VICKERS MK6B's resto

[colin jones]

Jack, I'm sure your lathe would get quite a bit of use as mine certainly does and I'll take pics of my heat process next time I need another rivet tool.
I need to make two of these return roller brackets. The original two I have are cast so my choice was to fabricate them. It took me all day yesterday to make one and 3 hrs to make the second one after I got frustrated and cursed a lot trying to workout the concave and convex curves in one piece which I decided was way too hard. Individual pieces was the go. A bit of extra welding and grinding but so much quicker.

[colin jones]

These brackets are relatively hidden behind tracks and wheels but they fit well and look the part.

[Howard]

Just... Wow

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Howard

Just... Wow

No.... Wizardry.
Makes me just wanna... i wanna.... just.... Oh, I give up. Sheer magic.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Colin,

Outstanding job.

I'm curious about the underside view of the original return roller bracket - is the axle bearing supported at the hull-end? If so, how have you replicated this in the fabricated versions - internal bracing? Seems to me the axle bearing would need more than just the outer end supported, hence my curiosity about what 'lies beneath'.

Are you able to put up an image of the underside, please?

Mike

[David Dunlop]

Colin. I love watching how you think your way through the various challenges of these two restorations, and how that morphs into a practical (and bloody marvellous) application!

If I recall correctly, you have one complete original engine to work with and were considering options for the second vehicle. Barring another original engine ever turning up for you to work with seems you would need to look for an older or newer replacement.

Just tossing this out there, but would the dimensions of the original engine be large enough that a modern engine of similar style and power, but smaller, would be available that could be fitted into a case designed to replicate the look of the original engine externally?

A few years ago, a company in the USA built a limited number of Me-262's using modern GE engines. The engines had to be detuned somewhat to avoid overstressing the original airframe design and the builders wanted their Me-262 to match the original in terms of performance. But the second problem the builders had was that the GE engine was a lot smaller than the original Jumo engine. I believe they solved that problem by designing an engine mount/adapter the GE could be placed in and which looked externally like the Jumo.

The concept may not translate at all to your project, but I thought I would toss it out there.

Keep up the amazing work!

David

[colin jones]

Thankyou for your comments. Mike they are supported by gussets underneath and I'll take a photo today so you can see the fabrication of it. As mine are not cast, I am more than confident they are more than strong enough to support the rollers.
David, ( 'Wombird' and 'Bower Bat' ) now that would be funny. I have already got a Perkins engine that is of similar size and was considering using that. I thought that full hydraulic would be very user friendly as I have no drive train at all. If I used a pair of hydraulic motors to each hub it would operate like a skid steer and very easy to drive. I would connect the valves to the original tillers so it would look totally original. I guess when that time comes, I will see what my options are. In the mean time I still have to make two 1400dia full ballrace bearings and a couple of turrets, seats, 3 reduction hubs and a few panels. Oh, and two traversing gearboxes of which I have drawings of. All are a challenge but exiting ones at that.
Colin.