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Thread: Wiles Senior cooker.

  1. #221
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    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.
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  2. #222
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    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
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  3. #223
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    Quote Originally Posted by 101 Ron View Post
    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.


    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.

  4. #224
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    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..
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  5. #225
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    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.
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  6. #226
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    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.
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  7. #227
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    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..
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  8. #228
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    more pics of current progress.
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