WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Restoring a rusty captured WWI German 7.7cm Feldkanone 96

On the 4th of July 1918, an Australian-led offensive commenced around the village of le Hamel.
Such was its success that it led to being used as a model for future combined arms offensives.
During this battle, the 21st Battalion, 2nd Division captured a German 7.7cm Feldkanone 96. It was sent home as a war trophy and wasted away in a park in Ararat, Victoria.
After being rescued from being sent away for scrap metal, this rusty old piece has been acquired by the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum, where Al (the master of sheet metal) has begun restoring it.
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[@scottnyc6572]

My Dad was an ironworker and blacksmith as well so watching the old timers is always special since they were taught by earlier generations who held onto different techniques.I could watch this craftsman show his talents all day I didn’t want the episode to end.Much respect,Thanks

[@petefranghis738]

What a joy to watch a master craftsman that hasn't lost any of his skills and to share them here What a great man you are Al.

[@ducthman4737]

We only get old on the outside as long as the brain functions.

[@samrodian919]

He reminds me of an older version of the legendary Aussie cricketer Merv Hughes

[@ALA-uv7jq]

The battle of Hamel was an outstanding success for Monash and the Australians. However we lost 1000 plus killed. Old guns like this are a reminder of their sacrifice.

[@markjarvis7637]

Al has forgotten more than we will ever know, watching a master at work

[@gusmobile67]

It doesn't matter what the video is about, it's always a masterclass!

[@andrewevans3100]

I worked for Al as a plumber many years ago. I was always impressed with his skills and knowledge and it is evident that he has lost none of it. Great work Al.

[@cmck472]

Just to echo everyone's comments on the pleasure of watching a master at work.

[@jasontorre3267]

This guy is amazing! He can accomplish persision cuts with a grinder better than most people could with persision cutting saws and tools. He is the real deal and a compleat master of his trade. Well done Sir!

[@RHButler22]

He's probably forgotten more about metalworking than I will ever know. Much respect for his craft and patience. Thanks for sharing these and keep them coming please.

[@australiansteamironanddies7486]

I remember watching it sell at auction, glad you guys ended up with it. Such a historical piece of Australian military history.

[@nissmoguy]

thats amazing old bazza helped capture the gun, at hamel. now hes restoring it

[@bigmac60]

Should be grateful he did. So you can make fatuous remarks on the internet

[@bumblebeebob]

Can't wait to see more of Al and his handiwork!

[@RiskyR]

Epic fabrication skills, superb to watch him do his magic!

[@kiwifruit27]

Looking great, Al’s a superstar 😊

[@bigmac60]

More great work. Good to see some CAD design at work 😊. We will probably never get to your wonderful museum but we have been to Le Hamel and paid our respects at the Australian Memorial. 🇦🇺

[@peterosmanski7466]

Greatest compliment I ever got was from my 8th grade wood shop teacher when he told me it was a pleasure to watch a craftsman work. Al, it is a pleasure to watch you, a craftsman, work!

[@pastastructure]

I've watched at least one documentary detailing the brilliance of the Australian (and Canadian) planners in developing combined arms tactics -- and then training and drilling the troops so they could actually implement those concepts. Brilliant! I wish it got more attention as it shows the value of facing reality vs simply doing what has been done in the past.

[@dennisp.2147]

When it's complete, and you go to display it, it would be awesome if you could duplicate the original placard from the 1918 capture photo to display along with it.

[@davidwearne2086]

Seriously AL need to be put on the next Australian honours list. I'm not joking.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

I havnt seen hands Like Als since My Pops' who was a Smithy at the Islington Train Workshops.[ He probably made one of the Bren Gun Carriers during the War at the Woodville Plant you have ]. Tell AL he is a National treasure !

[@tonybony5805]

Fortunately most of the Islington workshops have been preserved.

[@philmissy1]

Al is a bloody legend.

[@leonardusgroenendyk6027]

I worked on the 77mm field gun when it was owned by Rod Bellars. We did not agree on his methods of restoration so I withdrew my support . I look forward to seeing the restoration done to the excellent standards that you always do.

[@polticalme1677]

I could watch Al and the other guys working on historical guns and tanks for hours!

[@Ian-mj4pt]

You can see when someone loves what they are doing and puts pride in their work

[@kevinmangan7124]

I almost certain that Al is a Magician from another time, the man has mad skills, great fella

[@eTraxx]

Watching him work motivates me to get back to working on my car .. inspiration at it's finest

[@deanross3746]

Wow guys what a great short story of our Australian Digger's thankyou guys. Love learning & hearing our history

[@MGB-learning]

Outstanding video and presentation. Great work Al and Kurt.

[@h2o270]

I look forward to these videos every week! Thank!

[@krmould]

Thank you Al for all the hard work, love, care and attention you bring to your projects. It is great to see people preserving history instead of letting it rust into oblivion.

[@jemc4276]

It really is amazing watching these old blokes in action. Pure craftsman.

[@Eisen_Jaeger]

its the older fellows that know all the tricks. :D

[@robertskeffington5379]

Al is such a craftsman, and I love my weekly fix, getting to watching all of the AAAM team work their magic. Never miss an episode!

[@timwerner7771]

I am so Impressed by Al's skill with the cut-off wheel. He cuts his line FREEHAND and then when he places his steel ruler under it it is a perfectly straight edge. I cannot cut like that even when I use a guided piece!!

[@jerryplews1023]

Fantastic job. So important that stuff from both world wars is kept alive to honour what the hero's did.

[@geoffballe8766]

Always a pleasure Al

[@stephenparkes626]

There's no substitute for experience al really is a true craftsman and a pleasure to watch ,amazing work .

[@wowyoureadthis4778]

favourite video series

[@spikeyflo]

Al is an Artist!

[@TheSlugstoppa]

A lovely project and very relaxing to watch Al work his magic, being a craftsman he makes it look so easy. Please keep us updated.

[@guillermoguida1644]

Es maravilloso ver el cariño con el que tratan armas de guerra, que claro, han utilizado y quizás dado su vida sirviendo en ellas, jóvenes de un siglo atrás. Mis respetos a todo el equipo!

[@mikef.1000]

Gracias Guillermo por tus palabras amables. Si, las guerras y los soldados del siglo pasado son dignos de nuestros respetos. Y el equipo en el museo en Australia están preservando estas armas en su honor. 👍

[@Mizone505]

So good to watch Al a true artisan giving a historical piece such care and attention. Just think what the 21st battalion boys had to go through to obtain those pieces.

[@huwtindall7096]

Need one of those "Caution: Genius At Work" signs for Al

[@tomlipscombe4258]

That is a metal artist at work beautiful repair

[@georgesgohier484]

Well done Al!

[@wrangler70jkujeep74]

Awesome what you do preserve history. Outstanding great job. Hopefully one day come Australia 🌏🦘 see your museum. 🇦🇺

[@jonmusgrove7679]

He's an artist! What a privilege to watch Al working on that piece. More!!

[@strike8665]

I'm glad to see you guys were able to save some of Rods stuff from heading over seas. I've known him for a few years and dealt with him for carrier parts, unfortunately I never managed to get to his place to see his collection but hopefully I'll get to see some of it one day in your shed. Thanks for saving some of our history.

[@devonlord99]

I bought an item of the collection as well although it cost me more than I’m willing to admit. 😅

[@christopherloft8971]

i ended up with 4 of Rods Artillery pieces and feel as i’m a custodian of these pieces

[@tombeer9]

Master craftsman!

[@charlieclelland5895]

Serial #6532 Acceptance 1915 makes it a late 7.7cm Feldkanone 96 - the Rheinmetall designed FK 16 was introduced in the following year. It might be a recycled gun - Krupp and other factories rebuilt guns throughout WW1 - if it has "abg" and "gef" with dates stamped below the charge port it's probably an old gun which was rebuilt. The carriage rails on Krupp guns was made from pressed steel of about 12 gauge to reduce the weight as much as possible. This was only possible because the recoil from firing the gun was absorbed by a hydraulic cylinder - the barrel was pushed back to battery by a series of springs. Unfortunately the light construction means that the Krupp/Rheinmetall guns rust away very quickly. The older guns from the 19th century had massive frames to withstand the recoil forces and these often survive quite well. It's amazing what can be brought back from a rusted mess. The rather special 15cm Krupp howitzer in Jamestown, SA was rebuilt by a local firm with help with the riveting by local steam railway enthusiasts.

[@user-wf2lm3vi7o]

Warrnambool has quite a few WW 1 cannon, rusting overlooking the sea. Wheels in situ. Always thought it sad they’d be left to rust.

[@madaro504]

Time spent observing masters is never time wasted.

[@lukefriesenhahn8186]

Cheers to Al! Best master craftsman in Australia. I'm happy to see that this gun is being restored.

[@cameronb2765]

well done, amazing workmanship,

[@thomasloehr989]

Thank you for the show, greetings from Essen (the home from Krupp),Germany.

[@hgg2577]

Great craftsman Al.

[@stevemeska7784]

I have been enjoying all of your videos and love watching the way these very skilled craftsmen go about doing things. The videos themselves are very well done too. I was especially interested in this 7.7 cm FK 96 project because my grandfather crewed one in WWI. Erste Garde Feld Artillerie.

[@bsquadronguy]

Brilliant! Such commitment and expertise!

[@TaylorLiam87]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching Al work. What a treasure he is!

[@babuzzard6470]

Nothing better than watching a skilled tradesman or woman or craftsmen at work and you boys certainly have your share of them. Many thanks

[@vladabocanek3703]

I could watch him work for days. What a craft! What a wisdom and knowledge of all tricks of trade.

[@steveyountz9184]

Great job and as always you folks have gotten my Wednesday off to a good start. Many thanks to Al and all the other folks at the museum.

[@peterhelm6003]

Its great watching a real tradesman at work. So precise.

[@jaybazza248]

Thankyou for rescuing Australian history, fantastic work considering it looked unsalvageable

[@vicnoel45662]

What a joy to spend a little bit of Wednesday morning with Al. Thanks fellas!

[@jasonscott8844]

Ever thought about bagging up the cut off pieces and selling them with a certificate of authenticity and some pictures of where it's from. The history of the machine and it's service history? I'd pay for that.

[@markrochacz5996]

There's something about watching an old master working his craft. Excellent work sir.

[@scottcrawford7310]

Fantastic as ever Love the history being kept alive

[@roberthocking9138]

Always love watching Allan work, so confident and precise. Great video, love to see more of Allan

[@andrewmacdonald4833]

And to think this could have been lost to time if it weren't for just one conscientious fella with an appreciation of history. There are exceptions as this video shows but in general Australia has a very cavalier attitude to its history..

[@stephenyoud6125]

Nice work, Al... Look frwd to the finished result!

[@derekh4943]

I knew who he was when you mentioned his name. Never forget your old masters and their skills. Keep up the great work gents.

[@klazyy641]

Watching a master at his work is always something to cherish. Al knows his metals and his adept hand at his work restoring that field piece made me hope that younger folks study under him to keep those skills 'alive'.

[@usmcchet]

What you guys are doing there is awesome. Those tanks that were nothing but scrap you rebuilt and restored and these guns that we going to be scraped. Excellent work and excellent channel

[@wizardtowergames]

That man is a treasure. His ability to use metal is just amazing.

[@billbarton9046]

You have some very talented and skilled people working at Aus armour.No matter the subject video, all are very informative and a joy to watch.

[@simonmcowan6874]

Brilliant such good work from a keen specialist, I also recall from a long time ago, "I've cut it twice, and it's still too short"!

[@russwoodward8251]

What a craftsman. Thank you Al and Aus Armour.

[@greenhandle]

Nice going Al.

[@timwerner7771]

Love his classic Aussie Understatement:.."I might put a little bit O' Heat on that,,....bend it around" Then he brings out his oxy -acetylene torch!

[@busterdee8228]

Incredible skill. It's fascinating to see Al address each problem with the least invasive solution. History in good hands.

[@nevilleburley8760]

Great video as always guys 😀. I'm glad you showed this as I don't think many Australians realise that General Monash of our Army was the true instigator and planner behind what later became Blitzkrieg by the Germans. The reason it was seen as the way ahead was that Monash and his men broke through the German lines and caused immense panic. Who was an officer in the German Army right where this happened but a younger Heinz Guderian the father of the new German wonder tactic. Keep up the good work and I hope one day to be able to come to the museum for a look.

[@BarbosaUral]

Props to Al. The only straight line I can cut is paper with scissors.

[@stevenszczurko512]

Fascinating to watch, as always.

[@garylawless3608]

The skills learned over a lifetime are never forgotten. A real pleasure to watch Al work his magic! Cheers from New South Wales

[@aprussianhussar]

Awesome, finally a WW1 piece. And even a german one. Great work as always, well one of my next videos will be about a biographic novel from a veteran who was in the field artillery and used a piece like that.

[@michaelguerin56]

Good to see. Significant war trophy. Thank you.

[@sbk9998]

These guys are SO skilled, thanks

[@TheLarko10]

What a legend.

[@james.carty.9043]

Al's work leaves me speechless a true master craftsman.

[@tre321]

It just shows that the older generation has much more of a finesse and a better eye for the finer details

[@georgedistel1203]

Something different today, at one time before I started watching your channel, I was worried that restoration skills would one day disappear . After watching your channel now for some time, you guys, at least in Australia, have got it covered! Nice work!

[@kimmyrask7368]

It’s always great to see a profesional doing his work!

[@andrewfischer8564]

you ever think about selling those rusty bits? pieces of history. there must be a collector who would want a bit of your historic pieces

[@andrewfischer8564]

put them in a frame with a letter of provednce

[@SuperLaplander]

Thank you Al and Kurt for preserving history and sharing great craftmanship! Best regards from Sweden.

[@lordlapswans]

All is such a BADASS !!

[@Michael-he7xn]

A Master Class of rust removal. Awesome!

[@brucecamparmament3728]

Its a pleasure to watch old Al work!

[@tassie7325]

There is nothing so satisfying as to watch a true craftsman in action

[@iainburgess8577]

Best wishes W such a significant piece. I'm sure you'll do the same excellent job you all (& this time Al in particular) turn out so often & so well. It's great to hear we have such a large & significant piece not just from WW1, but this battle. Watching is always a learning experience, and a reminder of former jobs in repair roles. The lessons you can learn just watching the old hands at work.