Info needed: C15A 2B1 cargo bed rebuild

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Paul

I intend to use leather straps.....1/4 inch black harness leather....about 1 1/2 inch wide. Key holes punched in the strap will fit over the pins on the side of your truck... you pull down on the leather strap to stretch the canvas and push on the pin ..... the tension will pull the leather up into the slit just below the hole and stay tight... that is original to the 1939/30 period...... ropes if you loose your tarp in combat and take whatever the QM gives you with ropes.......

There was another version of fastening....... a device shaped like a J that holds the hood and some engine covers on cab 13 where used........ section of rope...tied to the metal device that has a spring for tension and a slot to fit the pins on the box or a hook to the rope fastener hooks on the box.

The original early tarp was designed so the sides could be rolled up to the top and fastened to a leather buckle at the bend of the bows..... front section also rolled up...... at this point in time I am not sure what holds the rolled up tarp to the bows????? your truck will now look like a vegetable delivery truck.... I am not sure if my repro tarp has the roof buckles or not.... if not They will be retro fitted so as to have some shade on the cargo box....

Once at the leather shop for the straps to be sewn in..... I might consider reinforcement/sacrificial strips of canvass or more leather where the tarp rubs on the steel bows.

Do not forget your ropes, if you use them it has to be treated with pine tar, to protect against humidity......Pine tar, available in quart size cans, will also stain your hands everytime you touch them...... or maybe Jordan Baker can share his secret recipe made with a mixture of beeswax,ears wax, and the juice of phoo-phoo pins..... Jordan you there????

Remember leather will stretch with time....canvass will shrink in time and discolor....... patches are battle scars of glory!!!!

Your box looks supper nice!!!!

Cheers

[Jordan Baker]

I used linseed oil mixed with melted beeswax. I used an old frying pan to melt and mix everything then simply soaked the rope in it and then pulled them out. Be prepared for your hands to always come away with residue on them though.

[Paul Edwards]

Thanks gents,

With regard to the hood bows, is the top bow slightly cranked at midspan to create a ridge line? Or square?

Cheers,


Paul

[Grant Bowker]

The samples Bob and I copied definitely had a very slight bend at mid-span. Our recreations were bent in two segments for ease of management of the parts.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Paul Edwards

With regard to the hood bows, is the top bow slightly cranked at midspan to create a ridge line? Or square?

It is slighty cranked, 2,5 cm/ one inch higher according to my measurements. Top of the bow measures 145 cm from the bed floor, just before the corner starts the height is 142,5 cm.

The radius of the corner is 25 cm/ ten inch, Worthing's canvas fits that radius.

[Paul Edwards]

Thank you Gents again for your quick response.

Cheers,


Paul

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I have never seen pics of CMPs driving with their tail gates open. There is no means to fix it in the down position, it would flap, make a racket and eventually break.

Now I have - see https://youtu.be/O2Cy5Y9_M8Q?t=163 for footage of a Canadian truck in Oostburg, The Netherlands, during the Battle for the Scheldt.

[Paul Edwards]

Cheers Hanno,

We're working now on reskinning the rear tail gate as rust had got the better of it and put the clean line of the cargo panels we have already done to shame.

I'll post some pictures once we get the skin stamping back from our panel guy and start re-assembling the gate.

Cheers,


Paul

[Paul Edwards]

Tailgate worse for wear so opted for a new skin, making good progress and hoping to get some paint on this weekend before the weather changes.

Cheers,


Paul

[Danny Devers]

Very nice work Paul that looks great.

[Bob Carriere]

....can we see a shot of the inside...gate hanging down??

so much easier when you start with a good piece of flat steel.......

Any complications with the riveting....?

Cheers

[Paul Edwards]

Bob, no complications with the riveted hinges................we cheated!

We obtained some threaded rivets and bolted them on and dressed the nut with a welded blob on the inner face................Who will look in there? only us anoraks!

Sometimes due to financial or tooling constraints we have to make sacrifices to originality, I hope it doesn't offend.

Cheers,


Paul

[Bob Carriere]

..... we are all limited by time, $$ and skills...... if it works and is safe why not.

I have salvaged all the original strapping and hinges from the old cargo box and will be reused with real rivets......first time with big rivets but my work table with suitable dies in the air hammer should do the trick. Will get a new 14 gauge skin precut and prebent.

Cheers

[chris vickery]

Bob, I riveted my hinge straps on the 12 cab cargo bed rebuild years ago.
Dad and I used an air hammer and bucking bar.
I might still have the bucking bar that he made up for the job, will take a look.
I know that I still have a part box of correct rivets too.
Yours for the taking if I can find.

[Bob Carriere]

....will you be attending Hume's on Saturday???? Grant and I will be there....bring your rivets......

I found another trailer frame identical to the generator trailer you sold me years ago.

Cheers

[Paul Edwards]

Photos of where we're at now, cargo bed mounted and bolted down. Toolbox and roof fitted.

Thank you all for your assistance.

Regards,

Paul

[Bob Carriere]

A suggestion....... CORRECTION I was wrong on the re inforcement to the side panel hook/strap........... I have seen them BUT cannot says they are original based onthe other cargo boxes I have on hand........ it would make sense if it showed to be a problem but does not seem to be a factory assembly....a field modification at best. My apologies..

the "L" shaped brackets, that I have seen, on the front corner of the cargo box has a 45 degree brace that allows more tension to be placed on the side panel. If you find yours rattle after a while you might want to do the n modification.....not sure if they were field modification driven by necessirty or factory.

What are your plans for the ceiling pads.... or will you wear a helmet???

Cheers

PS....... Wait until you drive to a service station and try to fit the nozzle into the fuel tank..........

............. the answer...... bring a 40 cm lenght of radiator hose same size as used on the cab 11.....

[Paul Edwards]

Hi Bob,

That sounds like a good field/factory mod on those brackets. CORRECTION NOTED ABOVE

I wasn't aware of any ceiling pads before you mentioned it a while back, I have sourced some fibrous black felt (Auto sound deadening quilt). It may need doubling up on the thickness, but I'll see what it looks like before committing to glue.

My donkey dick (rad hose) is in hand!

PS, I'm aware the bullnose roof trim is not correct but it can stay until I find the correct profile.

Cheers,


Paul

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Paul

That trim must be available somewhere. Your posting reminded me to do mine. Lucky to have salvaged one years ago..... very thinned out by rust but still good. I lightly sand blasted for fear of cutting it in two....primed and painted.
After a couple of coats of POR 15 Grant did most of the installing. Had to order special round/flat tops in SS one inch size.....pre drilled the hard ash wood and it looks great. I should have acid dipped my screw heads first to help the of flat paint stick to them so come Spring I will dab each screw head with acid and repaint the whole cab.

For the roof pads......centered over each set....use a plumb line. I used one inch thick commercial high density grey foam cut to 16 /12 inches square and spray painted with automotive rubber spray..... 3 coats with time to dry in between...... also sprayed the back side one coat in case it curled. Finally glued with black PolyUrethane calking spread with a putty knife. As my roof was currently upside down on the work bench, I used two sand bags (40kg) to allow the glue to cure.....looks very good and still pliable.

To impress people at the gas station I usually pull out a CMP or UC sques funnel and attach the proper "horsecock" to the funnel then fill the tank until it spills over........ gets me a few laughs and the over spilling eventually washes the paint off the tank and requires a touch up.

Now if only Spring can get here!!!!

[Paul Edwards]

Spilling petrol! you must be made of money. haha

[Bob Carriere]

You can't see down the filler neck.... and can't even use a short wooden stick to gauge level...... maybe a flexible piece of split bamboo painted flat black.

And id you thing that is a bad layout...... wait until you are dressed up in your finest re enactor uniform and you have to check the engine oil level....... I would love to roast the engineer who design such a foul up..... I usually have to get on my knees on the running board, open the round hatch and feel around the distributor to find the open loop of the dip stick........ very similar to untying our girl friends bra single handedly....... pull it out, wipe it...... oh straight out before finding a suitable rag...... then put it back in to get an accurate reading on the oil level..... but you can't see where the open pipe is...... so guiding the dip stick with one hand you get to push down the dip stick with the other hand...... now you engine usually drip oil on the side so you need to remove your oily hand and wipe them clean, after you straighten out, now bend over again to retrieve the dip stick and pull it out being careful; not rub it against anything or your read may be inaccurate..... and you need to do this every time you start up your engine for a drive......

&^%^&$ on this..... if it still drip oil there must be some left......

...and you also need to verify the coolant by unscrewing the two thumb screws holding the "bonnet" etc.........

....and the brake level in the MC...... I now use a 20 cc syringe from the farm store.....

By now it is to late to go anywhere.....


Ah the pleasure of old machinery........

[Paul Edwards]

Thanks Bob, you must have been a dab hand at removing the girlfriend's bra with one hand...........Practice makes perfect! Haha

Cheers,


Paul

[Paul Edwards]

Some progress made yesterday with mocking up and drilling the hood bows prior to plating, added a few extra roof bars to prevent the canvas sagging.

Canvas offered up and all appears to be correct, phew!

Locker boxes and rear wheel mug guards now to look at repairing, waiting for much improved weather to start painting the paint end tin work.

Thanks for all the advice and assistance, much appreciated.

Cheers,


Paul

[Bob Carriere]

Nice job Paul

Can we get a close up photo sof the top bar connections to the hoops??? concerned about wearing a hole in the canvass at the connection...... might try sewing a leather rub patch to the tarp on the inside. Will you truck be stored inside most of the time???? I don't think mine will fit inside the sea can without removing the hoops....blah!!!!

I am thinking of adding extra tubes to mine also so it will remain firm for the canvas. I like the models with two extra side bars at the curve so I can roll up the side and keep the top section on for shade.......I still plan on using leather straps.

Too cold here also except to work inside the barn..... but can't paint or risk blowing the roof off the barn with "Lucifer" the wood furnace.

Cheers

[Paul Edwards]

Thanks Bob, I'll get some close up pictures next time I'm over the yard.

We made the hoops in three parts, i.e. ridge pole and two uprights as I couldn't transport them and the platers tanks weren't big enough one one piece.

It worked out very well having the threes sections, sleeved with a hole for a clevice pin (and "R" pin, I know not period correct) to connect the holes and the horizontal roof bars.

If anything going to rub on the canvas it'll be the ends of the horizontal bars, I may change them to hang under the hoops but for the moment it was easier for them to sit on top and drop the clevice pin in.

Here's a question what colour zinc plating should I opt for, coloured gold or clear silver?

Regards,


Paul

[Bob Carriere]

...are you also plating your front bumper with a chrome finish????

Why the plating Paul?? I always assumed sand blast, prime and OD Paint.....

The water pipe I used were black but we scratch them a lot in the bending....mine were done in two piece than but welded as "one hoop"...... too cold now for sand blasting but will no doubt follow my usual routine of sandblast, phosphoric acid wash, and POR 15 semi gloss, urethane tie coat and 2 or 3 coats of OD flat green..... but to keep the cage firm and steady will do some horizontal twin bars on each side just about at the start and end of the curve....somewhat similar to the hoops on the cab 13 radio truck that Jordan has restored........ Not the full complements of rifle attachments like the cab 13 but something that will keep the tarp nice and tight and allow the sides or the front to be rolled up in sunny weather.

Can hardly wait for the nice days to return..... we have not had a real cold snap yet but the forecast for next weekend is around -24 C....... that will freeze the brass balls off a monkey!!!!

Cheers
PS..... whenever you get a chance .....no rush....would you look at the underside of your tie rod ends and tell me if you have Type "A" with a cotter pin holding the cap in place or a smooth cap with a simple large C clip holding the tie rod guts in place.... which I call Type "B".......

[Paul Edwards]

Chrome bumpers ehhh now there's an idea to far!

Why plate? Well I saw it here on this forum that someone had made hoops and zinc plated them. In a two week period since making the hoops surface rust was appearing so assumed plating was the course of action.

Yes, I'll at my tie rod ends next time I'm at the yard......I may have some pictures on file and will take a took and post if I find anything.

-24 brass monkeys indeed! We are wimps in the UK!

Cheers,


Paul

[Paul Edwards]

Bob,

Does these photos assist? Just noted you wanted the underside photographed, I could get these later if needed.

Regards,


Paul

[Grant Bowker]

Those have to be the type with the base cover secured by a snap ring, you would be able to see the ends of the cotter pin poking out of sides of the tie rod end if they were that version.

[Bob Carriere]

..... they are what I call "type B"

There seemed to have been another model, which I believe was earlier in the production run, that I refer to as "type A"...... which is about 5/16 deeper and the large bottom screw cap was held by a long cotter pin..... it allowed for the cap to be screwed in to take up wear.

Bob C