British Vickers Light Tank Mk VI C 2026-04

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Haha, speaking of those, a reference photo of a restoration has them in red... Along with some other 'actionable' items in the compartment. I wonder how likely it is that the originals in the field were painted that way?
I've seen things like wheel nuts painted red 'on parade', and don't have enough knowledge to know one way or the other.
 
Red-painted wheel nuts on British vehicles mean DO NOT LOOSEN! You usually see them on wheels with this type of rim:

100_4966.jpg


If this were a British wheel, the outer ring of bolts, holding on the separate ring, would probably be painted red. Removing those bolts when the tyre is inflated is a good way to badly hurt yourself.
 
painted red.
Yup, knew that about the rims, from reference books.

From an early Bedford portee build...

3017.jpg


Knew a guy, dunno if it was a tall tale, who worked roadside tire assistance for semi trailers. He said that in the shop, a young fella leaned over a wheel he was working on, and the split rim essentially flew off straight up to the ceiling. The young fella didn't survive his mistake.
I think of that every time I pass one of those big rigs and wonder if a wheel rim is going to blast through my car.


About the red, I was referring to the photo @John Waller a posted earlier...

1781217260599.jpeg

Think that was common practice, or restoration license?
 
That's what I'm wondering, too. The silver colour for the interior is accurate, though: British tanks until the early years of the war were painted silver inside, because it reflected light well and so made the dark interior easier to work in. However, it also rubbed off on uniforms, which was rather not appreciated as much.

In the early 1940s they switched to white-painted interiors (fun fact: specifically mentioned that manufacturers should use non-lead white, for reasons of the crew's health) because the silver paint contains aluminium, which had better uses at the time. After the war, though, they went back to silver at least in the 1950s. The cut-in-half Centurion in Bovington is painted silver on the inside, for example, and I've seen a photo of the inside of a Dutch Centurion that had been very roughly overpainted with the same pale green as in M113s, with silver still visible in places.
 
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Yup, knew that about the rims, from reference books.

From an early Bedford portee build...

View attachment 192422

Knew a guy, dunno if it was a tall tale, who worked roadside tire assistance for semi trailers. He said that in the shop, a young fella leaned over a wheel he was working on, and the split rim essentially flew off straight up to the ceiling. The young fella didn't survive his mistake.
I think of that every time I pass one of those big rigs and wonder if a wheel rim is going to blast through my car.


About the red, I was referring to the photo @John Waller a posted earlier...

View attachment 192419
Think that was common practice, or restoration license?
I was riding my bike on I80/94 in Indiana when the semi tire blew on the truck in the lane next to me. I about crapped myself. Luckily I didn't get hit with any debris, still don't understand how any of it missed me, my first thought was someone had shot at me. Even at 80mph with a helmet on the sound was loud! I can believe the force of those tires exploding would send a split rim flying with a lot of force.
 
Haha, speaking of those, a reference photo of a restoration has them in red... Along with some other 'actionable' items in the compartment. I wonder how likely it is that the originals in the field were painted that way?
I've seen things like wheel nuts painted red 'on parade', and don't have enough knowledge to know one way or the other.
German AFVs had lubrication points like grease nipples highlighted in "Lipstick Pink"
 

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I printed and cut out slightly different diameter turret floors, and test fit.
Will use the 25.7mm one.

3071.jpg


... So I may be over rotating on this (see what I did there? 🫢 )
But I really want the turret to spin freely without jamming.
So a brass collar in the fighting compartment floor, and pin to fit the turret floor.

3072.jpg
 
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I printed and cut out slightly different diameter turret floors, and test fit.
Will use the 25.7mm one.

View attachment 192820

... So I may be over rotating on this (see what I did there? 🫢 )
But I really want the turret to spin freely without jamming.
So a brass collar in the fighting compartment floor, and pin to fit the turret floor.

View attachment 192819
Or 1.012 inches?
 
... Always been fascinated with mortise and tenon construction (starting in my early twenties with dreams of building a post and beam home in the Gatineau hills), whether local barns, New England salt box, Japanese traditional architecture and shoji screens.

So here I am at 68 cutting .03 inch mortises in styrene! Watch those shoulders!
If only I had mini versions of my Japanese mortise scrapers !

The 'tenons' will be securing posts joining the turret to the floor.

3241.jpg
 
... Always been fascinated with mortise and tenon construction (starting in my early twenties with dreams of building a post and beam home in the Gatineau hills), whether local barns, New England salt box, Japanese traditional architecture and shoji screens.

So here I am at 68 cutting .03 inch mortises in styrene! Watch those shoulders!
If only I had mini versions of my Japanese mortise scrapers !

The 'tenons' will be securing posts joining the turret to the floor.

View attachment 192959
I had to get rid of an old dresser that needed quite a bit of work. Hurt so bad because it had those joints.
 
Work progressing on the turret.

Drew several templates at slightly different sizes and settled on this one.
It is for placement of the vertical pillars tying the turret to the floor in the turret base. It seems to line up well with the slots in the floor... Phew!

3256.jpg


Testing the tenon that slips into the turret floor
3257.jpg


Then cutting the rim notches, gluing and test fitting for height.
3272.jpg


At first, the pillars were about 1mm too high, so the deck of the tank body would not sit properly with the turret base ring inserted in the deck.
After adjusting the pillar length, it seems I still need to shave off a hair for a perfect fit.
Job for tomorrow when I'm fresh.
 

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