P.S: I have ordered a number of 1" wide, by 3.5mm thick, tan leather straps for telescope case brackets and other places. They should arrive within the next 2 weeks. Hopefully they will be here before we leave for Albury in mid April. As last year, we will be having ANZAC Day with our Son. The spectacle that was turned on for the ANZAC centenary last year, has set the benchmark in my mind, so this year will show me what a 'normal' ANZAC Day down there looks like.

Upper shield locking components.
 

After a brief sabbatical, work resumes on the quarter pounder.
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Sunday I made my version of the upper shield locking devices. Sliding bolt latches from eBay, and the other components I made on the day. What a cow of a job. I can still hear the grinder echoing in my head. The securing arms are made of angle iron. Being 1" for securing shield up, and 2" securing shield down.
Doing the holes for the latches to slide through, was the most tedious part. Drill a hole somewhat smaller than actually needed, then file like hell until the hole is in the precise location desired. I was nervous about the holes missing alignment, so checking, filing, checking, filing, was the order of the day. I discovered if the securing arms were fabricated without drilling any hole, then installed and tightened into place, I was able to locate the latch bolt hole location easily by applying a dab of paint to the end of the bolt......and just sliding it into the arm until the paint was fully transferred. All I needed to do then was centre punch accurately and drill a bees undersize. Too easy.
Attachment 80859
The shield panels align fairly well, though the bolt latches are only finger tight when I took the above photo. When fully tightened, nothing moves anywhere, thankfully, and a dead straight line can be achieved if I put a very thin metal shim under the right-hand latch bolt base. Left side (seen in photo) is OK as is.

Having finished the latching mechanisms, I turned to the spare parts box holder.
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Yep, as expected, I made a bollocks of the job. My welding is very inferior. Its something I just don't seem steady enough to do well, and it's only MIG work. Arc welding is completely out of the question for me. Anyhoo, the box frame has about 3lbs of weld on it, so what I lack in ability, I have sort of made up for in quantity. I'll probably never find the correct box, so the frame will probably not be put to the test. Unless, that is, I can talk one of the local wood workers into cutting down a larger box, to fit.

My most immediate problem is, WHERE THE HELL DID I PUT MY BAG OF FOOTMAN LOOPS? I have about six of the things remaining, but don't know where the damn things are. Searched almost everywhere for them, without success. I say almost everywhere, because if I had looked 'everywhere' I would have found them, obviously! I will need 4 of those for the box carrier frame.

Haven't received the leather straps I ordered from UK yet, but they can't be far away...I hope.
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The above photos are the pop rivets that will fasten the straps to their brackets. Nice large surface of the rivet heads should prevent straps from pulling away or moving around.

This Saturday I will buy a fresh bag of the slot headed bolts I used so heavily on securing the shield brackets etc. I plan to while away an hour or so sandblasting the heads, then fill the slots completely with body filler, and sand smooth Once painted, they will be a fairly reasonable copy for rivets. Good enough for my project anyway.

We're off to Bandiana for ANZAC Day in a couple of weeks, so if I haven't finished the bolt head filling by then, I'll finish when I get back. We have secured a visit to the museum on Tues 26th, and I'm looking forward to getting many more reference photos than I took last time. I was in tourist mode then.

Oh, nearly forgot. I resigned from my job last week. The last two of my required 4 weeks notice will be pre-booked and approved annual leave. Entirely coincidental that. :D

Spare parts box
 

Private - collector, is this the spares box your after? The smaller spares box that locates on the shield.
Box is for sale!

G'Day Euan,

Thats the one I'm chasing! Well, one of the two.
How much do you want for it?!?!

Tony

A trip down memory lane.
 

In the interest of, well, interest, I will post some photos of parts I have made or purchased for the gun. I'm quite sure you can tell which are made VS the real thing. If it looks dodgy, I made it! The photos will run over 4 posts.

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The lever on the breech will be cut down by 1/2 and a handle added at right angle.
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The trails will soon be plated both sides, and fully welded....but not by me!
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Axle was made from Land Rover stubs welded to 4mm steel tube. The 'hand brake' assembly is entirely fake, but if I get enthusiastic, it could be made functional as the actuator rod has since had a cam added, to press against the inside of LR brake shoes. That is if I choose to put the shoes in. The Land Rover axle stubs, hubs, backing plates, brake drums and wheels, have all been used for effect.
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OK, this last one has nothing to do with my gun, but everyone loves labrador puppies, right!
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They're just sooooo cute.

Parts needed.
 

Hello everyone,

I am looking to purchase the following parts for 25 pdr.

2x wheels.
Spare parts box.
Tool box.
Sighting assembly. Need everything except the cone, I have that but nothing to put it on.
Illuminating apparatus case, no. 5.
Miscellaneous hardware for trails. Except the ground anchor cover, I have that.

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Upper bracket for dial sight case is now made.
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So are the brackets for attaching the rule to upper shield section.
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The leather straps I ordered from a manufacturer in UK, have now arrived. I was starting to get nervous about their absence. They were well overdue on expected delivery date, but I am quickly learning Australia Post are much slower now than they used to be.

I did a lot of looking for my footman loops, and cannot locate them, so I ordered another batch of 10. Now they are ordered, the others will probably emerge from the Bermuda triangle located somewhere in the workshop.

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These little buggers won't be falling off their bracket/s. I added the wrinkling for added patina.
By buying each strap in 18" length, without tongue holes, one piece cuts apart and does both sides of the bracket, with a few inches discarded. I'll be taking Mother shopping tomorrow, and will look for a nice dark brown polish to artificially darken the leather a bit more.

I will order more of the same width straps in different lengths, for other tasks later on. The seller/s are very easy to deal with, and actually care about the customers. Refreshing, in these days.

Hi Tony,

I happen to have a pair of 25pdr wheels put away some where. They are quite heavy and I guess that a freight company would be the way to go to get them to you. I will take a photo in a few days and you can decide.
regards Rick.

PM sent, Rick!

Attachment 81110
As I said, the straps shouldn't fall off!

While looking for Iluminating Apparatus No. 5
 

In searching for the correct Illuminating Apparatus for my 25 pounder gun, I came across the one shown below. While not what I wanted, I just had to buy one, as they were listed at $40AUD. What I didn't know at time of ordering, they are absolutely beautiful condition, still sealed in their boxes, and have not seen the light of day since mid 1980s when last checked. Manufacture date is 1957!
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More to follow.

Illuminating Apparatus No. 1 Mk. 1
 

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I think I'll just keep it in the box, and keep searching for the correct No. 5 case, though i might connect a battery and try it out first. Don't need the innards of the no. 5, only the case.
If anyone has one for sale, please PM me, rather than post to the thread.

OUTLINES WP1, 25 pounder gun - Part 1
 

Received the following book in post this morning. Some interesting photos, and specifications.
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