VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Bob Carriere]

....... if it ever leaks you will come out fried like a peanut!!!!

My assumption is based on all the leaks on my old Massey tractor.... mind you my oil lines are all over 40+ years old.

As always following your progress with envy!!!! ...both your weather and your skills.

Bob C.

[colin jones]

Bob, one would hope I don't get a big enough leak that cooks me like a peanut. When I first read your post I thought you were asking weather I had the skills You'd have a birthday coming up soon too Bob
As I have changed what engine that is going in this tank, I have changed the oil, filter and anything else before it goes in, I realized I never had a removable plate at the bottom for access to the sump plug. It is now done and I had to redo the exhaust and make a new flange bracket and weld in place.

[colin jones]

Fabricated a new accelerator pedal as per the original. I am ever so lucky to have so many original parts to reuse and to copy. They were certainly made to not fail as they are very precise and strong.

[colin jones]

It will be of course spring loaded and I am waiting on my new throttle cable to connect to my newly fitted linkage. Even though it is hydraulic, I still want the benefit of an accelerator pedal for speed as well as the tillers.

[Bob Carriere]

.... I am always amazed at all the things that you have designed, fabricated and installed.....

And yes that removable bottom cover to do oil changes will be appreciated in the months to come....... n hope that it is a better design than the 261 Chev engine that I transplanted in the C15a.... the plug is directly in line with the front driveshaft and I have to use a section of sheet metal to flow the oil in the basin. It would have been so easy to modify the oil pan drain location when I rebuilt the engine....... now I just live with it.

Yup in January I will stop washing.......and be a dirty old man!!!!!!

Keep up the good work.

Bob C

[Grant Bowker]

Either stop moaning Bob or tell everyone how much you love changing the oil in your modern Ford. Sideways pointing plug and if the lateral jet doesn't get you, the spray as it hits undercarriage parts will. You would have thought they could have learned how to set up for oil changes sometime in the lase 80 years or so....

[colin jones]

I'm making a copy of the hand brake mechanism with I will have the lever connect to a hyd port so it will operate the same. And a pic or my loyal mans best friend who shadows me everywhere

[colin jones]

I'm probably creating work for myself that is not really necessary but it just feels appropriate.

[colin jones]

There is a lot of small parts that will never be seen but it's just part of the process.

[colin jones]

All that's left is the internal spring loaded stop locator which will be half a day I'm sure

[jack neville]

Sometimes it is just the satisfaction of doing it Colin.
Very nice .

[colin jones]

Hey Jack, you are absolutely correct. I have to admit, I made the handle 3 times cause I just wasn't happy enough Now I am.

[colin jones]

I made a lever for the other end but I still need to work out what to do there. The final drives are fitted with a park brake that is held on with a spring valve and needs low pressure to release it. I just need to have a look in my never throw away anything hydraulic area for a suitable part . Anyway I'm happy with the result, it fits, it's painted and another step done. The list is still long but heading the right direction all the time.

[colin jones]

It's that time of the year when people go on holidays and if you don't have some things you need then you just gotta wait but that's ok, I just adjusted my direction and do some of the internal. I have enough or the original base to reproduce but not to use. It is all 2mm ally and they certainly used their aviation manufacture at it's best.

[colin jones]

They used a tongue and slot system to join parts and also rivets. Obviously when you set jigs for multiples then everyone will be precise. I am doing two individually but being extra careful to reproduce them with accuracy. I have many many dies for my punch but only one slot punch but how happy was I that it happened to be the right one After the parts are made, it is a simple operation of fit and bend the tabs alternately. Anyway it's a good change and it had to be done some time. There is quite a bit of steel threaded mounting block to make and rivet to the ally which is fiddly but very effective.

[colin jones]

I have now completed all components for this section of the turret base area x 2. Being aluminium, it is a lot lighter to handle and work with.

[colin jones]

My first thought of the tag and slot system was way over the top but the assembly was way quick once the parts were done. Some parts were rivetted but cleco clamps make that part easy. After I finished one, I gave it a test fit and all was good.

[colin jones]

I have posted a couple of pics of the original componentry I have and I can't help keep saying how lucky I am to have these parts. I just don't know how I could have done this with photos or measurements alone. Anyway you can see what I have to make next and I will have to make it around one of the original turret baskets I have otherwise it just won't turn properly.

[David Dunlop]

Must be a nice change from all the steel work, Colin.

Does the surviving documentation explain what all the bins are used for in the tank?

David

[colin jones]

Hi David, yes it is quite refreshing using different material and joining methods as well as doing some nitty gritty stuff too😊 I don't have actual documentation of the use of those very specific areas, but what I can say it the Vickers .303 tins fit nicely in there and the slightly wider ones I will assume they will take to Vickers .5 tins which I don't have any but if ANYONE has some spares, please let me know.

[colin jones]

Just to show the type of ammo tins used. Now that they are in place, I can see why there is a handle on the front of that type as compared to the standard leather handled type that do not.

[colin jones]

Another couple of parts finished

[James P]

Originally Posted by colin jones

I have posted a couple of pics of the original componentry I have and I can't help keep saying how lucky I am to have these parts. I just don't know how I could have done this with photos or measurements alone. Anyway you can see what I have to make next and I will have to make it around one of the original turret baskets I have otherwise it just won't turn properly.

As usual your work is stellar and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the time, effort and skills you are pouring into this project that is a true Legacy project. I fully get it about no matter how far gone a part or piece is it still holds a ton of value telling your locations for holes, shapes, radiuses, etc. I resorted to gluing huge flakes of rust together to determine a radius on one project. Looking forward to further posts of your work and the bring back to life of the tanks.

[colin jones]

Thankyou very much James, I appreciate you comment and I certainly agree that no matter how small the part is, it can hold vital information. Sometimes you don't know what a small part is until you get to certain stages and things just fall into place. I am at that stage right now. There are some small round wooden blocks bolted into the bin parts I am doing and I had no information as to their use until David Dunlop asked me if I had info of each bin use. After getting a Vickers ammo tin and putting it into the original part, I then realized they were spacer blocks for the .303 tins and could be unscrewed for the .5 tins. So that was great for me to find a use for them and now I will be making some of them as well. So a big thanks to David for asking the question
Anyway I had to make the rear door that has a pressing in it so I decided to make a press set for them. I need 1 for each tank and there is another door above which after these are pressed out and completes I can easily modify the press set to make a smaller pressing for the above door and then just de-weld the material for another use. As it is only aluminium, it will probably only take 15 or so tonne to form it and my pressbrake is a 40 tonner so there will be plenty of power.

[colin jones]

I am happy"ish" with the result but have to manage the stretching that occurred. It's not too difficult but quite time consuming to fix and manage. There is also a rolled wire edge that is in sections so that is another part to do and it incorporates a double slide pin for locking. One good thing of having a press set is, no matter how many you do they will all be the same.�� I'm about 80% on one door and will finish the other one tomorrow.

[Mike Cecil]

The originals were probably formed using a die set in a hydraulic double-action press: the first part of the very slow stroke clamps the entire sheet flat, the second part is the actual forming die that stretches the material to shape. The clamping before forming prevents the sheet from wrinkling around the edges and away from the forming die.

It always amazed me just how far the right material can be stretched - deep stainless steel wash-up sinks, for example, are/were done this way.

Amazing work, Colin. Very, very skilful.

Do you have an original .50" Vickers ammunition box to use as a sample?

Mike

[Bob Carriere]

....... Eventually when I tackle the restoration of my CMP trailer I will need to do similar indentations, in a sun burst fashion, on the front head board of the trailer box........ now I know how.....

When is the real issue !!!!!!

How did you resolve the warping that resulted from the stretching of the sheet metal????? my piece will be narrow but long...about 30 inches x 80 inches...... 14 gauge..... top edge and side ends will be prebent in a double return box shape.......at a fabricator and will add stiffness.

Cheers

[colin jones]

Thankyou Mike and Bob, I could have mostly eliminated the warping by making a different bottom die. I should not have just done a narrow perimeter form as that is what created the warp. Instead it should have been the full size of my pressing area as that puts the same pressure everywhere. I guess I was just a bit slack really . The better way would have been to mill the shape I wanted into a thicker piece of metal as that would cover all areas or plug weld a laser/plasma sheet on the top. Either way it was just lack of support and I knew it would happen but being aluminium it is easier to shrink and stretch.
This is a problem when using bead rollers as that too creates stretching. As I am no panel beater, YouTube is a valuable source of information but I used a rubber mallet to shrink and stretch the material. Not as easy task on steel. The dies I made to press my bottom engine covers were heavy and pressed the entire area of the covers so I got very minimal distortion.
The wire rolled edge certainly stiffens it up and I clamped the whole thing down before I formed the edges. I learn a bit more each time I make things like this.
Oh, and Mike! No I don't have any .50 Vickers ammo boxes�� unfortunately and would be very happy to do a deal with anyone that has some�� Please��

[jack neville]

I can recommend Mikes advice Colin. Sandwich the ally between two plates, secured by any means and you will get no warpage. I did this tool box lid for the Walker Bulldog resto project that Weapsim did for the Cairns tank museum.
i couldn't get enough pressure at 100 tons in one go so had to step it along.
Still came out neatly.

[jack neville]

Hope you dont mind the intrusion Colin.
Unlike most following this thread I was lucky enough to have seen these Vickers tanks in the flesh before any work was undertaken and the sheer amount of creativity and brilliance going into these projects has been nothing short of outstanding.