Phil's Bailey Bridge Build

[Phil Dawe]

When Armortek announced their second batch of Bailey Bridge kits I felt I had to buy one if only to trundle my Centurion and Tiger 1 over. I got stuff into degreasing and priming straight away and drop onto assembly whenever I have a small window in my restoration work schedule at the Battle of Britain Sector Operations Building RAF Northolt. Once you get to the fitting of the transoms patience is a virtue with all of the M3x6 nuts and bolts to be fitted with fiddly access. As the structure grows its amazing how many visitors take an interest in the model and the principles of the real thing.

[Steve Lewington]

Hi Phil
Its good to see another bridge on the go.
She's coming on well I see what you ment about being a little ahead of tiny a me.
Looking forward to your next post and photos.
Take care

Best regards

Steve

[Phil Dawe]

I was able to do an hour or two more this afternoon on the bridge. I suspect there are more M3 fasteners on the floor than in my storage box for the fixings. Time to get on my knees and pick them up!

[Phil Woollard]

Looking good!

[Phil Dawe]

A few update photos. Over the past week I have completed the second section. So both will be ready for the wooden planking next week. Fortunately I have lots of Sapele offcuts from a recent project that will fulfil my needs for the decking. This afternoon I started the second ramp.

[Phil Dawe]

Has anyone else building one of the new batch bailey bridge kits had problem with the fit of the plated pin ENO120 in the joining lugs of the bridge sections? The holes in all of the lugs on my kit are undersize and will have to be reamed to get a nice secure fit for the pin.

[Adrian Harris]

Could it be the primer is enough to make the hole undersized ?

Adrian.

[Charles A Stewart]

Evening all.

I had to drill mine.

Charles

[Phil Dawe]

Could it be the primer is enough to make the hole undersized ?

Adrian.

Adrian, I made sure the holes were clear. My digital calliper gave me pin diameter 8.01 and hole diameter 7.86.

[Derek Attree]

Hi Phil
Better to have material to remove than have it way to loose
Nice job on these bridges guys .

Regards Derek

[Steve Lewington]

Hi Phil
Good morning I had the same issue.
I removed the paint from the holes and gave them a ream nice easy fix.
Derek
Spot on better to have to remove material as you can not add it on.

Have a lovely day

Steve and Luke

[Phil Dawe]

After a bit of reaming the pins fit nicely and the build continues

[Phil Dawe]

Today I moved onto the timber decking. Fortunately I had a good number of Sapele offcuts from when i was building blackout shutters for the RAF Northolt Sector Operations Room. At 25mm thick it was possible to rip them down edge on leaving two 11mm strips which were then put through the thicknesser/planer to get the finished size of 8mm thick. I am now putting them though my bench saw to reduce the width to the finished size for width the length.

[Phil Dawe]

I have now progressed to planking the first section. I am toying with the idea of using a dark wood stain on the wooden deck.

[Phil Woollard]

You have to stain it but not to evenly, the odd plank should be slightly different, with the middle being oily maybe?