Removal and Condition of the Gun Cradle (cont.):
The corrosion of the traverse drive gear under the cradle required that several lost gear teeth be built-up with metal and then ground to proper shape.
The traverse needle bearing in the center photograph had to be replaced with a new bearing.
Similar to the construction of the cradle bottom as a welded steel hollow box, the sides too were hollow with walled round holes for stiffness. Loss of metal seen adjacent to these holes but also in several other areas allowed the rain water to enter and accumulate in the hollow cradle.
