Pads on side of UC

[Adrian Harris]

This was posted on FB today. Anyone know what the square pads along the side are for ?

Adrian.

[Chris Hall]

I’ve got a feeling it was for flotation tanks ..... but were they ever used in action ?

[John Wiggins]

Hi Adrian
They were for the retaining rods that supported the deep wading attachments.

25A30C83-7898-4E4A-87F9-7EC12EA4078E.jpeg (233.19 KiB) Viewed 432 times

All uc’s from Normandy onwards would have them.
The joins were taped and a lot of gooey black bostik was used to seal them. You can still see the residue left on the sides of carriers later in the campaign, that have had their deep wading panels removed.
I have personal experience with a huge tube of black bostik, as a young lad in the 1950’s . I helped myself to a tube from my father’s toolbox, to try to glue a toy metal lorry I’d broken. I was covered in the stuff when my mother came home, a ruined shirt and a pair of short trousers went into the bin and I had a scuffed ear and scrubbed to an inch of my life.
Regards
John

[Adrian Harris]

Thanks John. Looks like I'll need to brush up on my silver soldering skills, unless one of our aftermarket friends can come up with a product

Adrian

[Graham P Hough]

Where they also used to mount the canvas cover?

[John Wiggins]

Yes.

[Steve Stuart]

Remember that there is an alternative to welding, brazing, or silver soldering. The much simpler and lower temperature process of soldering, one of the Armortek building Gurus told me it is perfectly possible to lead solder steel. You will need to make sure that you have a suitable flux that is going to 'clean' and allow the solder to flow when the joint is made and also a heat source, whether flame or iron that will pump in enough to keep things molten. This is a technique I will be using to make any lower strength joints and to round out any plate abutments.
Have fun! Steve

[Graham P Hough]

I agree Steve, I have used soft solder with a 100w iron to fix handles and other small items and where possible at the back of rivets instead of using super glue where it is hidden as in 25pdr limber. Also as you say Steve we need to make sure the surfaces are clean and grease free. Just don't do what I did and reach for the hot soldering iron with out looking and grab it by the bit - ouch!

[Christoffer Ahlfors]

Just don't do what I did and reach for the hot soldering iron with out looking and grab it by the bit - ouch!

Thanks for letting us in on this secret, Graham! I thought I was the only one on the planet having done such a ehm... thing. I would never have admitted it if you hadn't gone first!