RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Hello! Thanks for the messages! I'll carry on from where i left off the other night. Here is a picture of the exhaust in place.

I'm not sure that this will be seen when the builds finished!
What i really like about 1:16 scale is that it is such a joy to work on! Especially parts that don't require a monthly trip to the opticians!
Next up! I've altered the ends of the lower hull spare track retaining bar and brackets. I've used source material from the web in order to do this. The reference photo i used can be found at- http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzer_III.pdf
Not quite sure how to do a 'link' but hopefully thats enough information!?

This photo shows the bar and bracket as it comes, (sorry about the picture)! Its the blurred bit!

I've started by removing the lug from the end of the retaining bar. (Attached to the front of the hull it acts as a guide). Then i've bent a piece of brass strip at a 90 degree angle. Placing the brass strip under the sprocket hub and tightening it holds the brass in position.

Then mark ready for cutting, filing etc...


The retaining bar at this point looks a little on the long side. So i removed the ends just behind the molded bolt heads. Then added some styrene rod.


A simple fix is to drill out the last spare track link.


Finally bring the elements together!


I've only glued the brackets to the bar at this point to aid painting!

Until next time!

Hey Ska,

Great build - but don't split it up...

Just post a reply to yourself!

Sorry my computer skills are, poor! I wasn't sure how to link it up. Cheers

Came back to it this morning and reworked the opposite end of the spare track link.

Here i've marked the areas to be removed in pencil.

Half a hour later using a razor saw, scalpel and some wet and dry this was the result.

Great looking job ska2d2, that's some sweet work...

Derek

Allo! A little more progress! This time its the engine intakes and grills.

I got a bit carried away and bought after-market replacements. Converting the original intakes would have been fine.

The divisions are a little on the thick side but it saved some work. Once the grills are in place this won't matter!

A quick tip! Removing the old intakes and replacing with the new is a very straight forward task with a small flat headed screwdriver.

I've cut the frames for the intake grills from 0.4 styrene sheet. The depth of the frame is larger than the intake so that the back of the frame sits on the engine deck.

"tankie"! Your a genius! Following the ever useful 'hints and tips' page on the forum, i went out and bought a £1 frying pan splatter guard!(Pictured).
Not having used a "frying pan splatter guard" for cooking, let alone a scale model, i decided to play it safe and try to make the process as straight forward as possible.
Using the frame as a template i've masked it to the splatter guard.

A quick coat of paint and "Bobs your auntie", an easy cutting out job!



Pictured here is the mesh glued to the frame with 'zap a gap' superglue, cross members being added before.
Finally i added some styrene rod for bolt heads+undercoat!


Onwards and upwards!, apart from a stray bolt head!

.

Super detailing for just £1 .......... that is what I like to see ... pure genius ... nice to see a panzer III build Ska . great work

Cheers, Wildboar44! All due credit to "tankie".

WELL DONE SKA !

if i owned an early t34/76 i'd be doing this for anti-mine mesh ! Going to get a couple domani !

cheers for the tip.

Thanks for the messages!
Moving on i have just finished reworking the front mud guard hinges. Heres what i did.

As you can see the detail as it comes isn't great. I have opted not to articulate the mud guards with working hinges as i want to have some fun with the finished model. Worrying about damaging hours of work with errant driving skills would, for me, defeat the point of an RC model. The key is to make them look like they work!
I started by gluing some styrene rod on top and along the edge of some styrene sheet. I tried this at first using 'plastic weld' then switched to super glue as it kept separating when cut.

I marked out 2mm intervals then cut away every other one. Then with some fresh rod replaced the cut out parts. I used 'plastic weld' for this taking care not to flood the pieces so that there is a slight gap underneath.

Having cut the hinge from the sheet i added bolt heads.

All that was left to do then was remove the molded on hinges from the mud guards and glue on the new ones!



Next time i'll tackle the rear guards!