RichJohnson

I am gearing up to build one of these onto a taigen lower hull.
This kit is very different than the others I have built from him. The turret ring is much bigger than the Tamiya Sherman and is not designed for the Tamiya rotation system and it is too big for the HL style rotation box and gear system.

Any body build one yet and have a good idea on how to get the rotation done well?

tomhugill

like on the 105mm Sherman you need to use the flat guide disks. I used the small hatch upper on my m50 with Tamiya rotation and turret ring and it works fine. You just have to get the spacing right.

RichJohnson

Did you use the tamiya rollers to keep the turret ring positioned?
how did you mount the tamiya rotation gear box?

at this point i was starting to think this is going to be such a pain in the ass that I might do what frank does and cut the front of a HL hull down and then cut up nicks hull and mount the front of the urehtane hull to the HL hull then mount the bottom of the HL turret to the urethane turret. The only drawback is then remodeling the engine deck since that is where the rationtion box is mounted, cant cut it out and install nicks engine deck.

Im also kinda weary of this hull in particular. It has severly warped in the box twice after warming it and comeltely straightining it. Other nick hulls in the same box have not warped a bit, hence i suspect this one hull might be a bad mixture of base and catalyst not maintining its rigidity as others I have do.

tomhugill

Hey, I did use the rollers, took the spacing from the 105 hull and then used the standoffs for the rollers and the rotation unit. Is it worth heating to get its shape back, then bracing it? They're usually lovely hulls and it seems a waste to slice it up.

RichJohnson

I agree that its a waste to cut up, but this one is an anomaly, it didnt just bow out, it looks verry bad. I fixed it once and it deformed again. Might just be easier to keep the Hl mechanical parts and just graft the front on and bash the rear. I will probably straighten it up again and see how it works out, but I fear so much of it happening again even with bracing. The whole area under the turret drooped and cant really brace that much there since mecanical has to go there.

tomhugill

Have you contacted nick about it? If it's that bad he might be willing to replace?

RichJohnson

He told me last year when I got it how to heat it and flex it back. The first hull i got was destroyed by the PO so he sent me a new one. Im not going to ask for another hull at this point. Just fix it or cut it up.
I just cant picture a way to make the turret work well, and I dont care to graft the tamiya system onto it, im not a fan of the tamiya system to start with and trying to free fab it onto an open hull is not my idea of a fun build.