VICKERS MK6B's resto

[colin jones]

I decided to start this one with a straight end mill as I have already gone through 2 Ball nose cutters so I went down with a end mill and finished it off with the ball nose as I have quite a few flat end mill ones so I won't need to sharpen the ball nose as much. Anyway that one is done and one more to go but not today

[David Herbert]

Colin,
That is a seriously impressive piece of work ! I hate to think how many man hours went into it but it is hard to see how you could have done it better. I really like the roller support for the part of the ring that you are actually cutting.

Am I right that this turret ring only uses the ball race to support the turret, like a giant thrust race. If so how are sideways forces resisted ? I know that the Vickers just has a machine gun but when tanks started to have proper guns with significant recoil forces, turret ring design quickly standardised into a three piece arangement which has been normal ever since.

This 'standard' design has the part that bolts to the hull as the heaviest piece. It has the lower, outer quarter of the ball track and the rack below it, sometimes as a seperate bolt on part. The inner half of the ball track is in the outside face of the part that the turret is bolted to and then the outer upper quarter of the ball track is a much lighter piece that bolts down to the top of the lower outer piece, acting as a retainer for the balls and resisting upward forces.

Given the speed of the Vickers light tanks I would have thought that there must be quite good provison for holding the turret down to the hull and resisting sideways forces ?

David

[Bob Carriere]

...... I know I have a perfect match .... She's a smart cookie....

She has been round you long enough to be a qualified assistant.....

Wonderful work!!!!!

Bob C

[colin jones]

David you are right that it is the turret support. Now that it is almost finished It is very strong and rigid. I have cleaned and ground both parts and fitted the ball bearings and put the top on. It turns just so so easy. That means that I got it aligned properly. I guess the hold down brackets form the sideway forces plus the turret basket with ammo and two men on it would all add to the support. As far as the next models that had a bigger gun they must have done something to allow for recoil. The bearing support I made was a critical part as it would never have cut without it. All in all I am really happy how it has turned out.
Bob, my wife qualified a long time ago as a workshop assistant or was that me to her

[Tim Lovelock]

Colin,
Still very much enjoying following your posts.
👍🏻
Tim

[colin jones]

Hi Tim, me too
I have now completed the second ball race and it certainly never took as long as the first. That's another job out of the way that was a concern.

[colin jones]

Now I know it looks like the first one but I can assure you it's a different one. While I was at it last week I splurged out and got myself a new lathe with a digital readout and a taper attachment which will be really handy for doing tapered barrels like the 37mm and it has a big swing as well. That part will be handy when I do the Capola on the Vickers.