It has been a while since I last posted, I have travelled some miles in my Series 2A 88" gunbuggy where we travelled on the roads less used, I had great company, there were 7 Land Rovers and 3 jeeps in our convoy I did 2,100k's (1,300miles) in my 2A luckily it didn't rain, actually cold at night but warm n sunny through the day, here is an image of the 3 Series 2A gun-buggies that were in the convoy
at the event in Corowa 39th GPA swim in there were 6 gunbuggies in total, it will be a long time before there are 6 together again, I was away from home for 10 days, and only home for a bit over a week when we headed to Cooma for the 70th Land Rover event this time I didn't rough it we stayed in a motel and I drove our 1984 110 Isuzu County, I believe that there were 1500 registrants for the event,
In no time at all it was looming up for Anzac day 25th April and that takes some getting ready for only to have a lot prep work ruined because of the rain
and to add to the sadness my mate John shown driving the lead vehicle last year, passed away just before this event
and then there was the issue with the right rear axle on my 1955 Series 1 86", it had developed a leak which with the semi-floating axle means a bit extra work, so I had said after Corowa/Cooma & Anzac day it would be rectified so out with the gear to do the job, jack/stand spanners/brake hose clamp etc
all stripped in no time and axle removed, my little tool 1/2" hex brass internal thread 3/8"UNF 3/16" S/steel ball to stop flow/loss of brake fluid
the offending bit which will need a bigger press than mine
and the new bits needed, I have the choice of using leather or neoprene
it is now with Rumbel's garage in Dungog.
Now back to today as it did rain on Anzac day and all Land Rovers got a good soaking which I wasn't happy about so over the past few days when time permitted (my T/A's (aka wife) birthday) so I had to do the right thing anyway I managed to get 2 out last Thursday 3/5/18 as the weather was perfect, so these 2 got a run out the bottom of Mt Bright
and this Series 2 C/R
today Saturday 5/5/18, I managed to get 6 of 8 out for a run, the S2A 109 workshop truck got a long run to get the wind into the creases in the canvas, and some heat into it as well hopefully it is dry now
a few people stopped and asked about the vehicles whilst they were parked out on the street, some people have no idea about them at all
anyway all parked up again under cover n tarpaulins, one vehicle does need a new battery, I will wait until the auto shops have specials on.
In the workshop I have been pushing ahead slowly, I have been working on the tender body, I had to figure out how to assemble it but keeping in mind that I wanted to soft solder the body when I was ready too, so I decided to use quite a few 10BA round head screws which to the untrained eye are just ever so slightly different in shape to the solid brass rivets that are all over the body
lots of them anyway I had bought prior to heading off the Corowa a quantity of 10BA screws and 10BA taps, they have certainly had a work out and so far so good I haven't broke one
the steel screws were removed and new brass ones in, but it was only temporary as I had to drill using a No55 drill (tapping size for 10BA) so a side had to be removed
all holes drilled No 55 then refit the side transfer holes using drill press, all those dots had to be drilled
it sure takes some time to line everything up square etc and clamp it using engineers clamps
and after hours of work
but that wasn't the end as I still had the other side to do, which has been completed now, and then redrill the outside plates using a No 51 drill, clearance size for 10BA, next task was
the front of the tender, the drawing shows 2 doors which were on the full sized locomotive but I deemed them impractical so I decided not to go that way, but I had a more pressing issue, the coal floor had to be screwed
using 7BA brass Csk screws, but with the depth of the side wall of the tender my tap/wrench was way too short
so was the drill, so I had to make some tools like extra length drills you can buy some sizes in long shank drills
but not in the sizes I needed 5/64" tapping size for 7BA
and about a minute or two later I had my long shank 5/64" drill, a little heat & silver solder
next issue was the tapping wrench n tap were too short
so out with a short bit of silver steel to make a holder with a grub screw
and in no time at all problem solved
it is still to be used and I will have to remember to be very gentle with it.
I now needed to fit the tender body back onto the frame just to check a few things,
and I found a mistake
the hand pump outlet appeared as though it was going to be an issue, so I made a nipple to check
I love turning brass LOL the finished nipple/union with my drawing that I knocked up
and it did foul the inside frame of the rear section of the tender by approx 1/8" damn it, now I had to make
a modification to the floor of the water tank section of the tender
so a plan was hatched to fix the situation which meant fitting the frame on the upturned body
area marked out and where the nipple/union should be etc, the old fitting un-sweated from the floor
suitable thickness plate cut to size and marked out and drilled for 12 x 1/16" dia brass rivets
then transfer the holes very carefully, and with my T/A assisting set the rivets after making a small
setting tool
then another refit everything and mark the position of the hole for the nipple/union and soft solder it all
and the underside
and that's about where I am at this point, I have cut the front of the tender body as I'm not having doors
on it, after some lawn work tomorrow I might get an opportunity to do a bit more anyway cheers Dennis