Artillerie Schlepper 35(t) WIP Updated 19/09/09

Thanks Bill, I have been trying to squeeze in as much bench time as possible, still not enough for my taste though. I also had to cut on my forum time.......

Hey, would you happen to have other pics of this one in your book, especially of the towing bar? That would be awesome!  

Gun Tech wrote:

Hey, would you happen to have other pics of this one in your book, especially of the towing bar? That would be awesome!

Unfortunately no...it only has the same three photos you've already posted. As a side note, this book should really be labelled "Czech Military Manufactures and their Variants 1920-1945" since over 1/3 of the book deals with softskins and non-Pz35 or Pz38 vehicles.

mg.mikael wrote:

Sorry to hear this conversion is being such a bear. Nevertheless it looks like your making good progress, and I can't wait to see it finished!

Thanks!   I can't wait to see it completed too lol          Maybe I'll dig up a Dragon kit from the stash next, they look faster to build.

Although it's tough going, I think it's a great subject to build!  Hang in there, it's looking very good so far.

Where do you guys find such unusual kits or conversions for these kits?

Panther F wrote:

Although it's tough going, I think it's a great subject to build!  Hang in there, it's looking very good so far. Where do you guys find such unusual kits or conversions for these kits?

Thanks!        I found this kit in a Hobby Shop in Barrie, Ont, Canada. I also found the Panzer 35(t) kit cheap on E-bay.      I don't know if there is any conversion kits available for this family of tanks, so my conversion is scratch-made. CMK does produce this variant though, I just didn't wanted to buy it when I had something suitable to build it.

Jean

nice to see you posting a new build-- and a very agressive conversion to boot!--I wish I could say I am familiar to a large extent with the 35(t)-- I have seen it in books, but never modeled.

I love the way you have little notations on the build itself for your reference-- something I do myself---rivet and nut/bolt repacement is a pain in 1/16 scale-- with all those rivet you have in 1/35 all I can say is I am glad it is you and not me!--as always your work looks very precise and very clean----I am sure this is going to be absolutely beautiful when finished-----tread

Hi Brother Tread! 

 Thanks a lot!!

I think that the 35(t) just look so awesome!! I mean, it's ugly enough to be great looking! Unfortunatly, you have limitations when you look for a kit. It won't stop somebody with a minimum of skills though. That's the beauty of this kit

I share your pain with rivets...............but that's what make a tank sexy

Well, after a few months of labor, it's time for a new update on this one:

I made the tarp from tissue paper. This one was probably my 9th attempt. My 1st one was way better, but I forgot to shave down some rivets underneath, and the tissue took their forms........ 

I scrounged the headlight and the horn from a Dragon Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf.A kit. Gotta love it when they add extra parts! 

I also replaced the soft detailed rivets on the front lower armor.

Since I didn't have lead solder wire small enough to replicate the  front light's cable, I tried to use copper wire. However, I quickly gave up, as shaping it properly was a pain in the bottom......  That's when I thought of using solder again, but after rolling it back and forth under a hard and smooth surface. (I used a Starret ruler in its protective sleeve) It elongated the solder, as well as bringing down the diametre. A quarter inch gave me a wire over 3 in long!

At one point during the tarp's construction, I noticed that the front hatch and engine access hatch didn't have all panel lines scribed. At this point in the build, it was a major PITA...... Also, the hinges were underdetailed. So I cut them with a piece of sharpened aluminum pizza plate. Something to remember when I build my Panzer 35(t)......

I also added the rear deck's hooks, made from aluminum plate and my Eduard Panzer 35(t) PE as a template. Net improvement over the kit's absent ones!

The jerry can rack took a while to make. I wasn't happy with my first styrene attempts, so I used a pizza plate once again. I used 2 jerry cans from a Tamiya set, and found earlier types from Armorscale on E-Bay. These are little gems and are really well cast! 

I gave up scratching a Notek light mount. I will use the ones from Mig. I will also get a PE set for making up straps for the jerry cans and try to find a solution for the tool straps (I noticed last night that they are differents than German tool clasps.......)

I will also get some Evergreen rectangle styrene to scratch the tow bar. Hopefully, my LHS have some in stock.

Comments welcome!

Gun Tech wrote:

I wasn't happy with my first styrene attempts, so I used a pizza plate once again.

This is looking great! Nice additions of details! How long til the paint?!

you cab buy small diameter lead wire at just about any place that sells fly tying stuff. I know for sure you canget it in .015" diameter, and I think I've seen it at .010" diameter. .025" is the most common but they can get it. They also have a non lead wire that works just like the solid lead stuff.

gary

Thank you all guys, I really appreciate

Doog - I like my pizza all meat, or all dress   Thanks man, it really means a lot!

Squeaki - I know that smaller wire gauge exist for solder, I just didn't wanted to drive in town  for it at the time. I'll be sure to get some though, it will save precious building time!

Mg.mikeal - Thanks man!

Eric - Man, MKs are just out of this world! It's also very addictive  lol    

Bill - Of course I'm alive    I'm checking in everyday, but  I'm just to the point where I have to choose between posting and building   I guess that's what comes with my training appointment. Taking night school doesn't help either lol. It's going to be at least 1 1/2 months before the next update, so don't bother sending the Mounties, they won't find me anyway..... I will be in the middle of nowhere in CFB Suffield

Well, I finally finished the towing bar today. It is made of a thick styrene strip that I cut with my hobby mitter saw.

And here is the final assembly:

I left more putty than usual to simulate weld beads. The chains are from an Aber PE set.

And here temporarily installed on the vehicle:

I will wait after decaling before gluing it in place.

One or two power cables, a few straps for the jerries, and it will be complete!

Comments welcome.

Great, great work GT!  I missed this one the first two go rounds but I'm glad I caught it now!  I love all the detail work you're doing to bring this one up to your standards.  How is the suspension?  I read that it needs a lot of work to get it to line up properly?

I kinda fell behind on this build, I must say there is some very nice scratchbuilding going on. That tow hitch is incredible considering the size of it. I too would like to see this baby painted.

Rob

Thank you very much guys, it's truly appreciated. 

Ron - Thanks man. I'll make sure to look up a few of your treads when it's time to finish her.

Ernest - I heard of alignment problems with the suspension before. I didn't notice anything when I last tried the MKs on it. I'll make sure to double check before painting though.

Bill - With the amount of putty I used on that hitch, it could definitly pass for a kit supplied part!  I'm kinda curious to know how the real kit's part looks like.

mg.mikael and Rob - Thanks guys. But it will be a few more weeks before the painting session can begin. I am going away again next week for a course, and I have a lot of reports to write up at home......

Can't wait to start!!

   Wow this is very nice. That tow hitch is perfect. The time you spent on those rivets was well worth it and its really going to show in the end result.

  Outstanding work Jean.

Well, time for the last update before the painting stage........

I decided to add pionner tools, as the Sclepper just looked naked without them. After gluing on a few german tool clamps, I realised that I should use straps instead.......    I made them from aluminum, and the buckles are made from audio wire that I shaped into a 1/16" square.

The jack was an extra from a Dragon Panzer 38(t) kit. The half butterfly nuts came from the Bronco set, a must have.

The notek light was from a Mig set, simply gorgeous!

The convoy light was also a spare from Dragon.

I left out the jerry can straps for ease of painting. In all, a though build that took me a little over 1 1/2 year of part time work to complete.

Comments are welcomed as usual.