Otter LRC CM4647296 comes home

[Jordan Baker]

Tonight I started in on making the new tray.


Yes David, the turret was rotated by pressing your feet on the foot ring on the floor. There is quite a bit of clearance between the bottom of the tray and the foot ring. I believe it’s easily 10-12 inches. This Otter is on the earlier end of things. There very well may have been a kit but when looking over the Overloon Otter (it’s a later made one) there was no sign of these holes and wood blocks from what I remember.

There was only 5 holes. The wood blocks are off centre whereas the hasp is centred.

The armoured glass blocks have their own bins beside the driver and commander seats. The wet weather windows do not show up at all on the stowage diagrams. I thought about them going there but they don’t really fit between the wood blocks.

[David Dunlop]

Nice start to the tray, Jordan.

I noticed in the photo there are Pattern 37 Brass fittings surviving on both sides of the front of the tray, that Bruce identified the other day. Looks like the open concept of that shelf in the illustration was amended to add a web strap to keep the stuff on the shelf from falling out.

Do you have any idea how easily rotated that turret assembly is for the operator? If it moves easily, I can see why things on that shelf could have been prone to sliding out.

The other thing I noticed this evening in that illustration is the two steel boxes stowed under the turret foot rest. The large square looking one seems centred under the rest, however the smaller one, strapped to its mount looks like it sticks out quite a bit away from the Rest Assembly. Are there any signs of that sheet metal mount for the smaller box being installed in your Otter? I ask because the way it sticks out into the open, I can imagine ankles and lower legs getting slammed into it in the heat of the moment when the Operator is turning the turret back and forth while focusing on things outside. Maybe...that box got moved to a new shelf under the seat tray. A similar location, but safer place for whatever it is.

That’s all I’ve got tonight, Jordan. I have run out of tea!

David

[Jordan Baker]

The three boxes under the turret foot ring are Boyes Ammunition boxes. There is no sign of ever having a shelf mounted on the floor near the foot ring.

The turret rotates on 60 1/2” ball bearings. It’s supposed to be able to rotate quite freely.

As for the 37pat web straps. These clips are steel. I’ll have to take a closer look to see what remains of any webbing inside the clips.

As for today’s progress I’m working away on the magazine bins. Yesterday I picked up a Porta Spot Spotwelder a few hours away from me. I found it for sale on Facebook marketplace. It’s been a bit of a learning curve with a few blow through holes that I will have to fix. However I believe I’ve finally figured it out and seem to be making decent spot welds.

[David Herbert]

Jordan,
I have a spot welder similar to yours and one of the best things I did was to make a copper cap that fits onto one of the electrodes. It is about 20mm diameter and long, drilled half way through to very loosely fit the electrode but still be able to rock a bit. The top of it is flat but with the edge a little rounded so as not to mark the job. Using this on the 'good' side of the job it avoids the sharp edged dimples that you get from a small spot weld. Obviously you can't use one of these on both sides as it wouldn't be a spot weld then and you do have to use a little more heat but it is easy to get really nice clean and strong welds this way.

David

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks for the advice. This spot welder works great with both electrodes on both sides. You just need to make sure hat both pieces of metal are very tight together.

I decided with fresh eyes to totally remake the one magazine box. I realized after looking at the stowage diagram that the magazine’s fit in with the open end on top. I had made the dividers just a little too too narrow to do this.

[Bob Carriere]

Keep your tip clean........ frequent light filing...... clean the steel with acetone.... I use a flat tip on the bottom side and a pointed tip on top...... make sure they sit absolutely flat. ....to keep the long reach of the rods from touching wrap them up with fiberglass tape intended for exhaust pipe manifold from Summit....... use locking pliers on each side of the spot weld when possible........ I often have a third hand helping me (Grant) we hold the spot welder steady on the work bench..... I carry the work to the welder and he fires while I hold it in place.....

Above all...... take the time to test out on scrap pieces...... each time you set up...... so you can adjust the timing.......if it blows or throws sparks something is wrong....too hot too long or not flat......

3 layers is possible but very tricky....... such as door skins!!!! Using the flat head leaves hardly any mark on the finished side.

.....but they do work nice!!!!!!!

[Jordan Baker]

Making a second tail light bracket. The right side one is original with extra holes added by the Dutch army post war. The extra holes were welded up and the new one made from 11ga plate. Another small part finished.