Hello all,
I haven't posted up in a while but recently finished a small project that was actually a lot of fun and not that hard.
The TM 9-710 doesn't list the 1-qt. Carbon Tetra-chloride fire extinguishers as an accessory...it only lists a single 2-lb CO2 fire extinguisher. However ,the SNL G-102 ORD 9 lists both a single CO2 fire extinguisher,
and two of the CCl4 fire extinguishers. Both can be found in factory and period photos, although besides the one CCl4 fire extinguisher located under the right dash, I have yet to find where the second one is mounted.
Anyway, I've been striking out at the local swap meet and bit the bullet, buying two Fire-Gun fe's off of Ebay. I intentionally bought ones that were rough looking and did NOT have the brass information tag/label since I planned to paint them OD and apply paper decals...no sense in messing up a nice polished one.
Donor fire extinguishers:
After ensuring they were empty, I simply scrubbed them with a brillo pad and some all-purpose cleaner to degrease them. I followed up by sanding them with a finishing sander and 360-grit sand paper, hand sanding in the recesses and other hard-to-reach areas. I used gray primer instead of the red oxide...personal choice as I thought it might help darken the OD a little. After wet-sanding with 400-grit, I applied the finish coat of 23070 OD semi-gloss. I opted for the semi-gloss as it's a little more durable than the lusterless and follows the example of period fe's I've seen that were painted. The 23070 is also slightly darker than the 33070 on my halftrack but not as dark as the OD used on ammo cans, etc.
Sanded and ready for primer:
Primed:
Fire extinguisher in 23070:
Comparison of the 33070 on my M10 trailer and the 23070 on the fire extinguisher:
While researching the label, I ran across a gentleman who restores vintage fire extinguishers for a living, and contacted him about how he made his labels. He didn't currently make the No. 0 label for the Fire-Gun. After sending him a few pictures of a very nice FG fire extinguisher with a nearly intact paper decal that I bought for reference, he was able to make them.
The finished products. Interesting how much darker they look close up. This pic was in the evening instead of mid-day like the others:
Lastly, these fire extinguishers have internal components that often rattle around when empty. I have heard of people filling them with expanding foam, but a friend recommended filling them with poly-fill pellets instead since it is reversable and also adds weight to the fire extinguisher, giving the impression that it is full. Anyway, grabbed a few bags from the local hobby store and filled them up. No rattle and definitely adds weight.
Poly-fill Pellets:
I have two of the correct Fire-Gun brackets that I also refinished, in semi-gloss black like the originals. No pics, unless someone wants them...they're pretty boring.
-Tom
