Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Attachment 76621 Attachment 76622
Is this what you mean, Mike?

Ýes that's the idea but I made one myself and you can too.

re the slowing down of the motor, it's a 240V single phase induction motor and if you use one of those light dimmers the motor will heat up and possibly be damaged .

You could use a 3 phase motor and buy a 3 phase inverter , I use them on my lathes and they work great ... they are available on ebay about 150$ for a 3hp unit . The inverter has variable speed control for the motor , basically its a microprocessor controller with software that has many parameters you can change eg ramp up/down speed and much more. The inverter runs from 240 V single phase and generates 3 phase 240V . The most common brand is HUANYANG .

[Private_collector]

Here's the options on ebay. The sewing machine shops may have other items I don't yet know about. I will look into those in coming days.
IMG_20151006_184622.jpg
The gear reduction option above, is available in USA. Including postage it is $433 AUD.
IMG_20151006_184728.JPG
This next type is $190 AUD, including postage. To me, this option doesn't look sufficiently heavy duty to last the distance. The base just seem strong enough to take the strain of a couple of well tensioned belts. I may be wrong, but it's a lot of money to spend on the off chance.
IMG_20151006_184847.jpg
This motor is same type as mine is, but it is only half the rpm. That's a 50% decrease straight off the bat, and may be slow enough for me. The auction for this motor had no Buy It Now price, and if no-one else outbids, it would cost $70. Another similar motor has Buy It Now of $295. It is in Australia (Vic. to be exact), but shipping cost not stated.
IMG_20151006_184946.jpg
This is a speed reducer similar to what was recently mentioned. It is listed at $32.24 AUD, with Free Postage! It comes from Hong Kong, and I have concerns that this sort of device may damage the motor, as I have not found mention anywhere reputable, indicating this mod is an option. If it was a good option, surely somebody somewhere would be spruking the virtues (other than the seller!) I would be very reluctant to try this device without getting the nod from a qualified electrician who is familiar with all the possible outcomes.
IMG_20151006_185115.jpg
This is the kind of motor I was thinking of buying in the future.. It costs $440 AUD, including postage from within Australia. The postage component is actually $18.10. It is a 750w motor, and is speed variable, though the listing does not state to what degree. One of the eBay images shows the data plate on motor, and it says output is 550w, not 750! What IS STATED is that sewing machines with an oil pump (which mine is) should be "run at higher speed on a regular basis to circulate oil". This is something I hadn't thought about, and adds another dimension to consider.

I would not be comfortable with making my own speed reduction device. My welding and engineering skills are very limited. The reality is, I could do more harm than good, and there is a fair chance of that being the case. I'm just not that talented.

The 3 phase thing sounds scary, and a lot of work that I don't want to go to. Far too lazy to reinvent the wheel, or in this case...the electron. I don't mean any offence by this. I'm just not anywhere near as talented as some of you folks are. I need to keep things simple. Sure, I can put a coat of paint on a panel, and apply body filler as well as anyone (though I HATE panelbeating), but on the really clever things I'm often out of my depth, and I need to acknowledge that, so I don't do damage. Eg: My welding has the ability to replicate, in hot metal, a very close resemblence to human vomit, only on a smaller scale! I'm getting better, but nowhere near good enough to weld structurally sound. Therefore, I get someone else to do that for me, then I don't have to worry about catastrophic failure of my own cause.

Getting back to electrons: Two atoms were walking down the street, when one suddenly stops and looks around, then says Oh My, I Think I Have Lost an Electron. The other atom asks Are You Sure? To which, the first atom says, Yes....I'm Positive!!

Why is nothing ever easy?

[Private_collector]

How does the weather always know when to play up? I got the second pair of my 16" wheels back from the local sandblaster on Wednesday, and intended to paint the inner surfaces today. On cue, today was overcast (OK by me.) with slight but transient and unpredictable drizzle from approximately the time I considered getting the wheels out of the workshop. Incidentally, each wheel set cost me only $20 to blast. I think thats a good deal, and unlike the clowns I used in previous years (now gone bum up) they have things finished when they say they will be ready. They don't leave freshly blasted and unprimed parts out in the rain either.
dsc_1265-resized-960.jpg dsc_1266-resized-960.jpg dsc_1267-resized-960.jpg dsc_1268-resized-960.jpg
No matter I can't paint today. I have other things to turn to, including adding footman loops to the front of my fake gun shield, and cutting some of the holes needed. I made the sight apeture sliding door many weeks ago, but only now getting around to making the hole in the shield it covers. I still have to attach a couple of pieces of angle before I attempt cutting the barrel aperture. The extra stiffening will be most aporeciated, I can assure you. Although the plate is 6mm thick, it's aluminium, so every bit of anti-wobble is a real good idea. Having to make a lot of compromises with regards to materials available, but should be presentable.
dsc_1243-resized-960.jpg
If nothing else, I have now found a use for a large bag of footman loops I got cheap a couple of years ago!

The delay with painting my wheels, means a delay with getting welding done on gun trails and some other bits. I need to get my currently unpainted wheels finished, and tyres put on, so I can swap them over with the wheels and tyres currently on the grey truck. The wheels I take off the truck will be going back to the chap I bought the truck from. He lives roughly 4hrs drive away. That fellow has offered to do the welding on the trails (weld sides onto the frames I made) and until the wheels are swpped, I wont be making that journey. Another MLU friend has offered to assist with welding the barrel parts together, and also attaching the breech block. Hello, and thanks, Andy! I'm sure I've mentioned before that my welding looks like vomit, and is about as structurally sound too.

The sunshine roof goes to the blasters in two weeks time. I have taken that week off work, so I can get the roof repaired (1x small dent) and painted that same week. Once painted, it will go onto the cab sitting on a low trolley inside the workshop. It's a perfect height to proceed with the making of the canvas roof. That's what I'm REALLY wanting to get my teeth into!

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

No matter I can't paint today. I have other things to turn to, including adding footman loops to the front of my fake gun shield, and cutting some of the holes needed. I made the sight apeture sliding door many weeks ago, but only now getting around to making the hole in the shield it covers. I still have to attach a couple of pieces of angle before I attempt cutting the barrel aperture.

Hi Tony,

I have gone back and re-read many of you posts but have not been able to locate the details of you FAKE GUN PROJECT. What is it or what number thread should I have gone too.

Keep up the great work and running commentary.

Regards Rick.

[Private_collector]

Hi Rick,

Probably only mentioned it in passing. Just wanted something to drag behind the truck when it's finished. Some aspects are similar in appearance to 25 pdr, but only to a glance. Have always liked those guns as my very favourite, so I had a natural attraction to that style.
dsc_0672-resized-960.jpg dsc_0702-resized-960.jpg dsc_0121-resized-960.jpg
Most things will be made from scratch, including the trails. They will be taken to my welding friend, for him to attach steel plate onto both sides of each leg. The barrel consists of sections from a light pole. Breech block I made myself, and the handle (to be shortened) does open and close the loading mechanism. The oil can holder I threw together over a couple of weekends, after I found a reasonably acceptable can at the local swap. As you can see, nothing is spot-on, but it'll do.
dsc_0069-resized-960.jpg dsc_0103-resized-960.jpg
When I come across genuine parts I can afford, I grab em. Always scanning ebay for anything I can use. Recent acquisitions include the telescope and tube you see above, and a genuine 25pdr seat.

A fellow MLU member took pity and sent me dimensions for the shield. A real 25pdr in a local park gets occasional visits, for me to measure other bits and pieces.

See next post..

[Private_collector]

dsc_0122-resized-960.jpg dsc_0710-resized-960.jpg breech assembly 1-resized-960.jpg breech assembly 2-resized-960.jpg
I make what I can't find or afford.
dsc_0624-resized-960.jpg
Every now and then a small but esential piece falls into my hands.

My most desirable item is the full sight mount assembly. I know of one in UK for sale, and if still available next tax return time, I'll buy it. It's an expensive item, and very heavy to ship, so I wouldn't get much change from $1000 to $1200. If not able to get it, I will make something of a very poor second, and fashion a canvas cover to hide my sins.

[Private_collector]

No rain today........, just windy. Too windy to paint.
dsc_1287-resized-960.jpg dsc_1281-resized-960.jpg
So off to Tiaro I went again, to take more photos and measurements of my local 25pr. A round trip of 50-60km is local in this country. As can be seen, this dear old gun has not escaped the notice of vandals. I was tempted to straighten the lugs that sight case straps should attach to, but feared the paint would flake off and start rust forming. Last time I visited this piece, I removed a premixed can of booze from inside muzzle. It was either half full of alcohol still, or had been 'refilled' with piddle. I didn't take a sniff.
dsc_1295-resized-960.jpg dsc_1296-resized-960.jpg
I'm always amazed that nobody has asked me what the hell I am doing when I loiter and start throwing a tape measure around the gun.
Next weekend I will cut the barrel/recoup. apeture. I will, that is, unless I'm lucky enough to paint some wheels instead.

Cliff, please read below!
On Friday I called on an old timer about 20 minutes away, to remove some sutures. I had visited him many months ago, and we got to talking about vintage vehicles. He showed me his 1940s Morris truck and I showed some photos of my green CMP (didn't have the grey one then). When I saw him last week, he indicated he recently mentioned me to another local guy who once had a sawmill, now defunct. He asked about a CMP which had been used at the sawmill, and was told it was still around and residing behind the owners house. My 'snout' asked what the guy was intending to do with the truck, seeing that it has sat insitu for a number of years. Long story short, the owner reckons it's better for someone else to have it than sit there rotting away, so it has been offered to me......for nothing! It's only about 15km away, but is a non-runner, so will have to be trailered. If it is the one I saw briefly a couple of years ago, it's an early cab type, so that's a first for me. Mrs B is NOT pleased about the thought of another carcass languishing in the back yard. To be quite honest, I would rather it sat in the FRONT yard, as a piece of art, but that proposition brought only a rather animated response in the negative. No taste, some people.

Attn. Cliff: Yes, I do believe the ahove truck is the very same one we were talking about a couple of months ago. And maybe you can drive up and have a look in my workshop soon????