This particular # 6 Furphy Water Cart was first made for the Australian Army, or the R.A.A.F., so the convoys of blitz trucks supplying Darwin during World War 2, had a supply of water for each convoy of vehicles heading North, as there was and still is, a very limited supply of water out in that barren country.
The old blitz trucks were powered by a Ford side valve V 8 petrol motor and were very prone to many different types of breakdowns on the journey North, boiling radiators were very prevalent out in that very hot country, so a supply of water was a critical requirement to bring along.
Was lucky enough to get hold of an original full sized # 6 Water Cart and spent a few hours photographing it and even took a heap of measurements. Then back home to make a working drawing and then used the drawing to make the model.
Very different construction from all the other Water Carts, as this # 6 required a metal frame, needed metal to withstand the punishing dirt roads that were the norm back then. Wood as a frame would NOT have lasted even the full distance of the journey, so metal it had to be.
If anybody has ever attempted to make anything this size out of STEEL and succeeded, congratulations.
I do have limitations and drew the line as to making the frame from steel, so brass it had to be. There was a very small amount of deformation when making the Brass frame, as brass heats up very quickly and does try to twist and sometimes this makes whatever I am working on look very unsightly. The small amount of deformation that occurred/bent/twisted, I could counter and make the frame look correct.
The actual Water Tank ends on the # 6 are exactly the same as the tank that is used on the # 4 Water Cart, so just followed what I did to make the # 4 Water Cart, to make this # 6 Water Cart.
The wheels and tyres are 3D printed, so just ordered them and awaited their arrival.
Made the wheel hubs from aluminium and then added the wheel studs, so that the wheels can be removed from the model, exactly the same as a full sized Water Cart.
Axle is a bit of appropriately sized Key Steel and even made sure that wheels can rotate as well, did not take much imagination to work out how to make sure the wheel stayed on the axle, eh.
A few photo's showing before painting, then a couple of photos of the finished tank, any questions then please ask ---------------
The old blitz trucks were powered by a Ford side valve V 8 petrol motor and were very prone to many different types of breakdowns on the journey North, boiling radiators were very prevalent out in that very hot country, so a supply of water was a critical requirement to bring along.
Was lucky enough to get hold of an original full sized # 6 Water Cart and spent a few hours photographing it and even took a heap of measurements. Then back home to make a working drawing and then used the drawing to make the model.
Very different construction from all the other Water Carts, as this # 6 required a metal frame, needed metal to withstand the punishing dirt roads that were the norm back then. Wood as a frame would NOT have lasted even the full distance of the journey, so metal it had to be.
If anybody has ever attempted to make anything this size out of STEEL and succeeded, congratulations.
I do have limitations and drew the line as to making the frame from steel, so brass it had to be. There was a very small amount of deformation when making the Brass frame, as brass heats up very quickly and does try to twist and sometimes this makes whatever I am working on look very unsightly. The small amount of deformation that occurred/bent/twisted, I could counter and make the frame look correct.
The actual Water Tank ends on the # 6 are exactly the same as the tank that is used on the # 4 Water Cart, so just followed what I did to make the # 4 Water Cart, to make this # 6 Water Cart.
The wheels and tyres are 3D printed, so just ordered them and awaited their arrival.
Made the wheel hubs from aluminium and then added the wheel studs, so that the wheels can be removed from the model, exactly the same as a full sized Water Cart.
Axle is a bit of appropriately sized Key Steel and even made sure that wheels can rotate as well, did not take much imagination to work out how to make sure the wheel stayed on the axle, eh.
A few photo's showing before painting, then a couple of photos of the finished tank, any questions then please ask ---------------