How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

I have a couple of the metal alternatives to the wood blocks. They are highly corroded, but will make good patterns, should the need arise in future. They are two different sizes. One is considerably larger than required for a SMLE. A number of months ago I had the fortune to have a brief play with a BREN, and it struck me that the larger metal block would have been roughly the size of the BREN butt. The truck I cut these off had a 'gallows' bracket still attached (which I also kept), and the piece I was particularly wanting, a 'sunshine roof'. Could that part be for a BREN, I wonder.

I have been sorting through some of my bits and pieces and rediscovered these two items.
Just wondering if they were for a Bren or LAAMG as the vehicle I removed them from had the LAAMG gallows bracket on the side of the cabin. They were both behind the passenger side seat while the driver's side had a regular wooden butt socket and standard .303 rifle holder behind it.

The metal butt holder had the remains of split rivets in the 16 holes which held what looked like thick felt to protect the rifle butt. Size is 170mm long x 70mm wide x 62mm deep.

I cleaned up the steel butt socket mainly as a pattern. The steel was quite wasted with a few holes in it. Looks better in the picture than in real life. Bit like E-dating sites!

Any info from Blitz armaments experts will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Keith Webb]

That's a standard Australian one as found on Fords - the FGT has 6 of them.

[Jacques Reed]

Thanks Keith,

So it is just another later/earlier version of the shorter one pictured below?

Without a .303 rifle to check it out, and based on the smaller sized clip at the top of the extended holder, did the short one hold it by the stock and the extended one hold it by the barrel?

Over the years I have seen only the shorter ones on Blitzes where the holders still existed.

Cheers,

[Keith Webb]

Hi Jacques

I was referring to the bases rather than the barrel clips, interestingly the FGT has a double clip on the front one with a base on the inner wheel arch. The upper bracket mounted above the windscreen has two clips for different weapons.

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

Thanks Keith,

So it is just another later/earlier version of the shorter one pictured below?

Without a .303 rifle to check it out, and based on the smaller sized clip at the top of the extended holder, did the short one hold it by the stock and the extended one hold it by the barrel?

Over the years I have seen only the shorter ones on Blitzes where the holders still existed.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

After I got a couple of the stick on decals for the PCV system air cleaner I mentioned in the parts section I noted the extra thickness of them so I thought I would try to convert them to a thinner waterslide type by using my scanner and inkjet printer. After a few trial and errors I had reasonable success.

Lessons learnt:

Cut decal paper to 4 x 6 photo size and feed via the rear tray or dedicated photo feed. Saves wasting valuable large sheets of decal paper.

After scanning the original decal, use 4 x 6 photo paper similar to the decal paper to practice settings, colour adjustment, scaling etc. instead of wasting your valuable decal paper. When you are happy with everything you can print on decal paper.

Use white decal paper and not clear paper. The ink density is not high enough in an inklet printer to show on the black background of the PCV air filter. (scratch one clear sheet of decal paper). Carefully outline edges with a black waterproof marker then cut close to outline to hide any white.

Most important as stated on most websites on decal making is spray it with Krylon Crystal Clear or similar to seal the surface before using it. I let ink dry a day before spraying just to be sure. Otherwise the water soluble inkjet ink will run when you place it in water and you will have a mini sixties psychedelic poster!

If you have a laserjet printer then the above may not apply, but for those who do not, this is a good alternative.

The results are below. Original NOS on right, new waterslide decal on left.

PS: Supplier never answered my query regarding making other decals. Should have given him 1 out of 5 for communications on Ebay but I didn't. Just too nice a guy.

Cheers

[Private_collector]

Cool! That looks really good. I didn't even know you could get such a product to print on. Well done.

Also, is Krylon still available? I remember that stuff from years back. I used it for adding color detail or shading to computer cut signage. I dabbled in computer cut signs when I was in my 20s. Wish I still had the cutter. The Krylon I knew of would virtually weld itself to the sign vinyl, and couldn't be scratched off. Is that the same product you use? I gather it makes the decal colorfast by doing the same thing?

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Thanks, they came up better than the picture shows due to slight out of focus of the picture. The decal repro of the repro was as sharp as the original.

I got the Krylon spray at Spotlight, in the arts and crafts section, same shop I got my cotton webbing for the floorboards. (It pays to wander off when the wife wants to browse through a haberdashery shop. Amazing what you find!)

Cheers,