I have recently been given a small piece of African Wenge, and sliced it up into a few thin slabs. I got the inspiration to make up an M2HB model in exotic woods, with Wenge for the sideplates. It is a work in progress, with many fiddly little details in the completion, but I've made some respectable progress.
In addition to the Wenge, the top and bottom plates and top cover are made in Kingwood, and the tripod is made in Mora wood. These woods have plenty of minerals in them, and can dull the tools quickly.
Here's a shot from the beginning:
Early assembly:
Coming along:
Back end construction, slots cut on router table:
Close-up on the barrel-support, in Indian Laurel:
Recently made up the lower legs, started on the feet and the first spade, and the pintle head:
And the lower legs, feet, and spades assembled:
The rear, conic-section spades I turned with the aid of a NOVA chuck:
The front leg is offset, so I made my first offset turning:
This has been keeping me busy since the New Year; translating the arsenal drawings for the tripod into woodworking plans has been educational! The originals were drawn in the 1930's, and dimensioning is quaint, to say the least; for example "0.131 -0.12" which really means ".125 +/- .006" (that's the spec for the metal thickness for the tripod head. Most dimensions are written in like fashion).
The spec for the M3 tripod is 179 pages, and includes every nut, bolt, and manufacturing gauge needed to go into production!
I will post more on this as progress is made; the crossbar and T & E mechanism are yet to come, I need to glue lugs on the sleeves that I've made but not assembled yet and which mount the T & E crossbar.
Regards, John
In addition to the Wenge, the top and bottom plates and top cover are made in Kingwood, and the tripod is made in Mora wood. These woods have plenty of minerals in them, and can dull the tools quickly.
Here's a shot from the beginning:
Early assembly:
Coming along:
Back end construction, slots cut on router table:
Close-up on the barrel-support, in Indian Laurel:
Recently made up the lower legs, started on the feet and the first spade, and the pintle head:
And the lower legs, feet, and spades assembled:
The rear, conic-section spades I turned with the aid of a NOVA chuck:
The front leg is offset, so I made my first offset turning:
This has been keeping me busy since the New Year; translating the arsenal drawings for the tripod into woodworking plans has been educational! The originals were drawn in the 1930's, and dimensioning is quaint, to say the least; for example "0.131 -0.12" which really means ".125 +/- .006" (that's the spec for the metal thickness for the tripod head. Most dimensions are written in like fashion).
The spec for the M3 tripod is 179 pages, and includes every nut, bolt, and manufacturing gauge needed to go into production!
I will post more on this as progress is made; the crossbar and T & E mechanism are yet to come, I need to glue lugs on the sleeves that I've made but not assembled yet and which mount the T & E crossbar.
Regards, John
