Armour Dreams

[RichardT10829]

fantastic fabrication skills Jonathon..... really enjoying this thread !

[Jonathan Moore]

Dear Heinz,

Once again thank you for your suggestions and observations. We have all but completed the idler wheel components, although we are unable to complete the final welding operation due to a quality issue with the idler wheel bearing retention nuts. We are currently awaiting a new supply of nuts that should be with us this week. Lubrication points have now been added to the relevant components. My concern regarding the idler shaft rotation locking mechanism has now been addressed after the receipt of new information.

We are now in a position where I feel that we can start to plan and manufacture the suspension leaf springs.

Until we communicate again,

Johann

[Jonathan Moore]

……………...

[Jonathan Moore]

I have been playing with my nuts, so to speak. I made the thread on the end of the idler shaft to fit the nuts from a Land Rover stub axle, using a genuine land Rover nut, thinking that it would save me some time. I then ordered four nuts from a british parts supplier and only one would fit. So I ordered another ten, my thinking was that I would have the four that I needed and some spare for my land Rovers, these things are always worth having about. Only one of the ten would fit, either the original stub axle or my shaft. It's not worth sending them back, so I decided to clean the threads out. Trying to centralise the nuts in the four jaw chuck using a DTI on the thread is a no go, so I put the nut in the four jaw, threaded the shaft in as far as it would go, about 1 1/2 threads and then, with a centre in the other end of the shaft, I clocked the shaft. Lining the threads up with the threading tip was a bit of a fiddly job but the result is fourteen nuts that I can use.

[Jonathan Moore]

The other job that I have been doing is making the springs. Reconstituted Land Rover series springs, cut and drilled, it's been like giving birth but I have assembled one for a trial fitting. I will add some detail to the proceedings when I make the other nine.

I didn't take note, when I visited the tank museum, of the number of leaves in each spring, so DRDM driver very kindly made a visit to the museum and took some pictures for me. I have to say a big thank you to him for very kindly helping me out. What those pictures revealed, was that each spring has a different number of leaves. At present I am going to make each spring with thirteen leaves and then when the tank is at it's full weight I can adjust the number as necessary.

Jon

[Mike Cecil]

Great work, Jonathan. Enjoying your build very much and marvel at your skill level.

Very much like the detail images. Could we also have some overall project images from time to time, please,so we can see the hull 'grow' into a tank?

Mike

[Jonathan Moore]

No Problem Mike. In the very near future, hopefully this weekend, I will have four wheel stations on so that I can move the chassis under the overhead gantry. I will then get some overall pictures. I can then start fitting the steering box and progress on to the drives. I still have to polyurethane the wheels and return rollers but that is coming to the front of the cue.

It's all now showing on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wXN0oTvDTs&t=61s

4 episodes so far.

Jon