RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Updated 09-11-2019
There are two options of the Jack detailing. The one listed here was intended to add some detail to the main body of the Jack. These are simple modifications intended at the time to create a less of a stuck on plastic look. Like all things, during the build progress you learn more and become absorbed about the detail !. The second version is a full PE brass build, this has yet to be built but its on the list !

The 15tonne jack on the rear of the HL Tiger is supplied missing a lot of details , I did not want to put it back on to the new rear panel without adding some of those missing parts. First thing was to fill the void in underneath the jack with milliput . Then using a paper clip bent to shape I added a handle to the jack body . To make some jack mounting plates , I took the 2.5x2.5mm brass channel I used to mount the firewall and dremmeled it down to around half its original height . After taking some measurements from the jack I filed two V grooves in the cut down channel and cut it to length. After heating the channel over the gas ring I bend it back along the V grooves to form a C bracket.......... This was then bonded to the jack body with two part epoxy resin, I drilled a 1.5mm hole into the channel to accepts a form of locking pin made from the same paper clip. To make the handle that is missing from the HL jack, I broke off 5mm from the end of a 2.5mm drill bit. This was used to insert into the jack block casing. To make the connecting plate from the jack body incorporating the jack handle I filed down a 1.5mm sheet of styrene to connect the stub to the main handle. The rest of the drill bit was snapped off to the correct height. To secure the jack handle to the rear panel , I used the sprue from PE brass engine grill awaiting fitment. This was formed around the drill bit and bonded to the drill bit to imitate a locating fastner. It may not be the best true accurate representation of the way a 15tonne jack was located, but it adds some detail to an otherwise bland jack body. The jack was epoxy bonded using the original mounting holes onto the rear panel. Thanks for watching...until the next update...

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Very nice. I felt the same way with my Tiger's jack so this will be the blue print for me !

Looking sweet Gordo...

Derek

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Thanks for replies Guy's ,really appreciated

Updated 16-11-2019

Ok, Heavy work load means not a lot done this week , slipping in a few hours in the garage I gave the rear panel a coat of Grey Automotive Cellulose primer. I prefer grey for the first coat as it highlights any errors or rough features like the seam line on the jack and the rough edges around the access hatch from the Milliput application, both were filed off and cleaned up. Looking at various photo's and reading Wolfgang Schneiders book Tiger in combat II, It would seem that the 1st Kompanie PzAbt 101 Tiger's displayed the Corps insignia on the left rear Hull. On the 1st and 3rd Kompanie the insignia was located onto a "cut out" panel where the Zimmerit was removed . At some time but until the decals turn up I will have to remove this area of Zimmerit with a file to replicate this feature. It is not clear if the 3rd company displayed the corps insignia on the rear as well ( Mentioned only on the front) its only meantioned that the 1st kompanie had them on right rear Hull and left front Hull . Unique to the 101st PzAbt was the form of a Tactical insignia for a tank company in the form of a Rhombus with the Latin S and a small 1 denoting the 1st kompanie. This was applied directly onto the Zimmerit One of the last items to be added to the rear panel were the missing rear mud flaps. These are metal ones from WDM. As these were added to the rear panel after the Zimmerit was applied, you can clearly see the join where the surfaces connect . A Simple tip I have learnt where any hard edge meets another surface and I want to blend them in, is to use some white PVA wood glue and a small screwdriver. Simply dip the small blade in the PVA and dip it along the seems, let it flow into the joint and it will blend those joints nicely. If you have any small holes you wish to fill it works for these too . Until the next post peoples.........Thanks for watching



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Updated 16-11-2019

Bit more done this week , on and off in the garage .

First job was to prime the hull with Automotice cellulose grey primer, this i feel is ok for lower less detailed parts and rear panels that will be weathered a lot . For upper Hull and Turret. I would choose white cellulose primer By this stage the original holes for the switches were filled with milliput and sanded smooth The gearbox covers / firewall / suspension bars / RX18 mount and switch / ariel holders given a coat too. Followed by a natty coat of Blue ...... Once the hull primer was dry ( My version of "dry" on cellulose primer is when you can no longer smell the paint) A coat of Dark Yellow Tamiya XF-60 Acrylic (Dunkelgelb) was airbrushed all over .
It was time at this stage to start putting all the standard HL electrics back in . First was the new On/Off switch which is accessed from under the Drivers hatch. As the switch is now further forward along the hull, the battery leads were extended by using these Automotive electrical connectors I had laying about from my motorcycle days. The leads were sited coming out the back on the battery box instead of the leads using the original top hole. The transmitter lead was also routed via this aperture The firewall/gearbox top cover and inside of the hull gearbox area were lined with a layer of 5mm neoprean foam. Hopefully this will help cut down the noise from the gearboxes, the foam lined under the gearboxes and in front inner hull. The later was thinned out by cutting 15x15mm square section away as the forward most brass gear in the box was rubbing The transmitter selector and volume adjuster were mounted under the new RX18 mounting plate . The gearboxes were re-installed and the RX18 plate bolted into place. All the other leads from items such as the speaker, transmitter board and power supply were pulled through the apertures. Update continued on next post due to 10 photo upload restrictions

Looking good! Loving the white glue tip!

Updated 16-11-2019

ska2d2 wrote:Looking good! Loving the white glue tip!

thanks for the thumbs up Ska, Im sure the white glue tip has been mentioned here before .

Looking forward to your next update on your Panzer III


Continued from previous post
Into the wife's sowing box and under the nose of the enemy we steal some sticky velcro and add this to the bottom of the unit and mounting plate . The RX18 unit is then placed on top of the plate and the leads connected . Receiver aerial in place with standard speaker in new location The rear panel is given a coat of the same dark yellow XF-60 Acrylic paint . This shows the original rear panel and how it was corrected to remove the join line . And lastly the top gearbox cover was bolted in place ...... with a few decals added from a set I have never used. Thats it for now. The Hull goes into storage awaiting the Camo and Weathering.

Next will be changes to the Top Hull area.....Until next post ...Tankon

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One last thing, found this great little tip on reducing the slack of the HL metal gearboxes, hopefully this will also reduce noise along with the ally gearbox covers and sound deadening. Big thank you to jonger for posting the original link below. Hope you dont mind me adding to my thread jonger it is a brilliant tip for us all. See link to post :


viewtopic.php?f=38&t=9841&hilit=shim+hl+gearbox


Prior to installing the HL Metal gearbox's, I followed jonger's thread and shimmed mine.

Updated 16-11-2019
Ok Peoples ., it was time to tackle the Upper Hull modifications , So far the lower Hull were mainly reliability changes with a couple of Mid Production details such as C hook on rear & round rod track hanger ( PzAbt 101 Unit modification )

The Upper Hull will be mainly Mid production changes with a few corrections and detail additions. Opening hatches, correcting the Turret ring location, adding a travel lock, making changes to the engine upper deck layout to Mid-Production spec, opening up the closed Driver vision port.

The Upper Hull changes
First on the List was removing the "extra" aerial tube mounted on the ( looking from the rear ) left hand side. Why HL added this must have been one of their anti copy right measures. Reading this forum I have learnt that this is wrong and needed correcting as it was only on the opposite side the tube was mounted . After using the Dremmel to remove most of the tube , the flat area's were carefully re-profiled using a fine file . While re-profiling the tube location , I used the same file to score a groove into the original weld line ready for some milliput beading. Next was removing the original early production Feifel air intake and brackets . I find the best way to remove these glued on peg mounted details is to use a file and remove most of the peg showing by scraping / filing it off . Then using a small pointed screwdriver , simply push on the head of the pin and it should "pop" out . This Mid / Late production air intake was added, while the Feifel air intake was discontinued from the factory spec beginning September 1943, It seems that it took several month and many combinations of old and new before this style of intake was standard by the time Tiger 131 was produced in Nov / Dec 43. The missing engine lifting handles broken off a long time ago were added using good old paper clips !
N:B This Mid/Late Air intake was replaced later for more accurate scale replacement.
Next was removing the front Driver/ Gunner Glacia. This was done to make access for a Dremmel easier for removing the moulded on tools and opening the hatches on the hull as well as the Driver vision port. First I removed all traces of glue from these two lugs . Then by gently pushing the panel away and teasing it with small screwdrivers , working from one end to the other it eventualy popped off. The corners seem to have a lot of glue in place, ease these away with extreme care !

Cont.........

Updated 16-11-2019
The tools on the early production Tiger's were relocated on the Mid Production variant , also by adding a second C hook next to the Jack block, the Jack block itself was moved further back. The two dummy light sockets on the standard HL hull also need to be removed and replace with a more central one. So I need to remove all the tools from the surface, some are simply fixed by glued lugs and some are moulded in. For removing the moulded on tools . I prefer to Dremmel off most of the tool leaving a millimeter or so left. Then with a fine file I scrape / file off the rest until the file starts to leave tell tale scratches on the surface One this happens I switch over to a small stone rubbing block that came with the Dremmel . This is used to "hone" the surface flat with water until with a wetted finger you can no longer feel anything other than a smooth surface . Several hours of "honing " later this is the result. It is very controlled and requires almost no filling. The Moulded on "wooden" jacking block and the compartment vent have been removed by Dremmel. The square area below the original jack block was patched with a styrene panel and will be filled with milliput

Opening up the Hatches
Now it was time to open the hatches, the original reccess is 28mm on my HL hull, this is also the sames width as the inner ring of the Asiatam/Taigan working hatches . For this I dremmel out from inside almost all of the hatch until it left a ridge about 2mm from the original inner Hull reccess Then I switched to a round back file and reduced this to be flush with the original reccess Once this is complete, I was left with this part of the hatch left on the outside surface. To be continued............