2012 at the Hammond Barn

[RHClarke]

Another year just flew past, and the New Year is already underway. You can expect more fun and games from the Hammond gang in 2012. This year we plan to gain more progress on our truck restorations and increase the back 40 follies from two CMPs to three with Grant's truck on the road.

Photo - Tell tale traces of fun.

[Phil Waterman]

Was wondering if we would have the next season in that great reality program the Hammond Barn.

You guys are far better than TV you have a new installment nearly everyday while television is lucky if they can get out 26 new episodes.

Cheers Phil

[cliff]

I have made this new 2012 thread a sticky one and unstickied the 2011 barn one guys. Phil I'll do the same with yours when you start a new 2012 one.

[RHClarke]

With the young fellow away at camp (school break - for the teachers not for us), the better half working, and being a gummint employee (of sorts), what better way to spend the day than at the Hammond Barn?

There I met two other gummint employees (real civil servants) and we embarked on a number of small projects. Bob and Grant assembled a set of shelves to help keep things organized, and did some wiring, while I played with my Bronco hinge set.

The last attempt to free the hinge pin met with failure, so today, I drilled out the pin. The first attempt at drilling went OK, and when I repeated the process for the bottom half, things also went well. I took the hinge set to the vice to attempt to knock out the rest of the pin which resided in the center loop. While trying to rotate one of the hinge arms, the arm came free. Seems we busted up the pin while pounding on it yesterday. The upper and lower remnants of the pins were drifted out with ease. The center portion did not want to leave home. It was heat treated again and then came free after a few hits on the drift.

The next stage of the operation was to drill the hole slightly oversized to accept a nice stainless steel rod as a replacement pin. The holes drilled out quite nicely and the steel rod fit just like it was supposed to. I rounded over the top portion of the steel pin and reattached the hinge set to the rear door. Once the door was properly set in the opening, the inside hinge arms were then center punched. The hinges were removed and the center punched marks were drilled out. The tap finished off the job.

After reattaching the hinges to the door (for what seems to have been the twentieth time), the door was put back into the opening with vice grips holding the hinges to the frame. Three large flat head screws were turned into each hinge – I have to admit, my alignment was not spot on, so one set of screws needed to be “convinced” into their respective holes. Once in place, the door opened and closed for the first time in over seven years.

Now that the Bronco hinges have been modified after some intense effort, I am sure that a set of rear door hinges will fall into my lap in the near future. It is part of the Hammond Barn DNA not to let a scarcity of parts keep us from the ultimate goal. I think good things will happen in 2012 - unless you are Incan...

Photos:

1 - Outside view of the "new" hinges
2 - Lower configuration
3 - Upper configuration - the rear wall-mounted seat brackets are visible in this pic

[RHClarke]

The weather this morning was wonky at best, and dangerous at its worse. We had a light dusting of snow last night that was followed by a bout of freezing rain. It took quite a lot of effort to clear the driveway this morning. I got to the barn late only to find Bob sitting by Lucifer reading porn (a CMP manual). Not much happened before lunch, and after lunch Grant joined us.

Again, Bob and Grant were fixated on racks – not the kind young fellows think about, but equipment racks. They fabbed up a rack that eventually got bolted to the rear wall. After that fun Grant kept busy dashing about – in fact he disassembled four dashes this afternoon. As with all things CMP, differences soon appeared – Grant can fill in blanks on this one.

My afternoon was spent clearing snow and ice from the shelters, doing some sandblasting and fixing a window throw out arm off of the 42 Pilot Model. One of the four arms was broken. Another had been repaired with a very nice weld job, so I called in my expert to fix the break in the arm. Bob did a great job aligning the metal and flattening out ends so that they matched. A few zaps later and a quick session with the grinder, the arm looked ready for use.

Like all things we enjoy, time at the barn went by in a flash, and I headed back to Ottawa for my domestic duties.


Photos:

1 - Bob playing with a nice rack
2 - Mr Dash
3 - Pilot Model window throw out arm - before
4 - Arm - during
5 - Arm - after

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Guys

Been off line for a couple of days rebuilding computer so it was good to see somebodies weekend was productive.

Looking at the first picture wondered about the rack material, is the local super market missing a bunch of carts? Whats the English term for them? Trollies?

Good work on repairing the windscreen arms. I'll have to dig out the pictures for creating them from scratch with a plasma cutter. Mine on the Pattern 12 were so far gone had to create new ones.

Keep up the good work

Cheers Phil

[RHClarke]

Not much to report from the barn - I didn't make it to Hammond this weekend for various reasons. Bob and Grant will have to fill in any details - particularly concerning Bob's latest science project.

This Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 2958 Manotick Army Cadet Corps (1st Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA) Annual Review. As usual, Mike Calnan, or as we all know him, Gunner was there supporting the Corps with anti tank guns and other museum artefacts.

The attached photo demonstrates the dress code for drivers at the Swords and Ploughshares Museum. You will notice that Mike is holding onto the truck to prevent tipping over to his left side (note the various counterweights on his chest).

A "BZ" to the Cadet Corps and Gunner for a great show today.

[Gunner]

Annual Review?... and I thought all those people marching about in uniform were there to celebrate my birthday!

It was a great parade and the cadets did a bang up job. Their drill was quite good and none jumped when the 6 pounder minute gun barked out!

Unfortunately, Rob, who commanded the Corps a few years ago, couldn't stick around for the post parade birthday beer (after the cadets were all gone, of course!).

For those who are wondering, our CCKW is painted up as a Royal Canadian Horse Artillery gun tractor in Korea.

Mike

[RHClarke]

Guess what Bob is up to with this slab of concrete located at the entrance to the barn.

Photos
1 - Slab east end
2 - Slab west end
3 - The boys at work

[peter simundson]

.......someone under the slab!

I can think of 3 or 4 candidates.

Peter S

[Bob Carriere]

.... they are still looking for her......

....... I just could not afford the postage to ship her all over the country !!!!!


Or is it an ALTAR.......

.......will be offering sacrifices to the CMP GODS.....


,,,,,, was going to do the whole barn but 8 bags was all I could afford !!!!


It will be the corner stone....pun fully intended.... to sorting out the twist in my frame.

I went to an old guys who assesses cars that have been declared "total wrecks" and later rebuilt for the road. It is a costly deal but if one finds the right damaged car that has been written off and fix it.... he will certify that it has been repaired according to specs and a new registration tag can then be issued for licensing and street use.

I explained the twist in my cab 11 frame..... the fact that the front cross member and middle engine support cross member had been remomved and replaced.....yada yada yadda.....

He told me two things..... I can fix it for you but it will cost you over $1500...... or I can tell you how to do it. Being cheap and loving a challenge ....... I izz gunna do it.

The whole process is 90% labour, 9 % sweat and one percent common sense.

I can always borrow common sense from Rob and Grant,,,,, 0,5 % each should not be toooo much.

I first need a suitable....almost perfectly level surface to work from.......


........ therefore the cement slab wide enough for the front axle.....

Plans are as follows....

Position the frame centred front axle on the slab.

Jack up rear axle on axle stands and level as necessary

Remove the front tires and position the front axle on small/low axle stands perfectly level the stands using sheet metal shim if necessary.

The concrete slab serves as a reference point for all vertical measurements.

Set a level on the frame and record amount of twist
.....left side...pass side from the front is high by 1.5 inches

Measure everything twice and record measurments
....front most frame horn to the floor

....spring to the floor

....axle .... each side to the floor.

Once everything has been measured and photographed.....

Plan "A"
remove spring packs and switch sides

Measure, record, photograph

if changes are positive leave as is.... or reverse if the twist is worst.

Plan "B"
Loosen all the grade 8 bolts to the front cross member and to the mid section engine support cross member..... also remove the bolted floor plates.... may need to loosen engine motor mount bolts as well....

Observe, measure, record and photograph

Plan "B -1 ..... optional to get drunk if it has not partly self corrected by now.

Plan "C"

The old guy says with the weight of the engine tranny it may self correct or at least visibly improve and noticeable in the measurments.

OR..... I may have to impose a reverse twist in the frame and see if by over correcting I can slowly relax the frame to a near level.

It will take time....... and tie up the barn for quite a few weeks/months.

My goal is to get within 1/4 inch level across the front frame horn....

Then I will have a reasonable straight surface to bolt on the sheet metal.


Way back when I took the frame apart for sandblasting and to replace the rusted cross members I did have difficulty getting the new crossmembers back in place..... pry bars were used to line up the bolt holes.

When the bare frame was resting on large saw horse stands there was a noticable twist in the front half part of the frame ...... I assumed wrongly that all the weight of the engine, etc. would bring it down.....dum !!!

Original pictures of the truck BEFORE disassembly showed that it was much more level than now......

So it will be a learning experience to try.... measure....tweak....measure....
swear some...... measure..... tweak some more...... and retighten real fast before the wind shifts.... !!!!!

.... it will keep me out of the local bars for a while.

As usual will post my progress .... or frustrations.

Bob

[8threcce]

In the last picture I see you Boys working on the nose, see that the hood is removed.
Just my question, I'm looking for a new hinge on my hood, do you have a good spare or a source for a repro..?

Thanks

Pieter

[Grant Bowker]

When I got the truck it was in many pieces. The hood is one of the pieces, but I have never installed it so far. Would it help if I photograph the hinge to give an idea of shape and size to help you searching for a modern equivalent?