1945 GB

Yup, Bish hit the primary points about track tension. Not enough, and you will throw track and be stuck in place until you get it back on. Too much tension and you will increase wear on the connectors and eventually the weakest track link will fail and the track will break. On the M113 family there is a tool to check the tracks for wear  and is also used to check tension as well. I can still do it to this day even though I have been retired nearly 10 years and not crewed a 113 in 25 years... Another thing that will contribute to negate sag is if the track itself is "live" or "dead". This refers to bushings in the track that will give it counteracting tension against sag.

I finished all 6 Quad Bofors tonight. I have several duel and single to make still. I think I'm going to take a break from guns for a little bit and work on some superstructure tomorrow night. There's plenty of PE for that as well.

I know all the barrels don't look perfect, however some of the muzzles were broken off when removing them from the tree. I found out the hard way, they are very brittle and very hard to reattach. If anyone builds this kit in the future, be aware of this.

Bofors look pretty good to me. I'm not a PE purist - if I can't see a part, I probably don't put it on. However on Model Warship - where they take PE really seriously - I picked up two simple tricks for getting pieces off the sprue. You want to be cutting down on something very hard - glass will work, but a really simple gizmo from Small Store (I think) works wonders:

The square thing has an edge on it and is designed for you to plunk it right down on top of where you want to cut. The black plexiglass surface - very hard - helps you see the PE. So once you've got the piece held firmly in place you can push straight down - no sawing motion - with a new Xacto Blade - I prefer #16. But the standard 11 will work well too if it's really sharp - you can get #11 blades by the 100 for about $12 and it's well worth it. If you've got a little better target, ship uber-meister Jim Baumann recommends using a short bladed paid of light scissors. If you can get at the piece snipping off the PE is a really good way to go. These tips helped me immensely to get the pieces off the sprue - the step where I often damaged pieces. (The square gizmo is a small bending device - I find it helpful but you can do almost everything with simpler tools. But it's been worth the $25.)

Steve - stellar work with the tiny PE.  

--------------------------------

Eric- great and timely question about the track sag, I'm also building a Jagdpanzer for another GB.  Looking through my three reference books, I tallied up the period photos, and the result is 15 photos with noticeable sag, and 17 photos with very slight or no sag.

  I did not include museum photos since I'm not sure if they are in running condition.  Also, I wonder if combat weight makes a difference - laden down the suspension would give a little, thus creating sag? 

Found  youtube videos of running panzer IV,  gives a good idea of track sag. When the vehicle is moving, note how the sag comes and goes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_liQzsLT4

I've also read about 'dead' and 'live' tracks.  Seems to be different opinions on what this meant depending where you look.  Germans seem to have used the former, and basically meant each track link easily moved back and forth on their pins?

regards,

Jack

Combat weight on a vehicle will affect tension a bit. But the crew can adjust the tension to counteract that. But increased weight mainly affect the vertical dimension of the suspension, compressing any springs, torsion bars, etc. in that dimension. The idler wheel, which is used for tensioning, usually is adjusted in the horizontal plane. Going over rough broken terrain requires less tension than when operating over flat good ground like a road or similar natural surface. I am pretty sure that the Germans used "dead" tracks, as the bushings on those usually are made from rubber, a strategic item in short supply to the German war machine in WWII. That is one reason for the switch to steel rimmed road wheels later in the war- a shortage of rubber. Yes they did have a synthetic rubber, but that was expensive to produce and also in short supply.

OK, here's some superstructure work. I'm planning on working the bridge and masts this weekend. Looks like I'm starting to make a dent in the PE sheets. 

Lovely work there Steve. I do like those PE ladders.

Jack,

Exceptions seem to exist in the museum world - or did. The pic below is from the Fort Knox museum. FK along with other government tank displays are being moved to Fort Benning so I don't know if there have been any changes made:

Very interesting video. You did notice that the sag appeared when the vehicle began the turn - wonder if that had something with the brake applied to one side of the tracks.

EBergerud

Very interesting video. You did notice that the sag appeared when the vehicle began the turn - wonder if that had something with the brake applied to one side of the tracks.

Eric

Here is the Wiki definition of live and dead tracks:

"Live" and "Dead" track[edit]

Tracks may be broadly categorized as "live" or "dead" track. "Dead" track is a simple design in which each track plate is connected to the rest with hinge-type pins. These dead tracks will lie flat if placed on the ground; the drive sprocket pulls the track around the wheels with no assistance from the track itself. "Live" track is slightly more complex, with each link connected to the next by a bushing which causes the track to bend slightly inward. A length of live track left on the ground will curl upward slightly at each end. Although the drive sprocket must still pull the track around the wheels, the track itself tends to bend inward, slightly assisting the sprocket and somewhat conforming to the wheels.

Alright friends, I was able to get some more done this weekend.

Got the wheels and tires assy. and installes. The white wall stickers they sent with kit were "Fanort" and wouldn't stay on, so I just tried to carefully paint on with Tamiya flat white . I think they camer out pretty good.

Made and installed some brake lines and a fuel line from tank to fuel pump.

Put a little red in the recesses of the hub caps and cleaned off any excess which left the letters hilited.

And that's about it for now...  Thanks for looking...

Doug 

"Does anyone know how Academy's customer service is?"

a couple of years back I had a bent deformed barrel in one of my Academy tanks and attempted on 3 occasions over several months time to get a replacement part thru their supplier in Edison NJ. I spoke all three times to a lady named Ronnie who is or was in charge of replacement parts.

I finally gave up on their lousy customer service and heated,  bent and corrected their bad part. I'm glad you were able to repair the damage without having to deal with those clowns. Trumpeter is another one with lousy customer service. They both need to take lessons on fantastic customer service from Revell and Tamiya.

plasticjunkie

"Does anyone know how Academy's customer service is?"

a couple of years back I had a bent deformed barrel in one of my Academy tanks and attempted on 3 occasions over several months time to get a replacement part thru their supplier in Edison NJ. I spoke all three times to a lady named Ronnie who is or was in charge of replacement parts.

I finally gave up on their lousy customer service and heated,  bent and corrected their bad part. I'm glad you were able to repair the damage without having to deal with those clowns. Trumpeter is another one with lousy customer service. They both need to take lessons on fantastic customer service from Revell and Tamiya.

I am pretty sure that is MRC, their current importer since parting ways with Minicraft in Torrance, CA. I had a similar experience thru them that I described earlier. In a nutshell, MRC's customer service is weak to put it politely.

PJ, I agree... I bought a Trumpeter 109 E model in 1/32, and an entire sprue was missing, and the missing sprue just happened to be the fuselage halves! Its almost impossible to get thru to there distributer in Ca. and when I did I was advised that their QC would never have missed a part sprue like that. Really...

Doug

Geez Doug, wasn't that just charming? I'm sure you got ticked off from that answer.

I make it a habit to open and inventory the model to make certain things are not missing or damaged. A couple of months back Squadron was having a huge sale and I ordered the Kitty Hawk 1/48 Cougar and F-94. As soon as I got them I checked them out and the F-94 was missing the small pe fret. I contacted Squadron and the lady sent me a replacement within the week.

Great work everyone!

Well, as you know, I'm fairly new to the armour genre, and have been doing the "normal" kits.  Well, in doing the 234/4, I am working on a Dragon kit for the first time.  I must say...you armour guys are insane!    The other 3 234's I did were Testor/Italeri kits.  Loved them!  I was given this one as a gift and it is intimidating to say the least!  Testor's kits to do the wheels: 3 pieces.  Dragon....9!!!!!!!  The detail is incredible (at least to me) and there are 28 steps to the kit!  But, as I have said in the past, I love a challenge, so I pressed on!  I got steps 1 and 2 finished!  This is completion of those steps.

Now I know you experienced armour guys are just laughing your heads off!    And that is fine!  Please post your comments (make sure they are funny) and any advice or stories (horror or hilarious) that you can give me.  The detail is amazing and this is going to be the most detailed 234 I've done to date.  I'm looking forward to the finished product and hope I don't need to save up to get the Dragon /1,2,and 3! 

Eagle90

PJ, yeah, I guess some value their customers more then others.

Boy, I can see why the PE sets for ships cost so much now. It's not so much the manufacturing and materials, it's the time it took to measure and engineer ALL those wee little parts. I was working on the smoke stacks this weekend (I did't get much time between a grandson's birthday, showing the house and family issues) and the grate along the top of the stacks have 13 triangular braces. I could barely see them through my optivisor, let alone pick them up with my tweezers and just dip the edge onto a drop of glue. I don't know if anyone will ever notice all the tiny work I'm putting into this thing, but it should add to the the overall look. I will post pics of those insane smoke stacks when I complete them. Maybe tonight before bed.

In the end, my wife, you guys on the forum and I will know the extent to which I'm going. Ya'll just don't have to hear my string of curses like my wife does.

I also looked, in vane, for a base that would be suitable for the ocean scene. I could't find any long enough to do the "water" justice. Oh well, I will have to make one myself, which shouldn't be too hard. It will just be heaver than I would like. Some plywood and molding for the sides, and I think I have it. I'll start working on that soon and take some pics of that progress as well.

MC

I know what you mean. A while back i used a Griffon super pe detail set on my 1/144 Type VII/C and found it extremely challenging.

 By the by, you can use Future to secure some pe parts. It grabs and sets super fast. You can later reinforce the join with thick or thin ca depending on the application.

Lolol... you and me both MC... when I get ready to start another kit, my wife says" Let the cussing begin" lolol..

Eagle, you got those wheels together nicely. I have yet to do any wheeled armour, and despite my experience with Dragon, still surprised to hear there's 9 pieces in each wheel.

What's that other bit above the wheels.

Steve, I have not done any small scale ships, but I can well imagine the work that goes into making those PE sets. I got the Griffon set for the 72nd S-100 last year and that was detailed, and expensive, enough. My hat comes off to you for doing all that great PE work.

Doug, really liking the look of that. Some great detail painting on the wheel hubs. Nice work.

Bish

Eagle, you got those wheels together nicely. I have yet to do any wheeled armour, and despite my experience with Dragon, still surprised to hear there's 9 pieces in each wheel.

What's that other bit above the wheels.

Steve, I have not done any small scale ships, but I can well imagine the work that goes into making those PE sets. I got the Griffon set for the 72nd S-100 last year and that was detailed, and expensive, enough. My hat comes off to you for doing all that great PE work.

LOL!  That's step 2!  The bottom part of the lower hull.  The pic shows 1/2 of step 1 in the upper left.  That's just one SIDE of the tire!

Eagle90

Jeep/Commando Car WIP I didn't notice the penny there. It shows how small it is

plasticjunkie

By the by, you can use Future to secure some pe parts. It grabs and sets super fast. You can later reinforce the join with thick or thin ca depending on the application.

I never though of that, I'll give it a try since it will be way more forgiving than CA.

Rigidrider

I showed my wife what you wrote and she just laughed. 

It is rather small Ken, nice progress.

Yea I'd its pretty small but the PBY Catalina for the hunting after dark GB is 1/48 scale, and I built the jeep for it too. This is 1/35 scale.

Ken

I found this beauty in Alaska during a trip and took some pictures in Skagway. Hope it helps.

Here's tonight's progress,

The stacks are done, and it may not look like much but this equates to 2 nights work. The second set of pictures show the PE instructions along with the kits instructions. The 2 small boxes in the upper left are the kits instructions on the left for the mast and gunnery radar, and the 1 1/2  pages on the right are the PE instructions for the same steps.

PJ - Yes those pictures will definitely help Thank You

MC - looks great I have trouble doing tiny parts

Bish - Thank you I don't know why, but that cowl was a real bear to get right.