RAMSCHAUFELPANZER PANTHER

[HERMAN BIX]

Sehr viel Sir, aber Haltbarkeit kann ein Problem sein
auch nicht sicher, wie sie malen würden !!

[HERMAN BIX]

Its said that sometimes the simple things in life bring the most satisfaction............
For me, in this case, its a steering wheel.
Had to make one that had the right look in accordance with the pictures.
After scouring the house for the girls Barbie cars & still coming up nil or over scale, the thought of making one was an endgame situation.
I had brass tube, but after plenty of learning, knew that it had to be annealed............that is, made more malleable.
Brass will deform if not annealed when bent, so on went the burner to a dull red for a moment.
Then I formed it around an old Maglite torch (thats flashlight for you left hand drivers !) that seemed to offer the right finished diameter.
A steering wheel, even if its on a tankdozer still needs to be the right looking diameter.
Mine's about a 384mm wheel, close to that of a 6" gate valve.
I am assuming they used an old valve handle or suchlike to raise or lower the blade depending on the terrain & obstacles encountered.
This thing was in Nuremberg, that we know.
WHEN in Nuremberg, we dont.
if it was a "during-war" series of pictures, the bombing was non stop and very likely the ersatz crew would be back out again the next day or night if they were not dead.
if it was a post hostilities conversion, the terrain may have been a bit less variable (I.E. not having more debris piled into a previously cleared road)& the crew (of former Panther tank crewmen??) would have been returned to duty to resume the task without much fear or duress to perform.
We shall never know.

I formed the wheel outer around the maglite after heating it & cooling it in air. The tube bent easy.
Sliced the spokes out of the same material and dressed the ends.
Used a short section of 3mm I.D. tube for the hub.
Solder paste on all joints & hit the entire thing with the brulee burner.
I used a couple of 3mm stainless cap screws that were dressed to length and one was soldered into a spacer tube between the wheel mechanism and the brace on the blade.
The other was incorporated into the wheel hub with solder, but super glued into the spacer tube.
Nylock nuts were used to set the entire thing in position while the bits all set.

Last bit of this is to do the brace from the blade arm cross member to the brace on top of the blade.

Then.................actual Panther tank detailing thank Christ

[Wildboar44]

Perfecto

[HERMAN BIX]

Got a rocket up my hoo-haa and managed to get a bit done.
For a tank with no details, it sure does require a lot of detailing !
As there are no tools, all the tool mountings still need to be close.
Ive added all the straps that secure the tool hangers to the hull, made a set of near enough jack block holders out of brass angle & taigen tiger engine deck mesh sprue punched out with a paper punch & using the round disks to solder onto the angle & be dressed with the 'Drem-obi'.
Various bits of brass tube for tool sockets, & more sprue for clasps & the axe head keeper.
Even jagged a Tamiya Panther headlight that I can use with a modified T34 lense to replicate the one in the picture.

The blade support wheel assembly is now reinforced, and I fitted an old Tamiya King Tiger idler tensioner unit spring under the steering wheel system to allow float if they run over obstacles.
Until I get this thing on its tracks, Ive got no sure way of checking the balance.
I have clocked the front springs, and tested the rebound, but cant be real sure until its loaded up & driven.

The Panther series has a very subtle but definite range of changes that can to the trained eye, identify each version, each manufacturer and build period in a more complex formula than that of the Tiger.
Even the position of the Balkencruez(sp) in relation to the tool racks can identify its origin.
No trained eye here I can assure you !
A bit like the T-34/85 tanks.............look the same, but have certain signature features that are otherwise lost on a casual glance.
I have stumbled over some info that I am not sure how to share here.
All the pictures are also vividly copyright'd, so I dont want to fall foul of the author.
If I figure out the finer points, I will certainly post the link, but I will check first.

All I need to do now is make & fit some mock clasp buckles on the tool clamps , apply some welds & then its on with primer.

Its coming good now.

[HERMAN BIX]

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/archive ... 5-f669244/

Rivet counting at its finest...................

[Jimster]

Looks to be a museum quality tank model. I look forward to seeing it all painted and weathered.

[HERMAN BIX]

Thanks Mr Jimster.
Mocked up some clasps for the tool clamps, and lids today.
They are quite "sticky-outy" so may not last the test of handling & time, but they look near enough.
At least if/when they do bust off, they are not million dollar Aber ones eh !
Got chains & pins to do all round, hopefully tomorrow, then primer on the deck.

[ronnie42]

Herman You have opened a can of worms giving details of the different tool racks over time and factory variations. : All we need is the Panther getting some early or mid versions just like the Tiger. Like the brass work, how about putting a worm gear on the plough that would be a real rc first in tank land.

[BarryC]

The devil is in the details! Looking great Herman!!

Barry

[HERMAN BIX]

Herman You have opened a can of worms giving details of the different tool racks over time and factory variations. : All we need is the Panther getting some early or mid versions just like the Tiger. Like the brass work, how about putting a worm gear on the plough that would be a real rc first in tank land.

I reckon that site can be considered proof enough that the early, mid and lates exist and are quite distinct.
There are even distinct versions of each model. There are early D, mid D and late D . Early G, mid G and of course mate G versions.
Early A ( which are Ds with new cupolas, ) and late A.
D and A with different armour types, interlocking lug differences, and of course the tool rack style, positions & attachment method.
Who’d of thunk