Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
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This section is for posting a build log of your Heng Long tank.
Questions relating to issues you are having with your tank(s) should be posted in the General Questions forum here: viewforum.php?f=14
This section is for posting a build log of your Heng Long tank.
Questions relating to issues you are having with your tank(s) should be posted in the General Questions forum here: viewforum.php?f=14
- tanks_for_the_memory
- Sergeant
- Posts: 501
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:50 pm
- Location: London
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Butterfly nuts
There are two ready sources I have found for these: Schumo and Grandt Line.
The Schumo ones I have already discussed above. They certainly aren't cheap, but the beauty of them is that they are long, metal and strong - so they can actually be used to clamp the wire ropes in place.
The Grandt Line ones come as part of an assortment. Confusingly they are stated to be 1/48 scale, but obviously some are the right size for 1/16. The only drawback is that they are plastic and come with no screw thread attached - making them vulnerable on a R/C tank. Still they might come in handy, e.g. if you are making your own C-hook clamps.
There are two ready sources I have found for these: Schumo and Grandt Line.
The Schumo ones I have already discussed above. They certainly aren't cheap, but the beauty of them is that they are long, metal and strong - so they can actually be used to clamp the wire ropes in place.
The Grandt Line ones come as part of an assortment. Confusingly they are stated to be 1/48 scale, but obviously some are the right size for 1/16. The only drawback is that they are plastic and come with no screw thread attached - making them vulnerable on a R/C tank. Still they might come in handy, e.g. if you are making your own C-hook clamps.
My Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1 build thread: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... =22&t=8350
- tanks_for_the_memory
- Sergeant
- Posts: 501
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:50 pm
- Location: London
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Mid hull clamps for towing cable and gun cleaning rods
The final part of the towing cable brackets present another challenge. With typical German ingenuity / complexity these also doubled up as clamps for the gun cleaning rods. The latter, consisting of six wooden rods connected by brass screw threads, were stored three on each side of the upper hull. Presumably the brush itself was one of the things stored in the rear turret stowage bin. Since, like the other brackets, I have designed these to be workable, I can leave the rods themselves to a later stage of the build. Mañana, mañana...
The lower part of the brackets was welded to the hull roof. This consisted of a thick strip of metal with five semi-circular depressions cut into it. The larger two on each side were to cradle the cables themselves, the middle three (slightly smaller) the rods. These were all clamped in place by a simple metal bar pivoted on the outer edge of the hull and secured by a trusty butterfly nut on the inside (see photos above).
On the HL (and Tamiya) TIgers the lower parts of the brackets come moulded to the hull roof. I wasn't sure they were in the right place (they certainly don't line up with the HL plastic combined tow ropes and cleaning rods) and they weren't very crisp - so off they came.
I then thought I would be terribly clever and make new ones using my trusty punch and die set. This is how I did it:
First I punched holes of the correct diameter - two big and three small - into a thick piece of plastic card. This was hard work for this thickness - and as an added bonus I managed to hit my thumb with the hammer. I seem to remember my dad doing this once back in the 70s (no he wasn't using a punch and die set to make clamps for a Tiger) - it was the first time I heard him swear. So I followed suit...
Next I used a chisel blade to separate each into two halves. That way you get two for the price (a sore thumb) of one. Note that the one on the left was a bit wonky so I had to do it again.
To make myself feel better I test fitted them against a Tamiya hull...
As you can see from the shot above the clamps should actually overlap the weld bead which runs around the upper hull, although mine clearly needed a little more trimming. Having looked again at the photos of the original Tigers above I have noticed that the gun cleaning rods must have had a larger diameter than the towing cables - it's the inner grooves in the lower bracket that are larger, not the outer ones. Oh well...
The rest, which followed my procedure for the rear clamps, was relatively simple. Holes were drilled through either end and into the hull after they had been glued in position. The outer hole accommodated a cut-down dress-making pin, the inner hole a Schumo screw and butterfly nut. Meanwhile the upper bracket was made by trimming a postage staple to length, drilling a hole in one end for the pin and cutting a slot in the other (using a fine rotary blade) for the screw. As I have already said, the Taigen ropes are a little too thick - so I expect them to sit better with the Schumo ones.
So did I do it right?
Well, to be honest, having made the rear clamps since I think I could have saved myself a bit of trouble (and a lot of pain) by just using a round file (and a good eye) to carve the semi-circles into the lower bracket rather than using the punch and die set. Mais, c'est la vie!
News Flash!
Just when I have finished most of the up-grades to my HL Tiger 1 - along comes this very nice looking photo etch up-grade package from Voyager.
Slightly bizarrely they say this is for the Trumpeter Tiger 1 - in fact it is clearly the Hobbyboss (Hobby Boss?) 1/16 Tiger - perhaps they are the same company. Of course it will do for HL Tigers just as well. It looks absolutely fantastic and, since it is by Voyager, I am hoping that it will be a lot cheaper than Aber as well as easier to put together (that is certainly true of their clamps).
It's not a complete up-grade answer of course - the turret spare track holders are not included (what you see are those which come with the Hobbyboss kit, which are barely adequate). Also, because the Hobbyboss kit has non-opening front and loader's hatches there is nothing to detail them. That's a particular problem for the loader's hatch because the Tamiya parts won't fit (the hatch is smaller) - so it looks as if the only source (for now) is the excellent PE detailing that comes with the Hachette Build Your Own Tiger (issue 4).
[Correction: having now purchased the Voyager sets I am glad to confirm that they DO come with the internal locking mechanism for the front hatches and loader's hatch - but you will still need to source the hand wheel and curved 'slam stop' bracket for the latter from somewhere else...]
The Voyager sets can be bought separately as well - e.g. the side fenders.
Can't wait to see the prices.
See http://www.voyagermodel.com/productdeta ... id=PE16009 for more...
Coming next: new wheels, new tracks, re-think on the zimmerit... but the summer hols loom large.
The final part of the towing cable brackets present another challenge. With typical German ingenuity / complexity these also doubled up as clamps for the gun cleaning rods. The latter, consisting of six wooden rods connected by brass screw threads, were stored three on each side of the upper hull. Presumably the brush itself was one of the things stored in the rear turret stowage bin. Since, like the other brackets, I have designed these to be workable, I can leave the rods themselves to a later stage of the build. Mañana, mañana...
The lower part of the brackets was welded to the hull roof. This consisted of a thick strip of metal with five semi-circular depressions cut into it. The larger two on each side were to cradle the cables themselves, the middle three (slightly smaller) the rods. These were all clamped in place by a simple metal bar pivoted on the outer edge of the hull and secured by a trusty butterfly nut on the inside (see photos above).
On the HL (and Tamiya) TIgers the lower parts of the brackets come moulded to the hull roof. I wasn't sure they were in the right place (they certainly don't line up with the HL plastic combined tow ropes and cleaning rods) and they weren't very crisp - so off they came.
I then thought I would be terribly clever and make new ones using my trusty punch and die set. This is how I did it:
First I punched holes of the correct diameter - two big and three small - into a thick piece of plastic card. This was hard work for this thickness - and as an added bonus I managed to hit my thumb with the hammer. I seem to remember my dad doing this once back in the 70s (no he wasn't using a punch and die set to make clamps for a Tiger) - it was the first time I heard him swear. So I followed suit...
Next I used a chisel blade to separate each into two halves. That way you get two for the price (a sore thumb) of one. Note that the one on the left was a bit wonky so I had to do it again.
To make myself feel better I test fitted them against a Tamiya hull...
As you can see from the shot above the clamps should actually overlap the weld bead which runs around the upper hull, although mine clearly needed a little more trimming. Having looked again at the photos of the original Tigers above I have noticed that the gun cleaning rods must have had a larger diameter than the towing cables - it's the inner grooves in the lower bracket that are larger, not the outer ones. Oh well...
The rest, which followed my procedure for the rear clamps, was relatively simple. Holes were drilled through either end and into the hull after they had been glued in position. The outer hole accommodated a cut-down dress-making pin, the inner hole a Schumo screw and butterfly nut. Meanwhile the upper bracket was made by trimming a postage staple to length, drilling a hole in one end for the pin and cutting a slot in the other (using a fine rotary blade) for the screw. As I have already said, the Taigen ropes are a little too thick - so I expect them to sit better with the Schumo ones.
So did I do it right?
Well, to be honest, having made the rear clamps since I think I could have saved myself a bit of trouble (and a lot of pain) by just using a round file (and a good eye) to carve the semi-circles into the lower bracket rather than using the punch and die set. Mais, c'est la vie!
News Flash!
Just when I have finished most of the up-grades to my HL Tiger 1 - along comes this very nice looking photo etch up-grade package from Voyager.
Slightly bizarrely they say this is for the Trumpeter Tiger 1 - in fact it is clearly the Hobbyboss (Hobby Boss?) 1/16 Tiger - perhaps they are the same company. Of course it will do for HL Tigers just as well. It looks absolutely fantastic and, since it is by Voyager, I am hoping that it will be a lot cheaper than Aber as well as easier to put together (that is certainly true of their clamps).
It's not a complete up-grade answer of course - the turret spare track holders are not included (what you see are those which come with the Hobbyboss kit, which are barely adequate). Also, because the Hobbyboss kit has non-opening front and loader's hatches there is nothing to detail them. That's a particular problem for the loader's hatch because the Tamiya parts won't fit (the hatch is smaller) - so it looks as if the only source (for now) is the excellent PE detailing that comes with the Hachette Build Your Own Tiger (issue 4).
[Correction: having now purchased the Voyager sets I am glad to confirm that they DO come with the internal locking mechanism for the front hatches and loader's hatch - but you will still need to source the hand wheel and curved 'slam stop' bracket for the latter from somewhere else...]
The Voyager sets can be bought separately as well - e.g. the side fenders.
Can't wait to see the prices.
See http://www.voyagermodel.com/productdeta ... id=PE16009 for more...
Coming next: new wheels, new tracks, re-think on the zimmerit... but the summer hols loom large.
Last edited by tanks_for_the_memory on Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:33 am, edited 7 times in total.
My Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1 build thread: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... =22&t=8350
- dgsselkirk
- Warrant Officer 2nd Class
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:57 am
- Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
- Contact:
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Really nice work on the clamps no question...
Love the basically scratch building!
Love the basically scratch building!
"There are things in Russia which are not as they seem..."
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov
- Wildboar44
- Corporal
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:28 pm
- Location: Kent England UK.
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Always a pleasure getting an update tank's.... real nice work !
Yesterday is our history, Tomorrow is an eternal mistery, Today is a gift, its why its called "The Present".
- tanks_for_the_memory
- Sergeant
- Posts: 501
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:50 pm
- Location: London
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Nuts and bolts update
Just discovered another alternative from Panda Plastics. I don't think these are the same guys who have brought out the 1/16 38t, but I could be wrong.
Anyway, according to their blurb: "Panda has started a new line of 1/16th scale super detailing products. The first in the series is a set of 1/16th scale German nuts and wing nuts that were developed in conjunction with the internationally known resin casting firm of Formations. A variety of different styles of nuts as well as the wing nuts enable the modeler to detail just about anything on a German tank from road wheels to clamps. 45 assorted nuts and 10 wing nuts in each set."
They can be ordered direct here: http://shermantracks.com/catalog/german_nuts_bolts.html
At $18.30 including postage to the UK they are certainly good value. It looks like the set will provide a good variety of nuts and bolts for Tigers and other panzers. Despite their name it is resin, not plastic. The butterfly nuts could be drilled to accept a wire bolt, I guess.
Just discovered another alternative from Panda Plastics. I don't think these are the same guys who have brought out the 1/16 38t, but I could be wrong.
Anyway, according to their blurb: "Panda has started a new line of 1/16th scale super detailing products. The first in the series is a set of 1/16th scale German nuts and wing nuts that were developed in conjunction with the internationally known resin casting firm of Formations. A variety of different styles of nuts as well as the wing nuts enable the modeler to detail just about anything on a German tank from road wheels to clamps. 45 assorted nuts and 10 wing nuts in each set."
They can be ordered direct here: http://shermantracks.com/catalog/german_nuts_bolts.html
At $18.30 including postage to the UK they are certainly good value. It looks like the set will provide a good variety of nuts and bolts for Tigers and other panzers. Despite their name it is resin, not plastic. The butterfly nuts could be drilled to accept a wire bolt, I guess.
My Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1 build thread: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... =22&t=8350
- tanks_for_the_memory
- Sergeant
- Posts: 501
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:50 pm
- Location: London
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Post Summer update...
Well another Summer holiday has come and gone. I am painfully aware that I am approaching the second anniversary of the start of this build diary - but I have long stopped making false promises to my eldest son (who at least now has a 1/6 Stuart to keep him occupied) and myself.
Among the highlights of the family's break in France was a trip to Saumur Tank Museum and the Normandy beaches. Also a stop on the last day at the Vimoutiers Tiger.
I took the opportunity to take a load of pictures of the Tigers and other armour at both locations. Some of these I will be putting into a separate post: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... 83&t=11390
Of course, the danger in having access to even more reference material is that you are bound to find more things to correct!
So what have I been up to? Well I mentioned above new wheels, tracks and zimmerit. I'll come to each of those in a moment - plus the mantlet. First up, though, a simple fix which started nagging at me as soon as I got back from France:
Replacing the armoured cover for the kugelblende (bow MG mount)
I dealt with scratch-building the ball mount for the the kugelblende ("ball shield") earlier in this post. However, having seen the real thing I realized that the external part of the HL part was lacking in definition. Basically there should be an obvious recessed join around the rim of the armoured shield - on the HL one it is only a vague indentation. On the actual tank this was another legacy of the submersible capability of the early Tiger 1s (e.g. the one at Bovington) - a rubber cap was clamped over the aperture.
Cutting off the HL part was simple enough with a razor saw - but would have been a hell of a lot easier had I done it earlier! The hole was then enlarged and the Tamiya part glued in place. My old plastic ball mount still fitted snugly behind it and I also took the opportunity to spray it a more convincing red primer colour.
Well another Summer holiday has come and gone. I am painfully aware that I am approaching the second anniversary of the start of this build diary - but I have long stopped making false promises to my eldest son (who at least now has a 1/6 Stuart to keep him occupied) and myself.
Among the highlights of the family's break in France was a trip to Saumur Tank Museum and the Normandy beaches. Also a stop on the last day at the Vimoutiers Tiger.
I took the opportunity to take a load of pictures of the Tigers and other armour at both locations. Some of these I will be putting into a separate post: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... 83&t=11390
Of course, the danger in having access to even more reference material is that you are bound to find more things to correct!
So what have I been up to? Well I mentioned above new wheels, tracks and zimmerit. I'll come to each of those in a moment - plus the mantlet. First up, though, a simple fix which started nagging at me as soon as I got back from France:
Replacing the armoured cover for the kugelblende (bow MG mount)
I dealt with scratch-building the ball mount for the the kugelblende ("ball shield") earlier in this post. However, having seen the real thing I realized that the external part of the HL part was lacking in definition. Basically there should be an obvious recessed join around the rim of the armoured shield - on the HL one it is only a vague indentation. On the actual tank this was another legacy of the submersible capability of the early Tiger 1s (e.g. the one at Bovington) - a rubber cap was clamped over the aperture.
Cutting off the HL part was simple enough with a razor saw - but would have been a hell of a lot easier had I done it earlier! The hole was then enlarged and the Tamiya part glued in place. My old plastic ball mount still fitted snugly behind it and I also took the opportunity to spray it a more convincing red primer colour.
Last edited by tanks_for_the_memory on Tue Dec 24, 2013 12:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
My Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1 build thread: http://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/v ... =22&t=8350
- Wildboar44
- Corporal
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:28 pm
- Location: Kent England UK.
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
One thing I will give you credit for T is your amazing attention to detail ... your build gets better every post .
Yesterday is our history, Tomorrow is an eternal mistery, Today is a gift, its why its called "The Present".
- lister fiend
- Sergeant
- Posts: 565
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 3:38 pm
- Location: ashvale, hampshire
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
hi tftm
I have to take my hat off to you sir for your two year slog of perfection
I honestly find your attention to detail both breathtaking & frightening!
I can't wait to see it finished
lister
p.s will you still let the kids play with it?
I have to take my hat off to you sir for your two year slog of perfection
I honestly find your attention to detail both breathtaking & frightening!
I can't wait to see it finished
lister
p.s will you still let the kids play with it?
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
I am currently undertaking a tiger build and your excellent write up has help me no end! I'm just about to attempt to scratch the tow cable holders, better stock up on dress making pins!
- PainlessWolf
- Lieutenant-Colonel
- Posts: 7407
- Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:09 pm
- Location: Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains
Re: Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1
Good Afternoon,
One of the most complex and thorough Tiger 1 builds out there and not even complete yet. *bows* The thing I see with taking a long time to complete a Build is that existing Model tech and parts upgrade and catch up to a person to make their build that much better.
regards,
Painless Wolf
One of the most complex and thorough Tiger 1 builds out there and not even complete yet. *bows* The thing I see with taking a long time to complete a Build is that existing Model tech and parts upgrade and catch up to a person to make their build that much better.
regards,
Painless Wolf
...Here for the Dawn...