Bedspring armor and metal schurzen

[c.rainford73]

Hi all hope everyone is having a fine New Year! I've seen some excellent examples of Bedspring armor and metal schurzen plates on the forum possibly plastic too.

My questions are about the design and some tips on how to build them. I'm looking to build a very late war style (paper panzer) kind of a what if........and was thinking of incorporating the Bedspring style armor in different states of disrepair ( I know the late Panzer iv Had these screens too) hanging from brackets.

This is going to be makeshift and look the part. Maybe a mix of screens and metal plates.

Any tips and tricks will be greatly appreciated

I have the basic idea but I know there are so many talented people on here that they may have posted something sometime ago about this or can lend me ( and others) their wisdom

Thank you

Carl

[HERMAN BIX]

Best thing to start with is Solder Paste.
Vital if you are going to make brass mesh screens.
Electronics supply shops should carry the stuff.
Comes in a syringe type dispenser and must be kept refrigerated.

Of course the brass mesh. I happen to have a boat load of it. Got it from a major chain hardware outlet here, its apparently used for window screens on older style homes.
I found 2 different sized squares and visually matched one to the look on my T34.

Brass strips again matched by visual appeal to the tank.

As for building them, I first made the frames. cut to length then spot solder paste on each corner, lightly pass over with a burner/butane torch to activate the solder.
As you do each corner, once the paste is spotted and the pieces placed, I used a set of long nose pliers opened up to apply pressure to both pieces at once with one hand while I hit the joint with the burner with the other !
Once all the frames are made, cut the mesh & apply the paste on the middle of the frame away from the corner joints.
Activate the paste.
When you get to the corners, apply paste and again try to simultaneously hold both corners, AND the mesh down so when you activate the paste with your burner the corner joint wont spring open.


Somewhere in all this you would have topped up your Jack Daniels several times to maintain calm and focus

Good luck mate

[c.rainford73]

Thank you Mr Herman I will stop at the supply house nearby and then the liquor store on my way home so I have a beverage while in the shop!

[c.rainford73]

Info appreciate the input. I had an idea this might be the best way to approach this. Funny thing is I solder quite often at work even high pressure water mains....

But when it comes to fiddling with these small bits and pieces I suddenly forget how to solder like a professional lol.

I will source all of my parts from the local hardware store and my hobby shop

I can also get my plasticard and brass sheets at the hobby center.

Then I will operate.

Then the whiskey will begin to flow

[HERMAN BIX]

Oh, and cardboard used as templates.
I do all my brass plate work using cardboard cut as templates, so one of each pattern gets used as the master for the others, plus it gives you a little stock of patterns to use next time.
Panther turret roof armour, king tiger vent armour, panther vent armour, T34 bedspring screens etc etc all patterned in cardboard to allow repeating and consistency
The only thing I didnt do was the Zu Fuss mystery mounts for the side of the Panther. they were made by following a single example completed then all the others copied off it.

Im sure others will have different ways of getting the same result, but that works for me.

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon, Gentlemen,
I am about to order something like this to assist in small solder work. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI4MFgxMjgw/ ... GL/$_3.JPG
Something to help keep the rampant drunkenness associated with our Hobby somewhat under control. ;o)
regards,
Painless

[c.rainford73]

Oh, and cardboard used as templates.
I do all my brass plate work using cardboard cut as templates, so one of each pattern gets used as the master for the others, plus it gives you a little stock of patterns to use next time.
Panther turret roof armour, king tiger vent armour, panther vent armour, T34 bedspring screens etc etc all patterned in cardboard to allow repeating and consistency
The only thing I didnt do was the Zu Fuss mystery mounts for the side of the Panther. they were made by following a single example completed then all the others copied off it.

Im sure others will have different ways of getting the same result, but that works for me.

That is a super idea Herman! Then I can have the templates for future reference and builds.

[c.rainford73]

Good afternoon, Gentlemen,
I am about to order something like this to assist in small solder work. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI4MFgxMjgw/ ... GL/$_3.JPG
Something to help keep the rampant drunkenness associated with our Hobby somewhat under control. ;o)
regards,
Painless

Mr painless that would make for much neater and less tedious work. I may look into sourcing one before I "jump" into the Bedspring's

[ausf]

K&S brass angle, tube and sheet, solder and brass mesh. Get some references on the real thing to avoid design problems.

When I built the support tubes I copied the real ones as they bent down in the front. Turns out the down angle exactly follows the main gun depression.

On this and the StuG, all plates are removable.

phpBB [video]

phpBB [video]

[c.rainford73]

Wow you have done really nice Panzers! Very big fan of the mesh screening and that interesting cupola.... Sorry for sounding foolish but is that some kind of on off switch on the Stug? Very cool whatever it is

Carl