1944 C-15A-Wire-5 Restoration

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Friends , here is a picture of a finished wall with some of the accessories.

On the right upper wall between the windows there is a small shelve and two footman loops each holding a canvas strap. Anyone know what was stored there ?
The shelf is rather thin metal and the scews small. Can't be a heavy item that goes there. Between and below the windows will go the No 5 Cdn Charging panel, the lighting switch and all the battery wires coming from the gen sets. On the floor just below the left window , the batteries .

Comments ?

Could the shelf be for a clock?

(I suppose it depends on how strong the shelf is, since I have a Clock, Signal Centre in a heavy cast case which is possibly post-WW2, but it weighs 10.3kg (22.7 lb.), measures 11" x 11" x 4.5" and looks like a squared-off antitank mine when the protective lid is on.)

Chris.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hi Chris. Thank-you for your message . No , the shelf is too flimsy. I cannot see anything weighing more than a couple of pounds on there.

My friend Daniel and i made good progress today. We installed the 1/4 '' plywood ceiling and the antennae and ventilator tunnel reinforcements . Nice thing about this thickness ( 1/4 '' ) of plywood is that it conforms to the curve of the ceiling pretty easily.

We then lifted the metal generator compartment inside the box , shifted it around , turned it around twice and over again out from the box it went and back in . After a pause , i tought of some other way we could go at it and without breaking anything and hurting anybody it went in it's place.. right over the generator exhaust pipe hole in the metal floor. Could not fit any better. Screwed the compartment to the 1/2 '' plywood walls . Very sturdy.

We then built a temporary wireless table up front, put the original battery supports back in with a repro battery box and built a small shelf over the right wheel well to support the butts of the No 4 rifles sitting upright in the holders affixed to the gen compartment.

I then installed the No 5 Charging panel and the original black-out curtain holders over the windows.

I screwed the covers over the ventilators and then loaded the Chorehorse in the gen compartment.

All in a days work.

Tomorrow some finishing to the door , building a cypher clerk desk, and sealing with silicone around the windows and on the roof.

I will paint the interior white as original either this winter if the snow doesn't come and i can't ski or next spring .



Enjoy the pictures.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hi all,

Half a day's work today.Odds and ends.

Made a Cypher clerk table, a little border around the right

wheel well shelf and lined the rear door with plywood.

Re installed the BO curtain holder over the rear door.

Applied silicone to all the screw heads on the roof and around the windows to prevent water infiltration and damage.

Tidied up and started making inventory of my Wireless equipment after a nice chat with my friend Michel , a new member on MLU.

The Wireless No 19 installation poster on the wall over the wireless operator' s table is a gift from Jon also on MLU.



Stay tuned , same time same channel.

[RichCam]

Robert, the interior looks fantastic! Great job - can't wait to see it in the spring!

[Jordan Baker]

in regards to your shelf question. I was looking over some photos I had of the Wireless truck in Kingston. They had a signals satchel on each shelf. The straps appeared to be fitted for this purpose. Possibly that is what they were for.

[Robert Bergeron]

Jordan , i think that you are spot on ! Thanks.

Satchel, Signals, Canadian X 2.

The shelf is small and thin and my bet is it can't support anything heavier than the Satchel Signals..including the headsets and microphone it should contain.

Today, ladies and gentlemen , boys and girls ( i am a Canadian Snowbirds fan ) i went for it and applied the first coat of white paint.

I am pretty happy with the results. Even with just a first coat , it hides the imperfections quite well and it lightens up the interior of the box !

I dismantled the blackout curtains holders and tomorrow i am bringing the curtains themselves to a friend who makes house curtains as a profession. They are 18' wide and that is not standard nowadays so i need someone who knows his business and Michel is my man.

I left the small shelves discussed higher with Jordan in grey for now . I will further my research to inquire if they were painted white.

How about the Cypher clerk's document holder / file shelf under his desk ? How about the smell shelf on the left side of the generator cabinet ? The fire extinguiser brackets ? Were they all painted white ?

Enjoy the pictures.

Tomorrow, a second and final coat of white on the interior.

So stay tuned , same time same channel.

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

I applied a second and final coat of white paint inside the box. I painted the floor battleship gray. It is a poetic liberty on my part and not original to my knowledge .

I have lived with battleship gray on warships , aircraft and helicopter decks most of my active life . Also in offices and barracks. So i painted my Wire 5 floor a comforting , easy to maintain colour .

I ordered 5 blackout curtains to be made up as the originals, black on both sides.

When i come back from my latest stint , i will sandblast , prime and paint the curtain holders while the curtains are being made . They should be delivered after the holidays .

So, a little break from the restoration for a few days. Your comments and remarks are always welcome but i will but cut out from civy Internet for a few days and i will be reading your posts over the week -end.

I will also inventory my wireless 19 kit over the week end to see what's missing before installation of a working setup in the box . I look forward driving the rig with full operational gear in the spring.