Missed the 27th  so now back on the 3rd September and Autumn has arrived.

A week away and things have moved on, the Austin 2T 5cwt has had the cab welding and bodywork completed and some nice new BR colours painting done and it looks smart. The aim is to get it roadworthy..

         

The workshop ultrasonic cleaner has been used a lot but neglected so a full empty, clean and refill using an engine and aluminium parts cleaner in the fresh tap water.

                the old water mix                                        sediment left after a stir and tipping out 

           

                                            The fresh solution                 After 30 mins at 60C it works

                    

We had a slab come loose on the path alongside the archiving room so a new concrete base was put down a few days ago today was a simple mix some mortar and lay a slab job then paint on the obligatory H&S white line.

                                            

After the prolonged dry spell the trees are dropping their leaves earlier so our buildings need a sweep out more often to keep them looking more inviting to our visitors.

                                            

 

A new to us jack needed derusting, freeing off and tidying up as it may be required for some photo shoot or alike planned in the future.

               rusty and seized                                 In process wedged under scales to stop it moving.

         

                                     Free to turn and completed so ready for the camera

                                                

Whilst doing the new old jack 2 of our originals needed a bit of work as they had rusted and seized.

                  

Whilst walking up to paint the inside of the AA box a  1950 Leyland double decker from the Transport Museum Wythall arrived on it's inaugural trip out after completion.

                                                     

    The planned AA box interior painting did not happen because of a car parked out front of it, it was intended for classic car photo shoots not modern vehicles.

                                                    

So back in the shop to do the BAC stamping machine now some 10mm 0.3 mm aluminium roll had arrived, it needed the guide aligning so the automatic feeder loaded the strip into the mechanism.

Once feeding through it was assembly time which was not easy with limited access and large hands but it all went in then it was time to align the characters with the control lever position. The tape is 10mm wide the channel is 1/2" imperial so a bit off set.

another day with jobs ticked off the long To Do list.

 

 Wednesday 20th August summer has lost grip and a damp moning that dried up later on.

                        The Austin 2T 5cwt has had it's first coat of primer and looks a lot better.

Due to the damp weather it was inside to start so the protruding screws in the museum coach were replaced with screws and nuts with excess thread cut off level with the  nuts.

It is now safe from clothes catching when walking past.

The Morris seat base bottom edge vwas corroded and paint bubbling so mechanically cleaned with angle grinder and wire wheel.

The fuel tank ends got the same treatment but with a drill and wire wheel as the metal is thinner.but this exposed a pin hole in the top which required lead loading to seal it.

As the weather was now dry it was time for the Morris bed boards using a old piece of tongue and groove from somewhere on the railway that somebody had got carried away shooting staples in that protruded out the back. Where possible these were removed before some sanding with 40 grit sanding discs but this was a long job.

The old edge board was cut along it's length to fit, woodworm treatment was applied and the new old board needs staining to match the rest.

The it was museum coach time and more new screws to replace rotten loose ones and more sanding down ready for a coat of paint.

The honeybourne signal box museum deep clean progressed further with the railway station taken outside and attacked with hard surface cleaner and a electric brush to loosen and remove the dust and dirt.

More display cabinets had the exhibits removed from the top and again hard surface cleaner was used this time with a rag then the exhibits were cleaned before replacing them.

two down one to go

Number 4 awaiting a clean.

After replacing the exhibits back on display it looks far better now we need glue to carry out some repairs like on the plane where damage has occured. Some exhibits have gone past their best so need remedial work or disposal the main thing is the steady deep clean makes it look more inviting to go into.

Then it was time for a look in the skips and dsump some rubbish.

 The Leather Suit Case, then and now

Just a little Brass restorer, Mink oil and the result is worth it.

Wednesday 13th August another lovely hot summers day

The day started well as the postal service had delivered a 0.4mm X 15mm roll of aluminium for the BAC stamping machine but the day went down hill 15 mm fits on the carrier spool and on the feed pulley then you notice the feeder pulley is only 14mm wide so a trim is needed a 2mm strip cut of the first 30cm on the roll and hey presto it goes through the pulley and feeds in when the knob is turned the joy was short lived though.

The strip has to pass over the rotary plate and under the number stamp ring which it does everywhere apart from exiting the feeder so now we need a strip down to clear a blockage it may just be rust or debris but you cannot see in.

The 1mm off the width will be coil it up and put it on the belt sander to take one edge down.

The Morris bed needed finishing off remove tongue and groove clean up edges refit and secure after proofing the underside, moving the boards over has allowed room for another full board before trimming the edge one to suit.

The passenger door was fouling at the front when opening so the plan was adjust the hinges, the bottom had one working screw holding the weight, two seized ones and a fourth one that was broken. luckily to good screw was frr so the door was adjusted  then the one seized screw was removed cleaned and greased before refitting so enough to hold the hinge in place.

                                            

Three top hinge screws came undone but the fourth is solid so another old door trick came into play, the block of wood and some brute force applied in the closing direction.

                                                       

                                       This made a clearance between door and A post when opening.

The cab need spraying before another winter sat outside so time to crack on with the dressing of the welded in repairs and loose the weld seam.

                                     

The top of the A pillar was well rotted and has previously .been repaired with lead filler so cannot be welded a good clean then fill with body filler will have to do. 

 

The cab is now structurally solid so time to start rubbing down read for some high build two pack primer

Then it was off to the Toy Museum to remove 2 small cupboards and a shelving unit and put the large display cabinet up on the wall.

                                

                                 

 

A much better display and all items were cleaned before putting in, other cardboard display boxes have been removed for repair. The cabinets and shelving .are now awaiting a clean and relocation

 

 Wednesday 6th August another nice day and warming up.

A vintage leather suitcase has undergone a brass fittings clean and leather rejuvenation it is now tidy enough to go on display the knapsack spray gun tank also got a clean and polish. 

                                            

The BAC stamping machine has been rubbed down and primed along with a chrome and dial clean.

 

Despite the lack of rain nature has been busy with bramble and bindweed growing well so some clearance was needed it does leave a bit more tidying up to do later.

                                                   

Another few hours on the museum coach repair the last few brass crosshead screws are going in followed by filler.

                                                

Whilst in the coach after last weeks clear out we have screws protruding through the partition into the passage way as this iis now accessible we need no sharp points sticking out.

                                                         

Somebody has broken the locking wire stopping the manual rail drilling machine from turning so as this is a finger trap it has had to be locked using screws and nuts through the driven wheel, we also lockwired the drill loading lever so everything is stable and safe..

                                            

The Scammel Scarab is parked alongside the gravel entrance drive and again the dry weather has resulted in a covering of dust so whilst the hose pipe was laying near by it was a wash off using the palm of the hand but we need to do a proper job.

The sides and frame were removed from the Morris to gain access to the rear of the cab so it could be repaired but we have spaces between the bed boards so another added task was  unscrew the boards clean the tongue and groove joints and refit after some preserving agent was painted on the underside.

As an aside not work related the plastic racing pigeons in the basket on platform one do attract attention