VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Russell Boaler]

Great work there Colin.
Looking at the photo in post 1007, and continuing with the signal flag them, it looks like there's a series of rivets down the side and along the bottom of the bracket as well as the remains of what looks like canvas. Could I suggest that there's meant to be a canvas pocket that the flags dropped into to protect the flags from damage or getting dirty and the clips at the top held their wooden handles in place?

[colin jones]

Thanks for your comments Brad!

David, I would love to know what it on that tag and I assume it would still be there somewhere in the US in the Collings foundation Vickers. I certainly have collected a lot of photos over the last couple of years and still find wonderful info every time I go back over them. Sometimes you don't know the information is there until a certain need arises and it has happened many times. Some of the photos that have been sourced by some MLU members has been of paramount importance for accuracy and knowledge.
I don't know the Xmas Rhyme you mentioned but it certainly fits with in my sleeping pattern

Richard, it is a real shame you lost those photos on your computer as I'm sure there would have been a lot of extremely valuable information there. AS far as the braided wiring loom, again, I am very lucky to have a couple of feet of some original braid in the turret basket and I have just ordered some which should be here next week.

Russell, you are spot on. I do have a photo showing a leather bag that is riveted underneath the flag clips. Now that I know that it is for flags, the leather bag underneath makes a whole lot of sense.

I made a pin system for forming the clip bracket for the flags.

[colin jones]

It certainly took longer to make the pins and plate than it did to bend the brackets. I will do a bit more fine adjustment after they are riveted on.

[David Dunlop]

Colin.

Nice work setting up the form to make the clips. Just wondering, however, if the two clip strips you made were a test run? In the photo of the original assembly, it shows a seven lobe run of clips, which would hold six wooden flag handles, with a small half loop tab at either end.

Then again, its in the wee hours here, -30 outside, and my brain might be getting a wee bit frosty.

David

[colin jones]

David, you are quite right. They are only a test run and the material is not the right steel. I will order a strip of high carbon steel 25mm wide then form my shape and send them in for treating. I will get extra as there are other clips I need to make that are the same width.

[Dave Mills]

Hello Colin, great work mate. Watching and learning all the time.

Believe i may have already sent this to you; if so just delete.

Cheers,

Dave.

[David Dunlop]

If that is is the little 3 fuse panel box next to the Signal Flags rack, I think I have seen something very similar used in another military vehicle. It had a metal cover that slipped over it and then a wire band was swung over the cover that notched into a ridge in the centre of the cover to secure it in place.

David