Durahl

Thought I'd be throwing my W.I.P. 3D Printed 1:16 E-100 into the fray 😁

For a more thorough read along the build journey there's an Imgur Gallery that gets updated as I chugg along with the current project goal being a Display Stand Model and the obvious long-term one being a Full-Option FPV capable RC Model.

Latest Images from the above-mentioned Gallery:


The model kinda started like two years ago with the intent of CNC machining it using my Inventables X-Carve 3-Axis CNC Machine out of scale thick plastic but the lack of affordable plastic at that thickness kinda soured the mood to continue it for a while despite the Tracks already having been SLA 3D Printed on my Formlabs Form³. The lack of a Metal Working Lathe and the unwillingness of local companies to even respond to pricing requests for having things like the Barrels and various Axles turned didn't exactly help either.

Still... At some point I even considered having the entire Tank professionally 3D Printed akin to how DKLMRC does some of their models at the expense of it losing the scale thick armor.
That obviously never matured either due to the high costs of having a model of that size made like that and the risk of it arriving totally warped wich I wasn't too much into either.

Fast forward about a year and the acquisition of a much faster Voron 2.4 CoreXY FDM 3D Printer ( compared to my back then Prusa i3 MK3S ) reignited my mood for tackling the project once more by restarting the CAD modelling from scratch due to the necessary clearances for an FDM approach not already having been part of the old CAD Files - Which also presented itself for fixing some errors and adding some neat things to it.

A week or so later a set of parts was sitting on my table:

My initial goal with the new FDM 3D Printing approach was for one to make use of a panel based assembly the E-100 would lend itself to ( so no complete hull in like 3 parts with everything included ) and for the other to have an easy game with the structuring of the surface by simply 3D printing them with the visible sides facing the textured Print bed and followed by partially sanding it down for a rolled steel effect - The latter of which didn't work out as by the time I'd have managed to get rid of the unfortunately still visible layer lines the effect for the rolled steel from the bumps in the print bed would long have been gone. So, in the end Tamiya Putty Basic Type it was.

As for the Running Gear I'm currently betting on the Standard Formlabs SLA Resin to not be snapping at the slightest sneeze:

The Test Axle in the picture is a simple 5mm Aluminium Round Stock cut to length over which a 6/5mm Brass Tube was placed onto that will keep the Wheel Bearings apart. The final ones will be made out of readily available Steel Dowel Pins with M3 Threads on one end from AliExp... Should the Swing Arms prove to be too brittle then Pewter Casting using High Temperature Silicone it will be for them.

So, yea... The Project is essentially a giant cluster**** of new experiences and problem solving because of lack of machinery 😁

RichJohnson

While not a fan of German tanks, I appreciate your work and the build. Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

Crius

What!?! Not a fan of German tanks? Bad hamster! Go to your room! No supper for you!

Durahl

Yea... They had a certain Design Language not everyone will appreciate... I had been at odds with the Tiger I for the longest time but I gotta say it has kinda been growing on to me ( still don't own one ).
On the other hand, I still cannot stand the entire M3 and M4 Family Tree... To me, their proportions look quite literally like something you'd be having on a Badge with Cartoon aesthetics 🤔

Last bunch of Screws arrived today allowing me to finish the Engine Deck ( among others ):

I'm now going to let it sit for like a day before Priming and Painting it to give myself the opportunity for adding some other stuff to it that would benefit from being added before the Priming / Painting.

Should probably also start thinking about a paint scheme too 🤔 ( no half finished ones with the Hull done and the Turret still in Red Oxide Primer )

Tanque

Having my Maus sitting on ( most of) my coffee table. Had anyone thought of how the Germans planned to dismount and get back aboard
these machines in the heat of combat? Especially if they lost the special metal ladder they used to get aboard with? What if they had to
quickly answer a 'call of nature'?

Could have been a problem under fire...

Jerry

Durahl

Well... Since you can't operate either tank alone my guess would be to employ some mild teamwork and help each other up? 🤔

Tanque

I suppose if one crew member stayed on board that would work but if they all had to get off to work on it I'd imagine about that time they'd think
seriously about abandoning it.

Might be the making of a good diorama dark comedy scenario what with the slab faced sides and the high ends, maybe the E-100 was a little less so but even still...

No one ever figured these would be practical machines, just great modeling subjects. I think of them, at least the Maus as proving platforms for Porsche's final
version of his “Mixte” hybrid system...

Jerry

Durahl

Most of the Tank has been primed ( with only the Running Gear & Tracks still left blank until successfully tested ):

E-100 again in front of the Tamiya #56018 King Tiger


Rear view with the slightly modified Exhausts - Fairly pleased how the Cast Metal of the Exhaust Covers turned out - Despite having them glued on mirrored 😖


View of the Engine Deck.

Magnetically Detachable Skirts:

Video

Covering up most of the Tracks would kind of be sad which is why I've - so far - decided to only be 3D printing the Center Pieces.

Tanque

I like these models. I like your project. I agree that with detail in the running gear it would be a shame to cover it up.
I'd print the complete set of side skirts but leave them off except for occasional perspectives of how it was envisioned to look
fully 'done up'.

I also have to admit a level of jealousy over the completeness of your construction. I mentioned I have a Ludwig aluminum
kit set of lower hull plates and most of the plates for a Maus-type turret. I have Geiswerk's track set for it. What I don't have is a
pattern or functional drawing for the side skirts. Any interest in selling a set of side skirts or print files? I don't even have a printer
that could print something that large.

Have you decided how you will create the suspension / road wheel assemblies? Will you use the coil springs as the prototype
used or the Belleville (washer) springs that the original design intended. I planned when it came time to make mine up that I wanted to try to use
Belleville types just to be different. I believe there are enough drawings of the design to make a go of it.

Great job on this. If ever a kit is in the offing put me on the list....

Jerry

tankme

I like the project a lot. I'm thinking of printing an E100 for myself, but I like the Krupp turret better on the E100. Just a personal preference. Atilla from Attracks had cast some E100 tracks, sprockets, and idlers: https://www.facebook.com/Attracks.

Durahl

Yea, I'll do all of them eventually, if just for completeness... I mean the Magnets used to hold onto them were embedded into the Hull as the print continued for all of them soo...

Btw... The two Buggers alone took me 8h+ to print with a 17.- cost in material...

Sharing the Skirt files is not the problem, but how much use are they going to be for you if your model has probably different dimensions than mine? It's not like we're all working off the same model 😁
The files would also need to address the intended method of installation:

• Magnetically requiring off scale Mounting Hardpoints for suitably large enough Magnets to fit into.
• Scale accurate Screw on Method.

It's going to be a Spring one...

To be honest I didn't even know Belleville was an option - And I also wouldn't know how to do them like that 🤔

You mean the one akin to the King Tiger one? It certainly was something I considered ( mentioned it in my Imgur Gallery ) but with me already having a King Tiger the choice for a Maus Turret was kinda too tempting.
And it's something I can still do at a later time 😁

Nice, probably cost an arm and a leg for a set. I'll have to see how my SLA 3D printed Tracks will hold up... My best guess will be the small Track Links being the weak spot due to their flaps being fairly thin.
If they end up being a problem, then replacing them with Pewter cast ones is still an option as it seems simple enough to do those myself unlike the larger ones probably requiring a centrifugal casting equipment.

tankme

This is the Krupp turret version: https://www.hooben-shop.com/collecti...per-heavy-tank

Tanque

I have a set of Geisswerk's E100 tracks. They had the distinction as being the most costly of any of his 1/10 scale tracks not only did they cost more than some of my complete
1/10 scale models they weigh more than some of the smaller 1/10 scale tanks I have... Beautifully made (investment cast) and seem very strong in the bronze/brass alloy he used but I doubt they'll ever see much use...

Durahl

That thing is hideous 😨

Durahl

Been looking for a nice Camo Pattern and I think I found something that will work for me... Basically, a WWII Tri-Tone Woodland Colors Pattern like the one on my King Tiger but with hard Geometric Shapes instead of the usual soft Contoured Splotches and a darker Red Oxide for areas like the insides of the Skirts and the Chassis Sides that would not have received a Camo Painting 🤔

As the lack of any sensible ranged Anti-Personnel Weaponry on the Tank started to bother me I decided to buy a 1:35 20mm Cannon Set which I'm repurposing for that task by mounting it into the Viewport Slit to the left of the Main Cannon:

Though with the Viewport Slit obviously not supporting the full range of motion of the Main Cannon but me absolutely wanting to have at least some movement in the otherwise static third Cannon if mounted directly to the Turret I had to come up with a mechanism that would allow it to be slaved to the Main Cannon while also complying to the limited Range of motion imposed by the Slit with the end result being a similar mechanic that I think can be found in PC Joysticks / RC Remote Gimbals 🤨

And on the actual model:

The amount of vertical motion ain't much but it's something ( I'm still missing a rubber band for it to work on its own 🤣 )