British Thompson Transit Chest recreation

I have been making this recreation of the Thompson Transit Chest as close to the original as possible and I thought members would be interested to see the progress so far.

Looking nice!!!!

Great work, looking really good!

Considering you're not a chippie, you're VERY handy with chippies tools. You should have made 5 or 10 while you were doing it. Then sell the others off to finance your own. That's what I do I'm unashamed to say!

It's the time factor, Peter, or lack of it as things like this tend to take a devil of a long time just to make one and to make a decent job of it. With doing a project like this it probably helps being a precision engineer and so I am use to accurate measuring and cutting of materials. Remember the old saying of measure twice and cut once and with this project I measured at least 3 times before cutting any wood. I used pine from my local builders merchant for the outside panels and some of the inside fittings I made of hardwood.

Nice work!! That looks like a very faithful recreation.

Thanks for posting pictures. I am looking forward to seeing your Tommy gun in it when it’s finished.

The chest is still progressing, slowly, due to me getting side-tracked onto other things but has now recently been painted a very dark drab green. I will see about getting a picture uploaded soon.

Some of the Latches used on Transit cases are Particularly hard to replicate or even find commercially ( ie, either the overlock loop ones, or the rotation Key types used on Bren Gun Boxes etc. (funnily enough, the Japanese used a similar design of rotating Key latch (in Brass) in the IJN).

I have found a type of "Overlock Hook and Loop" type latch, used in Modern Pelican Plastic Cases (Military and Tools/Work related), which I acquired from the Australian Maker of such cases...,they make the Latches (Steel and Zytel types) in a factory next door to the Main Plastic trunk plant.

I suppose your Pine is smooth (dressed) nominal 1" ( actually the measurement is the "rough " type, the dressing cuts it down to about 7/8". Your Dovetailing is excellent, did you lay it out by Square, Protractor and Pencil, or use a Pre-profiled Router and Jig?

I do Gun cases for Movies ( Mostly WW I & II German) but exact designs and even Photos are very hard to get. My WW II Mauser Kar98k cases was designed from a Photo in "Backbone of the Wehrmacht" ( Holds Ten rifles).--and no dovetailing!

I am looking for the "Press Latch" used on Ammunition Boxes ( Maxim & Vickers Wooden Belt Box, and also US Browning M1917 Wood Ammo Box) Usually in Brass (* again, also used widely by the Japanese) It is very hard to find without having to demolish another uncommon chest to get them...Are there any makers still out there...?Heritage Brass Furniture for Cabinet Makers? Having to make them (Machining) would be a Pain, but not impossible. (3D Additive Manufacture?)

Keep up the good work, let us know how you progress with the Hinges and Latches.

Doc AV
AVBFilmGuns
Australia.

The dovetails are done the old fashioned method or the proper method, marked out using a pencil, rule and protector. Something like this I always measure at least 3 times before cutting out, in this case with a Tenon Saw and a wood chisel. I don't buy into any of these "cool modern" methods/ideas of producing something traditional like a Dovetail joint; just use the traditional method. There is a close to the original "stepped trunk hinge" available on a well known internet auction site and it is available in 2 sizes. The turnbuckle is similar to the older Landcover Locker turnbuckle but the clasp is proving more of a problem to source.

The carpentry is not especially difficult if due care and attention is taken and remembering to "measure twice, cut once".

Back in the day almost every 1928 tsmg sold in Canada came in a box with all the accessories. I have a few
of the boxes. Last one I got was about five years ago. The gun was perfect