No 4 Mk1 T Transit box Reproductions/Canadian Version

[grant580]

Thanks very much. I'll keep watching this thread with interest.
Also it looks a beautiful job you've done with yours thus far.
I am a shipwright/boatbuilder by trade, and have been working as a cabinetmaker for the past few years, and recently did some tool boxes very similar in construction method and size to these, and even with jig cut dovetails I can appreciate the time and effort you must have gone to, to finish your previous boxes to the standard it appears you have.
Cheers for the photos and the info.
All the best with your great repro's.

Thank you for the compliments tbonesmith. Have you tried to build a sniper transit box yet?
Took a few pictures of a box I have on the go that I varnished the interior clear. Once the interior dries I lightly steel wool it and then wax it with good furniture wax that comes from the UK. Still have the stencils to go on it, which is often the hard part because you have to let the paint cure a long time or else the green pulls off with the stencils I use.
I have also included a picture of a set of hardware as they look when I start out with them, all the leather, screws and a set of stencils that I use on my boxes. The hinges have four screws which means they are Canadian.





The last picture shows the detail of the hasp being held in place with a brass rivet and you can see the C broad arrow stamp I put on the lid. I had this C broad arrow stamp made up by a Croatian Master Engraver out West. You can also see that about the last two inches of the lid has a "T" shaped joint in it that holds a piece of wood measuring 2 inches by 5 inches with the grain going the other way to prevent warping.

Information

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[grant580]

Are you a chippy Grant? That's another REME technical term for anyone who deals with wood..... from a bodgy builder to a highly skilled cabinet maker! The woodwork is certainly good. Are they exact copies, down to the dovetailed ends etc etc? Do you have a dovetailing machine?

A 'tinny' is either a can of drink or anyone who deals in metalwork. From the roughest welder with an over amp'ed arc welder to the highest skilled machinist!

Well, I guess I am a "chippy" Peter!, not sure if I rate as a highly skilled cabinet maker yet, but just a "box builder" Thank you for your compliment, I appreciate it.
I am doing my best to build them as close to the originals as possible and my "model" has always been the Canadian sniper transit box in the excellent 160 page photo essay posted by Badger some time ago on milsurp.com. I have a supply of approximately 21 sets of Canadian four screw hinge/hasp sets that I aquired from a fellow Canadian gun nut who has salvaged a bunch from some No 7 boxes. I do have a copy of the blueprints that were circulating on the net that I have been using, but suspect they are of British origin, which of course are very close to the Canadian boxes.
Because I build them to sell I have chose to build them with only with 3/8 inch finger joints on the corners for now because I am not sure if people would be willing to pay the extra $$ for the dovetails, as they are more labour intensive. I do not have a dovetail jig as of yet, but plan on buying one soon with all the attachments and then I can start doing the dovetails.

I think one of my biggest issues right now is trying to find a colour match for the interior of the Canadian version boxes. The Canadian boxes I have seen seem to have the more "purplish/reddish" colour and the British boxes seem to be more of a reddish colour on the inside.

[Peter Laidler]

I would imagine that as they were produced at a factory, most at REMPLOY at Papworth in Cambridge or Elliots in Pembroke Steet in Newbury, that they'd be machine cut

I used to know a fellow who worked at Elliots as a young lad in nthe war, assembling Horsa glider fuselages. He remembers the Bren boxes but they were all semi-assembled, ready to be fully assembled elsewhere. By semi assembled, the sides were finished with all the internals screwed in place. All the final assemblers had to do was fix the sides and ends together and screw the base on.

I suppose that it's reasonable to expect that this is what happened to the No4T chests. He remembers the Bren chests because those are the ones he saw during his national service......., that were so bloody heavy!

[FlightRN]

Greetings All,
When I had the Lithgow No1 MkIII HT reproduction case made, the builder went through a supplier of stencils to those that were restoring military vehicles and they turned out well. I still have them stored in the US if anyone wants them but it will be quite awhile (a year?) before I can put my hands on them. I can't remember why we chose the internal color (red) we did except that he had some research to support it.





Have a great day,
Michael

[Peter Laidler]

Just a minor point, but shouldn't the round base of the staple be recessed?

[grant580]

Just a minor point, but shouldn't the round base of the staple be recessed?

Yes, Peter, I think you are right about that. I have seen boxes with some recessed and some not. I think I will start recessing them from now on as it would look better.
When you don't recess the staples/posts you have to set the hasp 1/8 of an inch ahead, or past the front face of the lid. The reason for this is the back side of the hasp where the "keyhole" slot is has to fit flat against the round staple/post mounting disc so the hasp closes, or locks up tight. When I install the brass rivet I have to slightly countersink the rivet head with a forstner bit and this does not leave much room from the countersink to the face of the lid. Hope that make sense.



This picture shows closer detail of the brass rivet and if the backing plate for the staple/post was recessed the hasp would be set farther back and that rivet and countersink would also be set back 1/8 inch more from the face of the lid.

Thanks for that tip Peter, it's comments like yours that are helping my box builds to be closer to the originals than ever. Please keep the comments coming!

[Kev G]

Yes, Peter, I think you are right about that. I have seen boxes with some recessed and some not. I think I will start recessing them from now on as it would look better.
When you don't recess the staples/posts you have to set the hasp 1/8 of an inch ahead, or past the front face of the lid. The reason for this is the back side of the hasp where the "keyhole" slot is has to fit flat against the round staple/post mounting disc so the hasp closes, or locks up tight. When I install the brass rivet I have to slightly countersink the rivet head with a forstner bit and this does not leave much room from the countersink to the face of the lid. Hope that make sense.



This picture shows closer detail of the brass rivet and if the backing plate for the staple/post was recessed the hasp would be set farther back and that rivet and countersink would also be set back 1/8 inch more from the face of the lid.

Thanks for that tip Peter, it's comments like yours that are helping my box builds to be closer to the originals than ever. Please keep the comments coming!

The UK drawings for the chest DD(E)3063 show the staples surface mounted.



Though no idea if the workshops had other ideas.

ATB Kevin

[Surpmil]

I think I've got a spare dovetail jig. If you're going to the Kamloops show, perhaps I can get it up to you as I was talking to a friend today who said he's going, as well as that box we discussed previously. You're obviously well set for latches so I'll keep my three sets! I'm not going to part with the stencils, but I do believe they might go through my scanner's feeder - I'll try. Keep plugging away there.

[grant580]

Rick, I think I've got a spare dovetail jig. If you're going to the Kamloops show, perhaps I can get it up to you as I was talking to a friend today who said he's going, as well as that box we discussed previously. You're obviously well set for latches so I'll keep my three sets! I'm not going to part with the stencils, but I do believe they might go through my scanner's feeder - I'll try. Keep plugging away there.

Hi Surpmil, I will be PMing you, Thanks

[grant580]

Looked at some No 7 transit boxes and the staples/posts are not recessed on these boxes, but in pictures the staples/posts for any sniper boxes are recessed. Will be ordering a 1 3/4 forstner bit to start recessing them, thanks for that Peter, it was a very good point.