A while ago on here, with the help of an absolute legend I met on here who happened to owned a real one and was willing to take dimensions for me, I was able to draft some drawings of said mount and rings in the title. My grand plan was to find a competent engineer to then use my drawings to produce a copy of a TP Canadian no.32 mount.
What ended up happening was of course I failed miserably to find someone who had the time or interest to give it a crack, so it ended up on the back burner for a while. Anyway I’ve given it some thought recently and would like to share the drawings I made of the mount for anyone willing to give it a go. Maybe they might be useful to someone somewhere.
Obviously if someone decides to produce these in a small run or whatever, as the person who made these drawings I’d like dibs on one of the first batch, if it does eventuate.
It’s a pdf file, and writing this on my phone isn’t giving me the option to include it in this opening thread, but I do have it here and would like to share it freely if I can somehow.
The dimensions in the drawing are in metric as I am Australian, but I’m sure that won’t be an issue.
I am sure there are many who would love to have a copy of the file. Very generous offer! Using a computer, could you post it as an attachment? Or offer it in an email?
I am sure there are many who would love to have a copy of the file. Very generous offer! Using a computer, could you post it as an attachment? Or offer it in an email?
I’ll try post it tonight on pc, might let me include the attachment.
I once lent a mount for the LE No.67 set up to a chap in NZ and it never came back.
Apparently he got into wacky tobacci and other recreational pharmaceuticals and it went up his nose or in a vein.
If you ever get offered one please PM me.
Name available on request.
I once lent a mount for the LE No.67 set up to a chap in NZ and it never came back.
Apparently he got into wacky tobacci and other recreational pharmaceuticals and it went up his nose or in a vein.
If you ever get offered one please PM me.
Name available on request.
It seems a bit unreal to me that there is not a single machining company in whole Australia not able to do this. Even in my own home district there are at least three company which would have machines able to do this. It does not need to be a company focusing on gun parts. A company which can do milling is good enough. Just be aware they might want to do more than just a single piece for you, so if you tell them you want 10, 50, 100, ... is more attractive. They'll have to do CAD drawings of your hand drawing too, plus CNC work ...
Your post btw was a good reminder. Dug out my old thread on my rifle and re-uploaded the pictures to the thread which were lost with the forum update. In case you need additional reference --> https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=64934
It seems a bit unreal to me that there is not a single machining company in whole Australia not able to do this. Even in my own home district there are at least three company which would have machines able to do this. It does not need to be a company focusing on gun parts. A company which can do milling is good enough. Just be aware they might want to do more than just a single piece for you, so if you tell them you want 10, 50, 100, ... is more attractive. They'll have to do CAD drawings of your hand drawing too, plus CNC work ...
Your post btw was a good reminder. Dug out my old thread on my rifle and re-uploaded the pictures to the thread which were lost with the forum update. In case you need additional reference --> https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=64934
The closest I got to finding someone to make it was an engineer/gunsmith who said the juice wouldn’t be worth the squeeze unless he made a run of 20 or so for it to be worth it. It would mean producing jigs, to make jigs, to make the thing, it wouldn’t be easy to do. I’m just a guy that wants one mount, I can’t afford to blow thousands on 20 of them only to not be able to sell them. It’s all good to say to myself “I’ll sell em, she’ll be right”, but if there’s one thing my life has taught me, it’s never underestimate reality’s capacity to disappoint you.
It was enough to demoralise me from the project, but at least I can share the drawings and maybe someone else out there can take the baton forward. And maybe end up making me one in the process…
I know precisely what you mean. Apart from the No32 brackets that I had made in about six or seven batches of 100 over the thirty years from 1990 to a couple of years ago, I have also had numerous types of WW1 era maounts remanufactured. Some of them are quite complex machining jobs. Of course they are doable - they were made a century ago by men & we have far more advanced technology now. However, unless you happen to have a tame toolmaker who is prepared to make you one, or perhaps a few sets of mounts for considerably less than the going rate, they will cost more than you can sell them for. Commercial companies are there to make a profit & they do not consider it worth their while getting off their backsides unless you want a hundred. There are companies that specialise in prototypes, but again, you pay seriously for that know-how.
I have long said that in this game you need a retired Rolls Royce toolmaker who has a passion for model engineering, a fully equipped garden workshop, a modest pension, & a wife with a penchant for extravagant foreign holidays!
Fortunately I may have had a bit of luck on that front. My current hobby machinist (but who is truly excellent) has just handed in his notice to his day job. He called me to let me know, & even said 'so I'll have more time to do all those little jobs you keep finding me'!
The problem is that you'll almost need special toolings to be able to make them. And these only pay off if you do more than just one.
Additionally to be mentioned: they will become cheap if you find an Asian company willing to do. Because they simplify and use cheap soft steel and make thousands to have a market. And you end up with a low quality product that doesn't make you happy. If you want an exact replica you'll have to invest into tools and a high quality production facility, so the price for a mount as complicated as this one will be expensive, I'd assume a four digit price tag.
By the way, IMHO the toughest part to reproduce will be the wing nuts.
no.32 mount.
PM
Originally Posted by tiriaq
