25 Pounder info needed.

[Private_collector]

The axle is now disassembled.
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All applicable parts (most of em!) can now go off for blasting.
I won't do that until Wednesday next week.
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It was a great surprise to see virtually every internal part is in fantastic condition. Didn't snap one stud, or ruin thread or nuts. Some nuts came away with one tap of the hammer on end of the spanner. Some were a little more determined, but came away none the less. The brake shoes and mechanisms are in very good shape. I won't be messing with them, but will tape them and the axle shafts off, so no blasting grit gets in there. Besides, the brake shoe linings would be asbestos material. I'll give the brakes and inner backing plates a good wash down with petrol before the blaster gets hold of them. One hub was very simple to remove, while the other took a bit more work. That one was welded to the brake shoe linings and some force was needed to seperate the two parts. With the hub finally off, I could see some light corrosion was the culprit. That was compounded by the thickness of the linings themselves. They looked almost new, and were thicker that the ones on the other side.
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I am tempted to break my own golden rule and reuse all four bearings. They are completely undamaged or worn. I had to strip out all the old grease. It had turned to consistency of Vegemite. In fact, it was the same color too. Once all that goop was removed, the bearings were examined closely, without any corrosion or wear discovered. Each one has a cage made from what looks like bronze or brass. If I can refill them with fresh grease, I'll save them all. Grease seals, on the other hand, are both for the bin. One is borderline servicable, but will get chucked along with the other, more cheesy consistency one.
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Phillip, I'm very glad you wrote about using a jigsaw to cut the remaining tyre apart. I really didn't consider the blade would stand up to the job, so overlooked that entirely! I was wrong. I did break one blade, but it was a situational thing that happens when it's so dark you can't see what you are doing. I had REALLY wanted to try cutting the tyre from the wheel, so a little thing like lack of sight wasn't going to stop me. I then went on to release one of the beads from the wheel, using a cold chisel. It took about 15min, and I was virtually 'using the force' by that time. Quite surprised I didn't mash a finger actually.

I found some parts which date manufacture to 1941, according to stamps on various locations.

This axle was a great purchase. The lack of nasty surprises is a refreshing change from my usual modus operandi, trust me!
It appears that hubs and stub axle plates were fully painted before being assembled in the factory. There was/is green paint in places that could NEVER be reached once final assembly had been done. Pity to cover it up, really. If my paintjob lasts as long as this paint has endured, I will be very happy............and dead by about 40 years too, I figure!

[David Dunlop]

Does this mean the Land Rover born axle will now give way to this original for the 1/4-pdr? That would free up the LR axle to form the basis for a limber project down the road…


David

[Private_collector]

Yes David, the Land Rover made axle is certainly surplus to needs. I probably won't tackle another project like this, but I'll keep it in storage and out of harms way. It's just about cool enough to resume work on the truck restoration, so I will be chopping and changing between the two jobs. The engine build for my green CMP is the current piece of the puzzle, and I am considering handing that off to someone else for the remainder of assembly. My near neighbour is not only a professional welder (Navy taught) but also has mechanical engineering experience +++. I figure he would do better work than I, and a fresh pair of eyes at this point in time might pickup something I have missed! If he does engine assembly for me, I will be freed up to finish the sunshine roof, make canvas pieces, and do more on the gun.

[Ken Smith]

Good day Tony,
That is amazing how good all that looks. I would guess that after the axle was demobbed it would have been used on a farm trailer for many years, but by your description of the bearings and linings didn't travel very far.
I always thought the stub axles were part of the main axle, you learn something new everyday.
The remainder of the project is looking pretty good, I like your attention to detail.
Ken

[Private_collector]

G'day Ken! Yes, I agree. Not much work done by this axle in past decades, at least not as far as neglect goes, anyway. I expected the stubs were a part of the total tube length too.

Still a number of areas which had original green paint also.

I dips me lid to the gentleman I bought this off!

[Private_collector]

The gun axle, stubs, hubs, and one wheel, are now with the sandblaster. The second wheel isn't yet liberated from one tyre bead. I'll get that to my guy when I pick the other bits up next Wednesday. In addition to media blasting and industrial coating, he does 'hot zinc spraying'. This is a process I didn't know existed until he enlightened me yesterday. It involves drawing a wire of pure zinc out of a drum, (where it is stored coiled) and it gets liquefied in a type of spray gun, and virtually spat/sprayed onto a bare metal substrate. The surface then becomes literally zinc coated! Unbelievable. I hope to be on the spot when he uses this, some day soon. Sounds fascinating. When the axle is reassembled, welding will begin on the trails.
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These two books arrived in the mail today. Now we're cooking! Lots of reading in my immediate future. N.B: They are reproductions, NOT original, unfortunately.

I am looking for the following parts for my gun: Wheel nuts x3, inner hub grease seals x2, and a 25 pdr brake lever. If you have any of these for sale, please get in touch with me. I will be happy to negotiate purchase.

What do you think of these?
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When I was a kid, I had a remote control tank. Well, not actually 'remote' controlled, it had a hand control box that held batteries and a wire ran down to the tank itself. I loved that little tank. Then one day it broke, never to go again. I was gutted.
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I only wish tanks like these were available back then. Have bought these 3 tanks over past months, and they are such fun to play with. They sound real, look great, have quite acceptable detailing. They even blow smoke out of the exhausts! They also shoot BBs, fast, and I wouldn't recommend standing in front of one when it fires, either. Those BBs really fly, and the tank recoils, accompanied by a passable firing sound. Good fun.

[David Dunlop]

Heng Long, Tony?

David