Carrier armour manufacturer?

[Gordon Yeo]

The circular saw blades that Bob refers to had removable teeth that could be resharpened or removed when worn down or damaged. Keeping the saw running true in the kerf required it to have no distortion of the blade. If a spot on the blade over heated from excess rubbing and caused an expansion (bubble ) the saw would wobble beyond control and be unserviceable. This is where the saw hammerer services would be required. With proper training the hammer could hammer the steel back into its "flat" configuration and make the saw blade serviceable again. That is what must have been required to be done the armour plate for the carriers to flatten it.

Now, it's one thing to hammer a small area of a 3/16" thick saw blade back to flat by hand but it must have been a whole lot more complicated to hammer thousands of heavy carrier and Sexton plates.

[RichardT10829]

I always thought they were pressed flat again the forks were positioned over high spots before activating the press.

[Bob Phillips]

Well I have to admit I do not know what they used to straighten armor plate but I would assume it was done in some sort of press. Hammering a 48 inch saw blade by hand is one thing but mass armor production is another.
Unfortunately I do not even know of any of my old neighbors who are alive to ask! Pity I didn't think to ask 30 years ago when a few old timers were still about!

[rob love]

I had to straighten some of the front shields on my 105 howitzer due to rollover damage when they were in service. They will often have those hammering marks as well. The press will only go so far before you hear a "crack", and sure enoguh, there will be a crack in the armour. I ended up heating them red to bend them straight, likely destroying the temper on the hard side. If there is ever a next time I'll try the hammering method.

[Lynn Eades]

The process must have been done by a machine. those marks are too deep and too consistent to be done by hand. The skill probably came in, in knowing where to hit.

[Bob Phillips]

I just checked the archival collection for SDA at the Cambridge ( formerly towns of Galt, Preston & Hespler) and they have tool catalogues back to 1900 or so but nothing that I see in the WW2 era. They certainly made nice handsaws which are now very collectible...I agree that the marks must be machine made are they strike marks or clamp marks ?? BP

[rob love]

I also lean towards a hammer press of some kind. Otherwise those guys would have arms like popeye on spinach by the end of an 8 hour day swinging a 3 pound sledge that many times.

[Lynn Eades]

I would say strike marks Bob. They vary in their concentration but not in the way they are done.
David, British carriers used armour plate that looks like the smooth pattern you might see on sand that is levelled by gentle water action. A fine ripple pattern that was easily hidden by a coat of paint.
The Australians I believe developed their own bullet proof plate (BP2) As i recall production was held up for a while with welding it. I think stainless rods were at least the interim fix. I think the need for stainless rods was overcome during the Australian and New Zealand carrier production. Hopefully someone more in tune with Aust. pattern carriers can verify this.
My British built and welded hull AOP carrier (mid 41) was welded with stainless rods.
The un answered question I have is that some British built armour, (the heavy daimlier armoured car as an example) is made with the Canadian style "axe marked" armour plate. How did this come about? Was Canadian plate supplied to British industry?