BERLIN BUSTER T34/85 'BEDSPRING'

[HERMAN BIX]

Stuff it, Im going to push on with the damn hinges. I will get out tomorrow & try to pick up materials so I can beat this.

[HERMAN BIX]

Stuff it, Im going to push on with the damn hinges. I will get out tomorrow & try to pick up materials so I can beat this.

[ALPHA]

Found RC rudder/ aileron hinges were perfect...my mistake was not using two and doing the entire length...one went half way...still works ...but would have looked better going completely across ...the nice thing was the "loops" matched the molded on set perfectly...so they still blend in even though I went half way

Here's some listings on EBAY UK...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... s&_sacat=0
Here's a Hobby shop listing...made by DU BRO

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/dub/dub116.htm
this is in the states...I'm sure you can find similar there down under

When I did mine...I kept one side full extension and glued it inside the hull reinforcing that end with some plastic dust...cut the top end in half and secured it to the hatch in the same manner...you will have to carve away the molded on hinges leaving a slight indentation to accommodate the new hinges..but that was easily done with an xacto knife

Or...you could go the route Phil went and glue magnets inside the hull and put metal tabs on the engine cover

ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

Yep, the aircraft route was the first port of call tomorrow, next is aluminium(aloominum!) sheet so I can bend my own.

Thanks for the tips, I am far to impatient to wait for a package from overseas for these damn things

[ALPHA]

Good Luck in bending your own lol...Personally I'd go with brass though lol....anyway...got some photos for ya


As you can see the links and everything are a perfect match for the stock....I didn't take the time to fill beneath the hinge so you can easily tell where one starts and ends ...will rectify that on the Redo lol...you can also see the open vents through the mesh...I made them so you can open and close them at the same time

Vents closed....you can see the hinge attachment to the inside of the engine cover...as you can see they are cut


I left the two upper stock points and the lower "holes" to facilitate "locking"...if you don't do something the hatch will constantly bounce open...I think Phil left his as well...he didn't do the hinges and went for magnets so the cover wouldn't come completely off ...hopefully he will come in to clarify

Have Fun Herman

ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

I also have left the stock locating points intact on the front edge.
The hinges will get sorted, I just got to the point of losing my proverbial, so walked off in a foul mood.
Appreciate the photos.
Louvers next, they will be as simple as possible, really to allow access to the gear sets for lubrication.
The smoker sits suspended by the clear tubes directly under it, so no real point in trying to enhance detail under the hatch.
I bent up the oil igniter feed lines out of small brass tube, these can be fitted once all the other fart-assing around has been done.

[ALPHA]

You don't NEED to do the vents lol....I know I kind of started that craze....thought of even doing my KV 2...and ended up being a bad Idea lol...but if your thought is to do them and still be able to access your gearboxes....you might have to dream a little dream as the lid won't open that far....of course what I am saying is moot if you decide to do what I didn't do and plan to do later....that would be to put a full length pin in the hinges so you can pull it completely out and remove the lid

With that said though...I still rather lube the gearboxes by opening the tank up....allows for a quick check of everything inside

By the way...you didn't answer my question about the commander's hatch...you going to mod it? or keep the duals

ALPHA

[HERMAN BIX]

If the hatch has a single hinge on each side, it will open well wide enough to lube the gear sets.
The cupola will stay split. There is a boat load of info from various places that create so much variation/combination possibilities on these machines to allow likely scenarios for 44 build machines entering Berlin in all manor of guises.
The turrets alone are so different,but the same, depending on the factory they came from.

The more I read about these things, the more they are not like a cookie-cutter production per machine, rather a set of guidelines that gave enough direction to produce Tanks, but took into consideration the production & supply capabilities of each facility & the personnel in them.
Its like a "Wayne's-World" production mindset.................'Just produce them.........they will work'

[HERMAN BIX]

Mine will be a Model 1944"angle jointed" Turret (Zavrod 174 Style)
The '45 machines had slightly larger cupolas and the single hatches !
(apparently)

[HERMAN BIX]

http://chris-intel-corner.blogspot.com. ... f-war.html

And this although is a lot of reading, seems to balance out the best being Russian and the poorest thought out being German !
Sure does change my mind about the things I thought I knew about the T34's impact on the war.
Still no discounting..............there were thousands of them