sevoblast

Thinking of doing Hptm Ernst's ride at his surrender. Dark, with an "X" number on him. However, have not totally made up my mind yet. The last one I did was a scratch back in I think '04, and he was really dark. The rear deck and rear doors on this one are from him, to give you and idea of how dark he was.

sevoblast

OK, finished up the UHU system. I took the blackout light cover and simply cut off the front face with the light slit, smoothed it down, and painted it black. Emitter housing also got the first coat of flat black. After the paint job is finished, the emitter will be sighted in for accurate fire.

Next up is weld lines for a lot of the parts. Started with the 25000 small parts on the hull sides, did the major parts. Miliput would have made this job much easier, but not having that here, I had to use Humbrol filler. I installed an acc tube end on the Humbrol tube of filler, and with that can produce a relatively small bead to work in to a weld. After 2 or 3 coats of paint, the lines will soften and blend right in. First time I have done welds, so they aiin't too good.

sevoblast

Now it's time to build the cleaning rods for the main tube. I will research a little more on them, I know some were wood and some metal. Gotta find out for a very late JT which was used.
Made these out of copper tube and 2mm bolts. Cut the tubes to 103mm lengths, gently bored out the ends, threaded the ends, and inserted the bolts,
Then using the trusty Dremel tool, cut off the ends to proper length and cleaned them up a little. After final measuring, I sanded the copper tubes with 360 grit paper to give the paint something to adhere to. I'll paint them as needed, either wood or metal.
This was a quick, easy, and cheap build for a little extra detail.

sevoblast

Here's some photos of the operating main tube travel lock. Pretty straight forward build on him, just follow the Wecohe instructions and go for it. Metal is very soft, so do be careful drilling him! PE parts are very robust and should last for quite a while.
He operates just like the prototype. When in combat mode, he folds down and fits over the headlight mount, with a bolt and wing nut to hold him to the upper bracket.
When in transport mode, he unfolds, the long PE arm is used to unlock him, opens up and the hinged half goes over the top of the barrel, and the PE arm is then used to pull the upper half in to the lower half with an eccentric arrangement, and locks in place. Pretty nifty.

Flyn Chris

Great work!

1sgt

Servoblast,
Great build so far. I can't wait to see the finished product. As far as the cleaning rods go, with Germany's shortage of raw materials, I wouldn't think they would use metal for cleaning rods when they had all those state forests around?? They do look great and I like the idea of using the small bolts to simulate the threaded ends. You could hollow out and thread the opposite ends and have some real connectable cleaning rods. How cool would that be?

Jim

sevoblast

Hey Top
Already did that. They are joinable, just didn't mention it in the article. Have to make one small part for the end of one rod, what looks like a threaded eyelet for the end, pressumably to either turn the cleaning brush or to pull the bleedin' brush out of the tube. From what I've read it was not a popular job to clean the bore, but was done as soon as possible after use as the propellant was corrosive.

Some late AFV's had metal cleaning rods, some wood, from what I've read. Not a problem, I can paint them either way, just have to find out if wood was used after Jan '45.

Thanks Flyn...is the moded IR light better with the complete look? As stated, that was a good catch on your last post.

Guys, don't be surprised if the net goes down here. We got a hummer of a storm brewing, very high winds this evening and snow starting any minute and lasting until Monday AM. Highly unusual for here, but if I don't reply to forum for a couple days, you will know why.

1sgt

Servoblast,
Not sure what your talking about the eyelet? As I remember watching the Artillary guys cleaning their guns, the rifling of the tube would spin the cleaning brush while four guys in a rythmatic function pushed and pulled the cleaning rod. The guy with the best job sat on the end of the gun tube pouring cleaning solvent ( I believe RBC ( rifle bore cleaner), down the barrel as his team mates sweated out the bore brush. Just a bit of history. Either way, it looks great. I hope you post a pic of the connected cleaning rod and your 1/16th TD guys giving a good washdown.


Jim

sevoblast

Hey Jim
Found a couple photos of the cleaning rods on the tanques, and two had a round cap in the end of one rod with a round "eye" welded on to it. Have no idea why, but it's a restored KT in a German museum, and I would presume they are correct on the part. Other photo was a prototype of the KT couple years ago I found on the net, photo is gone now after the crash last fall. However, I well remember the "eye" on him too. I would think this thread in eye was kept in the tool box with the bore brush.

This monster will be a fighter, as just about all my tanks are, so from time to time the crew will be cleaning the main tube. If the weather holds, IOW if the paint booth is toasty tomorow, I'll start the primer coats on him. Supposed to be colder than a mother-in-law's kiss for the next few days, won't see 0C until Friday or so. However, paint booth is well insulated. I'll see just how well tomorrow.

sevoblast

Here's the photo of the eye.

1sgt

Servoblast,
After I sent the previous message and now looking at your additional pics. I wonder if that wasn't meant to have a large rag inserted into the eye( think of threading a needle) and then that rag soaked in lubricant/preserver to coat the inside of the barrel after cleaning. I have no historical facts to base that on, but looking at the pics, it would seem possible.
Just my thoughts, and lets hope for a heatwave to your paint booth.

Jim

Flyn Chris

Oh yeah the IR light looks better Servoblast, I liked how you turned the IR sight into the emitter, a pretty clever idea!

sevoblast

That's a possibility, Jim. There are very few photos of the crews doing the bore cleaning chore. When I get to the Museum hopefully either this summer or next, I'll ask about that little part. However, I will build one just for grins.
Don't know about painting today. Snow is here, should last all day and tonight, and the winds are kinda strong. REALLY cold outside for Krim, -10C and dropping. Haven't checked the paint booth yet, it's built on to the garage.

sevoblast

No paint today, to danged cold, so...time for some serious motive systems.
Removed the stock Tamiya Type 3 TUs with gear downs. Pulled out a set of the HDTU Etoarmour.com TU's. These are made from the old Type 1 transmissions that originally came in the first Full Option Tiger 1's, Shermans, and King Tigers. Way too fast, and not the strongest trans system out there. Eto puts in a reinforcement for the final drive, replaces the bearings with premium Boca Bearing items, and most the gears are replaced with hardened steel gears. Pretty strong, just about the strongest you can get at this time. They will be needed to pull this JT around.

This was a simple swap over of the Schumo Geardowns. I also changed out the short cans for some long cans I had laying around. Put in a pair of large steel gears at the first position to replace the nylon/brass gears there. Also changed positions of the final drive steel gears. Positioned them in the second gear slot, and put small nylon/steel gears in at the final drives. Reason for this is these TU's are so strong and powerful, if a stone wedges itself in the tracks they will shred the final drive gear and the #3 gear in a heartbeat. With the nylon gear there, it's the sacrificial lamb. I'd rather shred a nylon gear I have lots of than a 50 buck steel gear any day. I have 14 tooth gears on the motors, and 16 tooth gears on the gear down. This will give me a good off road speed. I will test him in a day or three when the snow is gone, and if too fast, I'll drop the motor to 12 teeth and test him again. Will also tweak the suspension and the wheel alignment to make sure all tracks straight and true. All the wheels have double bearings in them, as does the idler. Should be a good running beast.

Top, the last one's for you. Did the cleaning rod eye today, just for grins. It's removable.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Simply awesome work!!!!!

sevoblast

Thanks Joseph. As you know, he's been a long build. Getting down to the wire now, though. In a tank this heavy, you need the strongest drive system you can get. The Tamiya's will last a while, but my experience with the ETO TU's for 7 years now shows they last the longest and are pretty much bullet proof. When I go to Moskau this summer, I will pull the #3 gear at the final drive and put in steel gears. Moskau don't have the stones we got here, so steel will be better there. I can do that without removing the TU's.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

I was wondering if you will post some video of that killer running??

sevoblast

That's a possibility, but it will require another learning process for me..to wit, how to download and post a vid! When it gets to that point, mayhap you can assist me, as computers and I are just beyond the "where's the 'on' switch" stage.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

No problem. I'll be happy to help. And you can teach me to rebuild gearboxes LOL.

sevoblast

OK, spent the last week or so doing weld lines on the superstructure. Here's a photo or two of said lines. This is a new experience for me, never went to this detail before. I developed a way to do them quickly. I can not find miliput here, but I understand that product would make this headache a lot easier.

I used Humbrol and Revell fillers for the lines, and a very small screw driver for the patterns. Revell is better for the very small welds, as it's more liquid and you can work it longer. That and it came out of the applicator I made better. For the super small ones, like around the fender mount brackets and the tool clamps, I use acrylic sealer. Got a syringe, a horse needle, and a brass tube. and got the dremel saw out. Cut the 1.65mm ID horse needle to length, cleaned up the end, and tried it. Worked good, and easy to clean. Then took the brass tube, bored it out to 1mm ID, inserted it in to the end of the horse needle, and tried it. Worked also good, but does not like the Humbrol filler, as it's thicker than the Revell. It loved the Revell filler.

Next, went upstairs to the Mutt Apothecary, and obtained one each, packaged individual, IV needle from when the old Champion, Matyush'vich, was alive. Filled the large plastic syringe with acrylic sealer, installed the needle, about 0.6mm ID, and gave it a try on some scrap. Worked grand! Got a good small bead, could vary the diameter of said bead with the speed of movement of the needle, and with the needle could get in to tight spaces. Practiced with all the "tools" on scrap for a full day. Still not too good, but they are passable. With the acrylic sealer, you have to wait about 6 or 7 mikes for it to begin to set up, then do the pattern, very carefully. If you screw up, wipe it off and do it again.

I let the various fillers set up over night, and of course the Humbrol and Revell bite in to the hull real well. The acrylic adheres well also, and paint will lock it all in.

sevoblast

Yesterday, after recovering my eyesight and sanity from the weld lines, all 80 or so small parts, most of which got 4 lines each, I sat in the tank fabrik in a kind of daze. My wandering eye settled on the lower hull, all pristine and white inside. Hmmm, says I. Wonder if....?

Out came the tools, and I removed every single piece of bolt on from the hull, including the side sponsons, I mean everything including the sprocket guides and the sealer therefor. That left me with a bare aluminium cake pan. Sanded him down, and also sanded the sponsons. Got my rattle can, economy size, of red automotive primer (it's a local brew, and I really don't want to know what's in it. Suffice it to say you NEED to wear a respirator even outside painting if you plan on breathing later in the day), and had at it. Let the parts dry (radiator heat in the house is grand...best paint oven there is), and then started to carefully reassemble the lower hull.

Gentlemen, in my opinion, the finished machinery areas should be as pristine and visually appealing as the outside of the tank. This for a number of reasons, not the least of which is when you need to do maintainance, you can see what you are working on, you know the tools you will need, and you know what is where as far as the electronics suite and any other ancillary equipment you have installed. Anyways, here are the photos. Took about 5 hours to completely strip the completed lower hull, sand and paint, let dry (and have a brew), then paint again, let dry (another brew) and then carefully reassemble. Paint drying took 15 mikes each coat, cooking the parts on the radiator in the tank fabrik, dried to a very hard finish, and seems to have adhered well to the various metals in the hull and sponsons.

You will notice that some parts are brass, some aluminium, some steel, and some who knows what they are. I used socket head screws or bolts for most the assemble, and brass nuts on the sponson bolts. As I was cleaning them up for either painting or reassembly, I took care to wash my hands from time to time, that so I would not leave finger prints or sealer inside the hull. Overall, apparently the project was worth while. VCO came wandering in the fabrik about 01 this AM, took one look, pulled up a chair, sat, and examined every nook and cranny. She gave her stamp of approval, and of course now wants her Panther and T34 done the same. Remind me not to show her such things again.

Jeff489

My Feedback: (12)

I hate weld lines.  They're so necessarily tedious.  They do give good bang for the buck when you finally paint it though.  They're going to look very nice.  I'm thoroughly enjoying the re-build you're doing. 

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Sev, that thing is a work of art!!! Now, how do I go about obtaining a syringe and not raise any eyebrows? lol

sevoblast

Jeff, now I have an avowed hatred of them, but methinks for now on, it's weld lines on all of them. Of course at this moment I am also legally blind. If the weather holds, I'll start the paint tomorrow, assuming the twitching and drooling has stopped.

Thanks for the compliments, Joseph. He's been a long build, but worth every minute of it. VCO has informed me she is dead serious about doing her Panther the same inside. Oh boy. What have I done? She keeps going in the tank fabrik and looking at it. Hmmmm. Maybe.....maybe I can teach her how to?? Interesting concept.

pcomm1

Super build, really cool stuff going on. John