Bren transit chest refinishing

[Devildog1987]

I have just picked up a transit chest for my Bren. Is anyone aware of anyone who would refurbish a transit chest. I.E. repaint, replace linings etc.

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[Peter Laidler]

Having seen a few in my time DD, they are pretty simply things to refurb. Mind you, we didn't waste too much time on them. But I suggest that if you want a 'proper job' then you start by taking it to a pine stripper (see local furniture renovator for details) and when it's totally stripped of paint, see what you've got. New internal bits are simplicity itself and the same furniture renovators will supply the horsehair matting/packing stuff.

Thereafter it's a case of a bit of wood patching or filling, priming and then paint with good old UK Military Deep Bronze Green available as a mix from a colour chip from your local paint shop. Then paint the inside, I seem to remember that thfront and rear internal faces came in grey or an orange colour, followed by a coat of linseed!

Zillions of the UK ones were made at Newbury by Elliots of Newbury together with Horsa gliders and parts and wartime utility furniture......, now very collectable apparently!

[tankhunter]

To add to what Peter has described.

I have had/ sold/ repaired/ traded 'quite a few' of these transit chests. Nearly all were painted inside with Red Lead Oxide Primer. & the external finishes have been Deep bronze green as Peter has also described. But, by far. The vast majority of the example I have handled/ seen for sale. Have had a Matt green paint finish. VERY similar to what is used on current British Military vehicles. But I feel sure, that 'Back in the day'. When they were painted the Matt finish. The paint I would hazard a guess. Did NOT have the I.R.R (Infa Red Reflective) Properties. That current Mat Green Military Paint does have.

[Peter Laidler]

I think that you're right there about the paint Tankie. One of my friends worked at Elliots of Newbury and took me around the old factory in West Street. In the paint shop you could still see the old Horsa and Bren chest colours sprayed on the walls where they'd flushed out their paint guns.

He told me that they were all sent out as CKD or Completely Knocked Down and assembled somewhere else in the factory and then returned to be assembly painted and this is why the inside of the front and back were painted but not the ends. Women on war piece work sprayed the stencil markings. Just another uslesss bit of Enfield info - of sorts.

[Brit plumber]

I think I've had about 20 or so and they were all from Aus, with that mat Green finish. Most had a turquoise/green brush line to cover up older markings and some had the bumper bars. All of them had that horrible orange creosote type finish on the inside and stale oil smell. Great!!!!!!!!

Oh, and most had -99- NSN numbers too (Even though they were from Aus)

[Peter Laidler]

That -99- in the NSN was always a bit doubtful because it was the Country of ORIGIN and some used to interpret this as Country of manufacture.

Canadian Centurion parts (?) in Germany were all numbered with the Canadian designator for some reason. I suppose that there'll be other oddballs!

[Devildog1987]

Thank you all for the replies. I was hoping not to have to do the work myself, but if you want it done right....

[Peter Laidler]

As I seem to remember, the biggest problem with the Bren chests that we had was where does the QM keep them all? Under the firing point of the indoor 25metre range was the usual answer. But seriously, it was the screws that retained the steel band around the top and the screws that retained the hasps and staples. The wood would contract or dry out or whatever wood does and the screws would become loose. The next screw size UP wouldn't fit in the holes and the longer ones......... Anyway we'd just glue and plug the holes and be done with it and glue and cramp the splits.

The 'equipment repairers' usually did the chests but a bit of woodwork was usually beyond them as the were usually too busy making trailer canopies, yacht covers or barbie awnings for their pals or fixing other less complicated stuff. You know what it's like

[Gil Boyd]

Personally, I prefer them as they come, untampered with. But clearly if there are gaping holes they need sorting, it does give authenticity to its checkered history and handling
IMHO

[Brit plumber]

Thank you all for the replies. I was hoping not to have to do the work myself, but if you want it done right....

Fancy like popping up a few photos?