No42 and No53 sights …. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT? (by Peter Laidler)

[read6737]

Not wanting to let this topic die.
No heard if anything has got moving.
Any updates?
Any ideas?
Anything?

[Peter Laidler]

Soooooooo many things to do and so little time.

AT a couple of hundred ££ a pop, finding a scrap Mk3 is a bit of a sticking point too but one will materialise soon. Maybe, in the meantime, someone could just roughly price up the cost of machining a set of drums. I remember having some blank range scales engraved and the costs were horrendous

[Roger Payne]

DPL,
I too would love to see this come off, but I dread to think how much a set of drum assemblies would cost if made commercially. You may recall that not long before his tragic demise Graham Smith made me ten sets of Mk3 drum assemblies (R&D scales, knurled drums, lead screw locking nuts, copper alloy springs & index plates..........all x 10 sets!). He worked at 'mates rates' but even so, many years ago the cost came to about 1400 pounds, or 140 pounds a set. I suspect one could multiply that figure by several-fold to arrive at a figure from a commercial outfit & at current prices.......Although I'd love to hear of someone who could do it really competitively. I say this, because even if the project were to come off, I think what people would pay would be rather less than for the original article, because no matter how well made (& I accept that the recent copies have had mixed reviews), it will always be a copy, & never an original...............
Just a thought. ATB

[Peter Laidler]

That's an interesting thought DRP. I doubt that anyone would pay £140 or so for a set of Mk3 drums currently - even original ones. It cost me £20+ just for the engraving per drum. I appreciate that it's engraved on an indexed head but I'd already worked out the angles mathematically.

I will continue with the tube aspects of the project but.................. We'll see

Of prices etc etc. Several years ago someone was in contact with me regarding his old knackered Mk2 scope that he wanted rebuilding. He wanted the sort of price that I pay HIM to rebuild it! I offered him a complete set of brand new Mk3/L1A1 ocular OG and erector lens assemblies in the housings plus a set of brand new L1A1 range and deflection drum assemblies PLUS an imperial range drum so that his telescope would emerge as a Mk2/1. All thiese parts for something just over £100 (that's not a mistake. It reads one hundred) and he never came back. Oh, don't get me going......................

Now, I have to get parts made so know all about prices!

[Longshaor]

Does anyone know where the original engineering drawings would have gone? IWM, PRO Kew, some other museum/orgainization? I've started back engineering the turret itself, with assistance from a member of this board, but original drawings would speed this up a lot!

Cheers!