birgers reconstruction of a Torro-Tiger I

[birger]

Hi everybody,

once upon a time I got a Torro-Tiger I. It is a used one coming without electronics.

The mechanical parts were still existing.

The missing electronic system was not a problem. I wanted to use Elmod anyway.

Well, lets start the details.

This was the cat before starting the work:



Here you can see my Elmod combined with an EGS in a clip-on-box. The advantage is it can be used in different vehicles. So I only need one Elmod and many vehicles with standardized plugs.



To mount the box to the Tiger, I had to empty the vehicle. I mounted a base plate to the chassis to get a flat ground. Because I used a 5mm thick plate, I also reinforced the chassis. The other reason for mounting the plate was to raise the bottom, because the box is a little to big to fit between the suspensions.



As you can see, I already prepared the gearbox with the standardized plugs.

To get a good chassis bottom without any disturbing openings, I screwed/glued a 1mm thick Poly-plate to it.



I also had to use another loudspeaker. This one is mounted in the back of the Tiger in front of the battery. Therefore it can fix the battery. That one fits perfectly between the two fittings of the rear.



That is how the chassis looks completely assembled. Of course, it is not finished yet, but working.



Now, lets continue with the upper hull.

I removed all disturbing parts. The headlight and the turret rotating device are prepared with the standardized plugs.



I moved the antenna to the right position.



Further changes will follow after everything is working properly.

The most difficult part yet is the turret section.

I wanted to use the HL-barrel-recoil-system, because the original installed one has got the wrong function. Slow in and fast out.







First I removed all disturbing parts. I have to design new fittings anyway.



To make the ups and downs possible, I had to connect the lever to the barrel.



The disturbing parts of the mounting pin had to be removed.



I also had to shorten the back part of the barrel (see red mark).



Now I had to create a new mounting area for the recoil unit. I need 10mm of thickness. To make the unit removable, I had to use two plates 5mm. One half must be glued to the turret roof, the other half to the recoil unit. Now you can screw them together.





The recoil unit now is positioned directly behind the barrel fitting.



And again, I have to prepare the wiring for the box. To make sure the wires are centered to the turrets rotation point, I designed a cable guide.





Then the recoil unit needed a rewiring. After the function was tested, it was mounted, fixed to the barrel and connected to the box.



Before closing the turret, I wanted to add the missing third turret lifting point. I used the head of a nail to simulate the lifting point.



I drilled a hole to the small box in the storage box and glued the nails head to it.







Well, now I can connect the turret.




Report continues.

Greetings
Birger

[birger]

After reassembling the turret and the Tiger, I tested all functions. Everything worked fine.



Now we can start to do the details.

Lets start with the turret. First I got a new commanders cupola. The old one was broken.



The original cupola was closed and not to be opened. The new one I wanted to make functional.

I drilled a hole and used a screw as the axis.





I drilled another one to the cupola.



Works.





Then I took a spring out of a ball open and shortened it to 1/3rd.





Fixed it with a hex-nut and two washers.



Glued the cupola to the turret.





Took my commander and forced him to test the new cupola. Well, he was amused.



Took a 2mm thick wire and designed a handle.







Redesigned the gunners optical scuare. First we need a hole.



Prepared a new cover.



Made a square by using transparent polycarbonat (5mm).



Glued it under the cover.



Added the cover for the closed combat defense.



Replaced the spare tracks at the turret with new clips.











Report continues.

Greetings
Birger

[birger]

Then I figured out, that the pistol port at the left side of the turret was missing. So I added one. Big mistake. Meanwile I figured out, that the middle versions of the Tiger didn´t have the pistol port. Never mind. It stays.





Created a handle for the gunners hatch. This hatch is not to be opened. And, in this case, it stays closed.



Added the machinegun steering.



And again forced my pal to test it.



Now the turret changes and details are done. Lets do the upper hull next.

First I drilled the two missing holes into the front mudguards.



Then I seperated the side mudguards.



I removed all accessories. They will be placed back after brushing.



The drivers visual port was closed. In this case it consists of four parts. So it is easy to open it.





Now we have to create the port for the driver. First the two holes for the drivers periscope, then the big one.



Cut out the port.



Made a pattern and glued it.







Reassembled the visual port in an open shape.




Report continues.

Greetings
Birger

[streetfighterjeff]

great pics and info, going to do the drivers vision port the same on my torro tiger, now i know how to do it, cheers bud.
jeff

[birger]

Upper hull almost finished. The rest will be done after brushing the tank.

Let´s start with the lower hull, now.

First we need to unscrew the driving wheel. It is fixed with two screws. One inside the chassis, one outside.








Unscrew the chassis back plate. There are two sections which need to be filled. Otherwise you can get dirt inside while driving.





Disassemble all accessories from the back plate. The exhausts are glued, so be careful.



Before I started with the chassis, I had two more things to do on the upper hull.

First to do is to create the wreckage guards on the cooling air intakes.
I decided to do them myself.

I took cardboard and fly screen.



Here I prepared guards for two Tigers and one StuG III.







I like it.

While the glue needed to dry, I created the cover for the engine air intake. I didn´t like the middle and late version, so I decided to use the early version with a few small changes.

This cover does not exist on the engines hatch of the Torro.



Remove the two tube pins and prepare two new ones.





On the next picture you can see, there is no cover.



Now there is one.





I think, it is a good alternative.

Meanwhile the grids dried. Cut them out and glue them.





I created those frames for the HL-Tiger. The grids from the Torro are a little bit smaller. So I had to adapt them.



Report continues.

Greetings
Birger

[Red Devils]

Looking great Birger, can't wait to see more.

Derek

[Wildboar44]

Hey birger... i really like the way you created the mesh grill .... never thought of that , it a great tip .. ~thanks for showing

[streetfighterjeff]

dont forget bud, the latch on the torro tiger engine cover is in the wrong place. on your pics , it needs to move to the right so it clears that triangular panel. hope i'm not teaching you to suck eggs mate . lol
jeff

[birger]

Uups, didn´t get that one.

You´re right. See, it came like that.

Now it is too late, so it stays.

Thanks anyway.

Greetings
Birger

[birger]

Let´s do the chassis, now.

Disassembling the driving wheel. Just to show you how.

Steps:

1. Pull off the metal ring.

2. Pull off the sprocket.

3. Unscrew the drive wheel.

4. Push off the axis.

That is what it looks like after disassembling.



Now we unscrew the idler.



Remove the idler. Next you can see the idler´s mount. As you can see you can´t calibrate the idler.



Disassembling the idler. Just to show you how.

1. Pull off the radial arm from the idler (carefully).

2. Unscrew the idler´s halfs.

3. Pull off the axis.

That is what it looks like after disassembling.



Remove the gear. Unscrew the four visible screws to do so.

You have to remove the gear to change the sprockets into metal ones.



Because I wanted to change the radial arms into metal ones, I had to remove them first.

To prevent any damage to the radial arm or its mount, we need to unscrew it as one part.



Now you can pull off the wheel. It doesn´t work while it is mounted.



You also can remove the rest of the inner parts, now.





Because the transmission reinforcement plates are missing, we have to add them. They need a little adaptment.



After I got all ordered parts, I can reassemble the cassis.

All plastic parts are now metal ones. I also changed the radial arms into metal ones.



I changed all sprockets inside the gear and the one mounted to the drive wheel into metal ones.

After I did that, I decided to eliminate the Torro-System.

Why? I couldn´t change the gear sprockets without damaging an axis. The sprocket on the motor axis was wheelspinning after a short time.

And the quality is not even equal to the HL-Gears. So I decided to remove the Torro-gear and to add HL-gears. First a few pictures.









My conclusion is to run the original gear with the plastic sprockets or to change to HL-metal gears.

But that is a heck of a work. So be sure you really want to do that.

First Problem is you need one gear with short axis and one with long axis.

Watch the pictures.

Here you see three types of gear reducer cover. Left side is HL, in the middle is Torro and on the right side the Torro ones we need it. The inner part has still to be removed.



We need a new axle location for the drive shaft. It insists off two plates. One thickness 5mm to fill the hole in the chassis and one thickness 2mm with a little taller diameter as a glue edge.









Report continues.

Greetings
Birger