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How I Made a WWII C Ration B and M Unit Perfectly Clear


rambob
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I made up the clear C Ration B Unit for a militaria display I put together a few years ago and there was a lot of interest in it. All of the contents are original, but put into a clear container to show the insides, but all the while protecting them. Before anyone screams too loud, the B Unit I used for this was really in bad shape, with a dented and rusted can.

 

Well, I was just sitting around one night and had an idea to do the same thing, but with a C Ration M Unit. The only problem with this idea was, what would I use for contents? I couldn’t use real food that could leak, rot and smell, but trying to find fake food suitable for this project was a bust. After a lot of idle thought and a trip to the local Hobby Lobby and grocery store, I had the brilliant answer that I would make the “food” myself. I bought a bag of kidney beans and cut up some wood I had, using my band saw into small “meat” cubes about .25in. X .25in X.25in. I them mixed the cubes and beans together in a bowl and added a small amount of already mixed casting resin to just wet the mixture. I then spooned the beans/cubes into a mold I made and in 10 minutes I had a shape that looked exactly like beans and meat from an M Unit and would fit perfectly into my clear M Unit can. The last step was painting the shape a color approximating what the juices might look like in the mixture if it had been real. I am attaching three images of the beans/meat, before, before but inside the M unit can and after painting. BTW. I specifically chose the Meat & Beans ration, because I thought it would be the easiest "food" to replicate, rather than stew or hash.

 

I am proud of how both units turned out and I even put the little tab on each can that the wire key would fit over to open the can, along with the scribe lines on the can body. I always say the devil is in the details.

Bob

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Hey GreyGhost, it I tell you I will have to kill you. LOL. Actually, the absolutely perfect "can" is the clear plastic tube that tennis balls come in. You just need to cut a section out of the tube about 3.5 inches long and you are in business.

 

I hope this helps and good luck.

 

Bob

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While we were on the subject, here is a clear K ration that I also made quite a few years ago, again with all original content.

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Another view of the K ration since I accidentally inserted the big C ration image in the previous post and cant delete it.

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I really enjoyed your original thread years ago and loved the updated M unit "tins" in this thread, Bob. A truly unique and fun way of displaying WWII era rations.

 

Coming from someone who finally acquired some real M Unit cans last year, you don't want to be anywhere near the smell of 70+ meat based food. Even petrified, the smell is horrible....

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Chief Bast, Thanks for the kind words. An original example of the M Unit has continued to elude me for now, but figuring out a way to make my own was a fun exercise. BTW. There is very little in this world that smells worse than old, putrid food. I have heard that most collectors will actually carefully remove the food from the M Unit cans and just keep the cans, which have the real value. This keeps the metal M Unit can from degrading/rusting further as time passes.

 

Bob

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Thanks everyone for the nice words. I do have a request of you all if you own an original WW2 C Ration M Unit with readable label. Could you please take a close up photo of the entire label on your M Units and post them here. I would like to make some additional Meat & Beans M Units with different style labels for a variety, but images of the correct labels are few and far between on the web. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Bob

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  • 1 month later...

Decided to bump this post so that maybe some forum members will post some photos of their M unit labels for me to examine.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Bob

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  • 1 month later...

Bob, I wanted to follow-up sooner to your M Unit picture request, but my existing cans were all packed away and rather hard to get to (and in pretty poor condition). Fortunately I was able to pick up this nice looking meat and beans can tonight and wanted to go ahead and post some pics from the seller. I realized you have already created a meat and beans container, but this might help with accurizing the label somewhat. I hope this helps with your project and once I get to my other cans, I'll post them on here as well.

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Hey Chief, Thanks loads for the pictures!! Now, I should be able to create a better label and replace the one on my can. Unfortunately my old school laser printer only does black so I will not be able to do the red color for the label. I am surprised that nobody has asked me how I print on a cylinder the label. In truth, I print on a piece of clear plastic overhead projector "paper", cut it to shape and glue it to the can. Unfortunately, inkjet printers do not print well on the plastic "paper" with the ink easily smearing and so I must use my black ink only, laser printer, which does a perfect, permanent job.

 

Bob

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Glad to help Bob, and that sounds like a creative way to print the letters onto the can. Another option to keep in mind would be to find a local sign shop in your area. Those guys should have a plotter/vinyl cutter that can handle cutting letters of this size, eliminating the fight with ink. They can take your design and cut it directly into the colored vinyl of your choice, which could then be applied directly onto the plastic "can." Either way, good luck and please keep us posted!

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