This is an odd ad!

rob love · #1 27-05-18, 16:45

Bruce

That would well enough if you are simply travelling along the QEW. But if you go inland more than a few miles, the reference point to the lakes are gone.

At night, out here, we can use the light from the next city as a reference point. That is good to about 25 miles. Way too many lights where you are at to try and use that method.

Years back, when I first came to Shilo, they had just built the new base maintenance building. It had a row of lights along the towers of the roof. You could see those 10 miles out in the training area....nearly impossible to get lost and easy to find your way back to camp. The lights have either been disconnected or else burned out over the years so that ref point is gone.

Bruce Parker (RIP) · #2 27-05-18, 20:29

It's hard to explain. Once you've been here for a while you just instinctively know where the lake is. No need to actually see it. As to the lights, I'm far enough away from Toronto and the GTA to know what you mean. The local burgs of 1000 people are clear, local and bright. If conditions are right you can make out the deep, distant glow of London, 50 km away.

I mock Toronto people who once...once...in their life saw stars. All it took was an electrical blackout of the entire eastern seaboard. Well, some saw stars, that is if they weren't trapped in a non-functioning elevator in their overpriced condo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

Bruce

That would well enough if you are simply travelling along the QEW. But if you go inland more than a few miles, the reference point to the lakes are gone.

At night, out here, we can use the light from the next city as a reference point. That is good to about 25 miles. Way too many lights where you are at to try and use that method.

Years back, when I first came to Shilo, they had just built the new base maintenance building. It had a row of lights along the towers of the roof. You could see those 10 miles out in the training area....nearly impossible to get lost and easy to find your way back to camp. The lights have either been disconnected or else burned out over the years so that ref point is gone.

rob love · #3 21-06-20, 14:51

Thought I would toss a couple photos for an update. With the impending return to work (the Covid threat is low around here right now), I decided to take advantage of the weather and get some sandblasting and painting done. I had the basic carriage repaired and painted last fall, so this spring's work included the hubs and brakes, the traverse and elevations mechanisms, and the barrel. The barrel had been cut in it's previous life and reasonably welded closed again. I filled a lot of the small holes with mig, and profiled it as best I could. You can see the area if you look for it, but it doesn't jump out at you.

Everything gets sandblasted and POR-15 before getting a coat of Gillespie 33070 paint. All the bolts and holes are rethreaded with appropriate BSF taps and dies, and silver antisieze applied before assembly.

I have run into a problem where I have misplaced one of my brackets to hold the shield in place. I believe it to be buried in the sand in my sandblast shed, but after shoveling and probing, it is not showing up. So I have borrowed the bracket from the other gun for now. In a few weeks I'll completely dig out the shed with the tractor and put cement on the floor.

The current tires are just temporary. They are a Michelin on a drop center rim. They came from the UK, where they were apparently a modern replacement for some of the ceremonial guns in use over there. Problem is they are too wide to allow the gun to fit onto a trailer. I think I discussed these a few years ago when I went to pick up the second gun at Bob's.

I added a photo of one of the bolts for the counterweight. Complete with property mark, part number, and inspectors marks, they must have been expensive.

Ed Storey · #4 21-06-20, 21:12

The two examples at the front gate to CFB Petawawa are in pretty shabby shape and are showing their years of neglect. Here is a photograph taken yesterday of one of the guns.

IMG_4295 copy.jpg

rob love · #5 22-06-20, 01:05

A gallon of paint and a couple hours work would do wonders for those guns Ed. Quite frankly, mine were worse than those, and is coming along nicely, although this is more than cosmetic work.

Wayne Hingley · #6 22-06-20, 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

A gallon of paint and a couple hours work would do wonders for those guns Ed...

A drive-by with the lawn mower wouldn't hurt either... The base maintenance budgets must be under pressure.

Your progress is looking great Rob. Is the second one getting the same treatment?

rob love · #7 22-06-20, 02:31

The second one may end up just getting a general cleanup and being relegated to gate guard duties. Before I worry about it, I need to restore the limber, then assemble the artillery tractor. I expect to be onto the limber this summer, and possibly a start on the gun tractor this fall.