I'll be busy for a while....
 

Definitely busy for a while.

There are 3 Pz Kw III variants in this pile.

There are many road wheel castings to turn, bearings to press in, tires to make, many, MANY track link castings to drill and pin, swing arms to machine, torsion bars to cut.

I've been collecting PzKw III parts for a while, that later StuG on the left was one I made probably 20 years ago, I even cast the tracks...The SIG 33 was started by a friend..

All of this stuff has been languishing far too long.... wish me luck.

Jerry

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2102685http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2102686http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2102687

Thoroughly looking forward to this.

Hey ---- Is the SIG 33 gun finished (complete)? If not, I have an unbuilt Verlinden resin model you can borrow to copy to make metal parts.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2102827

rex

Hmmmm, interesting Rex...I also need to make/ buy an upper for a PzKw II based Bison which I believe used the same gun


I'm ok with build threads if everyone is patient. I'm going to be butt honest about building this stuff. While I really enjoy it, especially the rough-end of casting, machining and working out the bigger picture aspects.... I tend to get OD'd on a project after a while and will get slower and slower especially getting to the details and ( ugh) painting( and what passes for weathering in my world- accumulated dust). Also I have a number of projects still awaiting completion although they're 94-95% complete so I move around from project to project- I've still to finish my King Tiger and it's in that 90% complete range also. I've been waiting forever for some steel capillary tubing so I can finish the fuel system vent lines on my JagdPanther and Panther F / II .

I'll post photos from time to time certainly. I'm hoping to get all the wheel castings in shape, some I made myself, some came from 2 other sources. I want to get them as uniform as possible so I can use the same tire form on all of them. My plan is to use heat vulcanizing rubber to make all the tires the same. Not sure how many tire forms I'll make but I've written to an engraver about putting some maker / size designations on the forms after I prove them out; not 100% positive I'll do it as we haven't discussed cost yet...

And with regards to the track links, I must have several hundred, I have to repair a drilling fixture I have from a friend that was nearly worn out from use when I got it. I tried it on one casting and it was pretty useless, ruined the link. So that will take a while not to mention the very ticklish drilling of all the links- one of the most mind numbing, boring tasks imaginable. You want to hurry and get done with it but you can't - broken drills is the result along with much cursing. It's the only thing I'd be willing to pay someone good money to do.....

Jerry

I've been busy off and on with machining wheels. I have about 112+ wheels to machine from several different sources including a set I cast
myself. I'm attempting to keep them as uniform as possible which isn't easy. I next plan to make the tire forms, I just ordered a new supply of
heat vulcanizing rubber as my last lot met an unfortunate fate last year.

My little Atlas 6" late and it's precise 3 jaw chuck are perfect for this sort of work..it was my late dad's and he bought it new right after WWII
when civilian sales of tools began again. I remember when I used to sneak into his shop when they were out as a kid to teach myself how to use it.
Much later when my dad purchased a larger machine he gave me the Atlas.

Jerry

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2106286http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2106287

ummm...WOW! :D

I'm just getting back into these after spending some while getting my IBU powered fleet defined and operational.

This is my 1/10 scale PzKw III and family of vehicles; not shown is the 5th one which is my scratched late type StuG III.
But in this lineup are the makings of 2 PzKw III types, an earlier StuG III and an SIG 33....
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2160624
I'll be posting more updates as I go.

Jerry

Had the chance to cast some parts I need for these project tanks.

• Saukopf mantlet
• a few swing arms
• a few return roller standoffs

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177867http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177868http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177869

Excuse the dirtiness of the parts, I'd just pulled them from the sand. The
mantlet in the last photo was poured very hot hence the streaking and rougher than normal( but not objectionable)
surface; and I just realized the photo is way blurry which is not helping

Jerry

A mountain of projects there! :D Make sure you remember to eat a meal or two each day. :cool:




Jeff

If you need help with fixtures let me know. I be glad to build or fix them for you.
Jimmy

Hiya, im wondering, what are you casting the parts out of? Also where did u get the tracks casted? Im going to need to make custom metal tracks for my m1917 and will have to make my own

All the tank parts( or 95% of them) I cast are in aluminum. The aluminum track castings I have I did not cast; these were made for Thomas Wittgrebe in Germany. Casting tracks and drilling them is one of the most mind numbing, boring things one can do in building a tank. I cast a set in zamack for my StuG III many years ago, 25+ to be exact and I'll never do it again..

As it is I have probably 400 pz 3 castings to drill... I'd pay real money to have someone else do it...It is a winter function when I absolutely positively have nothing else better to do.

Jerry

What are you drilling them on? Drill press or a Bridgeport? Can you post a pic of the track drilling?
Jimmy

I can post a photo of the drilling fixture however I've not really started the drilling in earnest yet as I'm not yet near the point when I need the tracks. No one here has ever been that interested in drilling fixtures.

I believe a mill is overkill for drilling this scale track link especially with a good jig and quality drill press. I use a drill press.

Jerry

Once you start using a mill with a 3 axis DRO and a good fixtures its hard to go back to anything else. It would give you track pin holes dead square and spaced with in .002 easily and all the other parts that need to be the same come out that way. Doing it to this level is what I am used to with the work I do so it reflects in my hobbies. I have a Bridgeport and a 13X36 lathe at home. Thats why I have an interest.
Jimmy

I can appreciate the later technologies but I've not embraced them...yet. I had a Bridgeport, an older one with 42" table but sold it 2 years ago when I consolidated my home. As nice as it was I don't normally have use for one of them- my smaller mill serves me well and it's accuracy is acceptable for 95% of what I do. At one point I had 3 mills and 5 lathes( 19" x72 LeBlond, 12" x 36 Morgon, 9" x 20 Grizzly, 7" x 12 HF and 6" x 18 Atlas ) - I kept the smaller machines.

Just about everyone I know has used a jig/ fixture and drill press for drilling links of the more popular larger scales; 1/10, 1/8 and 1/6; ensuring that the drilling axis of the fixture is square with the drill press. It's mostly quick, efficient and easy to maintain with minimal setup time and intervention in the event of broken drill bits - almost impossible to avoid. I'd love to see a fully automated setup for drilling track pin holes! I want one! I think it's pretty safe for me to say that while I'm assuming it's possible it wouldn't be too practical in my little home shop..

Jerry

The digital read out for position is what gets you spoiled with ability to repeat quickly in more than one axis. I have my bridgeport set up with readouts on X,Y, the knee and the quill. I look at all your parts and my mind starts to roll on ways to make them as perfect as I could. Its probably good that there are not any tank kits available like there are for other things where all the parts are not finish machined. I would be all over one. It's the building that I like more than anything whether it be a motor cycle, C10 truck or anything else as soon as it is done I'm ready to start on another one. Drives my wife crazy.
Jimmy

Some more progress on my pz III variants. I work on them as time allows, I've come up with ways of making the
parts and changes I need and I move along slowly, leisurely...Jerry

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182964http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182965http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182966http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182967http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182968http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182969http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2182970

Looking good.
Jimmy

I love the Stug III G!!! It is my favorite.

Having installed all 48 torsion bar tubes, torsion bars with their anchor points as well as most all the work on 48 swing arms I've begun assembling the rest of the wheels(96 halves to make 48 complete wheel pairs) and making tires. I had planned to make 4 tire molds but only made two. I'm rather glad I did as their performance is rather inconsistent; one produces great tires seemingly every time, the second not so much. I think I'll make a third using a different approach to see how it goes, I'd also found a company willing to engrave names/ tire size designations but again glad I didn't pursue that yet, however I still may.

Below you can see some of the progress.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2185578http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2185579http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2185580

Jerry

Having done the worst of the wheels and suspension work I'm on to sprockets, final drives and idlers. The sprocket castings I have are of unknown 'pedigree'
and I found that they will need much work sadly. While they, 5 sets, looked the similar for a while I found that they are anything but. Long story short is I find myself needing to make 20 tooth rings to make these sprockets more uniform; it's about now that I wish I had a friendly neighbor laser cutter- buddy, person.... Anyway today I cast one mantlet and two sets of final drive housings..

I never thought this project would be a slam dunk but it's definitely more time consuming than I imagined...

Jerry

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2192264http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2192265

Wow jerry that is a ton of work. Cool stuff man.

You are the metal man Jerry!!!! They will look great when you finish them.