Wiles Senior cooker.

[101 Ron]

I have another project on the horizon.
It will be a few years before I start it.
Its civie history is mostly well known by me.
Its military history is not, but should not be hard to track down because it has it army number plate still on it and other numbers under its paint work same as the number plate.
A few other markings exist too.
It is totally complete except for one steaming pot and all the others are very repairable and with wire baskets in good condition.
All boiler tools are present as are all warmer and oven trays.
It comes with new canvas side covers and Two new wiles boiler pressure drums etc.
The attraction to me about this unit is I have a connection to it very many years ago and the fact it is so complete.
I also had much experience with restoration and operation of a wiles junior cooker
The bad news is all the sheet metal is stuffed.
But being sheet metal it is straight forward to repair.( I now have a sheet metal folder and guillotine to help)
Frame work has rust, but no frame work needs to be replaced.
Brakes naturally don't work and are air over hydraulic.(brakes are complete except for connection hoses.)
My ideas for the brakes is to keep the air over hydraulic, but also fit a modern electric/hydraulic system so it can be towed by a vehicle fitted with a quality electric brake controller.( as well as a air braked vehicle)
This wiles was configured to be pulled by a Studebaker truck fitted with air trailer brakes.
it left army service in the early 1970s.
last boiler cert was in 1972..........boiler is in good condition.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/737.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/011_zps7dd42dd9.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/738.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/013_zpsb8f9eeb9.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/735.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/012_zps3eda3597.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/736.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/010_zps85d15e03.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/733.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/017_zps4dbf7b9e.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/734.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/015_zps9838a1dc.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/731.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/016_zps587addb3.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/732.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/018_zps1ad698dd.jpg.html)

[Mick_Marsh]

I think I know where there may be another one of those.
I'll have to check.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/729.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/019_zps033ef010.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/12/730.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/020_zpsa4a9b5a1.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

I think I know where there may be another one of those.
I'll have to check.

I need one those Three rusty looking rectangular boxes with lid and wire basket in one of the above pics in front of the boiler down the RHS of the body.
I figure the safety chains are missing( no biggie) and the small platform above the draw bar to make access to the hot water and cold water tanks easier........again no biggie.( that's if it was ever fitted)
I am flat out thinking what else is missing.
I still have a steam whisle from the last Wiles junior I played with.
One other thing is the steam pressure guage.........no problem again.

[101RRS]

Ron - does your missus know about this?:o

[101 Ron]

I have been given a very good book with Wiles history in Australia and good pics and spare parts listing.
I have too in poor condition some original operation instructions etc.
Information wise except for military history of this unit I have.
Ron

[101 Ron]

Ron - does your missus know about this?:o

sssh...............................:angel:

[101 Ron]

So far information is indicating this Cooker is one of 200 made by a Company in NSW called Boyded during WW2 to Wiles design.
Boyded were used to help war time production as Wiles had trouble producing the numbers required in a short time.
So it could be a rare beast.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

So far information is indicating this Cooker is one of 200 made by a Company in NSW called Boyded during WW2 to Wiles design.
Boyded were used to help war time production as Wiles had trouble producing the numbers required in a short time.
So it could be a rare beast.Boyded? Were they the same company that sold Holden cars in the 1950s and 1960s?

[The ho har's]

When we were at a Military event in Gyra NSW there was one there fully restored and cooking roast Lamb for the family:D And I know of another in Northern NSW:)

I will see if I can find all the photos of the information boards they had of it.

Mrs hh.

[101 Ron]

Boyded? Were they the same company that sold Holden cars in the 1950s and 1960s?
I have been trying to found out about any company in NSW called Boyded around WW2 and could only find Buick car dealership and workshops.
Could be someone else.........little information around.

[101 Ron]

When we were at a Military event in Gyra NSW there was one there fully restored and cooking roast Lamb for the family:D And I know of another in Northern NSW:)

I will see if I can find all the photos of the information boards they had of it.

Mrs hh.

A few senior and junior cookers are around and some fully restored.
Most are missing steaming pots and hot water urns, etc due to rust.
In the family we had a operational junior cooker for many years and know what they can do.
What they are limited on these days for cooking is grills as we have gone from a English type diet to a more open type.
In fact the cooker in the pics is one my father owned before the purchase of the junior cooker and why I know abit about its post army history.
He sold it on to someone else who stored it since 1980.
I was supprized to stumble apon the same cooker and had it offered to me on reasonable terms.
Getting the boilers past checks for legal operation is harder these days as the boilers were built in war time and welded by non pressure vessel ticketed welders and the fact things will in time get thin and rust etc.
Having Two new pressure drums will make inspections easy if the current one is not up to scratch.
Blow off pressure is 110 lbs
Using these things teaches you how good is steam in storing energy and releasing it when required.
A jerry can of water can be brought from stone cold to boiling with in mintues just using a steam wand incerted though the jerry cans neck.
Nothing I can think of can do this so quickly.
The cooker not only steams foods quickly using little fuel, but the steam can be used for cleaning the cooker and dishes.
Plently of hot water from the seniors 45 gallon tank for washing up and showers etc if needed.
The junior cooker we had was kept at work and I used to fire it up if I needed to clean out a radiator.........wet steam is good for that.
This Boyded built one appears to be so far only the second one to survive of the less than 200 built by that company.
The roasting oven is setup so the heat from the boiler helps with the heat and fire in the oven by bolting up side by side and sharing the heat.

[101 Ron]

If you are interested in the history of these things , click on the link.

wiles2 (http://www.nashos.org.au/wiles2.htm)

THE WILES COOKER (http://www.nashos.org.au/wiles.htm)

[101 Ron]

Mobile Wiles cookers were a revillation of the time.
Old cargo ships had to be converted to troop ships and the ships kitchen was never big enough to handle anything more than the ships small crew.
Answer.......feed a extra 500 troops at sea by chaining down a Senior Wiles cooker to the decks and run the thing on coal.
The same idea worked for troop trains...........chain the wiles to a goods flat wagon in the train and have it cook meals ready for every train stop..

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Boyded? Were they the same company that sold Holden cars in the 1950s and 1960s?I have been trying to found out about any company in NSW called Boyded around WW2 and could only find Buick car dealership and workshops.
Could be someone else.........little information around.Don't be disillusioned. Before the war, most US made vehicles in Australia were shipped as bonnet chassis and had the bodies made locally. Holden Motor Body Builders were one company making bodies exclusively for Chevrolet before being taken over by GM.

We also know that Mosquito bombers were made in a piano factory in Sydney. So having a Buick importer/dealer, who was possibly body builder or assembly plant make Wiles cookers isn't too far of a stretch. It would make Boyded Holden likely the same company.

Diana

[Bigbjorn]

Boyd Edkins was an early long distance motor record driver. The family had/has grazing properties in the Longreach-Winton districts. They had multiple dealerships in Sydney and district selling Vauxhall and Bedford and Later the GM-H range. Prominent and wealthy family.

Edit - Boyded became part of Bernie Webb's Fair Deal Motors Group in the 1950's. After much merging, selling, rebranding, share shuffling the group is now 100% back in the hands of the Webb family

[101 Ron]

It arrived today.
I have no idea when I am going to find time to tackle this thing.
I have a lot of work in front of me.
Some detailed pics following.
Not too much is missing, but I do have to find a few missing doors, veg steamer and small bits and pieces and ash tray for the boiler.
The boiler and chassis/ builders plates are missing.
The chassis is good.......all the sheet metal has to be replaced.
supprisingly the cleaning tools for the boiler are present as are all the baking trays.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/925.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/378_zpsdf2089ab.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/923.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/382_zps6b1765fa.jpg.html)
Above is slow/warming oven
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/924.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/381_zps9fb83a4c.jpg.html)
Above is main fast oven with splash back trays for cooking on the move.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/921.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/383_zps0671d669.jpg.html)
Above are boiler tools ........ie for cleaning the tubes etc, also shows boiler blow down valve
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/922.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/380_zps93042382.jpg.html)

Little door missing from floor level compartment above.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/918.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/379_zpsa4424081.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/919.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/384_zpsbee07cfe.jpg.html)
Boiler firebox.......some sort of ash pan missing.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/920.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/388_zps2631728d.jpg.html)
Roof needs much work......roof slides open over boiler for hot weather.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/915.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/389_zps45d68530.jpg.html)
Rear wood work bench and fire wood compartment underneath.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/916.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/385_zps9ca62cc1.jpg.html)
Gauge missing from boiler
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/917.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/387_zps29f3e560.jpg.html)
meat and veg steaming pots, one pot is missing.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/912.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/390_zps0c129c9d.jpg.html)
Numbers under old paint

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/913.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/386_zps475b5b53.jpg.html)
Wooden benches and fire wood storage again.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/914.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/392_zps810db4d0.jpg.html)
Boiler feed water tank.....has removable top for cleaning.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/909.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/395_zps33bcc581.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/910.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/396_zpsdf7c1769.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/911.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/391_zpsf37eac21.jpg.html)
Above is boiling/hot water tank for tea and washing up etc.....note red steam pipe going inside it.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/905.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/394_zpsb5272cd6.jpg.html)
brackets for safety chains missing above.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/906.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/393_zps56ceb262.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/907.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/398_zpsd6b08bf3.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/908.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/397_zps0b54ec16.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/902.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/402_zpse101c9dd.jpg.html)
The above is the hand pump for filling the boiler.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/903.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/400_zps727ac740.jpg.html)
Air tank for brakes.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/904.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/399_zpsb041919b.jpg.html)
Some sort of air brake valve.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/899.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/401_zpsdea0901a.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/900.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/403_zps5b78538a.jpg.html)
Safety valve and brass plate from boiler.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/901.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/406_zps2d270d2f.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/895.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/404_zps0b430efb.jpg.html)
Above missing plate from oven door.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/896.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/405_zpsd8315d6c.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/897.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/408_zps5ad2412e.jpg.html)
Above...the roof will be hard to repair.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/898.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/407_zps68ff2fa1.jpg.html)
Tyres and wheels are a hard to get 18 inch

[stealth]

Looks like a good project Ron. Strip and clean for the most part. At least you are not chasing too much in the way of missing bits. This is my Junior I had operating recently

[Aaron IIA]

Are you sure it has air over hydraulic brakes? That looked like it could have been a vacuum booster. The Studebaker trucks have vacuum brakes. An electric over hydraulic master cylinder is now available. This way you can use an electric brake controller with the original slaves.
Aaron

[101 Ron]

The air hoses have been cut off , but the twist lock connector holders are still on the A frame.......It is a air over hydraulic system.
The air tank has a water drain on it, which you do not find on a vacuum system
Studebakers of the 1960s and early 1970s that towed the Wiles cookers had a air brake trailer conversion especially for the wiles cooker.
A air compressor was fitted to the RHS of the motor.( I have a Studebaker and one of these compressors)
Yes some Studebakers were made from the factory with vacuum trailer brakes, but these were only for semi trailer tractor 6x4 models which Australia never purchased.
When towing with a International MK3 or 6x6 the truck was fitted with air trailer brakes as standard.
The thing I don't understand is the as manufactured brake system.
The hubs and hydraulic drum brakes were made by Ford in Melbourne during the War and most trucks of the period used to tow the Wiles cooker had no trailer brakes.
I can only guess it was a hydraulic over ride set up used as built and then improved during the years of service with a air brake up grade.

A rough idea I have is to restore the brakes as air over hydraulic.......I only have the Alvis stalwart with air trailer brakes...not a ideal tow wagon.
But to fit the wiles with a modern electric breakaway/battery system on the hydraulic side of it.
That way it could be towed with any vehicle with a electric brake set up.( or straight air brakes)
The weight of the wiles comes in at just over Three tonnes.
It would be far easier to fit my Studebaker with a electric brake controller than trying to fit it with air trailer brakes...........even my 101 landy could be made into a tow wagon as it also has the correct height pintle tow hook.

I have leads on other Wiles senior wrecks for parts I need.
The roof may not be a big problem after all if I can find another one in better condition as it is just bolted on with eight bolts.
I intend to collect the parts and spares I need to restore it and then do a total strip down of the chassis and rebuild in a few years time.
The new boiler barrels that comes with the cooker should ease any boiler certificate issues.
I am getting all steamed up just thinking about it.
Ron

[101 Ron]

Wiles senior cooker No2 is in pipe line of things.
It has all the bits Missing from the other one.
I should be able to make one very good and complete wiles senior cooker and have plenty of spare parts.
The useful items on this other cooker is four good hard to get 18 x7.50 tyres, all brass plates, steam gauge and enough good steamers and baskets to make one complete set between the 2 cookers.
This wiles cooker in the following pics looks like it was released from the army about the same time as the other one.
The boiler and oven appear to be in poor condition and the roof and insides has much more rust than the first one.
The braking systems on both cookers are exactly the same.

[101 Ron]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/556.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1117_zpsfa2cdcd8.jpg.html)
In the above a steaming pot laying on its side can be seen and the veg/ meat basket inside.
They will have to be retinned to make it useable again.
Note the blue and red handle beside the boiler which is used to pump water in side it and 4 steam valves to feed different steamer pots or the steam immersion pipe
Army rego number is not readable.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/557.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1118_zpsc8b9e8b1.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/558.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1119_zpsb4b4ff66.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

This Wiles junior cooker came from the same place and purchased by another restorer.
It is missing a few parts, but shouldn't take too much to get it going again.
Though I would just post it up to show what the smaller cooker looks like.
The Wiles cooker story and production against indifferent army head in the sand command is a interesting one.
The Wiles cooker I know for a fact as I used to do it to prove to people, boil a jerry can of water in 2 minutes just by using the immersion pipe though the neck of the jerry can.
I know when used correctly these things knockout some very good tucker.
I will not be starting restoration on the senior cooker for many years yet, but that's OK as I will need a long time to learn how to cook.;);););):angel:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/552.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1123_zps3cacefc2.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/553.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1124_zps95aedca8.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/554.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1125_zps7630301d.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/555.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1126_zpsa244375d.jpg.html)

[Mick_Marsh]

Spotted in the wild.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/550.jpg (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Collection/DSC_4130.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/551.jpg (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Collection/DSC_4074.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

That senior pictured above is interesting as it is not a war time one ,but one of a batch made about 1958.
The main differences are commercial freighter trailer axles using 20 inch wheels and better brakes........may be straight air design????????.
The junior wiles pictured above is one of a few modified with a longer draw bar as the juniors had a bad habit of rolling over when towed at speed behind a landrover.
The junior wiles would be later production to have the draw bar redesign.
Wiles were making spare parts into the 1960s.
The last of the juniors left service in 1979 and the last of the senior ( LP Gas fired ) in 1985.
I remember being getting a feed from a WW2 wiles senior Wood fired on my first weekend out at Holsworthy Army range in the army reserves......1982 ?
( I got fire picket that weekend...2am to 3am........keep the fire going and pump water into the boiler ready for the cooks in the morning)
Food for the rest of my time in the army reserves out in the field was ration packs or cold slop carted from base kitchen to the field in hot boxes......give me the wiles cooking anytime and its hot water for a wash/shave etc.
I also remember about 10 seniors with twin 100lb LPG bottles mounted on the front of them at Moorebank in out of use, but in storage in 1985.
Mic would it be possible to get some pics of the rear of that senior cooker, as it seems to have a improvement to the wood storage area.............a out side door fitted ?????????.......cleaning out the wood storage box is hard to do on the war time cookers.

[Mick_Marsh]

Thought I had one.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/529.jpg (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Collection/DSC_4128.jpg.html)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Notice a particular D4! :cool:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/77555d1400648396-wiles-senior-cooker-menangle.jpg

Bobslandies tells a WWII family story when his father had to tow a Wiles Cooker behind a C8 CMP from Singleton Camp down the Putty Road to Sydney. Coming down the bends to Colo River the cooker started pushing the Blitz and his father and off sider decided to abandon the rig rather than going hundreds of feet down the escarpment.

[101 Ron]

Found some information on the first Boyded cooker.
Boiler is marked
EC 103
SHELLS SEAMLESS BOIER UNIT
WSA S/N 2476
Pressure tested 200lbs
MYD
RADEX N/O DV59
JBA
work pressure 100lbs

The inspection cert found inside the trailer is...............
2BOA
22/72
REGISTED N/O EC103
trailer 123488
28inch long
12 inch dia
95lb safety valve operation pressure.
Boiler operation pressure 100 lbs
next inspection......1065hrs/Nov 73

I Know part of the kit for a wiles cooker is a log and repair book....separate from the boiler yearly certificate and the army recorded operating hours which is most likely the hours mentioned on the boiler cert.

Knowing much of the post army history of this wiles cooker, it which be safe to say it has done no further steaming since army auction.

The boiler barrel inspection plug was found to be loose and I can see inside the barrel..........the parts I can see look OK.
Interestingly the boiler cert numbers match both trailer and boiler.

I know each boiler when made was hydraulically tested to 200lbs


The second cooker ....the wiles made one ,still has its boiler certificate inside it and I should be able to figure out its army/trailer rego number.......it will be a while before I can get a close look at the second cooker.

[101 Ron]

The other piece of information I have is the Boyded cooker was made in the Sydney surburb of Villawood during the war.
Villawood was a large American stores/warehouse area during the war.
The Americans used as many wiles cookers during the war in the pacific as they could get their hands on.......reverse lend lease.
Some of the first American units to be land here during the war were feed by stationary wiles kitchens in South Australia and how the Americans caught onto the idea early on.
The wiles were made as stationary units for hospitals, large permanent army camps, large ships, large American air fields, ect....could feed 1000 men......none survive.
The Senior mobile for cooking on the move.......could feed 500 men.
The Junior mobile....small enough to tow behind a Jeep or to be parachuted to site....could feed 200 men
All used the same boiler.
On the stationary units a extra oven and steamer pots were fitted with steam from the pressure relief valve used to heat a 100 gallon hot water service as well as the normal boiling water Tea tank and boiling water service.
The Wiles cooker was very well liked by all services.
The British even purchased 30 of them for the Indian army.
They were discovered too late in the war in Europe by the British to be considered for use.

[Rurover]

The wiles were made as stationary units for hospitals, large permanent army camps, large ships, large American air fields, ect....could feed 1000 men......none survive.


Yikes, what were they feeding them that none survived??!
Hope you mean the cookers, not the men!;)

Alan

[Wilesman]

Hi Ron,
Here are a few shots of our cooker, which we have used to cook meals at our Annual Machinery Rally & a few other events. Biggest effort so far is two course meal for 120 vintage car nuts on a miserable winters day at Ebor. At least we were kept warm!
ARN is 124340
If someone can tell me how to include photos in text rather than attachments I'll dig out some more.
Cheers,
Ron

[Mick_Marsh]

Open the images in a new window then copy the URL into your text with [/IMG] at the end of the URL and at the beginning.

[IMG]http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82199d1408189214-wiles-senior-cooker-inter-wiles-2.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Wilesman]

Hi Mick,
Thanks for the info.
Here we are cooking on the run so to speak at 2006 Rally
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=82210&stc=1&d=1408225952
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82283d1408337708-wiles-senior-cooker-rally-parade-06.jpg
Here is our cooker at 2007 Rally, providing roast dinner for the family & a few friends.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=82211&stc=1&d=1408225952
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82284d1408337753-wiles-senior-cooker-rally-07.jpg
Cheers

[101 Ron]

Open the images in a new window then copy the URL into your text with [/IMG] at the end of the URL and at the beginning.

[IMG]http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82199d1408189214-wiles-senior-cooker-inter-wiles-2.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82200d1408189330-wiles-senior-cooker-boiler.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/82203d1408189661-wiles-senior-cooker-setup.jpg

In the second picture I can see mods for a whisle.......that's cool every boiler needs a whisle, but whats the story with the red steam pipe going to the right and a small copper condensing coil from it.

[Wilesman]

Absolutely right about the whistle!

Coil is a Windermere kettle used to boil the billy - its what the steam boats on Lake Windermere use to make their tea.
Boils the billy in 20 sec or so.

[Wilesman]

Well that didn't work!
These are the photos I tried to include

[The ho har's]

Well that didn't work!
These are the photos I tried to include

I Noticed you are located in the New England area, did you have that Wiles cooker at the Guyra Military Festival in 2012? if so we were there in the 101:)

Mrs hh:angel:

[Wilesman]

Yes that was us. A damp but enjoyable weekend.
Here is our setup
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/649.jpg

Was this your 101?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/642.jpg

This was us at the 2013 Guyra event. We cooked up some roast lamb & sold hot lamb & gravy rolls to the troops.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/650.jpg

I need to chase up a proper army awning rather than that plastic one!

Couldn't make it this year, but hopefully next year will be a goer.

[Wilesman]

Stuffed up again! I will get the hang of this eventually.

Here is the missing photo

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/649.jpg

[The ho har's]

Yes that was us. A damp but enjoyable weekend.


Was this your 101?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/642.jpg

This was us at the 2013 Guyra event. We cooked up some roast lamb & sold hot lamb & gravy rolls to the troops.


Couldn't make it this year, but hopefully next year will be a goer.


Yes that is us...we were asked to go this year but we had another trip already booked with our club. Which was good as the 101 ran like a piece of **** so it would have been a bit hard to take all the way to Guyra. Maybe next year...

Mrs hh:angel:

[cruiser83]

Does anyone know of a restorable wiles junior thats for sale? I remember my old club used to have one that went out to club events.
The first time I saw one was at the Bankstown airshow in 91 and since then my father and myself have wanted to get one.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[303gunner]

A nice restorable Senior in northern NSW. Comes with lots of hard to find accessories. Good price, but of course transport home will add to the final price.


WW2 EX Army Wiles Field Kitchen Blitz in Willow Tree, NSW | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/WW2-EX-ARMY-WILES-FIELD-KITCHEN-BLITZ-/181548340322?pt=AU_Militaria&hash=item2a451fd462)

[stealth]

Does anyone know of a restorable wiles junior thats for sale? I remember my old club used to have one that went out to club events.
The first time I saw one was at the Bankstown airshow in 91 and since then my father and myself have wanted to get one.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I think I now own the one you refer to. Fully operational. I can't remember the previous owners name, (Wolfe?) he was in the Blue Mountains somewhere. His family sold it after he died about fourish years ago. He used to take it regularly to NSW events. There was a complete junior for sale on eBay recently by a NSW collector. Asked too much and I don't think it sold.

[cruiser83]

That would have been the one. One of the club members told me that it was coming up for sale at the time, I told him to let me know when it did. Unfortunately for me he forgot about it.
I did have a look and bid on the one on ebay, it was a great example however you are right, it was just to expensive for me.
I have thought about a Senior, but I think my NORFORCE HJ47 would need an engine rebuild before she would haul it at the moment.
Thanks for the replies guys. If anyone does hear of a junior that comes available, could they let me know.

[Mick_Marsh]

Stumbled across this one the other day.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/86756d1415502026-wiles-senior-cooker-dsc_4521.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/86759d1415502135-wiles-senior-cooker-dsc_4524.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/86758d1415502097-wiles-senior-cooker-dsc_4523.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/86760d1415502161-wiles-senior-cooker-dsc_4525.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/military-trailers/86757d1415502060-wiles-senior-cooker-dsc_4522.jpg

[101 Ron]

I am still waiting for wiles cooker no 2 to find its way completely home.
I do have some more information on it.
It boiler is stamped
51134 shell seamless
boiler unit
AEG7-8-53
VAOS
ser no 1057
WP 100 lbs SQ IN.
X ray report No E90L
The second wiles unit will not be restored is it is to far gone rust wise.
I suspect the boiler in that unit cannot be saved or the ovens.
I is a good source of parts for the first Boyed unit and it has good hard to find 18 inch tyres.
The Wiles war time wheels are interesting as they are a standard American trailer pattern as is the stud pattern and only used during the war and why it so hard to get wheels or rubber for a WW2 wiles....they fit only trailers and not vehicles.
The new/ old boiler drum is home am appears never to have been X rayed
It is marked as follows in paint and not stamped.
JBA 0042
J2
D arrow D
o/n 5170,147
The second wiles cooker has a army rego no of
125 895...........that no was found on the yearly boiler inspection cert ....the rego plates are unreadable.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/564.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1363_zpsa4309944.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

Spare split wheels....note the unusual design of the split wheel.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/560.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1369_zpsbf516956.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/561.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1368_zps4984d9d0.jpg.html)
Note the near new boiler top cover
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/562.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1367_zpsb7ab65db.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/563.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1366_zps106c190f.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

New canvass curtains marked
66-034-0870..........I don't know if it does the lot or just down one side, its never been opened.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/558.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1371_zpsc8236417.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/559.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1370_zpsc9d37e29.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

New boiler drum
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/556.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1372_zpsb033adf5.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/557.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1373_zps4a99782e.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

When the No2 cooker gets home I will show pic of its roof which appears to be factory built but of different shape at the ends to all other wiles senior cookers I have ever seen.
I was hopeing to save it just as a flat top trailer.....but close inspection shows its too far gone.
It is mostly complete and will provide spares in the form of boiler pumps valves fire bars , brake parts etc.
Ron

[fraser130]

Thanks Ron, I really enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures. really interesting story. I'd love to see one in action.
Something that has me stumped, I'm sure I saw a whole bunch of mobile field kitchens for sale recently - am I imagining it? were they similar in operation to the "juniors"?

Ta,

Fraser

[101 Ron]

Thanks Ron, I really enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures. really interesting story. I'd love to see one in action.
Something that has me stumped, I'm sure I saw a whole bunch of mobile field kitchens for sale recently - am I imagining it? were they similar in operation to the "juniors"?

Ta,

Fraser

I know nothing about the later mobile kitchens used by the army

http://www.remlr.com/images/tac7sm.gif


http://www.remlr.com/documents/kitchen%20brochure.pdf
The above link should help.
It does mention steaming.......I guess it is a not a full on steam boiler

[101 Ron]

The curtains taken out of its packaging for the first time in near 70 years.
It appears to be a complete set.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/459.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/IMG_1375_zps77ad2f70.jpg.html)

[101 Ron]

I have found stuff stamped into the new boiler drum and it is as follows.
SHELLS. SEAMLESS
BOILER. UNIT
MSA NO 2340
pre test 200lbs
RAD. EX. NO DJ4
JBA.
WORK PRESSURE 100LBS
DATE . . .


then stamped up side down is a arrow and at the point of the arrow
163.

I am posting all this so someone can come along and figure out possible production dates and other information on these cookers-
Ron

[101 Ron]

I was posting these pics on another site and though I would post them here too.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/293.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/wilescookerboiler_zpsdb0f3af7.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/294.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/wilescookersideview_zpsf6beefb6.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/295.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/wilescookerendview_zpse6095240.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/296.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/101Ron/media/ron%203/wilescookerplanview_zpsd938051f.jpg.html)

[aussiesteptoe]

Please refer to:
Wiles Army Steam Cooker Junior Unit in VIC | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/-/151865653557)?


In coming days an unrestored Senior Unit will also be listed for sale as will a number of spare parts and accessories.

[Dinty]

I have been to this chaps place, he does (did) have some very desirable gear, cheers Dennis

[Mick_Marsh]

He's also got a Wiles Senior Cooker. Keep your eye open for that one.

[cruiser83]

My Father and myself bought the Junior that was sold on ebay. She is going to need some work, so I think I will have to tap into that support info network out there.
You wouldn't believe it, between the time that the pictures were taken for it on ebay and me coming down to inspect it just a day after the auction, someone had stolen the boiler ash pan from out of the oven and at the same time had stolen a junior chimney from out of a nearby box!
If anyone has a drawing of the ash pan or for the head of the ash pan shovel P/N CU 169 I would greatly appreciate it. The unit came with a spare tube cleaning brace P/N CU 182, which I would be happy to swap for a poker P/N CU171 if anyone is interested. I did manage to secure some spares for it in the way of a boiler and flue, but I can see that I will need to do a bit of work on the oven, the chimney, the hot water tank and the steamer bins!

[87County]

Well done on your purchase of the Junior. It is a significant item of OZ mil history.

It is disappointing that there always seems to be some light fingered individuals about.

You maybe aware that there is a functioning example of a Senior in Guyra which I expect will be in use at the mil vehicle rally at the lamb & potato festival next month (January 2016).

It could be a good opportunity for anyone interested to see a complete example in use and take plenty of pics :)

Edit: just noticed that it is recorded earlier in this thread.

[101 Ron]

I can give you pics and measurement of the shovel in return for the same on the tube cleaning brace.
Both should be easy to make.
I have too much going on before X mas.
Talk on the flip side of the new year.
Ron.

[stealth]

He's also got a Wiles Senior Cooker. Keep your eye open for that one.

I know the bloke who bought the senior cooker. It certainly does appear to have been completely overhauled before it was sold at the auctions. The oven has never been fired and still has clean bare metal inside. I would guess the same with the boiler as the fire grates were new. The steamer bins were spotless inside as were the steamer bin wire baskets. They have never been used. This was an absolute bargain at the price ($2750), even the tyres are good. It basically needs a new roof, strip and clean pretty much. He does have three other seniors so now may have some stuff to trade.

[cruiser83]

When I went down to pick up the junior the other week I noticed that the senior had already been collected. When I did my initial inspection of the junior after the auction I inspected the senior at the same time. I agree it was a very nice example.
I imagine that the bloke you refer to who bought it won't be needing to swap much in the way of spares as I noticed that the mountain of spare parts that were there the first time I came down were also gone. The only things that were left were about 5 boilers, a top oven and rusted remains.
I'll make up a drawing of the tube cleaning brace over Christmas, but making the end may be a bit tricky. I will include some pics.
Cheers for all the info guys

[stealth]

When I went down to pick up the junior the other week I noticed that the senior had already been collected. When I did my initial inspection of the junior after the auction I inspected the senior at the same time. I agree it was a very nice example.
I imagine that the bloke you refer to who bought it won't be needing to swap much in the way of spares as I noticed that the mountain of spare parts that were there the first time I came down were also gone. The only things that were left were about 5 boilers, a top oven and rusted remains.
I'll make up a drawing of the tube cleaning brace over Christmas, but making the end may be a bit tricky. I will include some pics.
Cheers for all the info guys

When you have a chance to see what is needed on your junior let me know. I may have some parts on another one I have. It is pretty cactus but there may be a few bits. A mate is going to reproduce the steam bins in stainless steel. I'm going to get a set as well as my originals, while being intact don't look the best when cooking in as they are a bit rusty in the bottom. Bought the new oven and new tea urn from Toolern Vale sale. I will pull the oven apart and see what is required to rebuild a rusty one if you need some help there. Do you have a manual?

[cruiser83]

I have got an original manual and parts list which is proving useful. We have the same problems in that the oven is going to need some panel replacements and the steamer bins are shot. I was thinking to have them reproduced in stainless and just stripping and re plating the baskets. I will also have to reproduce the steam pipes inside the bins as they are stuffed to. If your mate is interested I would love hear what a set of bins would be worth. The only other things that are immediately obvious to me as stuffed are the steam gauge and anti siphon pipe, and my tea urn will require a complete re make. I am still not sure as to what the condition is inside the boiler fire box as I am still dousing the bolts on it and the oven in penetrating oils to free everything up as much as possible. I did pick up 2 flues from the same sale, so I will have a spare available at some point. Thanks for the help, I greatly appreciate it.

[stealth]

You will probably find the tea urn ok inside as im pretty sure they are all copper with a galvanized outer skin and a nice layer of asbestos in between. So be careful stripping the bad stuff out. My mate will have to reskin the tea urn I give him so that is another part he may be able to do a couple of. Did the steamer pipes still have the brass fittings complete? The pipe part should be able to be replicated easily. The plan is I will be stripping down both my cookers next year and restoring them both with my engineer mate fabricating the parts needed to complete the cooker he will get. Any parts he makes he intends to do a few extras to help anyone else out and share the costs. I have a full set of tools so any of those you need can be copied. What was the condition of the firebox inserts like in both your oven and boiler?

[cruiser83]

most of my plates in the boiler and oven seem to be in reasonable nick, I can only see one that I am missing and that is the inner top side plate for the roasting oven P/N CU97.
It looks as though the army may have tried to lighten these things up a bit as it does not have a full set of fire bars fitted in either the boiler or oven. instead they have used 3 fire bars and welded cast drainage grate in between. I did manage to pick up a full set of fire bars (14 for the boiler and 7 for the oven) So I will fit them up during the rebuild.
I took a second look at my tea urn and noticed what you are talking about with the copper inner urn, it appears ok. I will indeed be indeed be interested in one of those as well. Do you have or know the whereabouts of one of the tea urn placards? Mine does not have one.
My steamer bins have all of the fittings and 2 baskets, I believe that this is the way that they were supplied (2 baskets only).
Tool wise, I have 2 of the tube cleaning braces, 1 scraper and the remains of either the shovel or the poker (it is a handle only).
I did manage to also pick up 2 NOS sets of steamer pipes with valves for the juniors. This is for the steam side coming out the back of the flue. The seem to be mostly good but I will have to replace a couple of elbows as they are pitted. On top of these I also obtained 2 sets of the brass valves for the sight glass that go on the boiler and the following back and side plates for the boiler, Back plate P/N CU14, Top side plates P/N CU16 and CU17.
I believe my water tank is ok but I have not opened it yet. it is missing the wing nuts to remove the lid and has a couple of ordinary nuts instead.
As soon as I can get the oven and boiler in pieces I will have a better idea of how bad the casings are.

[stealth]

I may be able to help with the tea urn plate. I've got some scrap bits to look through. Are the fire bars the correct size for the junior. I only saw the longer ones in the parts which were for the senior firebox which is bigger. I got a set of level glass valves as well but did you make sure you got the correct ones? There were left and right handed valves.

[cruiser83]

The fire bars that I got are 2 different sizes, the long ones which I thought were for the boiler and the short ones which In thought were for the oven. So are you saying that the fire boxes are deeper on the Senior?
As for the valves, It appears I have one set of each.

[stealth]

I will stand corrected on the fire bars but that is my belief that there are two different sizes. If you look at the parts book it states at the top of every page

"WHEN ORDERING STATE IF FOR JUNIOR UNIT"

Do you have a copy of this book

[cruiser83]

I may need to stand corrected, I took a closer look at my "drainage grate" fire bars fitted to both the boiler and oven fire boxes. It would appear that they may actually be factory castings. I will post some pictures when I get everything in pieces (everything is still taking penetrating oil). Maybe there is a difference between early and late production cookers in the fire bars? or perhaps it was a late mod for the juniors to keep weight down?

[cruiser83]

This is the manual that I have, it is stamped on the pages as for a Wiles Distributor and is wartime printed.
I may be wrong but it would make sense from a logistics point of view to make that statement about stating if it is "for a junior unit". They do have some major differences that I have seen in the boiler fire box and oven, (RH opening fire box on the boiler as opposed to LH opening on the Junior), and oven configuration ( fire box on the LH side of the senior and RH side on the Junior). I have also noticed that the steamer bins on a senior are larger than a junior. How far the differences extend to the rest of the parts would make a good discussion topic in itself.
Does your manual give any differences between senior and junior or between early and late construction?

[stealth]

I had a good look at both my cookers and will meet you half way on the fire bars. Neither of my cookers have fire bars but the grate type you have. I would guess now that the fire bars are only for the senior, with the long ones in the boiler and the short ones on the oven as you said. The senior does have the bigger steam bins. I have a couple of the manuals you have but the book I showed above is a history of the Wiles Cookers with a collection of newspaper articles and reports. Lots of photos etc plus a section which is the parts manual reproduced. It has a lot of good historical information. It was produced by Ken Wiles, the son of James Wiles who invented by the cooker. If anyone wants a copy I can provide a photocopy at cost.

[cruiser83]

Good evening all,
well yesterday I finally managed to get the junior stripped down to a bare chasis. I even managed to recover most of the rego number. It is 16311 and I believe the last number is a 5 based on the remains of the white paint. I was wondering if anyone can give me an idea of the paints to use on the oven and boiler cabinets? Also, the original green appears to be a bronze green very similar to early landrover paint. Does anyone have any ideas what it is or where I may be able to get some? All Contributions are greatly appreciated.

[cruiser83]

Thought I better include the un retouched photos as well

[stealth]

I've just finished rebuilding the oven I got from Toolern Vale. It needed a new floor in it as it had rusted out from sitting outside for years. Got it sandblasted and welded in a new floor and got it sandblasted. I used stove enamel which doesn't need priming and sticks really well to the sandblasted surface. Says it's good to 1200 degrees. I used the same on two new boiler units I picked up from sandblasting today. The oven was made in 1971 and the boilers in 1972. None of them ever used.

[cruiser83]

Good to hear that you are making some progress as well. That oven from toolern vale looked pretty good but I can see how the bottom would be damaged. Did you have to replace the entire bottom panel? I will be doing the same with my oven. I have cleaned out what was left of the asbestos secured to the bottom already in preparation. Do you have any pictures of how the baffle plate between the smoke exhaust and the lower inlet looks? Mine is totally gone so I have nothing to pattern. I'll give the stove paint a try, is it a gloss black you have been using or semi gloss? It seems that the original would be a flat black.

[stealth]

The paint is calledRustoleum in black satin finish. Look it up on eBay and they will post it to you.

Not sure what baffle you are describing.

And yes I put a whole new panel in the oven bottom. It could have been patched but a new section was a better way to go. Allowed me complete access to how the ovens are manufactured. I still have to rebuild another ovens on the second cooker as it is burnt out in the oven wall and floor. Will be a much bigger job.

[stealth]

Two NOS boiler units, sandblasted, painted and ready to fit

[cruiser83]

her is a few pics of the latest progress on our Junior after the welding and painting. It actually necessitated the removal of both guards, and chassis repairs due to rubbish accumulating over the years because of the gaps in the welding. Not a problem any more due to automotive sika flex. I don't suppose anyone would have some number stencils the same style as that other junior on this thread which still has its numbers displayed? I haven't managed to find a set with the same style "3". I Believed that my number was 163115, but upon closer examination it appeared that the last digit was actually a 6. The first 5 numbers were unmistakable.

[101 Ron]

For a short time I am able to get my hands on new 7.50 x 18 tyres with a road pattern to suit wiles senior cooker of WW 2 vintage.
That size 7.50 x 18 was a standard American trailer size in WW2 and little use afterwards.
New road pattern is harder than rocking horse poo to find.......Only tractor type tyres are common in that size and totally unsuitable for road use.
If you have a WW2 senior and want tyres for the standard wheels......Now is the time as they may never be available again.
PM me if anyone is interested.
Ron

[stealth]

For a short time I am able to get my hands on new 7.50 x 18 tyres with a road pattern to suit wiles senior cooker of WW 2 vintage.
That size 7.50 x 18 was a standard American trailer size in WW2 and little use afterwards.
New road pattern is harder than rocking horse poo to find.......Only tractor type tyres are common in that size and totally unsuitable for road use.
If you have a WW2 senior and want tyres for the standard wheels......Now is the time as they may never be available again.
PM me if anyone is interested.
Ron

What are you sourcing Ron? Is there anything else available in 18"? As in 11.00 x18?

[101 Ron]

One of my industrial tyre sources has found a small amount of 7.50 by 18 most likely made in China.
I have 4 ordered for my Wiles senior and I think another 4 are available.
These have nothing common with the modem 4WD tyres............But are were used during
WW2 mostly on American trailers and are extremely rare these days.
I suspect the Chinese may have a old set of the molds in the size.
I think 11.00 x 18 could match up with Gama goat and DUKW still available from the USA
My tyre supplier has come good other odd sizes in time.............Need more information.
PM me.

[101 Ron]

New tyres arrived for the Wiles senior cooker today.
Impressed with the quality......not chinese, but Korean.
The new tyres fit some sort of Korean bus, very heavy duty road tyre of 16 PR rating and max pressure of 115 psi.
Sort of a over kill for the Wiles cooker, but they fit , look the part and go round and round.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/7.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN8Q)7.50x18 wiles cooker tyre (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN8Q) by john smith (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141335301@N02/), on Flickr
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/8.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN9m)DSCN0264 (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN9m) by john smith (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141335301@N02/), on Flickr
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/9.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN9S)7.50x18 wiles cooker tyre (https://flic.kr/p/UZAN9S) by john smith (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141335301@N02/), on Flickr
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/10.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UZANao)7.50x18 tyre wiles cooker (https://flic.kr/p/UZANao) by john smith (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141335301@N02/), on Flickr
Ron

[101 Ron]

In earlier pages of this thread I mentioned in my family for many years there was a working Wiles junior cooker.
we sold it to another collector after my father died about 18 years ago.
It was working with a boiler that had no problems passing its certificate tests every year, but the whole unit was a bit on the rough side and needed refurbishing.
The new owner started to pull it apart and that's as far as it got.
during the 18 years some parts got broken.
Recently in my world a friend told me of a Wiles cooker for sale on Face Book in my area.
I tracked it down on face book and found a picture...….straight away I knew it was the same unit.
A deal was done and I now own a junior wiles cooker, mostly complete.
A old family friend has come back home, just like the senior Wiles/Boyded cooker I have...…...who would have thought.
The way I am going repairing the big senior cooker is a major job which I don't have time for.
restoring the junior I may be able to do in my limited time and limited money.
I for now just have been doing odd jobs on it, but the oven and boiler needs to come off the chassis to treat rust and paint the chassis ect.
The oven and boiler so far still appear to be solid where it counts.
I need to find a sheet metal ash pan for under the boiler...…...I don't remember it ever having one...….like most things on the Wiles cooker it can be made.
I need to track down new boiler pressure guages for both junior and senior cookers.
I have the missing broken boiler parts in the spare rusty senior for parts only cooker which should fit the junior cooker.
our cooker never had the original wheels, but thanks to a friend I have tracked down the correct wheels which match up to a 1938 chev 16 inch, which are now fitted with good rubber and painted/sand blasted ect.
boiler and oven doors, sand blasted and painted, as is the chimney.
The boiler grate, had cast iron teeth missing, so I have made bolt on steel replacements to fit the original castings.
Found a sliding draw under the fire box of the oven, blasted, welded up holes ect on that.
I have no idea what the draw was suppose to hold.
The boiler pump , check valve and various steam valves are solid brass.
It is interesting to note the boiler pump and fire grates are a different size to the senior cooker.
Got nothing really planned or a time line for the junior, just going to do parts of it on a rain day when I can do nothing else.
I am looking to replate the steamers in pure Tin...….its going to be experimental, but I have been working on a plan and a method to do this.

[101 Ron]

The Right hand side picture was the advertised picture on face book.
Before the junior was sold on 18 years ago I acquired a small steam whistle which was fitted to it.
The wiles cooker was owned by my father at the time, and the whistle my me which I wanted, much to resentment of the new owner of the time of the cooker.
I still have the same whistle...…..after much searching for it in my junk at home.
In fact after watching a youtube video of watching a bloke using a forklift gas bottle valve and turning it into a steam whistle on a Lathe I though one night I would give it a go.
I have now made three of the things and each one is better than the last, and in fact all work well.
I am learning making a steam whistle so it can be tuned and adjusted is very important as is getting some dimensions perfect.

[101 Ron]

157309The picture below shows Two wiles junior cookers in the back ground.
This photo was taken more than 30 years ago.
one cooker was owned by a Mr Woolf and the other by my father.
I think the one on the left in steam, with steam can be just seen escaping from the steaming pots is the one I have now.
The one on the right was Mr Woolfs.
The location was Castle hill show ground Sydney.
the second picture same time and place but only showing one cooker in the back ground.

[4bee]

That is certainly a very different project & one that really had a bearing on "Keeping the Fighting Man Fed".

Fwiw, when my Dad was stationed on detachment at Terowie in SA during WW2, it being a railway Change of Gauge Marshalling Yard I would stand track side as the evening Military Train rolled in each night. There were literally some, what appeared to be hundreds of these over the few weeks I was there, under canvas covers but their unmistakable contour shape was a dead giveaway. Trucks, Guns etc under canvas were a piece of cake to ID. So were the Cookers.

They have a particular connection with SA as hot cooked meals of the type the Wiles turned out were instigated by Emeritus Professor Sir Stanton Hicks who did a lot of research at the Adelaide University & in later years the laboratory he used was fitted out as "The Mouse House" in the top floor of the Medical School where the Uni. bred the white mice for other experiments Post War. I maintained the rooms with the Air conditioning for the "meeces" & knew the important history of the area. Not sure if it still exists today with buildings at the University popping up everywhere there.

I never saw a plaque or any ID at the rooms detailing the important work that was done there & helped the War Effort immensely. A shame really.


Great to see that one of the important pieces of Australian WW2 Memorabilia being restored. I wish you well.


Edited. Biography - Sir Cedric Stanton Hicks - Australian Dictionary of Biography



Author of a book.... "Who called the Cook a bastard?" That has humorous overtones & when asked in real life, the std reply from troops, nashos etc was a loud "Who called the bastard a Cook?"
(http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hicks-sir-cedric-stanton-10499)

[101 Ron]

I will just add
story about the old Wiles junior.
It was used for lots of different public and club events and fund raisers.
Mum used to make and bake scones which we sold with a cup of tea, brewed in the Wiles junior steam heated tea Urn of large capacity.( the steam coming out the thing and whistle added to the attraction and added to fund raiser sales)
It also knocked out the best slow cooked baked dinners and roasted potatoes.
We even some times cheated...…………..buy fresh bread, or scones and wiped a little bit of milk over the top and heat in the oven of 5 minutes……..,.pull out of the oven( let every one see this ) and serve with butter.
It was interesting hearing people comment on how much better home made bread and scones were baked in the cookers wood fired oven.
I remember it was even used to heat a Jeep No 4 trailer full of water for a bath in the middle of winter, just to show off and show what a wiles could do.....it could heat a serious a mount of water in a short time with a boiler at full pressure.
Ron

[stealth]

157309The picture below shows Two wiles junior cookers in the back ground.
This photo was taken more than 30 years ago.
one cooker was owned by a Mr Woolf and the other by my father.
I think the one on the left in steam, with steam can be just seen escaping from the steaming pots is the one I have now.
The one on the right was Mr Woolfs.
The location was Castle hill show ground Sydney.
the second picture same time and place but only showing one cooker in the back ground.

Ron,

The junior cooker owned by Mr Woolf is the cooker I have now owned for several years.
Still operates perfectly. I last used the boiler to provide steam to bend some timber for hood bows for a WW2 military truck restoration. I have a friend who is going to build me some new steam bins out of stainless steel if you want to avoid tinning your old bins.

[101 Ron]

Dave Woolfs cooker was in perfect condition when I last had seen it.
I heard after his death, It sold at a very cheap price.
you done well to get your hands on it.
I could be interested in the stainless steaming bins, I would need to know a bit about how they are going to be constructed and pricing.
Ron

[101 Ron]

Ron,

The junior cooker owned by Mr Woolf is the cooker I have now owned for several years.
Still operates perfectly. I last used the boiler to provide steam to bend some timber for hood bows for a WW2 military truck restoration. I have a friend who is going to build me some new steam bins out of stainless steel if you want to avoid tinning your old bins.

Hi Stealth
I found a reasonable picture of the cooker you now own ,the photo was taken about 30 years ago.

[101 Ron]

This photo is of the junior cooker I now have ,taken about 40 years ago.
The lady in the photo is now pushing towards 80
It is interesting to note the welded on patches on the boiler/stove flue.
The same patches are still present.
I have a new old stock flue to fit to replace the patched item.
The baked food which comes out of these things is extremely good.
My experience is any wood fired oven/stove uses a natural heat which give better taste out comes and may be reason why some pizza outlets still use a traditional wood fired oven even though its very labour intensive.

[101 Ron]

Its been too hot to work on my other projects out side in the weather, so I managed to get the wiles junior inside and start stripping, I want to paint the chassis and check wheel bearings and fit correct wheels ect.
Most of the bolts holding things together needed to have the heads ground off to release them.
Boiler is slightly wasted around where its horizonal support plates are welded to the barrel, but the barrel is very over built for what it needs to do so I think I will stick with the original barrel, even though I have spares.
Moisture appears to have collected in that area with out side storage.
I dont know where I am heading with this or if I am going to find time to finish it.

[101 Ron]

I do know that the bottom of the oven is rotten and needs a new floor welded in.
The boiler ash pan is missing...……..I can make that...…..my sheet metal bending skills will be tested greatly.
I have some chasing two new steam pressure gauges.( one for the junior and one for the senior cookers)
I have learnt something, I am not a traditional steam nut.
In the picture of Stealths wiles and the one I have got is the pressure guage has been mounted directly to the top of the boiler...…….this kills the pressure gauges as it should be mounted though a thing called a siphon which protects the guage from heat and steam.
I need to make one and have a sample of one,.. in one of the wiles senior cookers I have.
The steaming pots need repair and new tin plating.
Lighting and wiring need to be sorted as well.
New flexible steam hoses are needed.
A steam way cock on the boiler is broken off, damaged by the previous owner, I have a spare in the my spare parts wiles senior cooker.
that my work list on the wiles junior so far.
Ron

[101 Ron]

just some more pictures
The Wiles cooker never had a whistle...…….but it is fantastic to fit one to a Wiles cooker and whistle the troops ….dinner is ready.
The first picture is of old forklift gas bottle valves.
they are used to help build steam whistles by turning and reshaping them in the lathe.
The second picture is the whistle from the wiles junior cooker of 40 years ago which still works.
The third picture is of the whistles I have made, they are adjustable and work well.
What I have not been able to do is find 1 1/2 inch thin brass tube, so I have used copper and stainless steel.
This is what happens when you watch some on you tube make some thing similar and you cannot sleep one hot and sticky night and wander out to the garage.
It took a few goes to get the design right.

[101 Ron]

More pictures showing the unit farther stripped down.
I can not figure out what this long narrow draw is for that is under the oven.( first picture)
It must hold some part of the cookers complete equipment schedule....but what ?
I now have learn to access the boiler tubes for cleaning, not hard at all when you know how.( second picture)
oven and boiler is worse than I first thought.
One side plate of the boiler appears welded to the trailer chassis which seems real odd as the rest of it bolts onto the trailer.

[4bee]

Re your questions.

Ron, if you don't know who would?:rolleyes:

[4bee]

I always thought cooked food out of a Metters Type Wood Stove tasted much nicer than a gas Stove at home in Adelaide. Same thing really as the Wiles.

When I used to accompany my Uncle (a Vicar in the Anglican Church in SW Victoria ) to Parishioner's farms after Sunday Services, they always had a lovely Roast meal in the oven when we arrived there. Always a consistent & very tasty meal. Even the large hot kettle on the side plate smelt very "homely".

[101 Ron]

Hi Stealth
would you have a boiler ash pan in your junior cooker ?
I need to make one....any pictures would be good.
got the boiler off the chassis.
much corrosion on chassis found under the boiler.
Pictures tell the story
Ron

[4bee]

The sharp chisel & all that RED looks like you have had a massacre.[biggrin]

Is it necessary to have the boiler tested or doesn't it concern them being this size?

[Bigbjorn]

You will have to dress and look like a WW2 army cook. Grubby khaki singlet, greasy apron and beret, stirring a dixie of bully beef stew with a rollie in your mouth and an inch of ash ready to fall in the stew. A bad attitude was also common. This latter can be worked on if not your natural state.[bigwhistle]

[101 Ron]

I already have a WW2 Australian army cooks dress stored away some where.
I cannot cook well …….so that means I must qualify to be a army cook......just got to learn and make the meat ball patties by getting them to the correct shape by using my arm pit.
Sanded back the original army rego number, see photo.
The original paint was deep bronze green with a later coat of olive drab after that.
the boiler is dated 1958.
I am a little bit surprised its a later build as the chassis is of the short draw bar design.
Latter wiles junior I think ????????were the longer draw bar.....the juniors had a bad habit of turning turtle behind a Landrover if driven hard down a bumpy dirt road.
The boiler has to be pressure tested and ultra sonically tested every year if the cooker is going to be used.
That means dropping the inspection plates and plugs for the ultra sonic tester.
Also a good time to wash and clean the boiler in general.
The bloke who looks at the big air compressor at work will check the Wiles boiler every year at the same time.

Boilers where tested to 200psi when made and are extremely over built for a working pressure of only 100 psi

[4bee]

.just got to learn and make the meat ball patties by getting them to the correct shape by using my arm pit.

It could also make a difference Ron if you are a left or right handed cook as to the shape of the meat balls. If your armpits are identical then no probs.[biggrin]



I am flat out thinking what else is missing.

For a start I'd suggest a Pantry full of D^D grub.

[4bee]

You will have to dress and look like a WW2 army cook. Grubby khaki singlet, greasy apron and beret, stirring a dixie of bully beef stew with a rollie in your mouth and an inch of ash ready to fall in the stew. A bad attitude was also common. This latter can be worked on if not your natural state.[bigwhistle]


As well as the OoD asking the assembled Mess "Who called the Cook a bastard?"

General mass reply was usually, "Who called the bastard a Cook?"

I know I know, its an oldie, but it always makes me laugh.

[101 Ron]

I turns out the Wiles Junior cooker has a few design problems.
the biggest one is the boiler ashpan is also the chassis of the trailer.
This means the 3mm thick chassis rots with the heat at the fire for the boiler.
It also means at lot of work to sort it all.
I had to replace at lot of rot.
The mud guards were removed and rust treated on the guards and chassis.( one guard had new sections welded in)
the wheel bearings have been removed and checked...…..I need new hub grease seals which are now a odd non available size.
The wheel bearings are 1932 to 1938 Chev on post war Wiles junior cookers.( these are a angular contact ball race)
The war time Wiles junior cookers appear to have used Australian Jeep trailer wheels , hubs and bearings and would have been a much better choice to stay with considering the Australian army used Jeep trailers into the 1970s.
I have a spare No4 jeep trailer axle hub and wheels as a back up option , it appears to be a direct swap over.
The jockey wheel and supports have been straightened and painted.
The rear most part of the cooker , the folding work table/ tail gate, has at great expense a new single piece of hard wood replaced, steel parts sand blasted and painted.
The plate steel at the rear of the chassis under where the steamer pots go has been replaced.
This cooker is only a job I am doing while the weather has been too hot or wet to work out side on other more important projects.
I am planning to stop work on this thing when the chassis is in under coat and the ash hopper has been finished, pack it up a store it for a while.
Two steam pressure gauges has been sourced, one for the junior cooker and the other for the senior cooker.

[4bee]

COINCIDENCE! [bigrolf]

I was only thinking about your project yesterday & wondered how it was going et Voila here it is.

Thanks Ron.

[101 Ron]

I plan to reduce the heat corrosion of the chassis by a slight redesign.
The new ash hopper will not be welded to the chassis like the original design , but to 3 mm thick angle iron sitting on top of the original chassis members.
This light angle iron will take the heat of the fire before the chassis and strengthen the existing chassis.
To the bottom of the angle iron I will weld to the ash pan and leave a small gap between the chassis and the ash pan.
I also found a good picture of Stealth's wiles junior taken many many years ago at Menagle steam museum.
Ron

[4bee]

I plan to reduce the heat corrosion of the chassis by a slight redesign.
The new ash hopper will not be welded to the chassis like the original design , but to 3 mm thick angle iron sitting on top of the original chassis members.
This light angle iron will take the heat of the fire before the chassis and strengthen the existing chassis.
To the bottom of the angle iron I will weld the ash pan and leave a small gap between the chassis and the ash pan.
I also found a good picture of Stealth's wiles junior taken many many years ago at Menagle steam museum.
Ron


Jim Wiles would probably done that modification if he'd thought of it.[smilebigeye]

Have said it before but I reckon it is worth repeating & that is, it is good that this piece of wartime & later Australian Memorabilia is being saved. I'm sure a lot of this stuff finished up in the Scrap Bin heading towards Browns Scrap Metals or it's equivalent in your State. I'm guessing there can't be many survivors left.

[101 Ron]

There has been a bit of a book printed about the history of the wiles cooker.
Most of the information comes from the Wiles brothers.
They did have a tough time getting the Wiles cookers into the army system, and developed the smaller junior cooker when a war time design committee could not.
The wiles junior was designed to be towed by something small as a WW2 jeep or to be parachuted to jungle area...……….in that it was good.
But not told is the design faults .
The juniors had a very bad habit of rolling over due to the extremely short towing A frame, which was lengthen I think by the army on a small number of them.
Placing the fire on top of the chassis rails is not a good idea either.
I have noticed early Juniors do not have frame/chassis reinforcement at the hand water pump and rear most part of the A frame, and later ones do to different extents …………….must have been a problem at one time.
Why were the mud guards set so low that it was possible for the tyres to rub on mild spring compression.

[Bigbjorn]

Jim Wiles would probably done that modification if he'd thought of it.[smilebigeye]

Have said it before but I reckon it is worth repeating & that is, it is good that this piece of wartime & later Australian Memorabilia is being saved. I'm sure a lot of this stuff finished up in the Scrap Bin heading towards Browns Scrap Metals or it's equivalent in your State. I'm guessing there can't be many survivors left.

A lot of WW2 military stuff was dumped in Moreton Bay or a bit offshore including RN Fleet Air Arm F4U Corsair fighters. Ask any old trawler men from the area. In typical military fashion nobody thought to note the lat/long of the dumps. The trawl nets found them.

B24's were lined up at Archerfield to be cut up with axes and chainsaws, and melted down in a big electric kettle on site into aluminium ingots which went to people who made pots and pans, etc. A flooded quarry at Archerfield was filled with the non-aluminium pieces.

[4bee]

In typical military fashion nobody thought to note the lat/long of the dumps. The trawl nets found them.


Different times I suppose, Brian.[bigsad] I guess the thoughts of getting shot of the War & getting back to a 'normal' life was probably uppermost in the minds of the country, besides who wants all this old crap, & the War Museums probably had a fair suck of the Sauce Bottle & grabbed what they could before those "executions" took place.

"Cash in what we can & dump the rest" sort of thing.

Anyway 101 Ron is doing his bit to make up for lost time.

Edit.
Reminds me of a book I have about the WW2 Bomber Airfields of "Bomber Country" (Lincolnshire) in the UK.

The author describes the long lines of hundreds of Lancasters & other heavies lined up nose to tail around the Peri Track of one Lincolnshire airfield just waiting for the chop. The way he describes it is quite moving & he goes on to talk about the sterling duty they carried out etc, etc, etc & the aircrew who were lost. Sad in a way that there are only a handful of Lancs left in the world.

It is quite an eerie feeling standing on an old deserted WW2 Runway at dusk with just the sounds of the wind & bird noises in the background.

If one lets the brain play tricks (easily done) one could swear that you could hear ghostly sounds of Bombers on short finals approaching after a raid & one thinks "Better get off of here". No kid.[happycry]

[101 Ron]

Attached should be photos of the new ash hopper and pan draw.
It is made from thicker steel that the original and drops into the chassis rather than being welded to it.
It will protect the chassis from most of the heat and erosion caused by the fire as it not welded to it and effectively leaves a air gap between the hopper and chassis.
Should last another 60 years.

[101 Ron]

The pictures tell the story.
Found some new old stock hub seals from a friend.
Correct wheels now fitted.


Ron

[Bigbjorn]

So when will you be ready to serve a bully beef or M & V stew to an Aulro gathering? Tinned bacon and powdered egg cooked in a pan inches deep in dripping?[bigwhistle]

[Barraman]

I spent 5 yrs in a CMF transport platoon (69 - 73) and towed Wiles cookers from Brisbane to the Wide Bay Firing Range at Tin Can Bay behind IH Mk3 trucks on a number of occasions.

We hated the things! [bigsmile]

[JDNSW]

........
Why were the mud guards set so low that it was possible for the tyres to rub on mild spring compression.

I would guess that they were designed for smaller tyres. Remember that in the 1930s, just before the war, six inch tyre section was large, most prewar cars were only five inch or even less. And Fords with 3.5 inch tyres were still quite common.

I don't know what tyres you have seen on them - probably 7.50 -16 where they were designed for 6.00-16 or 5.50-16.

[4bee]

I spent 5 yrs in a CMF transport platoon (69 - 73) and towed Wiles cookers from Brisbane to the Wide Bay Firing Range at Tin Can Bay behind IH Mk3 trucks on a number of occasions.

We hated the things! [bigsmile]



Probably because you wanted to do 110kph & they wobbled a bit & you rolled them.. "Oh ****, Sarge will castrate me now & bang goes me G11" [bigrolf]

[Bigbjorn]

I would guess that they were designed for smaller tyres. Remember that in the 1930s, just before the war, six inch tyre section was large, most prewar cars were only five inch or even less. And Fords with 3.5 inch tyres were still quite common.

I don't know what tyres you have seen on them - probably 7.50 -16 where they were designed for 6.00-16 or 5.50-16.

Into the 1950's a 6.00 x 16 was considered a large tyre in passenger car terms. Most had a 5.00 to 5.90 section, and the 5.90 was a later version that replaced 5.50. Prewar cars had quite skinny tyres as John says. I had a 1928 Dodge Six where standard tyres were 4.50 x 21 and 5.25 x 21 was optional and recommended for rough road service. I can only wonder at what was a "rough road" in 1928 when most roads were appalling. There were many odd sizes that disappeared in the 1950's as the old cars that used them likewise disappeared. I had a 1935 Auburn with 17" tyres of an odd size which I can't remember, probably 5.50 or 5.75. I could not buy one anywhere and, believe me, I tried.

[JDNSW]

Exactly Brian - the first vehicle we had after the war ran 30x31/2 on the front, and 5.00x23 on the back (Ford). The next (REO) had 5.00x23 all round, the Swift we had then was meant to have 4.40x19, but you could not get them, so it ran 5.00x19. Then we got the Austin 16 that ran 5.00x16 if I remember correctly.

[Barraman]

Probably because you wanted to do 110kph & they wobbled a bit & you rolled them.. "Oh ****, Sarge will castrate me now & bang goes me G11" [bigrolf]

No, I can honestly say that we never rolled one in my 5 yrs - they were just a pain in the arse. The air brakes on a My 3, with no peddle pressure, were enough of a challenge without adding an air braked dog trailer to the equation.

A boy in Caboolture never knew how close he came to ending his life-cycle, when he ran out in front of my Mk 3/water treatment plant combo to retrieve a soccer ball.

We did roll a Mk 3 on a driver training convoy exercise (no, not me!), which put the driver in the Gympie hospital for a few days.

[101 Ron]

This photo was taken by Colin McDairmaid


It shows a wiles senior being pulled by a Mark 3 international.
this photo has special interest to me due to its location .
Chandler lane depot Kogarah… Sydney... from the late 1950s to about 1972 was home to 18 LAA..Light anti aircraft.
From 1972 it became 23 Field REG Royal Aust Artillery.
When I was a young bloke I joined 23 Fd RAA HQ RAEME at Kogarah. in the early 1980s.
Some of the old hands were still around.
I never paid much attention to the history of the site at the time being a young bloke.
But I do remember in the ORs mess listening to the stories of a Bombardier Whitley telling but using the MK3 Internationals to pull the Wiles Seniors and the earlier Studebaker 6x6, some of which were fitted with compressed air trailer brakes especially to pull the Wiles senior cookers.
Using the Internationals would be OK, but as stated a pain in the arse.
The Studebakers would have done it at walking pace on any reasonable hill.

More of Colins pictures can be found on flicka
18 LAA Regiment. Kogarah. N.S.W. | Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151495594@N04/albums/72157682797638316)
Some of them show Studebaker and International trucks in service with Series Landrovers too.
I find them interesting as a lot of them were taken at my old depot, but at a earlier time.
The firing sites for the Bofors and camps were places I have camped with the army or camped as a civie.

[4bee]

No, I can honestly say that we never rolled one in my 5 yrs - they were just a pain in the arse. The air brakes on a My 3, with no peddle pressure, were enough of a challenge without adding an air braked dog trailer to the equation.

A boy in Caboolture never knew how close he came to ending his life-cycle, when he ran out in front of my Mk 3/water treatment plant combo to retrieve a soccer ball.

We did roll a Mk 3 on a driver training convoy exercise (no, not me!), which put the driver in the Gympie hospital for a few days.


The Mk 3 Air Brakes were a bit of a killer for the first dozen applications I recall, but after one nearly pushed oneself through the screen a few times the knack reinserted itself & came pretty quickly after that. Foot-brake? No, a Toe-brake more like..[bigrolf]

I never drove one with a Trailer, only a Ton & a half of Ammo of various types, various SA Rounds, Grenades etc Weapons were transported in a 2nd vehicle.

Despite having the mandatory EXPLOSIVES Signs on view I stopped at a Railway Level Crossing as was required then (& probably still is) & you should have heard the cacophony of horns blowing from civvy car drivers behind. ****wits[bighmmm]

Happy days.


Ron. Thanks for posting the Link, it brought back a lot of good memories.

[101 Ron]

This will be my last post on this thread for a long while.
I am where I want be with the Wiles junior cooker.
The chassis is rust free and I can wheel the thing around out of the way as needed.
I need to get back into my Alvis Stalwart restoration and its transportation trailer.
The boiler has been removed from its box and the fire box casting plates, removed and sand blasted.
The box for the boiler is thin.
It could be reassembled and go again for a while, but I have come this far and may as well replace the sides of the box for the boiler.
This job I will do only if the weather turns bad and stops me working on my other projects, as the wiles junior is small enough to do in my small workshop in doors.
The fire box castings are in perfect condition and the pressure tubes header boxes for the boiler appear to be in reasonable condition and should serve again for along time.
I have coming two replacement steam pressure gauges.
I need to make a siphon tube for the guage which is missing on the wiles junior, but I have a intact one on my wiles senior to use as a sample.
I know the oven needs a new bottom plate welded in and that I will most likely find cancer else where in the oven.
I need to make or get made at least Two 90 degree bend steam pipes with 3/4 pipe male pipe threads either end to be safe as possible on the boiler drain and steam outlet before the shut off valves.
The steamer boxes need replating, I have not progress any farther on the steamer boxes, as at this time its a low priority.
I would be happy for any one to post about their wiles cooker on this thread.
The cancer has been removed from the chimney and funnel and that side of things is ready to go.

[4bee]

This will be my last post on this thread for a long while.
I am where I want be with the Wiles junior cooker.
The chassis is rust free and I can wheel the thing around out of the way as needed.
I need to get back into my Alvis Stalwart restoration and its transportation trailer.
The boiler has been removed from its box and the fire box casting plates, removed and sand blasted.
The box for the boiler is thin.
It could be reassembled and go again for a while, but I have come this far and may as well replace the sides of the box for the boiler.
This job I will do only if the weather turns bad and stops me working on my other projects, as the wiles junior is small enough to do in my small workshop in doors.
The fire box castings are in perfect condition and the pressure tubes header boxes for the boiler appear to be in reasonable condition and should serve again for along time.
I have coming two replacement steam pressure gauges.
I need to make a siphon tube for the guage which is missing on the wiles junior, but I have a intact one on my wiles senior to use as a sample.
I know the oven needs a new bottom plate welded in and that I will most likely find cancer else where in the oven.
I need to make or get made at least Two 90 degree bend steam pipes with 3/4 pipe male pipe threads either end to be safe as possible on the boiler drain and steam outlet before the shut off valves.
The steamer boxes need replating, I have not progress any farther on the steamer boxes, as at this time its a low priority.
I would be happy for any one to post about their wiles cooker on this thread.
The cancer has been removed from the chimney and funnel and that side of things is ready to go.



I hope you can keep us in the picture with the Stalwart Ron. I wasn't even aware you had a couple of projects on the go.[smilebigeye]

[101 Ron]

I hope you can keep us in the picture with the Stalwart Ron. I wasn't even aware you had a couple of projects on the go.[smilebigeye]

You will find the on going Alvis Stalwart sarga in military FC Landrover section under the thread .....the ultimate FC
It a few hours of reading.

[101 Ron]

I decided to start making a new boiler fire box shell from 1/4 inch mild steel plate.( the old plates were a little bit thin in places)
Also the trailer is wired up with converted WW2 Jeep rear lights.
The blackout part of the lights now has a orange direction indicator globes.
The brackets were made to suit and cloth covered wiring used to finish the effect.
The Wiles junior never had direction indicator lights or dual stop tail lights ect.
I needed to up grade the lighting to modern standards, yet keep it looking original.
The original set up was a single stop/ tail light and later in army service red rear facing plastic Hella brand reflectors were fitted to the mud guards on hand made sheet metal brackets
For the reflectors I used Jeep items again because they are better made metal items than the Hella reflectors and have the same bolt pattern and are of the same design/ shape.
The weather has not been good to me, and therefore the Wiles junior got some time spent on it as it is under cover.
Ron

[DiscoMick]

That's nice work.

[4bee]

That's nice work.



Good progress Ron.:TakeABow: What time is brewup?[smilebigeye]

[101 Ron]

The boiler tubes appear to be in good condition.
I managed to buy some boiler pipe already threaded and bent 90 degrees, but the new items are much thinner than the original items, so much so I may just reuse the old items as compared to the new items they still have much meat in them despite being internally corroded.

[101 Ron]

Just a quick up date
The boiler inspector bloke ultra sonically check the boiler today.
Being disassembled it was thoroughly checked out...the works.
The barrel was OK.
One tube was found to have pin type pitting leaving only 2 mm of meat left...…...small defect, but not real good.
I am going to have to get the boiler retubed.
As it is only Four more pipes to weld I am going to use the new barrel I have as well.
Interestingly the new barrel is thinner new than the old barrel with some, use and corrosion.
Later model boiler barrels are thinner than the older ones.
What all this means is a lot of cost as I am going to have to pay some one to weld the tubes as I don't have a pressure vessel welding ticket.
The safety valve I have learnt will have to be sent off and tested every year and certificated.
It is now no longer good enough to test the blow off pressure on the boiler during yearly inspections.
All this will take time, but I will end up with a legal and safe boiler.
The boiler inspector is very keen for me to get this wiles junior up and going again.
Small world again...….the current boiler inspectors father used to do the yearly checks on this same cooker very many years ago and was able to find its old inspection history.
The original barrel can be reused on another cooker if I preserve it .
Ron

[101 Ron]

The boiler bloke recommends to fit the thinner steam pipe elbows I have purchased as the old ones could have another pin type corrosion defect, even though they are much heavier and thicker.
The attached picture is of a trial fitting of the old boiler barrel into the new fire box I made.
The only good news is going to be is that the cooker will be safe and have a up to date boiler history and after the work should last another 50 years
I just got to see much this is going to hurt the hip pockets.

[101 Ron]

Just some pics
Another view of new fire box.

grate and ashpan finished....the ash pan had the air holes enlarged exactly as per original and a simple lock on the ash pan to stop it sliding out when towing...again as per original.
The cast iron grate its self could be better.....but I have to work with what I got, will most likely trip over placements another day.
The spare Wiles senior grates I have don't interchange with the junior grates.

New and old boiler barrels.

I hope I can find the correct size and thickness boiler tube.

[4bee]

Just some pics
Another view of new fire box.

grate and ashpan finished....the ash pan had the air holes enlarged exactly as per original and a simple lock on the ash pan to stop it sliding out when towing...again as per original.
The cast iron grate its self could be better.....but I have to work with what I got, will most likely trip over placements another day.
The spare Wiles senior grates I have don't interchange with the junior grates.

New and old boiler barrels.

I hope I can find the correct size and thickness boiler tube.


Ron, could you please describe for me how they go about Sonic Testing. Ta.

[101 Ron]

It's just like a pregnant women getting a ultra sound.
A small transducer with a bit of paste on the end.
Machine reads out thickness of metal where the transducer is located.

[101 Ron]

The machine is no larger than large mobile phone and the transducer is the size of a six five cent coins stacked on each other.

[4bee]

Thanks Ron. So in your case you could rock up to your closest Maternity wing with your boiler & put the hard word on Matron for a quick Scan?

Seriously, I never knew how it was done never having had the need, but it looks like a piece of cake. I bet it costs more than a wedge of Victoria Sponge though.[bigrolf]

[Bigbjorn]

I am waiting to see it at a military vehicle gathering serving up WW2 tucker. Bully beef stew, M&V and watery mash potatoes, deep fried spam and powdered eggs.[bigwhistle]

[4bee]

I am waiting to see it at a military vehicle gathering serving up WW2 tucker. Bully beef stew, M&V and watery mash potatoes, deep fried spam and powdered eggs.[bigwhistle]


and powdered eggs.[bigwhistle]

That **** was served up in my Nasho time. They must have had tons & tons of the stuff in Stores.

[4runnernomore]

That **** was served up in my Nasho time. They must have had tons & tons of the stuff in Stores.

you would be very surprised what we do now.

better than most restaurants. [wink11]

Cheers 🍻 ,

[Bigbjorn]

That **** was served up in my Nasho time. They must have had tons & tons of the stuff in Stores.

Probably still got a lot. Just awaiting the chance to issue it. If you were an auction goer I am sure you noticed 40+ year old military stores being sold off. Find an ex-forces cook or two, greasy apron and singlet, beret, giggle shorts, boots without laces, and a roll your own with an inch of ash ready to fall in the stew.

[4bee]

Probably still got a lot. Just awaiting the chance to issue it. If you were an auction goer I am sure you noticed 40+ year old military stores being sold off. Find an ex-forces cook or two, greasy apron and singlet, beret, giggle shorts, boots without laces, and a roll your own with an inch of ash ready to fall in the stew.


Ah, you were also at Woodside B Coy Kitchen then, Brian?[bigrolf]

[Bigbjorn]

Ah, you were also at Woodside B Coy Kitchen then, Brian?[bigrolf]

Greenbank. But I think all were made to the same D^D specification. There is probably a milspec specifying the % cigarette ash allowed in the stew.

[4bee]

Greenbank. But I think all were made to the same D^D specification. There is probably a milspec specifying the % cigarette ash allowed in the stew.




[bigrolf] Which should also include the % of greasy singlet & laces for boots GP.


Matter of Interest.

Hampstead Barracks (NE of the City) was the training Centre for Army cooks yonks ago. Australian Army Supply Corps I recall it was.

Each year they would put on a Banquet for Brass, Spouses & other Misc guests & judge food Presentations & I must admit the media showed a whole lot of interesting meals prepared by the Trainees. All were a bit different to some of the crap served up in Fixed Messes, so much so even the 24 hour Ration Packs (A,B,& C) were better prepared & tasted better albeit you had to prepare the meals yourself.

Problem was you couldn't go back for seconds. Well, not unless the Jeep Driver tossed out more than he should have.[biggrin]

4 Runner, maybe you could post a normal current meal menu?

[PhilipA]

All I remember is that the cooks made bloody good spotted dick on the Wiles when we were on CMF camp.
Regards PhilipA

[4bee]

All I remember is that the cooks made bloody good spotted dick on the Wiles when we were on CMF camp.

Sounds like Mouse Droppings tasted great[bigrolf]


Must keep that one in mind for when 'er indoors makes the next spotted Dick I won't ask what custard she will be splashing it with as the bloke down the road has a Bull..[bighmmm][bigrolf]

[101 Ron]

Old tubes have been very carefully cut out with a tungsten carbide cutter as there is no room for a grinder.
( It takes about an hour to cut away just one end of a tube)
Tube replacement and barrel replacement is been done in Two stages so dimensions can be kept under control.
The boiler is currently with the pressure vessel welder.
17 x 500mm long tubes
9 mtrs of tube needs to be purchased of 4mm or better wall thickness.

One picture shows wiles senior and wiles junior safety valves side by side.
They are different sizes, but the boilers are the same size ???????
The safety valves are to be sent away for testing and inspection to keep the boiler inspector happy.
A new glass is currently being made for the pressure gauge.
I Found a siphon for the gauge, but it is a bit wasted, so I am trying to find some suitable pipe to make a new one.( the original pipe used is not a drawn tube, but has a seam running down the side which is surprising to find on a boiler)
In another photo I found in my stuff is a large brass operation plate which is only fitted to earlier Wiles senior cookers and all the stationary units.
As built they didn't fit the plate to the juniors.
There is nothing special about the steel in the boiler or tubes...…..it is just mild steel.
The housing the tubes are welded to is flat plate which has been pressed into shape and the side of the box welded up...…….all very simple using non strategic materials for a WW2 design.

[101 Ron]

I have looked at the oven.
The old rusted floor has been cut out.
As usual the rust is worse than I thought.
One side of the oven where it fits up against the boiler will have to be replaced and that was expected.
What was not expected is the need to replace various angle iron supports and various sheet metal internal baffles...…...all a lot of work.
The main aim currently is getting the boiler to steam as the oven can be bolted on later when repaired.
I am still trying to get my head around how the hot air from the oven fire flows around the oven and how the oven fire draws fresh air.
Ron

[4bee]

Old tubes have been very carefully cut out with a tungsten carbide cutter as there is no room for a grinder.
( It takes about an hour to cut away just one end of a tube)
Tube replacement and barrel replacement is been done in Two stages so dimensions can be kept under control.
The boiler is currently with the pressure vessel welder.
17 x 500mm long tubes
9 mtrs of tube needs to be purchased of 4mm or better wall thickness.

One picture shows wiles senior and wiles junior safety valves side by side.
They are different sizes, but the boilers are the same size ???????
The safety valves are to be sent away for testing and inspection to keep the boiler inspector happy.
A new glass is currently being made for the pressure gauge.
I Found a siphon for the gauge, but it is a bit wasted, so I am trying to find some suitable pipe to make a new one.( the original pipe used is not a drawn tube, but has a seam running down the side which is surprising to find on a boiler)
In another photo I found in my stuff is a large brass operation plate which is only fitted to earlier Wiles senior cookers and all the stationary units.
As built they didn't fit the plate to the juniors.
There is nothing special about the steel in the boiler or tubes...…..it is just mild steel.
The housing the tubes are welded to is flat plate which has been pressed into shape and the side of the box welded up...…….all very simple using non strategic materials for a WW2 design.




The address on the brass plate brings back memories Ron.


The Refrigeration Co I worked for at Marleston used Wiles Manufacturing's Hot Galv Baths for our Galvanising needs. Mainly steel wire shelves from the Domestic Fridges we made.

Like most of that type of factory, the Roof & Walls were eaten out due to the acidic atmosphere & you could see from one side to the other. When it rained..... Don't ask.[bigrolf] Still it was Post War (circa 1950) & materials were still hard to come by.

So, good progress on the Junior then?

[101 Ron]

New tubes are in.( Eight hours TIG welding work.....that's going to hurt the hip pocket.)

The second stage is to fit the new boiler barrel.
New glass fitted to pressure gauge done and had a spare glass cut ,just in case for the future.

[101 Ron]

More progress

New barrel welded in.
The boiler now is nearly as good as a new one.
water level sight gauge, and various pieces of piping to be worked out.
boiler drain pipe and valve fitted.....much hand fitting going on, especially as my modified ash pan is slightly higher than the standard design and I had to grind the bottoms of the fire box castings so the whole thing fits together correctly.
Chimmey/boiler cover support bolt holes matched up and correctly drilled in the replacement fire box sides.
The chimmey / boiler cover has to be sealed with high temp corking compound and glass rope to replace asbestos gaskets ect.

[101 Ron]

Getting very close now for a hydraulic test using the hand pump and then lighting the fire.
Water tank fitted after playing with the mounting brackets.
Hand pump now working .
Starting to fit up the water level sight gauge and other brass ware.( it was some of the stuff that was damaged in storage by a previous owner.)
I still have to make up some sheet metal brackets and pipe covers ect.
Getting everything to line up correctly takes the time.( I have new boiler fire box sides, on basically a new boiler and new boiler top cover)
Also waiting on more black hi temp stove paint.
Boiler cover has hi temp furnace sealant around it to replace the asbestos putty that once was used.
Water gauge blow down pipe still to be bent to shape and supported.
Main boiler blow down pipes in place, but a support for the pipes from the trailer chassis still has to be made.
I have been using nickel high temp never seize on the various bolts( its the reason for silver smears all over the stove black, it gets everywhere)...….I was luckly I found some stored away in my long gone fathers stuff from his days of working on steam tug boats in the 1960s
Stag is been used on the pipe fittings.....I am hoping the old ways still work well......I have no idea if stag is going work with the heat...…..but stag is food rated.
It has to be remembered the inside of the boiler and its pipes must be blown down often as its the steam from this boilers insides is used directly into food stuffs or tea urn etc.
No boiler treatment chemicals can be used.
The boiler will need a bit of use before it is ever used for cooking foods, to stop contamination and bad food tastes.
It is interesting to note when the steaming pots are not used, the steam feed hoses must be disconnected, as a boiler left connected and allowed to cool can form a vacuum and suck food stuffs inside the boiler itself , and when the boiler is used again those food stuffs will come out and cross contaminate the new lot of food been cooked.

[4bee]

Re Stag. I think you will have to suck it & see, but Never Seez for me was a lifesaver for all bolts, nuts & fittings when I restored my S2A. Makes taking things apart a breeze as you may know.


With STAG I guess if you follow good cleanup & oil free conditions of the threads it should work ok. What could possibly go wrong?

Glad to see good Progress being made, & now it looks like a Wiles Jnr rather than a pile of rusty panels & misc. bits of a few months ago..

I wish I could bagsie the first brew out of it when completed although it might taste a bit crap to begin with but please let me know when the first Lamb Roast & Spuds is coming out? [bigrolf]

[101 Ron]

The boiler is in steam for the first time in more than 20 years.
I had to spend much time in disassembling the pump clack valves, steam and water cocks.
They all need a clean up to get them working correctly.
I have a few steam leaks to chase , even though I did a hydraulic test and then used the workshop air compressor as a final check before lighting the fire.
The safety valve is set at a very low 75 PSI until I feel everything is working well.
The stag sealing compound works fantastic for the cold side, but doesn't like the heat and therefore not much good for steam.
I will have to use a Loctite product or something else.
I am only a third of the way done.
The oven will have to be done next and then tea/hot water container and steaming pots.
The parts from the spare Wiles senior cooker has been a saviour .
I am getting steamed up about the whole project.

[101 Ron]

You tube link
Wiles Junior cooker under restoration and steamed for the first time in 20 years - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aFqJQGzXhw)

[Homestar]

Great work Ron, brilliant it’s back in steam. [emoji106]

[101 Ron]

Little has been done on the Wiles Junior as there has been much going on in my private life.
The oven has been disassembled and some of castings sand blasted and painted.
What has been found is three old pictures of this same Wiles Junior at work about 25 years ago or more.
It was been used on some sort of get together for the rural fire service.
Notice the scones , small whistle, and a beer barrel being used for steam heating hot water.( why this was so I don't know as the tea urn steam heated hot water has always worked.)
Note the incorrect fitting of the steam pressure gauge without siphon pipe.( this lead to failure of the gauge)
One photo shows steam pressure about 75 psi on the gauge and another with the safety valve blowing off indicating the boiler was at 100 psi.

Incorrect Toyota wheels were fitted at this stage of its life.

[JDNSW]

......
Notice the scones , small whistle, and a beer barrel being used for steam heating hot water.( why this was so I don't know as the tea urn steam heated hot water has always worked.)
.....

Quite possibly to provide a larger quantity of hot water, for example, for the washing up?

[101 Ron]

Just a up date.
Because I have so much going on ,not until the Xmas holidays I have been able to look at the wiles cooker.
The oven is proving a big job.
It looked good on the out side, but inside was another story.
I now have a understanding of how the fire heat flow goes around the oven box.
( much of the original baffles were rotted away)
The gases from the oven fire box pass around the inner oven twice before going up the flue.
The wiles cooker were built to do a job in war time and therefore were not built to last along time.
This shows in the construction of the oven as no provision was made for corrosion.
one complete outer side of the oven has been remade and ready to weld on.
A new floor is also ready to weld in.
Some angle iron sections have been replaced.
Another outer oven side may have to be replaced yet...….I have to see how it checks out ….It doesn't look good.
The inner oven has had a patch welded in.
I need to paint and treat the inside/fire box part of the oven to try and make things last longer.
The boiler side of things is going good with the boiler been fired up to full pressure a few times now with no leaks and my home made whistles working extremely loud and well after a little bit of tuning...…( I have nothing else yet to use the steam for )

[101 Ron]

some photos
you will not be able to make sense of some of it.

[101 Ron]

some more

[101 Ron]

todays effort

[4bee]

todays effort

But on the Plus side Ron, it is keeping you off the streets, whereas you know you could get into all sorts of **** otherwise.


So what you are really thinking is, you wish the war had dragged on for a further 50 years by which time those improvements would have been made & you wouldn't need to concern yourself with Corrosion matters?[bigsad] [bigrolf]


I can see a slight flaw with that plan.

[101 Ron]

Getting very close to doing a roast dinner.
Oven is mounted back onto the trailer and bolted up to the boiler.
The oven had much new angle iron fitted into it , to replace very rusty stuff.
The baking trays have been lightly sand blasted and then oiled.
I now am at the 2/3s done mark.
Steaming bins and tea tank need to be sorted soon and that will be another learning curve and skill set I will have to master.( steaming bins are in poor condition)
Tin smiths are now a bit of a lost art..
Still sorting some minor tinware around the oven and sealing things with high temp sealing compound.
I am also looking at options for correct looking hose for the steamer bins and steam immersion pipe.
Steam pipes/water pipes and door handles need to be painted to correct colour.
Chasing correct counter sunk screws to hold down hot plate.

[101 Ron]

The spare wiles senior cooker has been a godsend for getting missing fittings and parts.
I will soon have to look into getting pure 100 percent tin for the steamer bins and either
1/ solder on the tin with flux and heat manually as they do for copper cookware over seas.
or
2/ electroplate the tin on to the repaired steamer bins.


the bottom of the steamer bins on some of them is completely missing

a third option would be getting some made new...…...which is most likely not a option due to cost and finding someone who can work tinplate over wire beads and the equipment to do so.
The bottom of new steamer bins still would have to be tinned some how.



The steam heated tea urn has its own problems in that its a tinned sheet metal outer which is corroded, and soldered together, asbestos sheet insulation which is flaking and then a copper inner tank.

[101 Ron]

I had both the boiler and the oven fired up today.
It would be more than 25 years since the oven was used.
The boiler was used at my work for radiator cleaning and general steam cleaning before it was sold 20 years ago.
The oven was not required and therefore has been out of use longer.
The surprising thing is how well it worked with a very small fire.
What I remember it took a bit of a fire and time to get things cooking.
The reason is the baffles around the oven are in place and working as it should.
Tea urn is working and boils things well...…...but needs to be overhauled.
The whole unit really starts to run efficiently after a few hours with the boiler and oven sharing each other heat and the cast iron plates acting as a heat soak.
I have noticed the boiler feed water tank been mounted on the back of the boiler tends to preheat the feed water after a few hours of operation.
The fire wood usage goes down greatly after the first hour.
The few people who have seen the wiles cooker in operation want it for various different events .
I am now starting to get a reward for the hard yards placed in this project.
Oven temps with a small fire exceeded 250c at the top and 190c at the bottom.
the hot plate above the fire normally ran at 220c and about 180c near the boiler side of the hot plate.
All measured with a lazer heat gun.
The oven can run much hotter if needed.
The unit has no temperate gauge for the oven, boiler or hot plate.
It all relies on the experience of the cook/operator and takes time to acquire the knowledge and to also know the traits of the individual wiles cooker.
one soft wood pallet ran the whole thing for about three hours.

[101 Ron]

Wiles Junior cooker - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuscaue_ZMw&feature=youtu.be)

Wiles Junior cooker - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQhC2uQu0D0&feature=youtu.be)

Wiles Junior cooker tea urn - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwAn5nS3BnY&feature=youtu.be)

[Homestar]

Ron and the boys talking about going camping.

“We should cook a roast on Saturday night - anyone got a camp oven?”

Ron - “Leave it with me, I’ll sort something”

[emoji106][emoji4][emoji106]

[Tins]

I think I'm in love...

[101 Ron]

Reproduction special wing nuts have been made for tail board and tea urn.
Another photo shows some of the pipe paint work done.
I have made a reproduction poker and scraper tools using the original from my Wiles senior as samples ( I don't want to steal stuff from the senior cooker as I will make a future restoration harder.)

Currently working on the boiler tube cleaning brace of which I don't have a sample, but photos, ,the parts book and the brackets its suppose to hang on give me a good idea of its design and dimensions.

I have been looking hard at the steaming pots and the way they are made.( they are nothing special)
I have a plan to fix them, the hardest bit will be forming new replacement bottom sheets.
I intend cutting a piece of thick steel plate to the rounded square shape and using the thick plate to hammer form to shape the pots new bottom sheet.
From the factory the bottom sheet once formed were simply oxy welded to the sides.
The inside was sealed with Tin heated and soldered .

The hard part will be the tin plating.
I have to wait until I can raise some money to buy the tin and other gear required.

[101 Ron]

I was going to take the Wiles cooker home and try cooking a roast in the oven.
But when working the cooker out though the maze of stuff at work to the back of my 101 Landrover I realised there just was not enough clearance between the LHS mud guard and the tyre.
There was only a few millimetres clearance.
I always known of this been a issue with the Wiles junior.
In fact when I had the mud guards off earlier for chassis rust repair, I refitted them a bout 5mm higher than what they were...…..that was the highest I could go without the guards interfering with the oven door or Tea urn.
Every thing looked Ok .
Now that the boiler and then oven and now full water tank, full boiler of water ,the springs have compressed enough for tyre to mud guard clearance to disappear.
This is most likely the reason for this wiles Junior to be fitted with non standard Toyota wheels and tyres for much of its life.
All other wiles junior I have seen have little clearance.
I had Two options
1/ reset springs...……...expensive and the springs and shackles looked OK and the spring are not flatten out that much.

2/ relocate the trailer axle from the top of the spring to the bottom of the spring and raise the whole thing 4 to 5 inches.

I have chosen to place the axle under the spring.
This has also meant the front dolly wheel and rear stationary stabilizer legs are now to short.

New longer rear stabilizer legs have been made and are now fitted.

The original legs had a problem too in that they were never made with a water drain hole in the bottom of the leg.
So if the unit is left out in the rain the leg pipes fill with water and rust internally over the years.
My were getting very thin and I was toying with the idea of making new legs...…..so it was not a great lost anyway.

I think the whole problem is Three fold

1/ 7.50x 16 tyres are fitted instead of 600x 16

2/ the springs have flatten out slightly over the years

3/ basic design problem...…….have unit low enough to cook easily, verses oven door to mud guard
to tyre clearance.

I still need to rework the dolly wheel leg up front.
The good news is the whole thing will still work with the modified legs and dolly if the suspension is lowered back again.

The wheels now look to fit the mud guards and I have 4 to 5 inches of spring upwards wheel travel.
The oven and fire doors are all easier to get too .
The height increase has made little difference to the steamer pots or the tail gate/work bench when used.
The problem / draw back is the oven cook top is slightly too high making to difficult to see what's burning/boiling on the stove top as one cannot see inside the cooking sauce pans or fry pans.
It is also much harder to check the water level in the tea urn.
The lunette height now may cause the cooker to be nose down if towed with a Jeep or landrover.
( this personally will not be too much of a problem for me as my 101 Landrover has both 2ft high and 3 foot high pintle hooks and the other tow vehicle for it will be my Studebaker 6x6 which again is slightly modified for 2ft or 3 ft height pintles.)
Another thing,,,,I don't know what the weight all up is...….but it must be heavy, as the tyre pressures need to be 50 psi or better to stop excessive side wall bulge.( I don't think towing with a jeep is ever practical in the real world.)
A boiler tube cleaning brace tool has been made .

[101 Ron]

Some pictures

[4bee]

I was going to take the Wiles cooker home and try cooking a roast in the oven.
But when working the cooker out though the maze of stuff at work to the back of my 101 Landrover I realised there just was not enough clearance between the LHS mud guard and the tyre.
There was only a few millimetres clearance.
I always known of this been a issue with the Wiles junior.
In fact when I had the mud guards off earlier for chassis rust repair, I refitted them a bout 5mm higher than what they were...…..that was the highest I could go without the guards interfering with the oven door or Tea urn.
Every thing looked Ok .
Now that the boiler and then oven and now full water tank, full boiler of water ,the springs have compressed enough for tyre to mud guard clearance to disappear.
This is most likely the reason for this wiles Junior to be fitted with non standard Toyota wheels and tyres for much of its life.
All other wiles junior I have seen have little clearance.
I had Two options
1/ reset springs...……...expensive and the springs and shackles looked OK and the spring are not flatten out that much.

2/ relocate the trailer axle from the top of the spring to the bottom of the spring and raise the whole thing 4 to 5 inches.

I have chosen to place the axle under the spring.
This has also meant the front dolly wheel and rear stationary stabilizer legs are now to short.

New longer rear stabilizer legs have been made and are now fitted.

The original legs had a problem too in that they were never made with a water drain hole in the bottom of the leg.
So if the unit is left out in the rain the leg pipes fill with water and rust internally over the years.
My were getting very thin and I was toying with the idea of making new legs...…..so it was not a great lost anyway.

I think the whole problem is Three fold

1/ 7.50x 16 tyres are fitted instead of 600x 16

2/ the springs have flatten out slightly over the years

3/ basic design problem...…….have unit low enough to cook easily, verses oven door to mud guard
to tyre clearance.

I still need to rework the dolly wheel leg up front.
The good news is the whole thing will still work with the modified legs and dolly if the suspension is lowered back again.

The wheels now look to fit the mud guards and I have 4 to 5 inches of spring upwards wheel travel.
The oven and fire doors are all easier to get too .
The height increase has made little difference to the steamer pots or the tail gate/work bench when used.
The problem / draw back is the oven cook top is slightly too high making to difficult to see what's burning/boiling on the stove top as one cannot see inside the cooking sauce pans or fry pans.
It is also much harder to check the water level in the tea urn.
The lunette height now may cause the cooker to be nose down if towed with a Jeep or landrover.
( this personally will not be too much of a problem for me as my 101 Landrover has both 2ft high and 3 foot high pintle hooks and the other tow vehicle for it will be my Studebaker 6x6 which again is slightly modified for 2ft or 3 ft height pintles.)
Another thing,,,,I don't know what the weight all up is...….but it must be heavy, as the tyre pressures need to be 50 psi or better to stop excessive side wall bulge.( I don't think towing with a jeep is ever practical in the real world.)
A boiler tube cleaning brace tool has been made .

Great Job Ron.
I reckon you should send her/him back to Wiles & suggest they lift their game, putting you to all that trouble.[bigrolf]

[101 Ron]

The written history of the wiles cooker was by he Wiles family and we all know there is always a different version of events.
The wiles.cooker were a Brilliant idea and well suited to.the times.
They were not perfect.
The holes.in the rear extension stabilizer legs were not drilled straight for.the locking pins.
I used the old.legs for a.guide for the holes in the new legs and was supprized how out of line they were.
These things were simple low cost get them out of the door and as said before were not designed to last...........just to do the job in time of war.
It shows in many ways in the design which was not changed much post war.
The mud guard wheel clearance issue shows quick design with compromise for quick production..

[4bee]

The written history of the wiles cooker was by he Wiles family and we all know there is always a different version of events.
The wiles.cooker were a Brilliant idea and well suited to.the times.
They were not perfect.
The holes.in the rear extension stabilizer legs were not drilled straight for.the locking pins.
I used the old.legs for a.guide for the holes in the new legs and was supprized how out of line they were.
These things were simple low cost get them out of the door and as said before were not designed to last...........just to do the job in time of war.
It shows in many ways in the design which was not changed much post war.


The mud guard wheel clearance issue shows quick design with compromise for quick production..



I seem to recall back in '56 the Army had the Static/fixed/free standing models in the three Coy Kitchens at Woodside SA. Why not? They were admirably suited to the role.

[101RRS]

But Ron will it keep my pies warm without burning them? [bighmmm]

[101 Ron]

Just a couple of pictures.
'
The oven has been tested and a roast and veg done.

It tows level behind the 101 Landrover on the upper pintle hook.
Doing a axle under spring mod turns out to be wise and worth the effort as I noticed when towing the wiles springs are flexible enough to allow about 70mm of upwards travel when hitting a pot hole.
Also the wheel placement in the mud guards looks correct , even though it is not standard.

Waiting for correct steam hose to be supplied to me and I will do the steam hoses correctly.

Lots of smoke and wood used in the first hour of operation.
After the first hour, all the cast iron in the thing warms up and the fires only need to be small and the fires burn extremely cleanly with no smoke with little wood used.
In fact the attached pictures are with the fires going and 100psi on the guage.....no smoke and extemely little ash in the ash pans when finished indicating good combustion.
The oven fire has only need to be small with extremely good heat transfer to the oven box......I must have got the hot gas flow/battle design correct.
I had little to work with other than a few small old weld marks.
The air for the oven fire only comes from the ash pan door which has mostly only two positions....open or closed......surprisingly controls the the fire well.
secondary air can be had with with wood loading door....but not required , or makes little difference unless you are just lighting up a fresh fire.
I runs with extremely little air at temp and cleanly with closed doors.

Getting good temps out of the oven/ stove top plate.........can easily fry and boil stuff on the stove top if required when the whole boiler and stove/oven are up to temp.
The neighbors at home have taken great interest in it, especially kids who love the whistle.
The two home made whistles are adjustable for tune and after a bit of fiddling ,work far better than I could ever imagine.
I took the wiles back to work from home with a small fire still going and the boiler at pressure.
You get some strange looks at the traffic lights/passing traffic, especially when the safety valve lifts and the thing farts steam.
Still chasing small steam leaks from boiler fittings.

I have been using Loctite 567 thread sealant , it is rated for the temperature, but somehow eventually can give up with steam pressure/water/heat behind it.

[4bee]

Just a couple of pictures.
'
The oven has been tested and a roast and veg done.

It tows level behind the 101 Landrover on the upper pintle hook.
Doing a axle under spring mod turns out to be wise and worth the effort as I noticed when towing the wiles springs are flexible enough to allow about 70mm of upwards travel when hitting a pot hole.
Also the wheel placement in the mud guards looks correct , even though it is not standard.

Waiting for correct steam hose to be supplied to me and I will do the steam hoses correctly.

Lots of smoke and wood used in the first hour of operation.
After the first hour, all the cast iron in the thing warms up and the fires only need to be small and the fires burn extremely cleanly with no smoke with little wood used.
In fact the attached pictures are with the fires going and 100psi on the guage.....no smoke and extemely little ash in the ash pans when finished indicating good combustion.
The oven fire has only need to be small with extremely good heat transfer to the oven box......I must have got the hot gas flow/battle design correct.
I had little to work with other than a few small old weld marks.
The air for the oven fire only comes from the ash pan door which has mostly only two positions....open or closed......surprisingly controls the the fire well.
secondary air can be had with with wood loading door....but not required , or makes little difference unless you are just lighting up a fresh fire.
I runs with extremely little air at temp and cleanly with closed doors.

Getting good temps out of the oven/ stove top plate.........can easily fry and boil stuff on the stove top if required when the whole boiler and stove/oven are up to temp.
The neighbors at home have taken great interest in it, especially kids who love the whistle.
The two home made whistles are adjustable for tune and after a bit of fiddling ,work far better than I could ever imagine.
I took the wiles back to work from home with a small fire still going and the boiler at pressure.
You get some strange looks at the traffic lights/passing traffic, especially when the safety valve lifts and the thing farts steam.
Still chasing small steam leaks from boiler fittings.

I have been using Loctite 567 thread sealant , it is rated for the temperature, but somehow eventually can give up with steam pressure/water/heat behind it.

Thanks Ron, another step in the right direction to perfection. You'd be well chuffed by now I can tell.[bigrolf]

[101 Ron]

Starting to work on the steaming bins.


I am hand hammer forming the new bottom bin plates.........a new skill for me.

I am using a old forklift tyne and a big round pin in the vice to form the shape.

brass plate added to side of smoke stack and steam hoses fitted.

[JDNSW]

.....

I have been using Loctite 567 thread sealant , it is rated for the temperature, but somehow eventually can give up with steam pressure/water/heat behind it.

It is rated for the temperature, but is it rated for "wet heat"? Temperature plus moisture may degrade it.

[101 Ron]

I have ordered pure tin to try and re tin the steaming bins.

After removing a rusted bottom of one steam bin I have learn alot more about their construction and why they are hard to find and rust out.

I think they were made from normal steel plate with the bottoms soldered in with normal lead and tin solder.
I think some solder was placed over the welded seam going up one side of the bin and may be a slight coating every where else,,,,may be ????

The solder which dropped out of the the old steamer tins doesnt give a tin cry which indicates pure tin was used.

This makes sense in that most water tanks and guttering of the time just used normal lead/tin solder.
I must be remembered we even used lead pipes in house holds years ago.

I think the out side of the steaming bins were just painted silver in a vein effort to stop rust.

constant use, food acids and normal cleaning may have kept the insides rust free.

I now have Two steamer bins water tight ready for sand blasting and acid cleaning.

The other two, I need will take much work to sort out rust wise.
All for steam pipe outlets for the steam bins are going to be remade in Stainless steel as there is little left of the original mild steel items.

The replacement sheet steel in the steamer bins I have repaired is Zinc plated which is another no no with food.
But we have zinc rain water tanks etc.
I intend to tin over the zinc.
The whole thing should be OK as the temperature of the bins will never be more than the steam temperature of about 150c and if doing a stew or soup never over 100c........not much worse than a hot water system.
If the zinc plated steel was used on say...the oven hot plate....it would be a different story.


I just hope I can heat and wipe on the tin on at least the insides of the steamer bins successfully........its all a little bit of a experiment.

I can just paint the out side silver like the way they were done originally.

If all else fails I can see now that making the steamer bins from scratch in Stainless steel is not too hard .

[4bee]

I have ordered pure tin to try and re tin the steaming bins.

After removing a rusted bottom of one steam bin I have learn alot more about their construction and why they are hard to find and rust out.

I think they were made from normal steel plate with the bottoms soldered in with normal lead and tin solder.
I think some solder was placed over the welded seam going up one side of the bin and may be a slight coating every where else,,,,may be ????

The solder which dropped out of the the old steamer tins doesnt give a tin cry which indicates pure tin was used.

This makes sense in that most water tanks and guttering of the time just used normal lead/tin solder.
I must be remembered we even used lead pipes in house holds years ago.

I think the out side of the steaming bins were just painted silver in a vein effort to stop rust.

constant use, food acids and normal cleaning may have kept the insides rust free.

I now have Two steamer bins water tight ready for sand blasting and acid cleaning.

The other two, I need will take much work to sort out rust wise.
All for steam pipe outlets for the steam bins are going to be remade in Stainless steel as there is little left of the original mild steel items.

The replacement sheet steel in the steamer bins I have repaired is Zinc plated which is another no no with food.
But we have zinc rain water tanks etc.
I intend to tin over the zinc.
The whole thing should be OK as the temperature of the bins will never be more than the steam temperature of about 150c and if doing a stew or soup never over 100c........not much worse than a hot water system.
If the zinc plated steel was used on say...the oven hot plate....it would be a different story.


I just hope I can heat and wipe on the tin on at least the insides of the steamer bins successfully........its all a little bit of a experiment.

I can just paint the out side silver like the way they were done originally.

If all else fails I can see now that making the steamer bins from scratch in Stainless steel is not too hard .


As you have said many times during this rebuild Ron, these things were made for an expected short life, as well as when something wears out then a Requisition goes into the system for new replacements from Stores, & back then it didn't matter so much, easy peasy. The ones at Woodside in '56 would have been say, 16 years of age, if they were produced in 1940 but I bet they had replacement bits in them. They may have been a lot younger too. Possibly the fors & againsts using certain materials may not have been known back then, regarding health & corrosion properties etc. I reckon you are doing well with what you have done already, & it is a credit to your efforts there being a fair bit of experimental stuff you have had to work around. This is on a par with Sitecs Truck but a bit older.

Keep it up.

[JDNSW]

Yes, I think you need to remember that these were produced in the middle (well at the beginning) of a war.

Also, it is easy to forget that stainless steel for cooking, even for catering, was an impossible dream before about the 1960s, and only became relatively cheap and available in the last thirty or so years, even in the last ten it has come into more general use as it got cheaper. I am not sure it was even available at all in Australia in 1940 - dip tinning would have been the preferred technique for food items then, but a wartime shortage of tin would have seen it restricted to only surfaces in contact with food.

[4bee]

Yes, I think you need to remember that these were produced in the middle (well at the beginning) of a war.

Also, it is easy to forget that stainless steel for cooking, even for catering, was an impossible dream before about the 1960s, and only became relatively cheap and available in the last thirty or so years, even in the last ten it has come into more general use as it got cheaper. I am not sure it was even available at all in Australia in 1940 - dip tinning would have been the preferred technique for food items then, but a wartime shortage of tin would have seen it restricted to only surfaces in contact with food.


I recall reading an article about using overnight standing water out of taps first thing in the morning.

Apparently the water leaches out certain ingredients from brass fittings (not sure, but I think Cadmium was one ?????) but I'd be surprised.



Recom. was to flush the taps first.


I don't know how legit this theory is, but these days I give the system a quick flush when selecting potable water.

The Toilet Pan or shower doesn't bother me as I don't normally drink water from there.[bigrolf]

Whether this applies to Mains &/or Rainwater no idea, but I would suspect some Mains water with associated treatment chemicals ie. Chlorine could do this.

[JDNSW]

I recall reading an article about using overnight standing water out of taps first thing in the morning.

Apparently the water leaches out certain ingredients from brass fittings (not sure, but I think Cadmium was one ?????) but I'd be surprised.



Recom. was to flush the taps first.


I don't know how legit this theory is, but these days I give the system a quick flush when selecting potable water.

The Toilet Pan or shower doesn't bother me as I don't normally drink water from there.[bigrolf]

Whether this applies to Mains &/or Rainwater no idea, but I would suspect some Mains water with associated treatment chemicals ie. Chlorine could do this.

I think the issue is in fact lead. This is apparently often added to brass mixtures to improve machinability, but there are legal limits on the level of it for fittings used for drinking water.

How much of an issue it is depends entirely on the water composition - how readily lead dissolves in the water depends on what else is in it.

[4bee]

I think the issue is in fact lead. This is apparently often added to brass mixtures to improve machinability, but there are legal limits on the level of it for fittings used for drinking water.

How much of an issue it is depends entirely on the water composition - how readily lead dissolves in the water depends on what else is in it.


Of course, Lead. Thanks John.

[Don 130]

I recall reading an article about using overnight standing water out of taps first thing in the morning.

Apparently the water leaches out certain ingredients from brass fittings (not sure, but I think Cadmium was one ?????) but I'd be surprised.



Recom. was to flush the taps first.


I don't know how legit this theory is, but these days I give the system a quick flush when selecting potable water.

The Toilet Pan or shower doesn't bother me as I don't normally drink water from there.[bigrolf]

Whether this applies to Mains &/or Rainwater no idea, but I would suspect some Mains water with associated treatment chemicals ie. Chlorine could do this.

I agree with John, it's lead, and not many years ago there was a fuss about tapware being sold by discount hardware and supermarkets having a lead level that was above the recommended limit. I believe the majority of it came from China. I hope the problem has been sorted by now.
Don.

[101 Ron]

I am getting serious with the soup and steamer bins.

I have one usable one which only needed sand blasting and replating.

Another one I fitted a new bottom to with sand blasting and the need to replate.

I purchased some pure tin and try and set my self up to electrolytically replate the bins.

I also set up a acid wash ect and Low voltage DC power supply.
My plating efforts were not successful.
I got in a friend who used to do electroplating commercially.
I got my information from the the internet and you tube.
What I have learnt, is what someone does small scale on you tube, doesn't mean it will work on a large scale and on 70 year old metal.
I was using acid and with tin it needs to be a alkaline solution, heated and with cyanide as well.
5 volts DC and about 300amps would be good too.
I do not want to go stuffing around with cyanide.
Also I have learnt electroplating must be done on perfectly smooth clean metal.
A sandblasting finish will lead to a poor tin coating as the tin will only coat the high spots of the surface.
The bin I fitted the new bottom to needed to be sealed with tin and if possible the whole inside of the bin tin wiped.
It turns out acid dipping and sand blasting still will not get the old bins surfaces clean enough to do a good tinning job using heat and wiping by hand.
On copper cook ware you will get away with it, but not on old steel.
It also turns out the old bins are coated with something, but even if it is tin, the old tin is dirty and will not let the new tin take and flow.
I did end up sealing the bin with a new bottom in its lower corners with tin, but re tinning the whole inside of it was not a option.
If the bins were new ,manually heat spreading of the tin would have worked.
I still have the vegetable steamer baskets to replate and they are rusted in a way that I will not get a smooth surface or get them clean enough for tin plating, even if done professionally.

What all this means
1/ I have wasted time and money, but have learnt alot.
2/ new stainless steel replacement steamer bins and baskets are the way forward.
( I have a design in my head for new bins and baskets which I should be able to make and
look and operate near original)
3/ in the short term two steamer bins have been sand blasted and sealed etc and painted silver.
( they will be operational but cannot be used for cooking due to the possibility of the paint
coming off and going into the food.) ( the old rusty bins can be still fitted to the cooker to complete the look
of it)

The steamer pipes for the bins have been remade in stainless steel, but the stainless pipe was going too difficult to bend in a very small radius , so currently brass, but later stainless steel 90 degree elbows are now used.

I just could paint everything up like they are at the museums with these cookers in them, but I want this one fully usable in all respects and why the stainless option, even though its going to be alot of work.

The steamer bin lids have been sandblasted and painted, and as they are not in direct contact with food I should be able to get away with that...........professionally tinning of them is not possible due to the rough surface due to old age and old rust pits.
They are hard to make and the old ones with paint are serviceable.

[101 Ron]

attached pics

[101 Ron]

more pics

[4bee]

I am getting serious with the soup and steamer bins.

I have one usable one which only needed sand blasting and replating.

Another one I fitted a new bottom to with sand blasting and the need to replate.

I purchased some pure tin and try and set my self up to electrolytically replate the bins.

I also set up a acid wash ect and Low voltage DC power supply.
My plating efforts were not successful.
I got in a friend who used to do electroplating commercially.
I got my information from the the internet and you tube.
What I have learnt, is what someone does small scale on you tube, doesn't mean it will work on a large scale and on 70 year old metal.
I was using acid and with tin it needs to be a alkaline solution, heated and with cyanide as well.
5 volts DC and about 300amps would be good too.
I do not want to go stuffing around with cyanide.
Also I have learnt electroplating must be done on perfectly smooth clean metal.
A sandblasting finish will lead to a poor tin coating as the tin will only coat the high spots of the surface.
The bin I fitted the new bottom to needed to be sealed with tin and if possible the whole inside of the bin tin wiped.
It turns out acid dipping and sand blasting still will not get the old bins surfaces clean enough to do a good tinning job using heat and wiping by hand.
On copper cook ware you will get away with it, but not on old steel.
It also turns out the old bins are coated with something, but even if it is tin, the old tin is dirty and will not let the new tin take and flow.
I did end up sealing the bin with a new bottom in its lower corners with tin, but re tinning the whole inside of it was not a option.
If the bins were new ,manually heat spreading of the tin would have worked.
I still have the vegetable steamer baskets to replate and they are rusted in a way that I will not get a smooth surface or get them clean enough for tin plating, even if done professionally.

What all this means
1/ I have wasted time and money, but have learnt alot.
2/ new stainless steel replacement steamer bins and baskets are the way forward.
( I have a design in my head for new bins and baskets which I should be able to make and
look and operate near original)
3/ in the short term two steamer bins have been sand blasted and sealed etc and painted silver.
( they will be operational but cannot be used for cooking due to the possibility of the paint
coming off and going into the food.) ( the old rusty bins can be still fitted to the cooker to complete the look
of it)

The steamer pipes for the bins have been remade in stainless steel, but the stainless pipe was going too difficult to bend in a very small radius , so currently brass, but later stainless steel 90 degree elbows are now used.

I just could paint everything up like they are at the museums with these cookers in them, but I want this one fully usable in all respects and why the stainless option, even though its going to be alot of work.

The steamer bin lids have been sandblasted and painted, and as they are not in direct contact with food I should be able to get away with that...........professionally tinning of them is not possible due to the rough surface due to old age and old rust pits.
They are hard to make and the old ones with paint are serviceable.


[QUOTE] due to the rough surface due to old age and old rust pits.


Doesn't bode well for us olde Codgers does it Ron? So, no tinning of us to extend our lives. Bugger!


EDIT. It would have been much more convenient for Wiles to do all that plating stuff as they also operated an Electroplating/ /Hot tin/Galvanised/Plant in Manchester St Mile End. The walls & roof were eaten away with all the fumes & it must have been a hell of a place to work, or Die.[bigsad]

[101 Ron]

The little Wiles has been in use.

Not much more has been done to it.

One new stainless steel vegetable basket has been manufactured from scratch.

I have moved onto other projects for the time been.

The wiles has been a subject of two paintings.

[4bee]

The little Wiles has been in use.

Not much more has been done to it.

One new stainless steel vegetable basket has been manufactured from scratch.

I have moved onto other projects for the time been.

The wiles has been a subject of two paintings.


A Monet & a Constable no less.[bighmmm] [thumbsupbig]


I shall look forward to the time when you recommence work on it again Ron.:TakeABow:

[101 Ron]

The little wiles cooker is seeing use about Three times a year, at air shows, and club gatherings.
At the air shows , little kids queue in line to have a go at blowing the whisle.
I have extended the brass chain that works the whisle so they dont get too close to the hot boiler, and the hot steam/water that can come out of the whisles.
I have cooked many a roast dinner on it and used the steaming baskets for cooking vegetables.
It is a good attention getter at public displays.
I have found it works very well on cut up soft wood pallets that are normally scrapped.
It takes about an hour to get the heat into the cooker, and after that wood use is very little.
As a demo I have shown many a time heating a Jerrycan of cold water to boiling in Two minutes.
I have found I need to touch up the High temp stove black paint frequently.
Recently the laws have change regarding old boilers and a second safety valve has been added to meet requirements for a boiler certificate.
I have made Two stainless steel steamer bin baskets.
The first one used silver soldered together mesh, which could look better, the second one I ended up using stainless cable ties which look much better and easier to hold the mesh in place.
The original set up was plated steel wire and everything was hand tied together, in a way I could not easily do with more modern materials.
I still need to sort out the tea/hot water container, which has a corroded outer case and Two corroded food steam cooking/boiling pots..

Ron

[101 Ron]

The tea urn/hot water tank has been removed from the cooker.
It was working well, but the outer jacket is corroded and it holds in place asbestos insulation which could escape because of the corrosion holes.
I was temporarily using duct tape to cover the rust holes..

I stripped the steel cover from the inner tank and safely removed the asbestos sheet.
The inner tank is all copper and the outer steel jacket is soldered and cleverly folded inter locked steams that snap and hook into place when assembled.

I dont have the skills or access to a sheet metal seam roller to do that sort of work, so I will be using more modern methods that I can do to achieve a similar look and improve durability.

Looking at the level of hand fabrication, sheet metal skill I would be flat out finding someone who could do it.

I plan to replace the asbestos with modern insulation......I am thinking stuff used in modern wood fire heaters or that two part mix and let it foam up stuff.

The brass hot water tap was mostly blocked up with years of mineral build up and the steel fittings broke off , because they had almost corroded though.

Brass has replace steel.

I am thinking stainless steel for the outer case, with spot welding and a slightly different construction , folding method.

I have a pan brake folder, but little experience in using it and thinking of purchasing a hand held spot welding machine.

[101 Ron]

Just some more pictures of the cooker and its adventures so far.
The first picture is a bit hard to see the cooker as its in the back ground in use on a camping trip at a local property.
It is interesting at the traffic lights towing the cooker if is still lit up and the look on peoples faces if the safety valve pops and you pull away from the traffic lights with a trail of steam behind you.
The cooker creates much interest.
I still have not found anyone who knew how to use these cookers correctly and to their full potential.

Cooking large amounts of food stuffs with steam looks to be a lost art.

The wiles senior cooker under the cover in the last picture is up for sale, looking for a home .
It is the 1942 Boyded built unit shown in early pages of this thread.
It is totally complete, but the steel metal work is corroded and needs full restoration.
The steamer bins and tanks are in good useable condition.( there are spare ones as well.)
I will never find time to start restoring it as a project and the fact I now have the smaller Junior cooker to play with.
I would be looking at 6K ............comes with a parts senior cooker, new tyres and new original canvass side curtains.

Ron.

[101 Ron]

I had the Wiles junior at a local car show doing its normal thing these days.

I bloke came up to me and said his father or Gran father worked for Boyded who made/assembled 235 Wiles senior cookers and that he had access to an old photograph of the site in Sydney a told me the location was 150 Forbes St East Sydney.
I didnt have much time to talk to the bloke, but I did give him my card with Email .

When I got home I checked the address and the building still stands and Boyded/Buick built a large Three story car dealership/assembly/repair factory in 1937 which was fully equipped.
This is a break though until now its been guess work.
Then this gem was e mailed to me and I had to share it......the Chrismas Dinner 1943 inside that building showing Three senior cookers in the background.

Also Two pictures of the Wiles Junior at the car show the other day, note the tea urn was used without its insulation on the copper tank and current progress on the stainless steel replacement jacket for the urn.

regards

Ron

[101 Ron]

A new stainless tea urn jacket fitted
I ended up purchasing a small spot welder.
I didn't have the sheet metal skills to do the interlocking folded seams like the original tin plated and soldered set up.
I would be flat out finding anyone still with the skills too.
The urn jacket looks almost exactly like the original.
I used on the base some hard heat resistant fibrous insulation meant for a wood heater and the rest of it insulated with expanding foam which was poured in and filled the gaps..
The stainless jacket was sandblasted so the paint would take to it.
A stainless steel hose clamp is used around the neck of the urn instead of soldering and will help any future disassembly if required.
The last time I used the cooker the reflex water gauge started leaking.
I found the glass is cracked and my spare one was too.
Now trying to track down the correct 15mm thick Boron glass and make non asbestos replacement gaskets.
This Wiles junior only needs two more steaming bins to be remade in stainless steel to be completely finished and 100 % usable from a cooking point of view.
The original soup bins if restored , because of their soldered design wouldn't be a good idea to use except for static display.

[101 Ron]

A small improvement was made to the tea urn in that a copper baffle in the neck of the tea urn has now been made removable so it's alot easier to clean out any sediment in the bottom of it.
Photos to follow later.
The curved angled stainless around the neck was done.by cutting stainless steel metal strip's, then folding to make 90 degree angle.
The curve in it was done by hammering one flange with a hammer and small metal drift to expand the metal in the flange creating the curve which was spot welded to the top covers.
I am happy with myself that I could do some old fashion hand forming of metal.

[101 Ron]

pictures

[101 Ron]

Pictures

[4bee]

I had the Wiles junior at a local car show doing its normal thing these days.

I bloke came up to me and said his father or Gran father worked for Boyded who made/assembled 235 Wiles senior cookers and that he had access to an old photograph of the site in Sydney a told me the location was 150 Forbes St East Sydney.
I didnt have much time to talk to the bloke, but I did give him my card with Email .

When I got home I checked the address and the building still stands and Boyded/Buick built a large Three story car dealership/assembly/repair factory in 1937 which was fully equipped.
This is a break though until now its been guess work.
Then this gem was e mailed to me and I had to share it......the Christmas Dinner 1943 inside that building showing Three senior cookers in the background.

Also Two pictures of the Wiles Junior at the car show the other day, note the tea urn was used without its insulation on the copper tank and current progress on the stainless steel replacement jacket for the urn.

regards

Ron


Great progress there, Ron.:TakeABow:
White coated geezers stick together separated from all others for lunch, was there a Hierarchy back in those days? :Thump:

[JDNSW]

Great progress there, Ron.:TakeABow:
White coated geezers stick together separated from all others for lunch, was there a Hierarchy back in those days? :Thump:

Not just the white coats - all the suits and ties were at their own table as well. I would say there was most definitely a hierarchy.

[4bee]

Not just the white coats - all the suits and ties were at their own table as well. I would say there was most definitely a hierarchy.


"Good Evening Gentlemen, Dress for Christmas Lunch for General Hands will be Navy Combinations with as much Grease Stains as possible.

Middle Managers Dress will be White shirts & Neckties.


Inspectors Dress will be Spotless White Dust-coats



Maybe it is just me that sees the inequality. [bighmmm] [bigrolf]

[101 Ron]

I noticed alot of small.details and why that photo was a gem.
One was the number of young faces not fighting in the services.
If you had a trade you couldn't sign up.

The Australian made 60 tonne servex hydraulic press in the back ground and a belt driven drill press and other machinery
One of the cooks is wearing a white cooks apron......I have found one of these......as new condition marked D arrow D.
The type of tubs sitting on the back of the Wiles/Boyded cooker is described in certain information I have on the cookers,but didn't know what they looked like.
The hydraulic press in the back ground I have just finished restoring one and why the interest.....we seem to be unable to make our own stuff in Australia any more.

[JDNSW]

"Good Evening Gentlemen, Dress for Christmas Lunch for General Hands will be Navy Combinations with as much Grease Stains as possible.

Middle Managers Dress will be White shirts & Neckties.


Inspectors Dress will be Spotless White Dust-coats



Maybe it is just me that sees the inequality. [bighmmm] [bigrolf]

Or simply that people are wearing dress appropriate to the work they do - office workers in suits, boilermakers etc in overalls, those working in the drawing office wearing dustcoats to protect their suits from chalk dust (remember the use of "pounce" when drawing with ink. (And I'll bet most of those in dustcoats are wearing ties under them, and even some of those in overalls, with their jackets in the cloakroom.)

You need to remember that everyday dress for men at that time included white shirt and tie plus jacket unless your work required something different. Even in wartime - and even in the armed forces a lot of the time!

[101 Ron]

The post WW2 wiles junior cookers used Chev wheel bearings and wheels
The small number of WW2 manufactured ones appeared to have used Jeep trailer axles ,hubs and wheels and the Wiles junior was conceived to be towed behind a jeep or other light vehicle.

During WW2 many different manufactures made Jeep trailers to army specs.
The most common is the No4 trailers built mostly by Ford and Holden, with Ford ones using Australian versions of the jeep hubs and wheels and the Holden's version using mostly Chev hubs and wheels.

The axles could be interchanged and the Chev set up was common in civie street until the Holden car hubs and wheels became more common on new civie box trailer and caravans.

The problem is the Chev wheel bearings are angular contact ball races which are now hard to find.
My Wiles junior has the Chev axle , hubs and wheels.
I intend to tow the little Wiles with a Austin Champ or Landrover.
The Wiles cooker has no provision for a spare wheel.
I have fitted a Ford jeep trailer axle, hubs and wheels to the cooker and the only difference to fitting is the wiles has a slightly wider spring compared to a No4 jeep trailer.
This means my Wiles cooker now is exactly the same to look at as a WW2 produced one with jeep wheels, short draw bar etc.

The other interesting thing is WW2 jeep trailers were used up until the early 1970s when Jeeps were long gone from the Australian army system and Landrovers had replaced them.
The ADE .......Army Design Establishment produced adaptor hubs for Jeep trailers to take Landrover wheels,so the spare wheel on the towing vehicle would fit the trailer.
They had a slight advantage of a slightly wider track which helped stability of the trailers.
I have a set of these adaptor hubs and will be fitting it to the wiles cooker , so the spare wheel on the towing vehicle fits and the wheel bearings and seals are easy to get taper roller ones.
The junior wiles is also not the most stabile thing to tow, so a slightly wider track will be helpful as well.
I have never seen a service photo of the Wiles junior in service with the adaptors, only the Chev wheels post war.
Thats means they were not used, but is unlikely that they were as so few WW2 wiles juniors were made with Jeep wheels and hubs.
The jeep tyres are 600x16 while the Chev ones are 7.50x16
Note in earlier posts about the lack of clearance for suspension movement inside the guards for the Chev wheels, the as designed smaller 600x16 Jeep wheels its not a problem.

[101 Ron]

Austin Champ split rims fitted with 7.50x16 tyres.............the same size I was using for the Chev wheels.

Just a note for people who like to split hairs......the ADE adaptors were designed to work with the axle fitted by the ADE on a trailer approved by the ADE and therefore are considered manufacture designed and provided and therefore legal to use under Australian vehicle rules.
It should also be noted the Wiles cooker was designed to use the axle now fitted and the Australian Chev/Ford Jeep trailer axles were designed to interchange by the manufactures so can be considered an original part and legal.


The last picture is the Chev wheels and axle.

I intend to fit Landrover No5 trailer wheels when I find a pair as I have other plans for the champ wheels.
Another point of communality is the Austin Champ split rims, one half can interchange to a WW2 Jeep split wheel and the split wheel bolts and nuts are the same.
Yes the Champ and early Landrover split wheels are the same and interchange with the early series Landrover deep well non split wheels.

Two soup bins to made in stainless steel and the thing will be 100% useable from a cooking point of view and where I want it to be...............it may take me another year or Two to find the time and inclination to make them.

Ron

[4bee]

Austin Champ split rims fitted with 7.50x16 tyres.............the same size I was using for the Chev wheels.

Just a note for people who like to split hairs......the ADE adaptors were designed to work with the axle fitted by the ADE on a trailer approved by the ADE and therefore are considered manufacture designed and provided and therefore legal to use under Australian vehicle rules.
It should also be noted the Wiles cooker was designed to use the axle now fitted and the Australian Chev/Ford Jeep trailer axles were designed to interchange by the manufactures so can be considered an original part and legal.


The last picture is the Chev wheels and axle.

I intend to fit Landrover No5 trailer wheels when I find a pair as I have other plans for the champ wheels.
Another point of communality is the Austin Champ split rims, one half can interchange to a WW2 Jeep split wheel and the split wheel bolts and nuts are the same.
Yes the Champ and early Landrover split wheels are the same and interchange with the early series Landrover deep well non split wheels.

Two soup bins to made in stainless steel and the thing will be 100% useable from a cooking point of view and where I want it to be...............it may take me another year or Two to find the time and inclination to make them.

Ron

The way you have hopped into this current challenge I reckon Time & inclination would be the least of your probs. [bighmmm][bigrolf]


Re spare wheel for #2. I'm sure I have seen images of a spare wheel or two mounted on the front panel although this could have been a Unit Mod but I bow to your opinion,Ron.

[101 Ron]

A few things have been happening .
The boiler water level sight gauge has started leaking.
The guage is reflex type size A00 which in boiler terms is very small.
The glass used is 90mmx30mmx17mm Boron silicate.
I don't have a spare and the old glass is cracked which I am told often happens after 20 years use.
It turns out the glass I need is no longer made In Australia.
I found slightly longer glass incerts,which are more common for larger boilers,but as the glass is toughen it cannot be cut to size.
My only hope is now resting on a steam supply company in the UK.
They list the correct size glass to suit a Foden.
I may add alot of internet suppliers advertise the size glass I need,but don't have it in the real.world..

[101 Ron]

The other thing going on is trying to figure out how to manufacture Two soup bins.
They must be made from materials in today's world that are food safe and look like the original plated steel bins which have rusted out and may or may not been soldered with a alloy containing lead..
They were made with sheet metal skills which are now hard to find and I don't have..
I come up with using sheet stainless steel and a square stainless steel bar heated and formed into a square shape to replace a rolled over a wire top edge of the bin.
The square bar also serves to hold the stainless sheet to shape with the aid of many vice grips.

[101 Ron]

The real question is how to fit a bottom and seal the seam down the side and top.
I thought about TIG welding.
The stainless steel sheet is thin and easy to burn though.
It will also discolour and though heat expansion badly warp.
The Third problem is my eye sight and TIG welding skills are not as good as they should be for that job,which means I would have to pay someone to do it which I cannot afford.
Another option would be continuous resistance welding.............I don't have access to the equipment.
What I did learn is stainless steel.can be soldered.
The question was can it be soldered with pure Tin ?.
I have plenty of pure Tin from my failed plating efforts.
A test piece of stainless sheet confirmed pure Tin and stainless solders OK.
The test piece is rough.....it is just proving it could be done.
Stainless and pure Tin soldered together.
Note pure Tin is is often used in cookware and food surfaces............ie Tin plated copper cookware.

[101 Ron]

I may add my previous attempts to solder the original steel steaming bins failed or were only partly successful due the age of the metal and it is extremely hard to get the.metal clean enough for the solder to take.
I ended up using my newly acquired spot welder to hold the side seam in place for soldering .
I then successfully soldered both inside and out side side seam.
My soldering skills improving as I am doing the job.
Finding a very old gas heated hand held copper block soldering iron helped.
But the gas jet on it will be modified for the next bin for getting more output as the Cooper iron was intended for smaller jobs.
I was able with much experimentation solder the outter top square stainless bar to the stainless sheet despite the great difference in thickness.
Getting the metal super clean and getting the right amount of heat in the right spot for the right amount of time using an old style copper iron to apply the Tin is the secret.
This first bin will be a little bit on the rough side, but it's also a learning curve.........the next one will be perfect.
Excess tin is easily removed .
My next post in a few days will show greatly improved soldering results.........I just don't have the photos to post currently.
The axle and wheel conversion of the cooker is working OK as it was towed the 160 kms to Sydney and back the other day for a static display.
But it is still a top heavy thing with a extremely short draw bar which y means you have to be careful on bumps and corners.
I was able to get the whistle working with compressed air for the kids.with my 101 Landrovers engine driven compressor supplying the pressure..
I have fitted perpex in the water level reflex guage as a temporary measure................ .not game to try the perpex with steam heating behind it..

[101 Ron]

more pics of current progress.