Another rather eventful day. I happen to have a large quantity of half round head rivets but with some small modified press bits and lots of hydraulic power
I can change the head to any shape I want. the top of the intake covers have thin flat tops and the sides are thin mushroom style. As you can see I just put the rivet in a shank sized hole die, set my pressing depth and press away. I could probably do 2-300 per hour if need be. Then I cut them to the required length.

I would think with a large skilled workforce like Vickers would have had eg many toolmakers , fitters and so on, it would have been a fairly quick project. Britain was arguably the leading land of engineering back then . The machine tools they had in the 1930's were pretty damn good . The Germans had invented carbide cutters and others were going ahead with experimenting with carbide cutters . I have an old catalogue of Churchill grinders somewhere, the size and different types of grinders they made is staggering.

Britain had so many machine tool makers it's beyond comprehension.

This is a good insight into it www.lathes.co.uk but even that web site doesn't tell the whole story.

I am trying to replicate all the little parts that may or may not be seen but I still think they're worth doing.

Light at the end of the tunnel for the engine covers now. They are starting to look like 1936 Vickers light tanks. I think I should put their names on them.

One HAS to be called COLIN surely!
Absolutely fantastic, such attention to detail and the craftsmanship required to replicate it all. Totally amazed.
Re machine tools, I did a trade apprenticeship, making our own tools. Sadly a lot of these skills are lacking, but there are some trades (in the UK) still being taught. During my apprenticeship I did some work with a Cincinnati lathe which still had a cast "courtesy of the USA lend lease" on the side.

in an emergency
 

Colin, you do realise that now with our car industry in the toilet the government is going to look towards you and your tank/carrier production lines to meet the nations demands for vehicles at the next war!
:salute: :note: :no4: :no4:

If tanks have personalities, Colin, these two seem to be now at the point where theirs are starting to show again. You may be right in wanting to give them back some of their individual ID's, even if it is just one or two markings in a safe place somewhere on the hulls. Then open a bottle of champagne and welcome them both back!

David

George, somehow "Colin" just doesn't have a ring to it for a tank name but they already have their original military names of "Wombat and Bowerbird"
Ryan' I wait for a call from the Govt :no4:
David, they are at that point now that I think I could say they are back from the dead :thup2:
I have made both rear view mirror and will look around for some rectangle mirrors to put on them.

I'm not sure how you would see behind you as there is a big turret in the way :confused

I know one thing! The bonnet is bloody heavy now and I bet a lot of soldiers got their pinkies squashed lots of times. I can safely say that the engine covers are now complete and they both look like Vickers Mkv1A tanks from the front now :D :D

Colin.

What type, if any, wireless equipment would these tanks have been equipped with, back in their day?

I agree with you the driver's mirror setup looks a bit odd, and I am wondering if it was intended, in the possible absence of any wireless intercom, for the driver to observe hand signals from the tank commander up in the turret?

David

Just beautiful, amazing work! :salute:

Looking really great Colin, well done.

The small rectangular mirrors with a slightly convex glass are a Lucas type 160, they were fitted to most British vehicles from the period and there are plenty of repro ones available online if you can't find originals.

Ben

yet more of the same high quality work From Mr Jones. FANTASTIC work !

David,
The drivers head is quite well back from the front hatch/visor and if the mirror was mounted on the RH side he would not have it in view, so moving it inboard he at least has some view to the right.

regards, Richard

Mirrors
 

Morning Col, Tim Vibert at Empire Trading has these curved mirrors as well as the small trouble lights like the one I found for you.

Hi colin, I had a mirror arm like that, but without the crank in it. It was "TL" numbered and belong to another British tank. I swapped it to a forum member. It folded in the same manner. Easy to see the genealogy.

I'm watching this restoration, Darryl's M8, Jordan's C15A WIRE-3 and many others and can only marvel at the dedication, attention to detail and long days and nights spent in the garage. I wonder, in decades to come when these vehicles pass on to the next generation, if they will have any idea of the work and sweat that went into them. I truly hope so.

Contact
 

Hi Colin

Could you please give me a call on, 8563 2627, Need to run something past you. Thanks mate.

Tony

Possibly a No 11 wireless set, though cannot be sure. Some had a telescopic mounting with a lamp to transmit messages, possibly morse. There was an intercom, depending on the type of radio fitted or (I think) a voice tube.

George.

I know very little about the radios, but the Bovington tank has a mount on it, for the "D" set aerial, which ties in with the 11 set and fits in with pre or early WWII.

I did get some info about the radios in the Vickers and I think it was a No7 set. I was told that they were made in very limited numbers and basically impossible to find. In fact just to find information about the radio itself is also very limited. I guess I won't be having two of those in my tanks.

It is probably a bit premature but I thought I'd do the drivers seat for a bit of change of pace.

Bending the channels took a little while as they need to be quite exacting.

They are a seriously heavy seat.

Luckily I only need to make one as the other I have is the original. I sacrificed one of my G clamps to use the trapezoidal thread as a copy of the original.

I have a couple of pics of the finished seat but for some reason they won't download.

The drivers seats are complete apart from the leatherwork and ready for installation, but not just yet. :)

Wow, great work so far! I am writing an article on early Canadian armour for Warspot.ru, and I'd love to mention your restoration efforts. Where did you get the tanks? Do you know their history up until that point? Any background information on them would be awesome.

Colin,

More likely a No. 101 (Aust) set, which went into quantity production by AWA in 1939/40. There is some info in Wireless for the Warrior Volume 1. The Vickers Mk6A Tanks ended up at the AFV School at Puckapunyal, and there is strong evidence that the WS 101 (Aust) was in use at the school at the same time.

Mike Kelly should be able to provide more details about the set and its Australian production. It was based (?) on the British WS No.1.

Magnificent job you are doing

Mike