Mk1 rifle rests

[RichardT10829]

guys can anyone possibly measure up the top angle irons that hold the wooden rails onto the armour on a mk1 for me please ? now that all my armour is back on i need to get the rails fitted.


also the radio battery box what thickness is the steel ? 5mm ? 8mm?



Cheers in advance guys


Richie

[Jordan Baker]

There is a previous thread on the radio box if you do some searchs. I also think the rifle rest measurements are in some of the armour threads.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ighlight=radio

[RichardT10829]

cheers i had a look under armour and also rifle rests but could only find stuff on the engine cover rest. i will keep searching

[RichardT10829]

Thanks for the phone call Shaun. 50mm x 50mm it is.... will get some stock ordered toot sweet.


Cheers

[Lynn Eades]

I did a post for you yesterday only to find its not there.
I have a a Brit one (TL13099) which would be imperial sized 2"x2" x 1/8" thick.(51 x 51 x3mm)
The Battery box lid is 3.7mm Nominally 4.0mm. the sides and rear are 6.0mm. If you want any photos, sing out.

[Ben]

It's the wooden part that i think will be the tricky bit to get to look right. Were they bolted on with counterbored holes to let the head of the bolt sit flush? also was the wood left natural or painted to match the carrier.

I'd imagine the wood needs to be pretty hard to stop it denting and marking too easily.

Ben

[Lynn Eades]

As far as I know, they were all rubber until the change over to the Mk II.
The rubber rests have a counterbore with cheese head screws in them. The rubber has a steel base to it. The wood is a good substitute for a rubber rest which is a hard to get item, here at least.

[RichardT10829]

I had thought the rails on the Mk1s were wooden (except the early ones which were rubber) so I am glad you shouted up Lynn... i was going to make them out of wood but I may have to have a re think. i beleive if i recall correctly the carriers with the rubber rails also had rubber step pads on the rear steps (rather than the diamond plate)

mine being a 42 carrier may be considered later production so perhaps i will get away with the wooden variant rails.

[Ben]

I thought early ones were wood!

Nigel's book (not to hand) shows a very early British MK1 on the first MK 1 page and i'm sure the rails are wood. Eddy's Canadian carrier has the small pressed trays and rubber rails from memory. Perhaps it's a British/Canadian thing?

Ben

[Lynn Eades]

No Ben, its not a Brit / Canadian thing The British rubber rests are a higher profile than the Canadian ones. I'm not saying wood was not used. It may have been a rubber shortage thing. The steel tube on the MkII was an obvious answer.
For someone doing a restoration, I would suggest the wood as a good option. easy to do, durable and looks the part. A bit of polished Jarrah would be great!
I have posted on the differences, but can do photos if someone wants them.

Rich, I do have a used rubber step insert. Until you just mentioned it, I never knew anything about a "checker plate" (grip tread) metal step insert.
We are all learners.

[rob love]

The rubber rear steps from the early mk1 Cdn carriers were replaced in production with steel checkerplate. The rubber firing rests were also replaced in production with wooden examples. The rubber straps which were used on the various brackets to hold in stores were replaced with canvas straps. Even the rubber tube from the air cleaner to the carb was replaced with a combination of short rubber tubes and a length of steel tubing. All would have been to reduce the amount of rubber required. I seem to recall even the track return wheels having reduced amounts of rubber on them over the production years.

I have seen the wooden firing rests fully marked with the FMco makers mark, the date and the CTL part numbers. They were a factory item.

[RichardT10829]

Rob thats great news then....wooden rests it is then.

[Lynn Eades]

Thanks for that. 2 questions.
1. What was the wood? (because of course it would never had been Jarrah)
2 What was the finish on the wood? (paint,oiled etc)

[Ben]

I'd really like to see an original wooden rest if anyone has one. They must be one of the first parts to rot away if the carrier has been left outside.

Ben

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Thanks for that. 2 questions.
1. What was the wood? (because of course it would never had been Jarrah)
2 What was the finish on the wood? (paint,oiled etc)

The wood was painted flat green. I am wood type illiterate. I have no idea what the wood was. I have always used oak to replace it. If I recall, Brian Asbury had some NOS wood pieces, complete with part numbers.

[shaun]

it could be cedar wood as in "you take the paint off you SEE DA wood" - Joke !