VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Mike Cecil]

I wonder how many of those in the footage survived the retreat to Dunkirk, let alone the entire war.

Colin, the crank arrangements are astonishing. What holds the swing-down crank holder 'wishbone' in the stowed position? Some sort of clip or a leather or webbing strap?

Only the Poms ...

I placed a link to your thread in the closing stages of my article in KVE News on the Vickers MkVIA. I hope you may get even more regular 'thread watchers' from it, as your restorations are exceptional and deserve a wide audience.

Mike

[colin jones]

Hi Mike, thanks for the mention on KVE. The crank handle has a small spring clip at the top which I haven't made yet until I go the to hardware and buy a cheap wood saw that I can cut up for the material. They make great clips.
I am now making the second top and the two turret ball races and It will take me a week or probably two as there is a lot of machining to do to house the 220 x 3/4" ball bearings. Another challenge to do some quite precision work. I have cut the first layer of material on my plasma and it is just beautiful. It is times like this when you can do accurate parts when you want and not have to rely on a third party and wait for them to fit your job in. Quite a major expense to begin with but it is now paying for its self and keeps the missus happy as well

[colin jones]

I am going to make the race in layer and weld them together as the profile is not something I can do in one piece but as I am able to cut all layers very accurate it will not be a problem as long as I manage the heat during the welding process. When I first saw the top of these tanks, I was amazed how thin the material was not knowing the profile of the turret ring and race as that is where it gets its strength from. The turret is almost as wide as the tank itself.
It really a very good design and a very interesting one to make as well. I had I price of $7k to make each race and a 2 month waiting time from China. Happy to make my own.

[Lynn Eades]

Mike, I have wondered what made it back across the channel as well, but it seems like nothing did.
About 63,500 vehicles were left behind, as I recall. I have no idea of what was sent.

[Mike Cecil]

Good point Lynn, but I was actually wondering about the human toll - sorry if I didn't make that clearer.

But talking of the cost in AFVs, the footage shows a Dragon (?) upside down in a bomb crater. That sudden flip & drop must have come as a shock to the crew.

Mike

[David Herbert]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

About 63,500 vehicles were left behind, as I recall. I have no idea of what was sent.

Lynn, Surely that is too high a number ! I have no evidence but I could just about go for 6,350 but even that sounds high when you consider that the BEF was before we were propperly geared up for WW2 and did not have the vast number of American and Canadian trucks that we used for the Normandy landings.

David

[David Herbert]

Originally Posted by colin jones

I am going to make the race in layer and weld them together as the profile is not something I can do in one piece but as I am able to cut all layers very accurate it will not be a problem as long as I manage the heat during the welding process.

Colin, I wonder if you could rely on the bolts that hold the ring to the hull and not actually weld the layers together at all. The turret is not very heavy and the balls are hardly going to prise the layers apart. I am thinking that building the ring in layers should work pretty well. The running surface will need to be relatively smooth and the ends of the segments be aligned but there are enough balls that the surface loading will not require hardening of the running surface (though it would be nice). Actually WW2 proper tank turret rings were soft enough that there were instructions to move the turrets from time to time to prevent indentations forming.

Great work as always.
David

[Lynn Eades]

David, the number of 63,500 is from memory. I will check my book when I get home. The book is called "The Sands of Dunkirk" and I am reasonably sure about the figure. Basically Britian had to start again.
Keep in mind that the Germans had been building up their war materials and that the rest of Europe was in turmoil. Hitler had taken control in Germany in 1933. GB was moving in the same direction production wise.

Mike, my mistake. Sorry.

I await Colin's answer to Douglas's question.

[colin jones]

Doug, I have very successfully used wood saw material for clips on a run of bren gun carrier drivers tool box clips I made a few years ago. I cut the blade on a Guillotine for the shape as they were rectangle pieces. I was able to drill holes in it to rivet it to the doors. I tried to find the thread I did a few years back but couldn't find it. I did use the oxy/act to get some sharp bends and that worked well but you have to bend it slow as not to snap it.
David, there is 220 3/4 ball bearings in each race so it should spin very easy and I don't think I will have a problem at all with wear. the profile also has a small groove in the bottom and top of the bed which I assume is for grease and foreign material to sit. I cant really bolt it all as there is not enough room as you will see when I get a bit further along. The heat wont be too much of an issue although I think it will be about 3-4 layers in total but once I grind them all it should look like a cast ring and this is also new ground for me as I've not done a ball race before. I will keep posting

[colin jones]

Doug, I just found the old thread of the clips I made from a wood saw.

[Douglas Greville]

Colin. Many thanks. Interesting info that will come in handy.
Regards
Doug

Originally Posted by colin jones

Doug, I just found the old thread of the clips I made from a wood saw.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I placed a link to your thread in the closing stages of my article in KVE News on the Vickers MkVIA. I hope you may get even more regular 'thread watchers' from it, as your restorations are exceptional and deserve a wide audience.

Mike

For anyone who is interested to read about the 10 Vickers Light Tanks MkVIA that went to Australia, here is a link to the article that Mike Cecil wrote, it is on pages 20 to 26 in the newsletter:
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/43129...ac526b00db.pdf

It is incredible that 50% of them are now known to have survived, including Colin's two. Great work Colin, you obviously don't have too many interruptions during your working days!

regards, Richard

[colin jones]

Thankyou Lynn and Richard.
I have cut the ring gear and very happy with the result which was a concern as to how to do it but problem solved.

[David Dunlop]

Hi Colin.

Any known surviving crew members from either of these tanks still around that you know of? They might enjoy watching them get rolled out again once you are done.

David

[Mike Cecil]

Doubtful, based on the maths: say, 20 in 1940 +78 years = 98! Even 18 in 1940 will equal 96 years old. The tanks were last used in 1942 for training, so even then, an 18 year old trainee driver would be 94, if my maths is correct (I'm sure I'll be told if I'm wrong!)

Mike

[colin jones]

David, Mike,
I'm sure if there were any surviving crew from way back then they would be quite happy to see these getting restored.

I have just finished both ring gears and that was quite a job I have orders my 3/4" cutters for the mill and then cut the ball bearing grove in the top of each one and make a matching piece that will be bolted to the underside of the turret via some angle that also needs to be curved.

[Mike Cecil]

I agree, Colin, very happy to see 'their' tanks coming back to life in such a professional manner.

My comment was the likelihood of any crew being alive today, which I think is doubtful. But maybe, just maybe....

Mike