BERLIN BUSTER T34/85 'BEDSPRING'

[HERMAN BIX]

Not bad deal on those hinges Herman ...did think you would hide the bases a little better ...but they work and that's what counts ...you got it to open wider than mine another good feature if you plan to do maintenance on the smoker and gearboxes
On the the vents ...yes indeed...good luck on those ...you going to cover the two ..what looks like to be drain shafts under the body vents?,,,When I did mine ...I could find no photos of them open like they are on the model...so I closed them up


ALPHA

Once the welds are put around the hinge sections, and paint applied they should blend in. There is a molded flat section full width of each hinge that I ground off, so the replacements are not to far off the plastic originals. The gap between them is bigger than I would have liked, but having the hatch fold all the way over to the exhausts might be handy.
The vent flaps were manually operated on the real machines, and these will need to be robust enough to move around when lubing the gear sets past them.
As for a tail light, by the last days of the conflict this would surely have been extinguished !

[ALPHA]

Once the welds are put around the hinge sections, and paint applied they should blend in. There is a molded flat section full width of each hinge that I ground off, so the replacements are not to far off the plastic originals. The gap between them is bigger than I would have liked, but having the hatch fold all the way over to the exhausts might be handy.
The vent flaps were manually operated on the real machines, and these will need to be robust enough to move around when lubing the gear sets past them.
As for a tail light, by the last days of the conflict this would surely have been extinguished !

Yup...that tail light is something I overlooked...so it will have to be done during the redo....the two areas I spoke about are right above the vent opening..there are two V shaped openings under the engine vents on the body between the molded on upper hinges of that opening louver deck lid ...I'm not certain if Phil covered his...but it was something I couldn't leave alone...it's a matter of just cutting two V shaped pieces of plastic and bridging the gaps


ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Couldn't find the photo of the real deal I used for a reference...this is one of a model

see how that area right above the vent is completely enclosed? If you look at the HL...the two linear vents lead to two openings that should be closed off
When I did mine...I thought I could live with them as is...but it bothered me that I could still see the openings when I closed the louver lid...so they had to be covered up lol


ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

Yeah, that's to do.The '85 and the '76 did not differ in the hulls apart from wheels.

[ALPHA]

LOL...you found a good pic ....It's interesting as there was a bit of a debate or more decision making with both Phil and I...with coaching from Dgsselkirk...to which way that louver hatch would open ....seems the Soviets made it so it could open both ways ....


ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

Cant know about that discussion Bro, but they most definitely did.

From what I can gather, the cover-and that's all it was, could be opened as required to access/release the final drive & rear hull plate which was bolted home, or forward over the actual engine deck.
The main engine access cover in the deck could not be opened if the turret was in the forward battle position, but the louver cover could.
I have the T34 service manual in print, but it is not 100% clear how, when or why the vent/louver cover was to be used.
Making an assumption that unless the rear hull plate was being unbolted & hinged out to access the steering clutches & final drive assembly, the cover would normally be lifted to the rear(unhitched at the front hinges closest to the turret.) without disturbing the long hinge pins.
Mucking around with a long hinge pin on each side into what would very likely be a stressed or damaged cover plate would be hoping for the best I reckon.
The damn things would be a mission to get back through the hinge eyes.
Going by the stats behind the apparent "legendary" reliability of the T34 series machine, they were simply destroyed before they had a chance to break down.
Access to basic mechanical checks and simple machine maintenance was done much less than its Allied or Enemy counterparts so it seems.

A battlefield service life expectancy of 0- 6 days(excluding travel by other means)................why even check the oil !!

[ALPHA]

Cant know about that discussion Bro, but they most definitely did.

From what I can gather, the cover-and that's all it was, could be opened as required to access/release the final drive & rear hull plate which was bolted home, or forward over the actual engine deck.
The main engine access cover in the deck could not be opened if the turret was in the forward battle position, but the louver cover could.
I have the T34 service manual in print, but it is not 100% clear how, when or why the vent/louver cover was to be used.
Making an assumption that unless the rear hull plate was being unbolted & hinged out to access the steering clutches & final drive assembly, the cover would normally be lifted to the rear(unhitched at the front hinges closest to the turret.) without disturbing the long hinge pins.
Mucking around with a long hinge pin on each side into what would very likely be a stressed or damaged cover plate would be hoping for the best I reckon.
The damn things would be a mission to get back through the hinge eyes.
Going by the stats behind the apparent "legendary" reliability of the T34 series machine, they were simply destroyed before they had a chance to break down.
Access to basic mechanical checks and simple machine maintenance was done much less than its Allied or Enemy counterparts so it seems.

A battlefield service life expectancy of 0- 6 days(excluding travel by other means)................why even check the oil !!

...Yet with all that said...it's still a cool tank
Bet at the time ...them Soviets were glad not only to get some rations of Spam...but Shermans as well ....Which could be a lead in once you get one ...Sherman that is

ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

(Homer Simpson)...........DOOOoooooooh, stupid gotagetasherman

Again, from reports, the locals actually liked the lend-lease Shermans they got because they did not break down as often.

All this reading is really opening up the shroud of 'simplistic-perfection' the T-series machines gained.
They were dogs, but there were so many it did not matter.

Cool tank yes, Its been an ok build so far. But to be honest, its the information I have gained from having to look that has been the real bonus.
Ive got the louver flaps done just now. Used my solder paste for the first time. Jeez, where has that stuff been all my life ??!!
Brass joints made easy.
Plan to mount them under the hull with heavy plastic rails to allow rough handling during gearbox maintenance, a bit like the real ones might have been !

[ALPHA]

(Homer Simpson)...........DOOOoooooooh, stupid gotagetasherman

Still holding out on the Sherman eh ...well...you can still indulge in some Spam ...thing is ..until you cook it ..it's a funky shade of pink

Again, from reports, the locals actually liked the lend-lease Shermans they got because they did not break down as often.

Kind of parts the waters of the rumored unreliability records of the tanks eh...Shermans were good...and filled the need for an agent that could not only be mass produced easily ...but distributed as well

All this reading is really opening up the shroud of 'simplistic-perfection' the T-series machines gained.
They were dogs, but there were so many it did not matter.

Cool tank yes, Its been an ok build so far. But to be honest, its the information I have gained from having to look that has been the real bonus.
Ive got the louver flaps done just now. Used my solder paste for the first time. Jeez, where has that stuff been all my life ??!!
Brass joints made easy.
Plan to mount them under the hull with heavy plastic rails to allow rough handling during gearbox maintenance, a bit like the real ones might have been !

Nicer than mine...I did mine with scrap plastic lol...Good luck with the installation

will be watching for the next installment

ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

Louvers are done-ski
Used brass "toob" as pivot points for the louver blades. Put a small crimp in each one so as to allow tension in them to hold the position as placed.
They work spot on.