The plans and details for these little stands were detailed in EMER instruction X 069 Misc Inster No. 2, Issue 1, Sep 71
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The plans and details for these little stands were detailed in EMER instruction X 069 Misc Inster No. 2, Issue 1, Sep 71
To be honest, I never saw one of those contraptions either but agree with Tankie that it looked useless. The bloke who designed that and put the suggestion forwards really had a bit too much time on his hands and needed to get out a bit more. The nearest thing I ever saw and used was an old magazine filled with a suitably shaped oak/hardwood block that you could just put in the bench vice and hold the rifle rigidly on that! In real life again, we'd just hold the butt with the leather or soft vice clamps and rest the barrel on what we called the 'armourers horse'.
As for a jig for holding the Sterling.......... whatever next?
Some of these suggestions, called 'GEMS' that were submitted were a total waste of rations/houseroom. BUT they were followed up and tested sometimes just to prove the stupidity of the idea. Even if they were rejected, the paperwork went back to the suggestee with suitably endorsed words of encouragement and a monetary award.
I saw one that suggested re-fitting or repositioning a bracket on a vehicle - I think it was a Land Rover. Clearly not well thought out because the newly positioned screw would screw into the battery casing sat tight behind the thin sheet metal panel.
Here's the answer a New Zealand Armourer had for Peter's mag house with hardwood block.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6gyel68g-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sagn2oj0-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...zdctrvmj-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...no1hkmv6-1.jpg
Just grab it in the vise and get to work...
As Peter has Endorsed. The rifles were held in a bench Vice & the Butt resting on a 'Horse'.
Also, if you had a 4" Vice, the Reciever CAN/ Was be held by the RHS. In the magazine well.
I have done this on Numerous Occasisons. But if you do this, ENSURE you use protective Clams!
Or you will end up with 'Bubba' 'Checkering' on that Flange!.....:eek:
Here's a Base Workshops Jig, created because they were refurbishing 100's of weapons a week.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...dtr1jsxm-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ikvraock-1.jpg
Yes......... That's one of the jigs for scraping down butts prior to sanding off, staining inspection and putting back on the rack or to make butt patching easier. There were some other variations of this because using this holding method you couldn't rotate the butt while scraping it off. Other butt (and handguard jigs) allowed you to release the butt and rotate the butt a tad, carry on scraping, same again, scrape etc etc. Maybe that one (thread 36) is held by the protruding spigot in the vice and allows you to rotate the butt or keep it upright by gripping the main body part.
The handguard jigs allowed you to work both handguards as a set.
Eventually, a lot of the woodwork was cleaned off ready for 'the bath' (the linseed oil bath overnight) in a special 'bead blaster' cabinet that blasted the wood with fine walnut shells.
Some very useful kit there Kevin, I wish I had these available when I was restoring L1A1's a couple of years back, or indeed for maintaining my personal Rifles now for that matter..Quote:
Originally Posted by nzl1a1collector
Just make them then! We used to make these simple tools and jigs all the time. But we were overhauling hundreds.......... If it was one or two then just the basic tool kit was the order of the day
Afternoon Peter, I used to use an old welded up Malay contract Lithgow as my workshop tool, the stripped out TMH was ideal for finishing and fitting of butts.
She now sits reassembled forlornly in the corner of my small workshop awaiting rebuild herself now my stock of L1A1 woodwork has run dry.