25 Pounder info needed.

[Private_collector]

Hello Ken,

I'm thinking it is probably a difference between manufacturers, but can not say that with any certainty. I'm solely basing that on other examples of differences that I have been told were down to manufacturers production choices. See the following 4 photos.
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Rob N will be the one to know for sure. I do have several repro 25pr manuals on the way, and they might shed some light, but I expect by that time we'll know from another member!

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These are my brackets as returned from sandblasters, this afternoon. The simple one of them was still in it's original wrapping (VERY yucky, like treacle). The packing date on that one was 1979. Wonder if repacked then, or actually manufactured in 70s. If made then, a difference of over 30yrs between WWII manufacture and that one COULD just be design changes. In short, can someone plese put us out of our misery with this question!

I've emailed someone who has a good saddle which was advertised for sale some time ago. If still available, and affordable, I think I'll take it. Fingers are crossed. Wonder what the chances are of finding original trails?!

P.S: I've started making enquiries for quote/s on making the two U bolts for my brackets. Watch this space.

[rnixartillery]

The Brake parts will have been repacked when the storage shelf life was up ,I should imagine they were war time manufacture.
The fabricated handbrake parts are more of a nationality thing as well as manufacture, The Australians experimented a lot more with flat plate construction possibly to speed up production ,as we know they created the welded carriage and saddle and used it widely as the local pattern/production not to mention the Australian Short.

Rob....................rnixartillery

[Private_collector]

Thanks Rob,

Now we both/all know.

[Private_collector]

When I recieved my package of parts from Canada, about a month ago now, there were several small parts whose purpose were unknown to me, until doing some re-reading of the manual. One Page clearly shows a rather complex device which, I imagine, is used to secure the dial sight to the upper section of the carrier. Kind of a wing-nut! A strip of metal, maybe 1.5" in length, works as a retaining piece, to prevent the aforementioned wing-nut from becoming undone to the point of falling away. Those, and the screws to put it all together, were in my parcel. I'm grateful they had been kept by the previous owner of my parts. Such seemingly insignificant pieces could easily been discarded or lost.
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I expect the spring loaded ratchet mechanism of the 'nut' (seen best in left photo below), is to prevent over-tightening, which may have caused damage to something?!?! Incidentally, it takes considerable force to turn the nut to the point of activating the ratchet.
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[Private_collector]

Another quality piece arrived today.
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A very nice 25pdr Tool Box, that hasn't seen much work, if any, in it's long history. All the screws undo without any coercion at all. The canvas is in very good shape. At some point the two wooden blocks on the lid will be removed, and I will carefully lift the canvas off for cleaning. The strip around the outside edge of the lid is leather. A new piece is coming from UK, courtesy of the folks that made me the straps used on the shield.
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I am giving consideration to sanding it back, and re-finishing, complete with stencil markings. Fairly sure I have located a suitable font for the stencils. What I don't know is if the vinyl film will stay firmly stuck down long enough for me to give the number of coats of paint to replicate the buildup of paint thickness which the original markings have.
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Can anyone help me with identifying the one damaged character that I can't decipher?
Is it a letter O or numeral 0, or perhaps something else entirely? To me it looks to read: No. - CM-1600 Do you agree?

[rnixartillery]

Part Number CM-1600 ,stencilled on the front of all 17 and 25 pdr tool boxes !

Rob................rnixartillery.

[Private_collector]

I've started cleaning up the metal parts. The wooden blocks on box ends, where the rope handles go through, don't come off. They are held in place by two screws (easily undone) and two other fasteners that don't have any visible way to undo them. Possibly some form of rivet?
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The hinges are seriously heavy duty, and were actually welded together, not simply roll formed. They will never fall apart.

The metal strap of the lock ie also held by a combination of screws and rivete, so it to will be staying put.

I have spoken to a leatherwork business, and they are custom making a replacement leather strip for around the edge of box lid. It secures the canvas in place. Vegetable tanning was used for industrial leather usage around the time the box was made, so that is how I have requested the strip. It will be very dark brown or black in color, and 3mm thick. After measuring the current leather thickness, my leather guy could work out how thick the original would have been. He feels it may have shrunk by ahout 0.5mm over the last 70yrs. All going well, it should be ready to despatch to me by early next week.