Ongoing Work
August 2022

August 14th~17th

I needed another crate! No, it's not my OCD kicking in, but another requirement for 1940s camping. We recently bought a 240v generator for events like Beamish, where we are away for a longer than a weekend. During the day at events, I wanted to hide it away, but also be able to keep fuel and accessories with it in a self-contained package.

The original plan was to make a dummy Jeep engine crate, until I realised just how big that would be. It was also going to be made from recycled shipping pallets, as we had four spare. These proved very hard to dismantle on a hot day; much harder than the one used for my 50 cal crate a few months ago. They would have also added a lot more weight to the box. 
 

In the end, I bought some plywood and strip wood from B&Q as an easier, but more expensive option. The basic ply box is 28 x 18 x 18 inches, with a 3/4 inch thick timber base. The base is only a couple of inches high, with the whole box lifting off the top. This gives easy access to the generator and accessories.
The box was both nailed and glued together, though the nails were really for cosmetic value. I cut grooves into the plywood panels to simulate 6 inch planks. The box was primed with a couple of coats of dilute waterproof PVA glue and then given two coats of olive drab; the remains of the first batch of paint bought for the Dodge.

 
While the paint was drying, I turned to my computer to look for an appropriate looking font. I'd found a couple of pictures of an engine crate and found a font that was similar. It just needed a little editing of some letters. The markings I chose were for a replacement cylinder for a Wright Cyclone aero engine. As I said before, I was going to go for a "Go-Devil" engine crate, but needed an object more suited to the size of box I now had. The lettering was printed onto thin card and then covered in Sellotape. This gives a smooth finish that will wipe clean and the tape helps to reinforce some of the small stencil bars that hold the letters together. I then spent a day with a scalpel, cutting it all out. On the 17th, I was ready to start painting, beginning with the top. I began using a small piece of sponge, which was fine for the larger letters, but had to switch to an old and tired modelling brush for the smaller letters.
 

 
Both sides were painted next, resting the crate on two strips of wood at either end when I came to do the second side, so as not to smudge the still tacky paint on side one. The ends were next, with the Curtiss Wright logo added too. By mid afternoon, the painting was done, the lifting rings fitted and it was left in the sun to bake the paint. The last picture shows the base loaded up. Four bolts hold the lid onto the base via 'T' nuts in the base.
 

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