VICKERS MK6B's resto

[colin jones]

Now this raises an interesting question! As I am under the understanding that these tanks were made in 1936 as stamped on quite a few panels and the engine, but we never received the ten in Australia until 1939.
The date on the wheel looks to be 1938. So! were they made to aust specs in England prior to shipping, or were they made in Australia before they came here and changed once they arrived or needed replacing.
The Chicken or the Egg. I will have a close look at the other wheels to see if there is a clearer date.

[Mike Cecil]

Colin,

Tanks were normally purchased with a suite of spares, particularly fast wearing spares like wheel assemblies (the tyres chew out). It is rare indeed to have a tank survive its service life with the original 'when assembled' set of road wheels - normally these are changed as required. Spares were not always supplied 'up front' but on a yearly basis depending upon the terms of the contract. So it would not be unusual to have wheels manufactured and supplied after the tanks entered service.

In the case of the Vickers Mk6A, these were built as standard - I don't think there was any particular 'Aust standard' for that small batch - and they arrived circa Sept 1937, not 1939.

Wheels supplied as spares could have a number of production dates, and therefore those on the tank now could well have a range of production dates. It will be interesting to see what other dates/production details become evident as you blast the crud off the rest.

Mike

[colin jones]

Mike, I think you have misunderstood the wheel part. I have some other English wheels that are the same as the English looking wheels on the Vickers but they are about 15mm wider than the English carriers ones. If fact what I will do is take a few photo's of the two side by side so the difference can be seen clearly. I have got enough original Vickers wheels to complete one and I'll have to settle for the carrier ones for the other. Beggars can't be choosers.

[Andrew Rowe]

Hi Colin , if you were cunning , you could turn the rubber off the old rims down to the steel and then get good LP ones and cut the hubs out of those and machine them back to the right size, and press them onto the original rims as a press fit....don't we just all love machining stuff! cheers Andrew.

[colin jones]

Hi Andrew, a very interesting thought. I have already thought of trying to find a forklift replacement that I maybe able to machine down but I think your Idea is much better.
I have been caught up the last couple of weeks working on a friends big bus and finished it yesterday and now back on my priority. I have prepared the new floors and drilled them ready for riveting. I'm also waiting for my new air rivet gun to turn up as my big one packed up and my small one just doesn't cut it.

[colin jones]

As you can see, I flipped them on their side to make it easier for riveting and drilling the last few that I just couldn't get to up side down. It is nice to work on clean hulls with clean steel.

[Lynn Eades]

Colin, what happened to Bob M's mold that was (I think)producing re rubbered LP2 wheels only a little west of you?

[David Dunlop]

Looking a bit like a 1930's Vickers factory now, Colin.

David