Building a Mid-Production Normandy Tiger 1

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Thank you gentlemen as always...

It's funny what you find yourself doing on Christmas day whilst the turkey is in the oven. I guess I have a little more time to myself these days now that my boys (11 & 13) don't need me to assemble some dastardly semi-electronic toy. Arthur spent some time trying out his new Xbox headphones and Hector was busy recording electric bass with his new usb sound card thingy - but both found time for some modelling as well. And so did I!

So on with the engine crank shaft and handle.

Those building early Tigers don't really need to bother with the latter because it wasn't mounted outside the tank (presumably it was carried in the turret stowage bin). With mid to late Tigers, however, it was clamped on the upper deck just ahead of the aerial mount on the starboard side.

Just like an old-fashioned car, the starter handle attached to the crank via a square-sectioned spigot. You will see in some of the photos that I have added the latter using grey plastic rod which I shaved down to the correct profile. At the other end is a more complex shaped spigot (which connected to the engine) - I have only approximated what it looks like.

The starter handle itself was made from two short lengths of copper tubing. For the flat metal bracket I used one of my trusty large packing staples. This was simply glued to the copper tubes. It doesn't have much strength (and if it needed to it would have to be soldered) but this shouldn't matter because it is just going to be clamped flat on the hull roof anyway.

Although a little blurry here you can see the component parts which make up the starting crank shaft.jpg (35.11 KiB) Viewed 15045 times

The completed crank shaft and starting handle as it would appear ready for use.jpg (38.6 KiB) Viewed 15045 times

here you can see a mixture of brass and copper tube and a copper packing staple.jpg (39.69 KiB) Viewed 15045 times

The two pieces separated - note the squared off spigot (grey plastic rod) at the end of the crank shaft.jpg (39.49 KiB) Viewed 15045 times

The starting handle does not need to have much strength because it will simply be clamped flat on the top deck.jpg (34.51 KiB) Viewed 15045 times

I suppose there's an obvious joke to be made at this point (at my expense), so I'll make it first: after lawd knows how many years spent on this post I could really do with 'cranking up' the pace...

Happy Christmas!

[tanks_for_the_memory]

So now I had the starter handle finished it was time to clamp it in place.

The clamps for the starter crank handle in position.jpg (32.92 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

The starter handle glued in place.jpg (34.53 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

It looks fiddly but once you get the hang of them these Voyager clamps really aren't too hard!.jpg (33.73 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

I also reattached the spare aerial tube which had come adrift some time ago....jpg (38.33 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

The starter handle now clamped in place.jpg (29.76 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

Whilst I was on a roll with the clamps I decided to replace the one holding the wrecking bar in place on the other side of the hull.

The clamp for the wrecking bar on the other side.jpg (32.67 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

I decided not to bother with the Voyager mounts for either end - after painting I think the Tamiya moulding will look just fine.jpg (35.7 KiB) Viewed 15019 times

[FredtheFrench]

Awesome work.

I think it will be a master piece. Your zimmerit look pretty good and the details are amazing. Your clamps are from Aber? How do you built these clamps, because it is very hard to built.

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Thanks Fred.

Actually the starboard side was one of the first bits of zimmerit I did - and my technique has improved!

The clamps are from Voyager - and much, much easier to put together than Aber. The set is:

Voyager 1/16 WWII German Clamps & Clasp late type Product # PE 16002

Voyager 1 16 WWII German Clamps & Clasp late type PE 16002.jpg (18.95 KiB) Viewed 15001 times

Each clamp needs just three parts and they can be bent with bare hands, tweezers or a craft knife blade. However, even though (at 47) my eyesight is pretty good, I find an illuminated magnifier absolutely essential.

[FredtheFrench]

Thank you very much for your answer.

I do not know this manufacturer.

[jarndice]

FRED Hi,
There is a very good reason why people when they need something in Photo Etch go to Voyager,
I have used both and ABERs products are wonderfully accurate but complex and fiddly to complete whereas VOYAGERs work is almost always easier to put together and as FORGEBEAR sells both it is easy to compare like with like as well as price.
shaun.

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Well whether it's the New Year or something else, I really feel that I have a new impetus on this build (cue cynical laughter all round).

Today I did a test with my turret back on the hull and the hull back on the rest and turned it all on - and it worked! The turret revolved, the gun recoiled, the guns flashed, the engine roared and the Tiger stalked its prey... Oh mercy this is what it's all about!

I even took a short video clip, but I'll spare you that for now. I can't work out how to upload it anyway (and if you want to give me advice please feel free but let's not turn this blog into a 'how to post video clips' section...) and besides the muzzle brake fell off when I fired the gun (it's not glued on yet).

But it proved to me that this build still has a purpose - and possible an end...

However, before I can really progress I have to get the upper hull finished so that I can paint it an then attach the turret for good. So I am working in all directions.

For now my attention has alighted on the front hatches.

Return to the front hatches

The assembled hatch periscopes from the Build Your Own Tiger set.jpg (36.7 KiB) Viewed 14952 times

The hatches I have used on my Tiger are all-metal and, if I recall, made by Taigen. I have already discussed the options, but these are nicely made, strong and include the internal locking mechanism. But there are 'issues'. Chief among these are the fact that they don't quite fit so as to allow the hatch to swing open and past the vertical just like the real thing. First I tried a complicated fix and then found a simpler one - please look above. The result is that one (on the radio operator's side) is fixed for all eternity whilst the other (on the driver's side) is not. This made working on the first one a little tricky...

Another problem is the presence of unsightly ejector-pin circles on the inner face. I am used to these on plastic mouldings but have to say that they surprised me on a metal part. I had already tried to fill these once but once I added a primer coat it was obvious that they still showed. So I filled them again with Milliput and then sanded them down a second time. Because they are sometimes hard to reach behind the hatch locking mechanism I used an old-fashioned technique - steel wool.

The radio operator's metal hatch after my first attempt at filling the ejector pin holes.jpg (37.08 KiB) Viewed 14952 times

Here is the driver's hatch after a second attempt to fill the holes with terracotta Milliput.jpg (38.87 KiB) Viewed 14952 times

It's not pretty - but the tell-tale circles seem to have finally disappeared!.jpg (35.65 KiB) Viewed 14952 times

The results were acceptable and since I have added a another primer coat I am going to leave them as they are (more photos will follow of the final primed hatches I promise).

Something else I had missed where the three hatch stops on the inner face. These came courtesy of the Build Your Own Tiger set (of which more below). Note that these should be equally placed around the circumference and the one at the top of the inner hatch (when it is open - i.e. the edge facing the centre when closed) should be on the other side (the left) of the locking bar but the way the Taigen part is made doesn't allow for this - so I used artistic licence. I apologise to David Byrden in advance...

Here I have added the three hatch stops from the Build Your Own Tiger set.jpg (38.02 KiB) Viewed 14952 times

With the hatch inner finished you may wonder what there is left. In fact you may wonder what is the point of any of this? Well eventually I want a crew in my Tiger and if the hatches are to be open then they need to look 'right'. Call it OCD if you will, but whenever I see surviving or restored tanks there is always something that bugs me if it's not there. Let's call it the eyes of the tank crew. That's right - periscopes!

This bit is going to take more than one post, but for now (as in early 2016) let's just say that the options for the front hatches of a Tiger 1 are rather limited. These were actually rather complicated on the real thing, consisting of a hinged mechanism which clamped the Bakerlite clad periscope into the inside of the hatch. There are metal and resin parts available, but for me they don't cut the mustard. The wonderful Voyager PE set doesn't include them and for the state of the art you then have to look to Aber - which is expensive and - er - complicated.

However, here the Build Your Own Tiger magazine comes to rescue! More to come...

[SovereignZuul]

Looking good TFTM, really love that starter crank.

[ALPHA]

Looking good TFTM, really love that starter crank.

ZUUL!!!! Where you been buddy

ALPHA

[Markocaster]

Love this build! Fantastic work