Need Advice/ Early Tiger Starter Handle

[Jimster]

I need some good advice from our expert builders. I model an initial production Tiger with a fairly unique starter handle. It hangs low just like the prototype but is easily damaged due to my hellish driving over wicked terrain. I’ve had some success with sticky tape as it allows some flexibility but I need to engineer a brass scratch built handle that can swing freely somehow in loop brackets or something. Any recommendations? Here’s a pic of how it was and how it looks when broken. I’m getting tired of looking for broken pieces in the grass. And why the hell doesn’t anyone produce a brass detail part for this handle?



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[Jofaur86]

Hello
Why not make with brass tube of different dimensions?

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[jarndice]

My solution was to fit a clamp a little further up to permanently retain the handle the two drawbacks being it is no longer "CORRECT" and it removes the pleasure of watching the handle swing as the Tiger rolls.
If I was building a shelf queen I would leave it as it should be,
I do have a Heng Long/Taigen Tiger 1 version 6.0 early in construction so I may well remove the clamp from "813" and park her up.

[General Jumbo01]

Both good solutions. If the real thing hung so low, l wonder how the tank crews managed not to break or bend theirs? Fixing the hanging handle back against the hull should resolve the problem when in use.

[jarndice]

Both good solutions. If the real thing hung so low, l wonder how the tank crews managed not to break or bend theirs? Fixing the hanging handle back against the hull should resolve the problem when in use.

Which is pretty much what I said BUT Jimsters Tiger 1 early is about as accurate an example of a 1/16 r/c Tiger 1 early that I have seen which is why I doubt he will wish to take up your/mine suggestion as that would mean it would no longer follow the prototype.
Perhaps ensuring that the handle is totally free in its clamps so that it will move as soon as it is contact with an obstacle with a chain attached to prevent it swinging to far would be a better answer.

[Son of a gun-ner]

Get some thin walled brass tube to the correct outside diameter. Then get some genuine piano wire that's a good fit in the brass tube.

Make a sharp 90 degree bend in the piece of piano wire.
Cut two bits of brass tube, the long length, and the shorter length that make up the main part. Cut one end of each tube to a 45 degree angle. Cut a small slot in the other end of the short brass tube, the side which is longest. The slot needs to be the depth and width of the piano wire.
Now fit the two tubes on the piano wire to make the angled/mitered ends meet, the tubes may need tweaking depending on how sharp the piano wire is bent.
You can either glue or solder the long tube on the wire which should be cleaned.
Now bend the piano wire sticking out of the short brass tube 90 degrees and causing it to bend into the slot. You will have to hold the short brass tube at the base of the slot to achieve this and not cause the wire to make the slot deeper and altering your dimensions. Glue or solder the short bit of tube.
Now you can fit the last bit of tube for the handle, again, glue or solder it on.
It would be easier to have the piano wire a little longer while doing this, then trim and clean later, but if you use solder, you can have it shorter to plug up the ends of the tubes.

You can however purchase small diameter bendable brass rod from model suppliers, but I don't know how well they bend, especially tightly. But I know piano wire is good for bending, especially small diameters, even cold.

You can also add on other bits of thin walled tube to make it more detailed like Jofaur86 shows.

[Jimster]

I think I can cobble something together using all the great suggestions here. Thank you all for taking the time to help. I’ll post pics of my results when it’s completed. Might be a while.

[Son of a gun-ner]

I think I can cobble something together using all the great suggestions here. Thank you all for taking the time to help. I’ll post pics of my results when it’s completed. Might be a while.

However you do it Jim, sadly, at this size, if it doesn't snap off, it'll bend.

[Jimster]

Hey now! Don’t get personal.

[EAO]

Jim,

Just got a minute of down time here and saw this post. You can get a pair of Z shaped piano wire pliers. They put a nice tight bend in piano wire shaped like a Z. They are made for piano wire control rods for control surfaces in RC planes. I'm sure Jarndice knows what I'm talking about. I'm at the cabin, otherwise I'd take a photo of mine. They might help...or maybe not?!

Just take it easy on "Miss Leningrad", she's not as young as she used to be!

Cheers,
Eric.