What WOOD Would You Use for this Gun

[tvrgeek]

They may have been just raw ply wood. Cheap. I like the idea of Trex.

 

[helper]

From ChatGPT:

For military equipment like the ZPU-2, especially during the era and region in which it was produced, common types of wood used for parts like handles would likely include durable, locally available species. In the Soviet Union, where the ZPU-2 was manufactured, some of the more commonly available and used hardwood species included:

• Birch: Known for its toughness and resilience, birch would be a likely candidate for use in military equipment due to its widespread availability in Russia and surrounding areas.
• Oak: Highly durable and strong, oak is another type of wood that might have been used for equipment subjected to rugged use.
• Ash: Known for its strength and elasticity, ash could also have been a choice for parts requiring resilience to shock and wear.

These types of wood are typical for the region and would have provided the necessary durability and insulation properties required for military hardware.

 

[Tarhead]

If you've not been following the war in Ukraine these guns are still in use and very effective against the slow-flying Shahed drones being supplied by Iran to Russia. They fit into the back of a small pickup truck.

 

[bob vaughan]

I'll stick with my last suggestion: Trex (or some other type of synthetic wood that can be shaped with woodworking equipment). A synthetic handle will look as good as anything and outlast any species of organic hygroscopic dead plant fiber handle.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Black Locust

 

[Dee2]

if you stick with natural wood you might torriefy it. But with the attitude of the owner, why bother.

 

[Berta]

Chuck, my gun expert person, agrees that it would be replaced with what was available locally. He also said White Oak, probably.

 

[old and in the way]

I second the choice of black locust as both local, hard, and weather resistant. If you want to replicate the original/current look, then perhaps exterior/marine Baltic birch plywood. Even if no one cares, you don't want the replacement to fall apart before the check clears.

I suppose my question would be: Why is this component even made out of wood in the first place? Would steel not be a better selection for the purpose, or are we just replicating design mistakes of a bygone era?

Tone

 

[Mike Davis]

here is the picture of the actual gun. Also a couple of pictures of what i took off. The Owner is indifferent and doesn't really care.

So basic in our architectural design, we are creating a plaza out here with a flag pole and paved area for this gun to rest. It will be a lot better condition then how it is now. The General Contractor is going to have the gun repainted. The owner doesnt have a lot of knowledge about this piece and its not a museum area or needs to be a history accurate representation. It is also zero chance that the Owner will maintain anything on it. So what I comes down to is the best wood and finish that will last as long as possible in the elements.

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The moss is a nice touch...

 

[mkepke]

<snip>

I suppose my question would be: Why is this component even made out of wood in the first place? Would steel not be a better selection for the purpose, or are we just replicating design mistakes of a bygone era?

Tone

From what I skim-read, the handles are there to assist swapping out barrels. That implies wood was chosen because of its insulative properties ( like wooden handles on BBQ equipment) - and it's cheap and easy to manufacture.

-Mark