[Bob Carriere]

Hi Paul

I intend to use leather straps.....1/4 inch black harness leather....about 1 1/2 inch wide. Key holes punched in the strap will fit over the pins on the side of your truck... you pull down on the leather strap to stretch the canvas and push on the pin ..... the tension will pull the leather up into the slit just below the hole and stay tight... that is original to the 1939/30 period...... ropes if you loose your tarp in combat and take whatever the QM gives you with ropes.......

There was another version of fastening....... a device shaped like a J that holds the hood and some engine covers on cab 13 where used........ section of rope...tied to the metal device that has a spring for tension and a slot to fit the pins on the box or a hook to the rope fastener hooks on the box.

The original early tarp was designed so the sides could be rolled up to the top and fastened to a leather buckle at the bend of the bows..... front section also rolled up...... at this point in time I am not sure what holds the rolled up tarp to the bows????? your truck will now look like a vegetable delivery truck.... I am not sure if my repro tarp has the roof buckles or not.... if not They will be retro fitted so as to have some shade on the cargo box....

Once at the leather shop for the straps to be sewn in..... I might consider reinforcement/sacrificial strips of canvass or more leather where the tarp rubs on the steel bows.

Do not forget your ropes, if you use them it has to be treated with pine tar, to protect against humidity......Pine tar, available in quart size cans, will also stain your hands everytime you touch them...... or maybe Jordan Baker can share his secret recipe made with a mixture of beeswax,ears wax, and the juice of phoo-phoo pins..... Jordan you there????

Remember leather will stretch with time....canvass will shrink in time and discolor....... patches are battle scars of glory!!!!

Your box looks supper nice!!!!

Cheers