2015 at the Hammond Barn
 

I must add to the observations of Bob in the previous barn thread, and add my best wishes to all MLU'ers the world over. May your projects come to fruition and that you enjoy the results of your efforts. Stay safe and keep on trucking!

Fun and Games @ the Barn
 

Not much to report. More work on tires and rims, some sheet metal work and putting together Bob's tin.

Photo: Bob and Grant doing something...Insert caption below!

Warmer near the ceiling
 

Hi Guys

Good to see you guys enjoying the shop.

Cheers Phil

Colder than a mother inlaw's heart here.
 

Lucifer is either frozen or dead.

Can't run Lucifer until we replace the motor from the blower..... I do have spares but not sure I want to do it on such a cold day.

Ford diesel has crapped out.... something about my forgetting to plugged it in when it goes down to -27C

Been plugged and batteries recharged but I fear fuel is congelled in the fuel block..... so now have a small heater blowing warm air on its tender parts.

Fuel conditioner that was on the back seat is now in the tank,,,,,Duh!!!

Cheers

PS....this may be slow to transmit has the outside web cable is coated with ice....

Brrr!
 

The local temps have been lower than a liberal politician's morals lately. The cold weather has limited us somewhat to the inside of the barn. Lucifer has not being feeling well, so we did a little fiddling about. It turns out that the blower motor was working well, but the rotary fan unit was starting to seize up. As a temporary fix, we gave the bearings a quick blast of liquid lubrication and away she went.

With Lucifer back into the game, we spent a chilly Saturday staying close to the furnace. Bob spend a good amount of time reviewing the parts manuals to track down numbers for the windshield assembly for his Cab 11. He also was trying to determine why one side of the sheet metal was not lining up properly. We may have to call upon the corporate memory of Cab 11 owners to get some photographs of certain areas that Bob will outline later on. Grant spent his time assisting Bob in the search for knowledge. My time was spent cleaning off shelters, digging out doorways and playing with some M37 parts.

Photos:
1 - Bob hitting the books.
2 - Shelter snow load - three layers - first was a gummy heavy rain-soaked and frozen layer covered by a quarter inch of ice, covered by about three inches of snow.
3 - Winter wagon lines - note how the tree branches in the background are "bowing" down - they are all encrusted with a layer of ice.
4 - Some Dodges showing the latest accumulation.
5 - M37 inner fender being reassembled.

Who's cold
 

That was a nice post but to tell you the truth I am glad that it has snowed and its cold. Here in New Zealand the temperature is quite nice and I got a mild sunburn. Weather in Wellington warm, sunny and windy. Only 24 degrees
On Sunday we will be going to the airshow in Masterton and we will see some real Kiwi MVs.
Will post pictures when we get back.

Gilles & Carolle
http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzea...bay/nz0264.jpg

Gilles:
Personally, I am off to Montego Bay Jamaica in the morning for a week. While I don't wish the cold on anyone (it will be -34 here tonight, and that is without the wind factored in) and I promise not to bitch too much about the heat. The forecast low for the week in Montego Bay is 24°C, with constant highs around the 29 mark.

some of us have to stay behind to freeze our collective a****
 

But we manage..... can't say I am getting a sun burn sitting by Lucifer.... but it occasionnaly gets hot enough to thaw out a mosquito or two.

Meanwhile we are progressing in the dress up of the cab 11....... each panel has been bolted on at least 3 times and some nearing ten times.

Considering what we had to start with.... and the fact that I innocently but purposely mixed cab 11 and cab 12 parts...... which are all the same but very different .... we now have a nose.

Grant has been my second and third hand ...along with a good eye....with this process and we both have nothing but admiration for Phil, Alex, David and others who have toiled alone and without having 3 other trucks to compare to...Kudos gentlemen....

You will note that the original shows that THIS cab 11 never had the rubber light mounted on the front fenders.

I now have two holes in the front fenders that needs to be welded were the signal lights had been installed..... and the fenders have all been painted.

Nonetheless it must all be taken apart again for some bolt holes and captive nuts to be added due to parts mixed between 11 and 12 cabs and all the modern bolts will be replaced with dome slotted machine screws and finishing washers....phew!!!! oh and to add the antisqueak tape everywhere it is required.

Cheers

I know the fairlead is in the wrong place and Grant tells me it is a Aussie model....? but I do have a proper one...

That looks great Bob.

Good looking job Bob. Getting all panels to line up can be very time consuming. I ended up using long clamps and of course racheting tiedown straps just to get things aligned!

Bein Jouer
 

Very nice Bob - she's going to be a show stopper.... great to see some progress. Keep the pictures coming.

Nuttin' fits...
 

Thanks for kind words.

We used pry bars, screwdrivers, tie straps with ratchets and things finally line up.

Grant and I finally decided to follow the advice of Phil W. who said try bolting it together loose...... shake it around then tighten everything.

We may have been handicapped by trying to get everything perfect... but then I found some early close up photos and found that we had it better aligned than it was originally.

Advice to future cab 11 assembly.... be very cautious to pick the best parts from different trucks ...particularly mixing cab 11 and cab 12 parts.......

Now for the windshield and the back wall that needs reskining...... will drive it as a "roadster" like Phil for at least this Summer.

Cheers

Cold Day at the Barn
 

I think that Bob and Grant broke the code - wait until Rob arrives and sparks up Lucifer before going out to the barn. Bob turned up at around 11 AM, Grant arrived just after lunch. The joke was on them as the temperature in the barn did not go past 40oF.

It was -27oC when I arrived this morning. At that temperature the snow shrieks when you drive over it or walk on it. Factor in the wind chill, and the temp plunged deeper. It was a good day to work in the barn. While Lucifer warmed up, I cleared the snow and cleaned off the shelters that needed cleaning. Those jobs got done quickly as my fingers while clad in insulated gloves, began to "sing" with the cold.

Back in the barn, I began surgery on my M37 fender. Bob arrived shortly thereafter and brought his truck into the barn for more tin adjustments. I am sure that the snow on his tires did not melt during its stay in the barn, but being out of the wind and close to a furnace sure makes work more bearable.

The rest of the day was spent working in relative comfort on tin projects basking in the warmth of Lucifer's breath. Makes one wonder how the folks in the Light Aid Detachments were able to function in the cold and while under enemy observation and fire...

Photos:

1 - Today's object of obsession - M37 Fender
2 - Bob's calibrated eyeball was employed to fab up a patch panel
3 - Some nifty clamps to keep the work lined up
4 - Bob enjoying the cold air
5 - The man's reaction when I told him that his truck was much more problematic than a HUP.

Hi.

Really like those blue sheetmetal clamps! Looks like a great idea....did you guys make them?

The very best of luck to everyone on their restorations.....it looks like you all are having fun!

Regards, David

Clamps
 

Hi David, We do enjoy the hobby despite the weather we get here. The clamps are available at welding suppliers and on epay:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/8-PACK-PREMIU...item3cefd3ca8a

The blue clamps....
 

Thanks for cleaning up the shelters and the doorways.

The blue clampes are 4 for $20. at Princess Auto.

They are made of section of square steel used for hanging external shed doors.... a few wing nuts... plumber copper tape, spring, etc.

The centre piece is made of plumber tie strap made of solid copper. We broke one today the copper strap got wedged too tight and I pulled too hard..... however easily replaced.

Rob forgot to mention the delicate dentistry he is doing with the MIG welder....... the final product should leave not trace of having a patch butt welded. Now a good body man could do it in 15 minutes.... at the barn we take a little longer but get it done right. Everything we do is usually new to us so we learn as we go. Tomorrow we plan to take the nose off the cab 11....again... for further refinements.



Cheers

Repair Guards
 

Nice work Bob,

That is a neat way to repair guards. Far easier than trying to beat a guard straight. (oh the joy)

Long time member, but I rarely have time to post.

Cheers,

Ian

I really like those clamps. I could have used them for fixing the floor of my CMP cab

Important ....CAUTION....
 

Someting happened to me yesterday while driving my truck. As I was leaving the driveway onto the street...right hand turn....while crash shifting into 3 rd gear ( I was in 4x4 low range)...... truck continued to turn directly into the ditch...... a bit scary with no cab going in at 45 degrees over the snow bank nose first for the hydro pole.... truck stalled resting on the steel guy wire of the hydro pole. I obviously panicked trying to abort the shift, trying to get to the brake pedal and steering wildly to the left..... you have to understand that driving a cab 11 with the small foot space while wearing Winter boots only allows the use of one foot at a time...... CRASH.

Tried getting out but was floating on the hard packed snow bank.

The Pitman Arm ball had separated from the arm....front wheel full right lock.

Well I towed it back it back to the yard with the tractor and tackled the repairs today.

The Pitman arm ball is welded on to the arm but the weld penetration was only about 1/6 of an inch deep and fractured after 74 years..... what else is about to go????

Today I managed to wire the arm/ball together enough to manoeuvre the truck out of the sea container and into the barn.

I must apologize for the poor resolution of the pictures as I was only using my cell phone.

Had a bitch of a time removing the arm from the steering box shaft ..... finally resorted to a pulley puller which I installed with as much tension as I could and applied heat with the acetylene torch...... and it just popped loose. This pitman arm was from another truck as my original had some gorilla welding and plate reinforcement besides looked awful.

Now before applying heat I had liberally soaked the spline with penetrating oil which dripped and coated the arm. While heating the pitman arm the surface oil quickly evaporated but as I played the torch flame up and down and all around I notice small cracks where the oil was coming to the surface.... in all 4 cracks.
A potential disaster waiting to happen.

Well I do have spare pitman arms but they are on the trucks in the back field and it bitching Winter here so I reinstalled the same one for the time being.

So I set about to weld up the old parts......

I ground the ball/shaft and the arm to get better penetration and welded at the highest setting of my mig welder.... than did a second pass to created a weld button the width of the arm. Should stay in place.

Next Spring I must find a good Pitman Arm and will test it for cracks.

We have to remember that our machines are old and need special attention....... I shiver to think this could happen at full speed ........

Now for the pictures.

...and a few more.....
 

...... not too bad for cell phone pictures

If any one is curious.....
 

....about the "dust cover" they are NOS parts intended for the steering arms of the Dodge Power wagon....same size.....on Ebay regularly at 15 to $20 each. The leather seal needs to be soaked in Neats Foot oil for flex.

Cheers

Another cautionary tale from the wilds of the Hammond Barn.
 

Bob, Glad you made it out of that situation safely. I would not have thought about the CMP steering arm as a problem area, but as you stated, parts get old and need to be inspected thoroughly.

I read a thread on another forum about steering loss on a US based M37, where the ball on the end of the rather robust steering pitman arm separated causing some anxiety for the driver, who like you, was doing a low speed run. Fortunately, no real damage occurred. Others, I am sure, have not been so lucky.

We (the royal we) must ensure that we inspect all of our vehicle's running gear to ensure that we are not a threat to ourselves or others.

Steering malfunction
 

Bob:

I know the corner you mention and yes, very good thing you were moving slowly and just dented the snowbank. Those banks eat plastic car body parts, but obviously can't digest WW2 Canadian steel! :no4:

The Regiment de Hull had CJ7 Jeeps between the retirement of the M38A1 and M151A2 1/4 tons, and the arrival of the Iltis. One of their folklore stories was how a "CJ" broke its steering linkage on the big bridge over the St Lawrence River enroute to Valcartier. The vehicle damn near pitched over the guardrails with three soldiers inside.

I suspect "the boys" had been 4-wheeling at some point and applied an adundance of gravity to the front end. Those were peppy vehicles that could chirp the tires in all gears.

Busy Weekend - Saturday
 

It was so cold out that our customary visits from the mosquito population inside the barn failed to materialize. Even with Lucifer belching out a massive number of BTUs, the barn failed to reach 40oF until well after lunch. The hottest it got was just under 60oF at closing time...

Bob's first task was to rev up the tractor and blast away the snow that had fallen. Fortunately, there was no wind to contend with making the task a little less difficult. While Bob was flailing the snow, I carried on with the usual duties of clearing snow.

Grant joined us after lunch, at which time both he and Bob tackled the removal of the skin of his Cab 11 lower rear cab frame. Bob built a jig to ensure accuracy when he reskins the frame.

While the lads were busy with the jig, I began the weld job on my M37 fender. The lower patch went in quite well and I was pleased with the results. Rather than wait for the patch panels from the US, I decided to tackle the patching of the hole in the front of the fender using whatever was available at the barn. Fortunately, Bob had stocked the barn with lots of metal rod, bar and sheets of steel. Over the past few years, Grant and I have added to the stock, restricting runs to the steel shop for odd pieces of metal.

The afternoon was spent mostly inside with one exception. Bob and Grant took a quick trip to the back 40 to look over steering arms. They didn't stay outside for long. As usual, time flew by way too quickly and we closed up shop and headed home.

Photos:

1 - Bob admiring his handiwork
2 - The jig
3 - Lower end patch completed - M37 Fender
4 - Damage at the upper end - the previous patch is easy to spot
5 - Prep for welding

Busy Weekend - Sundy
 

I decided that my son Jesse, needed to be detached from his electronic life support systems (TVs, computer, DS, Xbox) and spend some time in the great out of doors. So, early this fine morning, we thawed out the car and headed to the S&P Museum to give Gunner a hand in moving some frames. It took the car some time to warm up in the -25oC weather, but the roads were clear, making the trip to Kars fairly fast. Seems folks around here tend to stay home when the mercury dips low.

Jesse dug out the front and back door to the museum's main building, and then worked on clearing snow from a few of the trucks. Gunner and I extracted a "quick assembly/disassembly" jeep frame from its icy parking space. It took some time to get the tires out of the frozen ground, but the handy farm jack made short work of it. After hooking the frame to the nearest 2 and half ton, the frame was eventually parked in a warm garage. Gunner will be working on this project over the remainder of the winter, and if and when he comes on to this forum, he can explain what is up.

After frolicking in the wind and snow, we headed into Ottawa to visit the Regimental Museum at the Morrison Gun Park - a new facility set up to accommodate the Bytown Gunners. The park is a temporary solution until someone decides where a permanent structure can be built to house 30th Field Regiment, RCA. After a quick tour, we off-loaded some 6 pounder wheel assemblies and then headed for the comfort of home.

On the way home Jesse remarked that every visit with Gunner was an interesting visit. I think that Jesse actually enjoyed his day away from the electronics. Sadly, he has now reconnected with his Xbox. I guess I shouldn't complain too much. After all, here I sit feeding one of my obsessions...

Photos:

1 - Deuce frolicking in the snow
2 - A frigid Jeep
3 - The restored 17lbr at the Morrison Gun Park
4 - Jesse enjoying the view
5 - Gunner and Jes hamming it up

Winter fun.....
 

We decided to hibernate in the barn. After the usual snow chores and firing up Lucifer we had a coffee break arounf noonish. When we came back it was almost 55 F inside the barn so we set tp desing a jig for bending the bottom angle iron repalcement for my cab 11.

Salvaged an old 1 1/2 x 10 old varnished Oak stair step and traced the angle iron curve and cut with the band saw. Grant refined the radius using a belt sander until we had a perfect fit.

Clamp the Oak jig on the SS work table and went about figuring out how many pie shaped pieces we had to cut out. First try was still too tight so we adjusted/removed a tiny more of the steel until we had a perfect curve resting against the Oak board.

We tacked welded the segments and compared against the original from a cab 12 . The original cab 12 rusted angle iron has already been tested for fit agaunst the floor of the cab 11 so we know it will fit.

Time ran out.... we have to finish the welding on the inside of the angle.... that is the visible side so great care will be taken when welding and grinding to it will look original.

The original angle iron was done in 3 pieces.... each curved corner being stamps than welded ( probably in a jig) .Ours will have just one weld in the centre....carefully done so as to be invisible.

Although we welded while the steel was still clamped to the Oak jig very little wood was charred.

Tomorrow we will finish the welding and grinding on that peice and after flipping the jig over will bend the other side.

Nice team work with Grant as the mathematician me as the welder....

PS....The bending was done cold no added heat necessary.

Busy Weekend
 

As seen in the above post, Bob and Grant were busy on Saturday designing and fabbing up cab frame rails. I joined the boys on Sunday for some more tin bashing. The weather at the barn continues to be perplexing. Today it was quite cold and the snow was flying sideways with the wind. It would be another day working inside the barn. Fortunately, Lucifer came easily to life and by noon hour, it was quite pleasant in the barn.

Working outside was limited to Bob clearing a neighbour's driveway and the usual snow removal process. Inside the barn the boys continued work on the second lower cab frame rail. Watching Bob and Grant working together made me think that there was nothing that they couldn't fix, repair or make. The combination of Bob's creativity/welding skills, and Grant's analytical mind/patience/attention to detail is something to behold, and the results speak for themselves.

While the boys contented themselves with their project, I continue to learn the ways of the welder and metal work. My process is by trial and error with emphasis on the error part. I expect that I will have committed almost every faux pas with the welder by the time I am finished. In any case my M37 fender is taking shape and I hope that it will be ready for paint next weekend.

"Tempus fugit" when working at the barn, and all too soon production was shut down or another weekend.

Photos:
1 - Teamwork
2 - Almost there - a little more adjustment required

The tool we all need
 

Hi Bob, etal

Was looking at your work forming the angle for the back of the cab with interest, then was looking at the MetalMeet forum that lead to a YouTube video. That got me to this video take a look https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=01RnS6G6t30

Wouldn't you love to have one of these?

Cheers Phil

Wow that is some machine......
 

The things you can do with money.

Cheers

Eckold Kraftformer
 

Bob, may I suggest that we all cash in all our empty beer bottles, and see if we have enough to buy one of these machines..... If we are short, perhaps we can try out the anvil, hammer and oxy/acetylene torch methods?

Lots to learn.......

Cheers!
Stuart