RC Tanks Australia Forum

Hi Spud

With regards to the spring showing in the shock, is that when on the tank, as my P III shocks don't show them

Here's a pic of the springs I got The left spring came with the metal shocks, the right spring is from Bunnings and the middle one is what I cut it down to (trial and error)


This pic shows the shock and the bottom of the spring is covered with the top half.
I have just looked at my P III just to make sure.
( sorry if the pic is a bit big )


Another mod you might want to think about is the return rollers are in a straight line when the back one should be the highest
and middle next down to the front one

Pic of what I did. (and you can reuse the plastic ones)




Cheers
Gra

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Gra's Heavy Tank Regiment
HL Tiger 1 - El Mod, Tiger 1, K T Porsche turret, Panzer III & IV, Stug G & E, Panther D,
Matorro KT, Jagdtiger and Sturmtiger, HL Sherman and T - 34, A7V (WIP)
Panzergruppe South Member

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SpuD

Off with the bolts.....

I've now elected to go with a mid’ production StuG, so for this to happen I've completely removed the upper glacises bolt on armour and filled the three holes left behind, this is now awaiting curing and yet more sanding (I think I’m up to my4th fill and sand for the removed lower hull escape hatches).

Next I will cut and sand off the bolts from the lower front glacises and will also need to remove the bolts from the right hand upper bolt on amour plate and fill the gaps to make it look like an 80mm plate.

I’ve currently got a cupola shot deflector inbound to complete the mid armour transitions.

Not sue at this point whether I need to replace the S-hooks for C-hooks to match my production unit and so will need to do more research to confirm it either way.

Pictures to follow later today or tomorrow.

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SpuD

Deboltation.....

As I mentioned above I have decided on removing the bolt-on armour in favour of fixed 80mm mid production armour plate and so off with the bolts.

Both the filling and the sanding of both the lower and upper glacises are at the earliest of stages.





I’m still thinking about retaining the right hand upper front bolt-on armour as there seems to be enough photographic evidence to support its retention due to the overlap of run out materials during this phase of production, I also look to retain the smoke projectors as a mark of crew individuality, but may have to consider their removal if the references overwhelmingly suggest this to be necessary.

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SpuD

Hi Spud
Looking good mate, like the shock idea, I left mine as is with the slight bend in them.

Re the return rollers, I got a flaat screw head screw driver (not to big) and inserted in between the return roller wheel to prize apart (the bit where the track guide horns run), have to pry apart the wheel slowly to crack the glue, then turn the hull on its side with some support underneath around the roller bracket (so you dont crackmthe hull) again use a flat head screwdriver and push down on the axel pin as far as it goes then use screwdriver again insert under axel pin head and on top of wheel and pry pin out. Next the hard bit, the plastic 3 bracket pins sticking out in the inside hull scrap of any excess glue and do th same use the screwdriver and push down on the pins only to break the seal, one at a time be carefull not to break a pin, once the 3 pins are loose should be able to push out (I only broke 1 pin on the 6 brackets ), it's a bit scary but should be ok if the HL man didn't over use the glue. If you break a pin just use a styrene rod to replace.

I'm hopefully getting a stug for Xmas (if I have behaved myself lol), but I'm going to convert to a Ausf E with the short barreled 75 mm gun ( that's my thinking at the moment )

Hope this helps bit jibberish

Cheers
Gra

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Gra's Heavy Tank Regiment
HL Tiger 1 - El Mod, Tiger 1, K T Porsche turret, Panzer III & IV, Stug G & E, Panther D,
Matorro KT, Jagdtiger and Sturmtiger, HL Sherman and T - 34, A7V (WIP)
Panzergruppe South Member

_________________
SpuD

We need to talk about your 3d graphic skills as well spudhead....

3d graphic file + 3d printer = unlimited tank conversion potential

Cheers
KG

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rctanksaustralia.com

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SpuD

Bumber......

Ok the ID for the shock casing is between 6.8mm ~ 6.9mm, while the OD of the shock plungers is between 6.3mm ~ 6.4mm, by adding the heat-shrink to the shock plunger the OD was increased to a nice and uniform 7mm.

However doing the math, the only way to make this work then is to drill out the shock casing to 7mm, yet at the moment I'm not sure that I want to do that.

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SpuD

Well I've drilled out one shock casing to 7mm, and tried to eliminate as much flash and all the no-roundness of one plunger, but alas there is simply just to much friction between the two surfaces so all I have succeeded in creating a nice delayed action shock (straight though).

When I get home I'll take a little wet and dry to the heat-shrink to see if I can free up the tolerances at all.

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SpuD