Morning David
 

It's always good to hear from you. The iron Fireman says hello, or at least the piles of bits all over the garage do - I'm blasting it by hand one small piece at a time - may have to speed up. The panel van is sitting patiently but I do now have all those bits you sent, just need to get to it.

The Fairlane looks promising, you always did get the most interesting projects, but that is a very sad set of circumstances.

Keep up the good work. and don't forget to show us if anything else military floats past.

regards

Gordon

canvas top frame....
 

Hi,

Got the creative itch this week and decided the C8 needed a canvas top frame. Went with local hardware store materials to make the frame. Rigid pipe threaded electrical conduit, fitting and pre-formed pipe sections were used for the top bows. Normal light weight EMT electrical conduit was used for the horizontal braces. Sure makes the truck look different......I like it! :)

Thanks, David

Geez Louise.....nice job.
 

Wonderful job David.

Can we bother you with some close up of the various joints and overlap and how you squeezed them.

Have you given any thought about the canvas.......?

I have always wondered how the top part of the canvass cover stays on top when the front and both sides are rolled up and tied with a strap. There has to be some kind of leather strap buckle that hold the deiling protion of the tarp in place.

On the side of your box do you have the little metal pegs for the leather straps from the tarp to push on to??

Love that sand-tan colour ....... so different from all the OD green.

PS...just looking at enlargements...... are your pipe joints threaded?????... don't tell me I have to buy more tools!!!!




Cheers

Wow. That looks really good, David.
You do exceptional work!

Bob: Most tarpaulins that I ever saw had the inside straps just above the lateral pipes. When you rolled up the sides the straps went around the lateral sperstructure pipe and then out and up to the top buckles. Same goes for the ends. The act of strapping up the sides holds the tarpaulin in place.

Good visual improvement
 

Canvas has to be next on the list then :cheers:

That's some lovely work, David. Just like Bob I am also very interested to hear and see some more details of the frame.

Well done.

Alex

On the 2A1 the top centre pipe goes inside a built in pocket in the canvas then the pipe bolts in place.

some assembly required.....
 

Thanks all for the replies!

The normal light weight electrical conduit can be bent fairly easy, but was too flimsy to make a decent top frame out of. The rigid conduit I used is heavier and threaded, but not as heavy as iron water pipe.

I borrowed a 3/4-inch pipe threader from my brother, cut and threaded each piece, and used the threaded connectors that are sold to use with this type of conduit to join everything. The curved pieces are sold already bent and threaded, and were the radius I wanted, so that worked out good.

The horizontal top pieces are the normal lighter conduit I flattened with a press to make the connection points with the bows. I used two 1-inch pieces of square bar stock on either side of the pipe to flatten the center connection points.

The rigid conduit is galvanized, so to make the paint stick I brushed on a phosphoric acid "metal prep" solution and waited overnight before painting..

I really haven't decided what to do about the canvas yet....any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks, David

Very nice
 

Looks fantastic. Can you make one for me ? :rolleyes

The plumbers 3/4" gal. pipe is available in 3 wall thickness grades, so I've been told .

I tried a few experiments with a pipe bender on some 3/4 gal but the results were horrible .

The OD of the plumbers pipe here is around 1 and 1/16" . It has a seam internally .

re: the canvas , try to find some very heavy grade canvas , 24 oz, or heavier . I hate the look of thin canvas on these old vehicles , it just doesn't look right . And, don't be too worried about getting the stitching nice and neat , the rougher it looks the better .

frame and canvas....
 

Thanks Mike,

Been browsing photos of the canvas top construction for the C8, and had a question about how it was held down on the sides. The photos show what looks like a metal strap that runs across the lower part of the canvas. Does this strap hold the canvas to the framework? If so, how?

Also been looking for canvas material, and the heaviest canvas I can find in the color I want is 12oz.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...n?cm_vc=-10005

Does anyone have a source for 24oz canvas in tan?

These canvas framework and canvas are fairly complicated for the 8cwt trucks. Still have to make the four folding legs for the framework, but I think I have that worked out.......maybe. :doh:

Thanks, David

I'm not sure of whether the shade of tan matches your need but these people advertise #8 or 18 oz. canvas in tan as well as OD. http://www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-...anvas-duck-tan
They sell as heavy as #1 or 30 oz. but anything heavier than 18 oz. is "natural" so you would have to find a way to get it dyed.

thanks...
 

Thank you Grant,

I was on that site yesterday and didn't see their 18oz canvas, so very glad you pointed it out!

Thanks again, David

Canvas things
 

My canvas quest is a bit different as I am fitting a C15a but early cab 11 design with the side leather straps fitting on the pins located on the side of the 2B1 box.

I do have a canvas that was made up some years ago in a project championed by Stew Loy. I will be modifying it so the sides can be rolled up leaving just the top for shade. I will not go as far as installing the side windows which on factory pictures look like a copper screen mesh.

Thanks Rob for explaining how the straps are installed.... that makes it a lot easier to retro fit.

David......canvas of good quality is now very hard to find as most is woven off shore in cheap labour areas. A lot of the better one is coming in from India but the heaviest I have seen avaialble is 18 OZ.... finding a distributor that will sell you a few yards is not easy since they order the material in large quantity...... 100 or 500 yards roll.

I know Stew had a hard time getting enough guys to buy in so as to meet the order for the minimum yardage. Mind you tan may be easier than dark OD green. And what ever color you get will bleach out after one Texas Summer so even the current orange canvas will eventually fade to some tan shade. You no doubt will need only a small quantity of canvas as the shelter is small but will require a lot of fancy sewing...... but you have tackled worst before.

I beleive Grant, from the barn, has found some 18 oz OD for his seat covers and will ask him what other shades are available and who has it.

Sure looks funny when the truck drives away and the canvas shelter stays behind.

Cheers

PS I was typing sooo slow Grant passed me in the curve

Thanks Bob,

A top with the sides rolled up would suit me fine also. I'm just after a little shade myself..

Here in the summer, there are very few military events to attend, so I take the C8 to local car shows a lot. About an hour into it I'm looking for a rock to crawl under just to find some shade. A simple canvas top would do wonders....

Thanks, David

thank you!
 

Thank you David for the link to that thread, It answers a lot of questions about the canvas and fasteners. I was going to go with the lift-the-dot fasteners for the canvas, but now will go another way...

So, the personnel version of this top didn't have the folding legs? If so, that's fine by me....less stuff to build and I don't intend on it being a wireless truck.

Thanks again, David

legs
 

My Morris still has the folding leg mechanism . I can take pics for you , its pretty simple . You have the Duple body which is pretty much identical to the Morris body

Not sure about that metal bar that holds the canvas along the sides , this was used on the Canadian built 8 cwt bodies , not sure about the Duple bodies, need to look at some pics of Duple bodies Mike

On my top hoops the holes to hold the sides down are threaded 1/4" NC and are spaced 7" apart.

Wow congratulation, that was great work! I love how beautiful it looks now! :thup2: :thup2:

Thanks for taking the time to share more of your experience with constructing a frame for the 8cwt, David.

Indeed, the pictures seem to suggest that only the Wireless trucks had the poles on the sides and the personnel versions didn't....but Mike makes a fair comment...I am not sure if this applies for the Duple bodies.

Alex

Looks great :cheers:
Whole truck has come up a gem
Love your work David :salute:

thanks....
 

Thanks everyone for the help and kind words!

I think I might not go with the folding legs since it won't be equipped as a wireless truck,(at least for now),plus I have plans for the area where the legs would go....

I may make brackets off the sides of the rear body to hold a pair of sand channels/ladders. The channels haven't been made yet, but it is on my mind, which brings my next question.....

Does anyone have an original sand channel to get the dimensions from?

Thanks again, David

Hi,

It's been a while since I've posted with progress on the C8. Been taking it to shows for the past couple of years, but thought it needed something new...

I got the itch to put a ws19 set on the truck. Bought a cheap transceiver, and figured I was half way to a complete set...boy, was I wrong! :doh:

Anyway, here is where the set is as of today. Still need some cables and such, but now see light at the end of the tunnel..

The transit chest is probably not correct for war-time use, but it certainly is handy. Original Bren chest hardware on it courtesy of Rob Love.

Thanks, David

Nice on on the chest.
 

Gald you are still alive and kicking.

There were some kind of similar chest used by the military late in the war....some black and white picture showing them stacked up like cord wood.

The old style hardware makes it look good.

Bob C

Nice on on the chest.
 

Glad to see you are still alive and kicking.

There were some kind of similar chest used by the military late in the war....some black and white picture showing them stacked up like cord wood were posted on the forum at one time.

The old style hardware makes it look good.

Bob C

G'Day David
 

Great to hear from you again on the forum David.

Truck does look amazing and the additional equipment certainly adds to it, no doubt about it.

Is the old beast driving well?

Keep posting your progress please. I really enjoy reading it

Hi Bob and Tony, and thanks for the replies.

Bob,

Yes, I saw some photos of a similar box also, (I think they were post-war Italian), and that gave me the idea to make one. It will work well for me as I can take the entire radio and all components off the truck in just a few minutes when needed.. We have an event and parade coming up here in a couple of weeks for Medal of Honor recipients, so I can easily yank the whole set out to give people a place to sit.

Tony,

The truck drives OK, but am getting a deep, low knock in the engine before oil pressure comes up when starting cold. I think it is a main bearing. I will keep nursing it with "motor honey" this show season, and pull it in the fall. Luckily, I have a customer who is giving me his rebuilt 235 when I install a V-8 in his '54 Chevy, so I will have a new motor waiting...

Thanks, David

Excellent Thread ! !
 

David I have just spent a enjoyable and informative time reading your restoration you have answered so many of the questions I have had since I got my own Cab 12 I shall be continually referring to your story along the way of my own restoration. Thanks Mate and this truly is an awesome forum ! :salute: what happened next .......?

Hello Clive,

Sorry for the slow response. Glad you found some information you can use on this thread!

The truck is still up and running, and still taking it out to events regularly..

This weekend is the Commemorative Air Force Wings over Dallas event.
https://wingsoverdallas.org/

..almost got rained-out, but weather is clearing for tomorrow, so have a soggy truck on a trailer awaiting 5:00 am to head out...