FEHRMANN GRUPPE TIGER 05

[HERMAN BIX]

Yip, at my normal rate of progress I have 3 years ahead of me

The commission builds I have are getting priority.
He does figures for me, I'm happy to do brass work and suchlike.
Either way I go, if Im building stuff for me- I'm occupied, if I'm doing stuff for someone else- I'm occupied.................
I'm just humbled to have someone trust me to work on expensive Tamiya's on their behalf

It was first day of school here today for me and my oldest-youngest Daughter.....................I was off work & did the drop off.
Ive done it so many times before but this one was different..........

Got the gearboxes in F05.
Had a bit of piss-farting around to get them level and square with the hull so that any track run problems would be reduced.
I stuck the idler screw into the tensioner, and ran a length of cotton from it along the hull sides over spacers to get a datum measurement for the drive sprockets.
Then, I used M3(thats NOT 8 million 37th's for you left hand drivers with weird measurements!!)stainless cap head screws with Nylok nuts to secure each gearbox to the hull.
I secured the middle one, then checked the measurements before securing the next 2 in each, using the drive sprockets as leverage to get them in the right spot.
The screws were also set with PVA during the tightening process so I should not have any coming loose.
I know this process is a basic one normally, but as this hull had all its locating pegs busted off, and the mounting points split & cracked when I got it, I had to pay more attention

You will notice the zimmerit on the inside of the hull..............
This was to stress relieve the front hull section and bring it back straight.
As I used a melt method to get the effect I wanted, it caused a slight bow in the lower hull front, which I corrected by simply doing the same thing to its inside as I did to the outside !

I have a lot of work ahead to set the roadwheels in place to match the track run correctly, but hey, thats part of the fun

[Norton1]

Well a really sneaky grunt could sneak up and throw a magnetic mine between the cracks in the hull. Always better safe than sorry Mr. Bix

Be well,
STeve

[HERMAN BIX]

Been a while with no action on 05.
Had to complete the Pz IV side armour as promised.

Began on the roadwheel fit up to the modified suspension arms.
Not so great.
A few travel issues with the slots that the axle ends run in that had to be addressed.
Because my axles are taigen and need to protrude into the hull as stoppers, and the increased diameter of the main shaft is twice the size of the normal ones, I had to open the slots out- a lot !

Spent the arvo whizzing out the stop slots on the hull

I did however remember along the way to get hold of some magnets. Most of you jokers use them in one way or another, but me, its a first.
I added 3 in each hub cap for the drive sprockets.
They hold on real well and still allow easy access to the retaining bolts onto the gear box shafts.

I touched up the primer in places, and used the last remaining TS3 spray can on the lower hull sponsons and suspension arms...........no reason other than to get the feeling (and smell) of progress.

A long way to go yet, and I also have a STuGIII with that funky hanging/swing armour to get done for the same owner as the PzIV.

[philipat]

No pics = no progress.


LOL

Seriously, though, I enjoy seeing your pictures. They show creative solutions. Glad to hear that you're still making progress.

[HERMAN BIX]

Fair enough mate !!................"if it aint on CNN- it never happened"

Got all the suspension grooves opened out, and the roadwheels coated in XF-60 Dark Yellow.
I also did the lower hull areas where I was a bit frugal with the TS3 can.
I had a fair old bit of a special Dark Yellow brew I made ages ago as an experiment.
Added a bit of Buff into it as once its washed- it darkens a lot.
So, to get a lighter look from fading and general exposure to the elements on a repaired hull that has late running gear fitted, the colour seems ok.

I also had to address the issue I had with spacing the double roadwheel sets out from the suspension arms.
Tripped via our chain hardware shop(Bunnings for us down here) and simply walked around with a sample axle in one hand & a set of Vernier calipers in the other.
Taigen axles are 4mm O.D. at the shaft section, found a bit of tube, actually Garden sprinkler riser tube, nylon, black and 200mm long for $0.97c.................(thats about minus 100 GBP/USD for you guys with proper currency!!)so it was in my fiscal demographic
Dug out my old nylon tube cutter I had for airbrake work in trucks and sliced off 5mm rings.
I will fit them shortly & se how things pull up.

The lower hull sponsons, and roadwheels have also been coated in clear sealant.
I remembered to use Panzer Putty on the sections of missing Zimmerit, wow that stuff is SO user-friendly

Any hoo............

[Soeren]

Nice update and good thoughts about the paint-

I will have to try something like that as well on my 1/35th Fehrmann Tiger. Following along

[HERMAN BIX]

In the 4th pick you can see the effect that clear seal has to darken the Dark yellow brew, where the drive sprocket is unsealed.
There is also the dusting and pigment to think of later on.

Its going to be a roughy, but I still want it close to right.

[c.rainford73]

Me Bix exceptional as always

[philipat]

Nice work! Thanks for the photos. Clearly...it happened!

I always thought that XF-60 was correct by itself for Dunkelgelb. Are you correcting for sun fade? Or, is it just not quite right out of the bottle?

"Panzer Putty" is that a brand name? My next build will involve zimmerit; so, I'm looking for a good putty to work with.

[Raminator]

The Panzer Putty is for masking; you can see it in the second and third pictures covering up the holes in the front glacis' zimmerit. Herman did the zimmerit by melting the plastic with a heated screwdriver.

Glad to see some more progress boss, and that clear coat darkening the basecoat actually answers a question I've been worrying about lately.