Static to FO KT

[billpe]

So the problems with these boxes has gotten worse, to the point I have ordered some ETO boxes.

I started to run these impact boxes in and the bearings kept coming out and I disassembled them to see if I could fix the alignment problems and it turn out some of the axles are bent, the affected bearings are broken and I think they'd just grind themselves to pieces if I used them.

Pretty sad state of affairs.

[BillDe]

So the problems with these boxes has gotten worse, to the point I have ordered some ETO boxes.

I started to run these impact boxes in and the bearings kept coming out and I disassembled them to see if I could fix the alignment problems and it turn out some of the axles are bent, the affected bearings are broken and I think they'd just grind themselves to pieces if I used them.

Pretty sad state of affairs.

Billpe, thanks for the info, I have been thinking of trying them. For the price they charge for these gear boxes, that is lame. Your KT project is interesting, I have 3 static kits I would like to convert. Following this thread with interest.

Bill

[billpe]

Yeah, not best pleased about the whole thing. The ETO boxes are $285 but look solid. Just need to wait 3 weeks for them to get from Crimea. Turning a static into an FO and getting mechanical reliability it turning out to be very expensive. I won't be doing it again with a King Tiger at any rate.

The axles for the roadwheels on the older kits have one bushing (inserted into the outer wheel half) and a flat head that makes it look like a nail head. They wobble quite a bit, even when you first assemble them new. The newer kits have a second, smaller bushing that is inserted into the center hub that fits into the outer wheel half, and the axle has a small extension on top of the "nail head" that goes into this bushing. It is a LOT less wobbly.

I opened them up today and discovered several annoyances: 1) They are indeed as you describe 2) You can't get rid of the play with new axles because they way they are put together means you can't put the 2nd bushing/bearing in 3) The old axles don't have the cutout section for the grub screws to bite 4) I have to buy a whole new set of road wheels sprues and axles.

[billpe]

Rob at ETO armour has sent out their King Tiger gearboxes.



Since I will be one of the first to use them I will do a review as well.

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning,
I was talking to Robert about these last week via email. They look as brutal as the description. I'll be awaiting your review in earnest, Billpe.
regards,
Painless

[billpe]

So while I wait for parts to turn up, I've been checking out Green Stuff modelling putty. Milliput is nice and all but it's both messy and the finish is sometimes not great. This Green stuff is awesome, it doesn't leave a mess and has a plasticized finish. I think it's far superior for sculpting but milliput is still a winner for filling.

Also, word of warning: Shumo idler drums do not fit inside of the Shumo idler drum mounts. Most disappointed.

[puramo]

I like your dedication to getting the effects on the armour and those gear boxes look very very solid

[billpe]

While I wait for the gearboxes I've been making the casting on the pig snout mantlet and added the wire to stop the bolts coming loose when the gun fires.

Interestingly I thought there were two versions of this mantlet. In fact there is only one version, the ones with the rings round them haven't been ground down in the factory.


The Shumo track holder set. Made some small errors drilling the holes for them and initially had the loop at the bottom the wrong side and had to do a couple again. Also finished off the welding. I made a mistake on my last KT by putting weld lines around the cupola, turns out it's actually bolted onto the top of the hull and not welded.

Since I had to buy new axles and bushings, I bought both the Impact bearing set and the Shumo bushings set. There is now a bearing at the front and a bushing at the back so there is almost no play in the wheels any more. Unfortunately there is a problem: the end of the bushings is too narrow to fit the axle properly. It's completely stiff! So the hole at the end on the wheel needs to be ground down a little both inside and the end. You can see the difference between the one that is ground and the one that is out of the bag and untouched.

Once altered a little, they look great and there is no play in the wheels any more and no chance of dirt getting into the housing, definitely worth the small cost and minor adjustment.

Since this has started to cost a small fortune I'm going to skip the ESC I was going to buy and not get the 18 tooth sprockets and single link tracks. I'll use the MFU, DMD and Impact tracks from my other King Tiger on this, which will become a temporary shelf queen. I'll then strip my other King Tiger at a later date, repaint it and put in a Clark board or something.

Lastly these are a waste of money.

The holes are no drilled in the right place - which I can live with but they don't actually fit the Shumo drums designed to go inside them. It's not even a tight fit, they need about 1.5mm take off the insides to fit them in. Not sure what i'll do with them, probably sell them with all the other left overs from this project, of which there are many.

[billpe]

Perfect fit and alignment!

[billpe]

Once the dog has been walked and pub lunch has been consumed I'll finish off the external work on the turret. The PE will go on once its in a state where I'm no longer fileing, drilling and filling.

Taking a step back and adding up the costs, its coming to more than the brand new FO kit which can be bought for about £380. I could have bought cheaper gearboxes and settled for an RX18 but then it would defeat the point of having a tamiya. Even then when you add that the completed static wheels are not suitable, a completed static turret needs careful deconstruction, a new barrel or extension, the hull needs modifications as it doesn't have the underside to the sponsons etc. It all adds up to slightly eye watering amounts and a fair amount of cutting, filling and general work not needed on the FO version.

Maybe the newest static model is just the FO without electronics but I would be extremely wary about taking a partially finished static and making it battle ready which is the goal.