Bren carrier dash
 

Research dash ( box) I have speedo and switch

Is this for sale, are you looking for parts, I am a little confused..

I think Francis is looking for a dash like the one in the photo (which is my dash - I had reversed the ID plate when I had it on display as part of a challenge to identify a collection of various dash boards at one of our local Ontario shows). The data plate reads: Universal Carrier, No.2 MK.II*. .... Brian

OK gotcha, can't help with the dash, but Dirk L has the speedo and most of the other gauges in stock.

Hmmm... Is Francis really looking for a MK-II* dash, or is he doing a MK-I* NO-2 mortar carrier, which used the dash common to Canadian production dash panels? I.E.: not the British supplied dash for the first series of Canadian production?

This MK-II* dash does not have the starter button used on each of the three models of MK-I* series and the transistion NO-2 series, more common in the production run of 3" mortar carriers.

The MK-I* and NO-2 carriers did not have fuel tank sending units so no need for either fuel gauges or left/right side fuel tank selector switch. Early Canadian made MK-I* dash have a horn button opening, which was blanked off before being replaced by later production where it was deleted altogether.

Doug Lavoie supplied the details to the laser cutters in Edmonton who can make the correct dash, complete with the instrument bezels and the instrument panel light mounting bracket.

Brian Asbury had the correct lids (four bolt top) that does not fit on the later NO-2 MK-II* dash panel lid which has two bolts, as well as being slightly different shape.

Richie H. made copies of the correct speedometer face, (all black), for the pre April, 1943 MK-I* speedometer. The superb MK-I* in the Ditsong museum in Joburg, SA is an example of the two-tone speedo face in a 1943 period MK-I* carrier.

Watch out if you are opening up the carrier speedometers for face changes. The speedometer is the one gauge on the Cdn carrier that contains radium. We had a guy out from Ottawa swiping some of our various gauges the other day and we discovered this. Grizzly owners also take note: his little hand held meter sung off the chart when it went near that set of gauges.

Just going to echo Rob's comments on the radium. I had the hazmat guys at work check some of my WW2 stuff (pocket watch and luminous disk). The radiation given off by our samples at work read 0.3mSv/hr where's my WW2 stuff with Radium in it gives off 7.5-10+ mSv/hr. Our equipment was also picking up readings about 3-4 feet away. Also be aware that the radium has a half life of 1600 years and our stuff has only be around for 75 or so years of that. The Radium also gives off all three types of radiation. It's mostly Alpha with some Betta and Gamma. Now saying all this our techs told me so long as you don't have daily continuos contact all should be good.

I'm not going to stop handling all this stuff but I'm definitely more aware then I was before. Basically don't take things apart that have it inside of it. Ingesting the particles could lead to cancers my years down the road.

When I say it is only on the carrier speedometers, that is providing you are only using Canadian gauges. If you have put US pattern gauges as replacement for the temp, ammeter etc, then all bets are off. I believe we did find a bit of radiation on some of the US pattern vehicles with similar size gauges. Not all, but some.....

Since the building I work in is not normally open to the public, we do not have to take on much for extra precautions. An interactive display would be a different story.

radiation hazzard
 

Everything you never wanted to know about radiation.
I spent a year in Toronto working in a materials hazard lab. Rad hazards, PCB's toxic metals, fun stuff.
http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/resou...us-devices.cfm

Folks,

Its the paint that falls off and rests in the bottom of the gauge.
The Radium causes the paint to glow, after many years of bombardment, the paint flakes and falls off. The radium itself does not glow!
Also, Radium is an Alpha emitter. Google is your friend.


FYI,
Harris
(Nuclear Operator, Bruce Power)

How good is glass at reducing the radiation? I was told once that the radium toggle switches on 19 sets with the glass beads were OK but not so much if the bead was missing.

Francis: you need to indicate what model dash you are looking for. It would be helpful to know what your project carrier details are.