Unlike a recently mentioned 3A - the problem here is not cells stuck in the barrel - but rather no barrel at all!
Obviously a previous owner had problems with the iris (this the front turning soft adjustment version with the flange thread right at the back) and put the cells away for safe keeping. His destiny was such that never got round to fixing it and the loose cells were passed on together with the studio camera they had been used on (my theory, anyway).
Thanks to help here, I confirmed that it was indeed a 3B and Alex was able to give me the exact barrel length and position of the Waterhouse slot.
The preliminaries will be spread over a few quick postings as illustration, I think, is worth more than words!
I don't have a lathe set up for cutting threads so I have a system using soft solder on a slightly oversize brass tube and the existing cell threads to "cut" a thread. This system has worked very well. However I don't know about how well these threads will stand up to time. At present they are absolutely solid - but I don't know how moveable the threads will be when the "threaded" solder has time to age and develop an oxide skin.
The first group show the cells and they basic structure. The second shows "scribing" the 14.4cm on the brass barrel stock and the last the use of a hacksaw.
All the original photos were lost in LFPF crash long ago.
I found a few photos which illustrate the result!
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