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Next project...A Wood Ben Hur

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:57 am
by Bill_Wolf
Now that the Steel Ben Hur is done I am working on my Wood Ben Hur.

This is the way I bought it.

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This is the way it looks today.

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A test fit of the wood sides.

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Needs to be done in 2 weeks for the Weare Rally

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:13 pm
by KEVINABR
that looks a nice thorough job and love the wood work

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:36 pm
by Bill_Wolf
I should have updated the post....

This is what it looked like at the end of July....

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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:20 pm
by armydriver
Wow, that is beautiful. Great jopb.

Ben Hur

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:07 pm
by halifaxgroup
Could you post a few pictures of the blackout light switch on your metal Ben Hur? No rush. Your work looks really nice. Inspired by your 55 gallon motor oil drums I am going to paint some old ZEP windshield washer drums OD as well. Thanks in advance. Paul

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:16 pm
by Bill_Wolf
I can not take credit for the drum....

That is Dr. "Michelangelo" Duece's work.... :lol:

:oops: And I am sorry to say that in all my resto pictures I have no pictures of the B/O light switch on my Steel trailer and she is put away for the winter. It is the same switch as the wood body it is just mounted differently.

Bill

Ben Hur

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:09 am
by halifaxgroup
I have the wiring harness w/switch and inter-vehicle cable, but as you write the switch is mounted differently on the metal trailer, but the TM's do not show where it goes or how it is attached. I am not starting the trailer until the late spring so no rush. I am knee deep in finishing my WC62 for a while.

Again, really nice work! Paul

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:58 pm
by timpage
So how common were the wooden Ben Hur trailers? Versus the metal ones?

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:25 pm
by dr deuce
Dr. "Michelangelo" Duece got 4 more 55 gallons in a pallet today. Took the deuce to work to get them. They forked them right in. How to get them out....

They will be ready for Weare 2007! I have a stencil made for "MOTOR OIL SAE 30" and another one for the smaller barrels "GREASE LONG FIBRE"

They do add a lot along with all the other accutrements such as ammo boxes, web gear, sand bags, and radios to name a few.

Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:20 am
by KEVINABR
well done a lovely job, i have a wooden ben hur one day i ,ll strip her back and do what you have done but i have to restore my M7 right now :wink: :wink:

Wooden Ben Hur

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:25 pm
by Colin Britton
Nice job on the trailer, looks great, kind of a shame to cover up all your hard work of stripping, scraping and sanding the trailer frame and axel assembly with all that wood. The trailer even looked good in skeleton form. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....
And being an army medic I cant help but admire the beautiful Dodge WC 54 Ambulance in the background.
One day I maybe able to get one, but they are alittle expensive for a soldiers salary. (even with jump pay)
But to the owner, nice WC 54. I'm jealous....

Re: Wooden Ben Hur

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:17 pm
by Bill_Wolf
Colin Britton wrote: And being an army medic I cant help but admire the beautiful Dodge WC 54 Ambulance in the background.
One day I maybe able to get one, but they are alittle expensive for a soldiers salary. (even with jump pay)
But to the owner, nice WC 54. I'm jealous....
Aw...shucks Doc.....

You're just sayin' that to butter up the webmaster...As that would be my WC 54.

I saved her from the boneyard.

My plans are to make the Wood Ben Hur into a med trailer to carry around the WWII impression med stuff I have by towing it behind the WC.

Just need to make a wood side rack set for this one and then buy a trailer tarpaulin and put a Geneva cross on it. This spring I hope.

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Bill

Electrical hookup

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:20 pm
by Capt Lee P
Hi

My wooden Ben Hur Trailer came with the electrical plug in cable held to the frame via plastic tie straps. What is the correct routing of the electrical cord from the lunettee eye back to the rear lights?

G-518 Marble Reflectors

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:54 am
by halifaxgroup
Some comments and advice needed regarding my metal body Ben Hur. The manual clearly shows that the four marble reflectors utilized are the type with large reflectors with two attaching points. However, I have an original marble reflector on a metal Ben Hur that has four attaching points as well as the smaller marbles. It looks like it has been on the trailer since its manufacture. Same worn out Olive Drab paint, same type of wear and rust, etc. Anyone else have evidence that these were used as well as the ones shown in the manual? Thanks Paul

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:14 pm
by abn CCKW
With all the hard work in taking that Ben Hur back to the bare frame <which I agree looks Outstanding just like that >Then putting all new solid wood back on with all its hardware she's good to go for another 50 plus years !!! Kind of a shame to cover it up with the racks and canvas...... ah well thats what the completed look is , WELL DONE!!!
Whats your opinion of what a Ben Hur should be Wood or Metal since you have both .

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:31 pm
by Bill_Wolf
ABN,

I personally like the wood better. I think it looks more WWII authentic.

I have worked on the trailer a little more since the last post. I have built tarpaulin sides for it (need to paint them OD) and have made it into a medical unit trailer with all my LHD medical stuff loaded inside. It will be towed behind the Ambulance.

Here are a couple of pictures of it from our Weare Rally that occurred last week.

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Wood or Steel bodies

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:02 pm
by abn CCKW
She Look's Awesome . Glad you were able to get all that done in time for the rallie . I agree with you I like the look of the wooden Ben Hurs

Wooden Ben Hur's

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:51 pm
by Capt Lee P
Again, great job!

In case you missed my question on the lead picture site: does the wooden trailers have rear reflectors?

I just got the metal brackets for the tail lights and my "Dutch" Ben Hur has reflectors mounted in the location of where the tail lights should be.

Thanks, Lee

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:06 pm
by Bill_Wolf
It is supposed to have reflectors.

The previous ones were mounted on the fenders (you can still see the holes). I know that is not right so I have been watching and waiting to find pics of the correct placement.

Adries trailer on the main site is the closest representation I have seen so far.

If you have additional information or pictures please post or PM me.

Bill

Wood Body Ben Hur

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:45 pm
by Cat Man
Weasel,

She looks great. Two questions.

Did you butt the edges of the side and front/ back boards together and just bolt then into the corners? Or did you go whole hog and have the boards tongue and grooved on edge like the originals?

I have the lumber for mine all cut and seasoned. Don't know it I want to do the edges or not? I've considered dowling them and / or just glueing and clamping the sides and ends.

Did you use carriage bolts? Or were you able to find a source for the correct "Step Bolts" like the originals? I'm about to give up and use the smaller head carriage bolts.

Any advice would help my project.

Thanks

Cat Man