Some many threads ago, one of the West Australians (Rod, Wayne, anyone?) posted on the Networks54 Forum that they still had one of the casting patterns for track links from the State Engineering Works production of WA carriers. I know that pattern making is something of a craft with every dimension being oversize and different thicknesses to allow for cooling and shrinkage. Wouldn't life be easier with an original pattern mould?
I'd probably prefer original links, or new links cast from ORIGINAL steel, as today's steel alloys are c*** compared to that of the 40's. China gets the good stuff and gives us the slag.
ADI Lithgow was casting and machining the track links for the Aust fleet of M113 carriers at one stage, and would still have the capability to cast (and source?) the malleable cast iron.
|