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MG TD TF 1500 - White felt? Of course.

I've been wondering why the factory put white felt in the tool box since I bought my first TD. Now I think I know why. I took out the felt in my 51 TD to replace it. While waiting for the new felt I needed something from the tool box (bonnet in place). Without the white felt I couldn't see the black lug wrench in the box (in the garage not outside). So my theory is that the white felt was to aid in seeing the items in the tool box. Makes sense to me anyway.

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

Sounds reasonable to me.
Christopher Couper

I think you're on to something there. The white felt didn't make any sense to me either. Gets dirty easy, etc. Perhaps they thought it would improve visibility is in the tool box in low light conditions like you experienced?

Frank

TF1414
Frank Cronin

I believe they used 'natural' coloured felt as dyed felt would have added thruppence to the cost.
M Magilton

I agree they probably took the cheapest material available, with the assumption it would turn to grey/brown/black over time anyway.

Rgds Mike
Mike Fritsch

If the purpose of using the white (light) felt was to save a few pence then they could have saved many more by putting the same material in the side curtain box. And since they had so much side curtain felt around why go to the trouble and expense of of procuring and storing a second material. Economies of scale would have made it cheaper to use one type of material rather than two. No, I've convinced myself that the light felt was for visibility. But then again, I also convinced myself that spending a fortune on my LBC was a good idea :-)

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

( I've convinced myself that the light felt was for visibility. But then again, I also convinced myself that spending a fortune on my LBC was a good idea )

My thoughts are along the same lines as Tims, including spending a fortune restoring my money pit! LOL!
PJ Jennings

Not sure if it is true; but, I was told years ago by an old machinist that white felt was used in tool boxes because it had a lower acid content than most colored felt. It caused less damage to the tools.

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"During manufacturing, wet felt has sulfuric acid residue and it must be neutralized. To do so, the felt is run through neutralizing tanks filled with a soda ash and warm water solution. This process is carefully timed so that specific yard lengths and widths are in for an exact amount of time.

Weak sulfuric acid mixture is used in the felt thickening process. Felt is continuously wetted with a hot water and sulfuric-acid solution; and then pushed through forming rollers. Upper and lower rollers move forward and backward applying pressure to the wet felt. The pressure, acid, and hot water cause the batts to shrink in length, making the felt denser."
WHT

WHT, my understanding is that it wasn't the color of the material but the material itself. Synthetic materials have chemicals that could cause tools to deteriorate and they don't dry as quickly as natural material. I just did a Google search for "felt lined tool box" and I didn't see one with white felt. So I think the color explanation is apocryphal.

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

Hi Tim.

Apocryphal? Maybe.

However, I am not sure MG stocked and used white felt (not used anywhere else in the car) because they were worried owners could not see their tools. They usually cut stocking and production costs whenever possible.

Tools in the 30s-50s often had poor surface protection and rusted more easily than today. The "bleaching" process (alkaline) used in making white felt helped remove more acid from the felt than was removed during standard colored felt production. Acid was added to felt during manufacturing at this time as mentioned above and synthetics were not an issue.

Anyway, the Master rated old machinist worked at the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation. Goodyear moved him from Scotland to the United States based on his knowledge and skills; and he seemed to know his trade well. Many of the skilled people brought over by Goodyear from Europe worked in the Textile industry and understood fabric manufacturing (relatively important when making airships back then).

My Grandfather had an old Pachard (heavy) and my Dad used it to tow gliders. A lot of the Goodyear Zeppelin workers flew gliders and he was friends with them. Goodyear publicity shots show my mother riding the tow dolly when several airships were put into service.

Regards
WHT

WHT, just to insure this dead horse is really dead - MG provided a wrap for the tools they included with the car. The felt wouldn't even touch them. And I doubt they were concerned about black felt eating the jack and jack handel. So the two speculations that the white felt was used to prevent corrosion or that it was a cost decision seem like a stretch. If corrosion or cost were concerns then why don't toolbox makers put white felt in their tool boxes now? Using my favorite razor, Ocham's: My solution, visibility, requires the least speculation and therefore is more likely correct.

Regards

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

As you mentioned Tim, the tools were in a roll. Therefore not visible at all!
M Magilton

No but you still needed to find the tool roll. And it was a dark material, even harder to see. And the jack handles were a dark color and not covered in anything.

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

From use, the bottom of my jack has some paint scraped off, and now rust has sadly stained my previously pristine white felt. IMHO, using white for a tool box seems stupid, so it must have been cheaper or they thought it looked good! George
George Butz III

Tim, when I need to find my tool roll I just put my hand in the box and there it is!
M Magilton

Matt, if I lived in Australia there is no way I'd put my hand into a dark tool box without looking first. You have more things that can kill you per capita than any other place on earth. :-)

Tim

https://www.ytravelblog.com/australia-deadly-animals/
Timothy Burchfield

During my recent rebuild I decided that I could not cope with white felt in my tool box so it has the more sensible colour of BLACK in place.
Mel Pascoe

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2019 and 23/08/2019

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