6US Army Mountain Rucksack
1/6th Scale Prototype by HankCo1942
Completed March 2005
This item is one of those legendary productions that has not only the history of the original item but a 1/6th story all its own.
In 2002 (?) I was asked by GIDefender to help outfit a figure he had planned for entry into the National G I Joe convention figure competition. As with most things, I enthusiastically pursued concepts but moved extremely slowly towards manufacturing anything. This is often the issue that no one understands – making these things is about number 25 on the life list, although it captures so much of my interest and focus. Sorry for the sermon.
Though Scott gave me only a few concepts to work with - all heavy laden and cold, I immediately though of an item of WW2 gear that I thought would be very distinctive. It was a broken down, dry rotted, smelly rucksack as used by the 10th Mountain Division and other “Artic” troops. Mine was dated 1942, from Baker-Lockwood. I did a bit of research and started in on a small version.
First was the “tubular steel” frame. I had recently completed my 1/6th bugle, accomplishing bends that I was told were impossible without deforming the brass. (My secret? Insert hard wire, which I back out as each bend is made.) So I did the measurements and bent a brass tube into the shape of the outer frame. A simple solder joint (using a bit of brass to join the ends) gave me a very good approximation of the frame.
*** One of the descriptions of the frame allege that it could be used as a brace for snowshoes, and another suggests that a wounded soldier could be slung on ones back!!!***
(All smaller photos are linked to the larger version. Enjoy!)
The main pack is essentially a large cloth back with three large square pockets. I also assembled this, with many cross straps. The pockets were my first real attempt at small formed seams, and I recall that the upper flaps, also square, were difficult. The cloth used was a dyed Oxford shirt which somehow has a coruscating weave that gives a great scale look. As a note, the strapping used was some of the rare never seen again cotton “middy braid” bought as a sample from a Minnesota Fabrics store that literally closed before I could buy all of their stock.
But then I hit a wall. Leather straps! Roller Buckles! Cross bars in the frame! Zippered pockets! ARGH! There was no way this could be finished for the contest deadline – so I switched to a formed plywood packboard. When I delivered this and other gear to Scott (literally the MORNING of the entry deadline!!!) I knew it was good, but the gear on a superb figure yielded a #1 win for Scott and really gave me a lift.
Ah, but what of the mountain pack? Thrown in a drawer, main body with pockets and outer frame.
Everything that could change has changed since then, and when I found the remaining swatch of fabric left from the original project (after I used it for a service gas mask bag!) I realized it was time to see about finishing the pack.
In the bins I now had a batch of “Tiny Zippers” form Tiny Zippers.com. I had rivets (and more importantly washers!) from “microfasteners.com.” I had a drill press (from Sears!). Eyelets by the thousands, including plenty with finishes from JoAnn fabrics. Thin Kangaroo leather, a gift from Keith Zang. Most importantly, I had years of experience, LOTS OF MAGNIFIERS (courtesy of my wife!), and a collection of various tools which were subbenly right for the job.
You may just want to stop and look at the pack now. It is, top to bottom, a rendering of the original, with all of the features found in full scale. This is a big pack, meant to hold everything a soldier would need in terrible climates. The canteen was even meant to be rolled in blankets inside the pack so that it wouldn’t freeze.
Now , in no particular order, is a deconstruction of the construction.
The flap was my first new endeavor. There was an internal pocket, which has a zipper closure. The “Tiny Zipper” was easy to work with, though the most important thing I did was to sew in small strips of brass as “stops” so that the darn thing doesn’t slide off. There are 4 small pleats front and back which create a roomy pouch. The inside is stamped with my “HankCo1942” logo and the outside is stamped with a large “U.S.” stamp which was supplied by RJSONOFHSS. Worked in support straps and edging, and created a really neat single subcomponent that, for most projects, would be more than enough.
Next were a series of small metal buckles. This thing has a ton of them. And, in a very interesting feature of my full size bag, all the buckles are large, heavy cast, and dated 1912!!! I have several manufacturer’s photoetched and stamped ladder buckles, common on most US gear, but I have NEVER been happy with any of them as they are all WRONG, with no larger center area. So though I tried a couple of BeCom buckles on the side straps, it became apparent that there was just no way to get by without making detailed buckles.
This next bit is going to get extremely tedious.
I’ve made buckles every which way, cutting brass channels, sheet, bending wire, you name it. Never been entirely satisfied. Add to these standard challenges the fact that these buckles were all extremely three dimensional and shaped due to their cast manufacture, I decided to modify my technique. Using rectangular brass channel (closed on 4 sides) I realized that it is fairly simple (with a DRILL PRESS!) and reliable to drill small (3/64”) holes in the sides of the channel, file away where appropriate on the upper and lower sections, and then insert brass pins which can be soldered into the holes. The resulting buckles are large enough to accommodate the strapping, and maintain the depth of the real thing. The roller buckles were accomplished the same way, with pins inserted to hold tubing which, of course, rolls. I did NOT use any dremel tools on these buckles – I have never been satisfied with the dremel on brass, and prefer the control that comes with using hand files, xActo saws and knives, and a jeweler’s coping saw. While each buckle may not be exactly the same, they all have the right look and get the job done. They were finished with “Blacken it” but also painted for a more uniform look.
***If you are going to pursue this sort of thing, take a Ľ” thick strip of hardwood (poplar will do – any home supply store will have this) and cut yourself a semblance of a jeweler’s bench block – I just clamp this to my desk and I’m amazed at how much easier it makes this sort of work! You could also buy one, try www.micromark.com ***
Each buckle does have some soldering involved – I use an electric iron as well as a small butane torch – and always dab on a little flux – I use regular cheap plumber’s flux, probably wrong, but I’ve had a tin for at least 10 years and there’s plenty left, why change now. I use very thin solder, rosin core, intended for electronics. The key takeaway lesson is that, with brass and hand tools, you can achieve any shape by soldering shapes or layers together. It is often easier to do this than futz around trying to get your dremel to do the right thing. Plus, there is something satisfying about the hand tools. Call me a luddite.
The buckle work came and went. My attentions were turned to the main bag. There were lots of additions - straps, grommets, hangers. I’ll also admit that there were a few shortcuts taken in the original assembly – some seams are not as well done as they appear, and there was a bit of fabritac employed throughout. I decided it was better to leave things as they were, and be honest, than to tear everything apart, though I did replace and reposition a few of the straps to bring things up to snuff. The leather closures on the rear pockets were a new experience for me. I’ve done very little leather work apart from a holster here and there since it is not a standard feature of US gear. The straps here are made from a very thing leather made from kangaroo hide which was given to me by Keith Zang. I had to thin it down using an xacto spokeshave. After a couple of miserable sewing attempts, mostly involving errant stitching that looked crooked , sloppy, and messy. After trying in vain to use needles, nails, pins, even dental syringes, to punch holes, I stumbled on an odd yet efficient technique. I have a “stencil cutter” iron set – essentially a small wattage soldering iron with a number of attachments meant to cut stencils for craft projects. One of the attachments is a small brass pointed hook. I found that this could easily be manipulated to create a series of uniform holes, both for the buckle catch and as the basis for hand stitching the straps in place. I’ll burn holes from now on (almost forgot – I used a “pouncing” wheel, a sewing tool, to make marks to guide the “holing.” One of my strap tips got a bit scorched, but that will serve as one of my “obvious errors” which I think are fun to include (on purpose!) in any project!
It was now time to surmount another ancient hurdle. The metal frame has a triangular support brace system and the front ears also have bracing. I had always intended to carefully cut slots and insert tubing or rod, but there just wasn’t enough clearance to use most of my handy power tools. So, again, back to files! Cut in flat areas, formed the braces, and soldered them in. Hardly worth waiting 4 years!!! Painted the frame with a deep olive drab paint, then added the double hook holder and one of the most interesting features of this pack, the rifle sling clip. More on this later.
Remember how I mentioned that this was an old, old project? The full size pack is big, not particularly useful in day to day life, and has really been in the way. I had completely forgotten about a couple of straps, especially the main rear support strap which rests against the small of the back. This simple strap uses 3 buckles to attach to the frame. Then there are 2 straps, simple single loops, which connect the main pack straps to the lower frame.
The main pack hangs from a leather cup which encloses the upper loop of the frame. I did this single part three times. It has to have clearance for the frame, and the main straps pass through openings in the top of the leather. There’s also a large grommet for the rifle tie down (more on this later, remember), a snap to hold everything on, and stitching and rivets around the edge. The rivets started out as aluminum rivets and washers from micro fasteners, but I wasn’t satisfied with the way the held, so I annealed and cut down brass brads, which, using the washers, worked well as rivets. The snap is made from a long 1/16 eyelet and a small “snap” from the JoAnn fabric scrapbook section. It doesn’t really work. Sorry! The leather cup is sewn to the main body using the previous burn hole, thread through approach.
The last main pack feature is a waist strap – again, I missed this as it had fallen out through the years – finally found it in a footlocker. This strap has 2 pretty standard US hardware items, one a hook as found on haversacks, etc., and the other a ”terminal” buckle (as on the rear straps of M36 suspenders). Again, all of the hardware on my pack is heavy cast metal, even the hook. So I tried to capture the feel using assembled brass parts. The terminal buckle was fun – first, cut square channel for the rear bar, soldered flat strip to the front, drilled and filed the opening and edges. The attachment was accomplished using drilled strip and handmade rivets from copper tubing. To do this, just flare one side (I use a bent map pin), insert tube through hole, cut and flare the back side, then hammer into place using a nail set for shape. More fun than just cracking an eyelet!!!
The hook is also an assembly, the top loop is brass wire, with a flattened aluminum wire as the “catch”, a base of 1/16” tube cut open and looped around the ring, and a brass wire hook. Solder.
Sadly, the D-Ring is, well, just a DRing.
All the strap ends had to have thin brass glued on and filed to shape. An onerous task after all the fun challenges. I'll never be satisfied until I can crimp on a cup like the real thing. Each of these also needs to be painted.
After lining up all of the straps and tightening them up, this guy is pretty much done. I would love to be ambitious and make all of the contents, but I’m actually happy it’s over.
Wait – did I mention the rifle strap? A neat design – since the mountain soldier is going to spend a lot of time doing things with his hands (like scaling cliffs!!!) the Army developed this strap system – basically, your rifle’s lower sling loop snaps onto the bottom bout of the pack frame – then a strap which is looped through the large hole on the leather cup secures the rifle and extends across the chest to a small metal hook on the left shoulder strap. The rifle is out of the way, secure, and can come into action by a quick tug on the front strap which frees the rifle. Not too much here but an aluminum ring and a standard ladder buckle (which I cut out of open brass channel.)
This item could not have been completed with out information obtained from the excellent website http://www.mountaintroops.us/, which provided a handful of diagrams which helped my put my old pack together correctly.
I have to dedicate this project to my mom, who died last September but always inspired me to try harder. Thanks also to the veterans of the 10th Mountain and Scott Beckmann, who I am sure wishes I had’ve just waited and made this for him!!!
Anybody want to buy a 1/1 pack cheap?
