Restoration of Hull 731- Carrier, MG (Aust) Mortar Carrying

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Darrin

Here is the tool you need for small strap projects.

http://www.sailmakerssupply.com/product/1012/23

Check with a good sailing supply company.

Also good for canvas repair, seat covers etc. If you really want to make the stitching look good, lay it out and mark the lines and individual stitches with sewing chalk.

Cheers Phil

[Grant Bowker]

Similar sewing awls are also sold at leatherwork shops. Or if you can't find it locally http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,50700
http://zelikovitz.com/courses.html?p...ord=sewing+awl
http://zelikovitz.com/courses.html?p...ord=sewing+awl
But there has to be someone closer to you who sells these to keep the post to a reasonable level.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Grant

The version you found http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,50700 is the one I wanted show, I've had mine for more than forty years going back to teaching sailing as a teen great for sail repair and preventive restiching. Mine came from L.L.BEAN but they don't list it anymore. Also good for repairing boots.

The needles that come with it are a little large for seat covers, but stop in at a sewing shop that you can find needles meant for commercial sewing machine with thinner needle shafts but thick shanks. Buy them in boxes of 5 because they will break.

Cheers Phil

[Darrin Wright]

Well have finally sewn all the straps into the hull where they have to go.

I was expecting to sew the strap onto the air-scoop for the tow cable, but after reading the spare parts book, it stated to use to Bifurcated rivets to fasten the strap to the metal loop. That saved a bit of work.

Have installed a strap onto the engine cover where the Hotchkiss ammunition box would go; however, it also is capable of stowing a Vickers ammo tin.

Have also attached a pic of the flare box showing the 3 colours and how they wrap around the lid. I have not re-painted the lid, it is in very good condition and shows the original colours and how they were applied.
there are a couple of people out there working on flare boxes now.

[Darrin Wright]

Have only managed a number of smaller jobs with Christmas, school holidays, etc.
Manufactured a Vickers aiming post, blasted and painted it.

Bought a 3" Mortar aiming post, cleaned that up and painted it black & white. Not exactly sue how & where it should be stowed, Have a suspicion that the 2 threaded mounting blocks on the LH inside hull may be for a tube bracket to take the 2 aiming posts. Will never know.

Utilising the only WW2 internal pic, have scaled the 2 wooden mounting blocks on the engine cover to take the mortar tube and not sure what else. Have only just cut the scallops out for the curve of the tube & undercoated them.

With all the little bits & pieces that I have collected over time, have stowed some of it into the vehicle.

Every couple of days try and get the vehicle out and drive it to bed in steering and brakes, all works fine. I expected to lose some braking as shoes bed in, but it is only very minor at this stage. Around Christmas the temp was too hot to drive (no fun in that for me, vehicle would have been fine),now we have just been drenched with 40mm of rain- now its too wet. Maybe next week...