And the finished item.

Jon

Top 3
 

There are a number of truly excellent build projects here on MLU but this, the Vickers tanks in Australia and the Scorpion/Scimitar build are the top 3 in my opinion 👍

Cheers

Phill

I can't believe how long it is since I last posted anything, Life has been very busy, obviously not with the tank and a lot of it not very enjoyable but I have still found time to make some progress.

As I said there has been progress but not that much and it mainly relates to the upper hull. I still had a few pieces to make such as the vision port covers and all the associated hinges, brackets etc and as I had made various modifications, the whole lot needed repainting. The vision port covers really caused me a mental block, I had already made three sets for the turret, I knew how much work was involved and I don't know why but it stalled the project for weeks. Then by chance a cheap CNC milling machine came up for sale, much the same as I started programming in the early 1980's and as I had parts that I needed to make for my work I bought it. It made making the parts very easy and much more enjoyable.

This week I finished the upper hull and lifted it on but I can't bolt it in place as I need make a rubber gasket for the fuel filler which will entail lifting the upper hull up again to fit the gasket.

And that's it for now.



Jon

The turrets on and I have started fitting out the inside, my goodness it's a cramped environment. I think the only thing that they forgot when they designed the tank, was that three men have to fit in, as well as all the equipment.

Sorry for the picture quality, I will try and get some better pictures when it's all fitted out. It's certainly a lot slower doing things with the turret on as I have to keep climbing in and out but it's coming together now.

I have looked at several other types of track links but I can't find anything suitable and I can't afford to have a set made, so I am make a set. I know, it won't work, I am wasting my time, I have heard it all but that is what I am doing.

I have made 5 part links, they are not pretty but then they are only first samples, to see how things will work. The first and obvious lesson was that if I am to make the 216 + spares I need to automate the process some what.

So i have bought a capstan to make the spacers, and a cnc milling machine to drill the holes in the link bars. Both machines are obviously old and needed some love and care before I started but they now work. It's like going back to the eighties when I started life as an engineer and very enjoyable but to be honest these machines are for my work life. I haven't programmed a machine for 34 years but it's surprising how easy it all comes flooding back.
Getting the machines is only the start of things. The CNC came without any guards so they had to be made and then a drilling jig had to be made so that 4 sets of link bars can be drilled in one operation. The capstan was used and abused so needed stripping before I could even start to organise things.
I tried bending the link bars with a manual press but it would take me ages to do the 920 required so I have made some very basic press jigs and modified my press by adding a air over hydraulic ram and hydraulic ejection fed from a hydraulic power pack that someone had thrown out as it didn't work.
From what I have achieved so far, I don't foresee a problem manufacturing the links and I know that they will fit together to form a complete track but how long they will last is another matter but as they say, he who dares........

More pictures

Nice to have you back posting again, Jonathan.

Your track links segment of this project is going to be a very interesting one. Will the links require tempering/hardening before being put to use?


David

Wow....220 ++++
 

....... what will you be doing in your spare time.......????

I wish you well....... at least your wife will know where you are for a while...

Morning,

To be honest David I don't know and initially I have plans to do either. I found reference to fabricating track links in one of the cruiser tank reports which although found their life to be in the hundreds of mile, 600 I think, indicated that the trial was never repeated. The items that will have to be correctly treated are the track pins but at present I can't find any information, material heat treatment, on them so any assistance would be appreciated.

Bob, what's spare time, in my world it never existed.

Jon

Jonathan.

As luck would have it, lurking somewhere in the bowels of one of our geriatric computers or laptops scattered about the house, I happen to have an article from the 90’s dealing with the use of heat treating track pins for the purpose to repairing and reusing them, which I stumbled across when restoring my Universal Carrier. It is about 100 pages, as I recall, but I do not remember what format it was saved to back then. Rather technical, and dealing with steel formulations of the day like ‘E?????’ It might be a US Army publication.

If you want to PM me your direct email address, I will try and find the article and see how best to send you a copy. It might make an interesting read over toast and marmalade for tea, not to mention breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Best regards,

David

I found it, Jonathan.

It is a 64 page PDF file sitting in my 1st Gen iPad under a cryptic title. I shall now attempt to rename it to something more meaningful and move it to our new iMac for better handling.


David

Recently I have been getting the radio's, intercoms working. I had intended to use Clansman units but when I was browsing the net looking for rubber ear pads for the headphones, I came across the web site whrestorer. I bought a set of headphones and was so impressed that bought a complete kit. When you compare the headphones and throat mikes to originals, they really are the dog dangley bits, of course I have association with said company.

Anyway the radios are in and the intercoms are working, I am happy to say that the slip ring / rotary coupling works well and the only problem that I had was with a Clansman cable. It was second hand and had, at some time, been repaired but before I soldered the new plugs on the end I tested it and all the wires were fine. However when I came to test the whole setup the commanders position coms wouldn't work. It turned out that one of the six cables had a break in it, I only needed three but sods law said that one of the three had a break in it, I suppose that is why the cable was binned.

The radios are of course just covers, the main intercom box is in one and the other is empty, apart from cables. However, I have put 2 LED's in the wave length windows to light them up and so that I can tell if the units are switched on. The intercoms are turned on by the on/off button on the front of the left hand unit and the radio operators head set, throat mike plugs in to the front of the left radio, as per the original.

Saturday was supposed to be hay day buy the weather wouldn't play game so I decided to use the time wisely and give the tank it's final top coat of paint and then today I removed the masking tape from the wheels and attached all the pioneer tools, all I have just got to now is to reapply all the markings. In the afternoon we played making hay.

Jon

A few more

Last one.

Jon

Outstanding work Jonathan :salute:

Armour Dreams.....
 

Stunning work Johnathan - simply STUNNING!

Cheers,

Chris Preston
Victoria, BC

Incredible
 

Sir your craftmanship is second to none !

Cheers

Phill

Evening All,

The weathers been so pants that I decided to stay in the garage and do some painting.

Jon

Welcome Back....
 

Hey "Jay"....Great to see you back with you column! :thup2:

Robert

What unit are you representing with this, and where would it have seen action?

Tim

Thanks Robert, I am never far away.

Tim,

I based the markings on the tank in this picture. I have, somewhere, a picture showing the same tank from a different angle that shows all the relevant markings apart from the front, when I find it I will post it. Apparently it's from the 7th Panzer division as per the description to this picture. The picture is from the book German Panzer ll by David Doyle and I can recommend it if you like books on German tanks.

Jon

Happiness is parts going back on! Looks tremendous.

Evening All,

Thanks for the kind comments, they are very welcome.

I keep finding things to finish, odd little jobs and one that I have been putting off is the area above the fuel tank. All the electrics are attached to the hull in this area and I was unsure how to finish it, the easy way, with just a sheet of steel covering it or the more difficult option to copy the original. In the end I chose the latter. I made a very simple press tool to form the slots that the 20cm magazines would have sat in and then fabricated the rest around them.

Once fitted they cover the electrics, are easy to remove and replicate the original.

I hope.

Jon

I have some of David Doyle's books on the Sherman and Dodge. Packed with info, definitely recommended. I will stay away from the dark side though, unless I happen across an original ww2 publication - not enough space on the book shelf.

Looking forward to seeing the finished item.

Tim

For my sins I have been interested in the German side of things since I was a little boy, I like the British and Canadian stuff because of its eclectic mix but really I have very little interest in the American side of things.
I have in the past just made up vehicle markings but there is always someone that picks fault so I try to find a period picture to copy and if someone wants to grumble then I show them the picture.

Jon

Amazing Work
 

Your work and attention to detail is breathtaking,

ED

Thanks ED, I am glad that you like it.

Jon