Looking for better Instructions for stringing cable for Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf F Fahrgestell

I did investigations, and found that ropes should be as in below link.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VDu56RrAY6QsHZXC8

Regarding model provided rope, it should be cut in proportions about 2/5 + 3/5.

I made some analysis of pictures from: https://www.armedconflicts.com/files/22.jpg

https://www.armedconflicts.com/files/33.jpg

and based on my analysis the ropes should be as in below picture.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k9F8mYXCi4qm75Gt9

Model provided rope should be cut into proportions about 2/5 + 3/5.

I agree with Pawel here on all the counts.

Now, the hardest thing to cipher would be where to cut the kit-supplied line.

You need some fine line to be sure, and probably far finer than the kit supplies. 

Thread of 0.015" woudl be 1/2" at scale, 15mm wire rope would be 0.42mm at scale.

The engineering-precise thing would be to have the line diameter no larger than 1/12 the sheave diameter--wire rope needs larger diameter than natrual fibers.

Fly-tying silk is pretty cool stuff for this, and 00 or 000 (also written as 2-0 or 2/0; 3-0 3/0) would be close.  Now, modern materials now use an SI designation of "dernier" which is numer of grams in 9000m of thread, which is under-helpful for diameter.

Some would probably point you towards the 0.5mm EZ-Line.  I've had horrible experiences with EZ installing well enough, then failing just past the CA glue joint.  Take that with a grain of salt as many others seem ok with the results.

MECHTECH - please don't give up on this one, I think it can be worked out just fine. The thing here is they brought out a model of a vehicle that is pretty exotic... I don't know if there is an example that survived the war. If there is you can try to look for pictures. But if none of them babies survived - then you're basically there where the Trumpeter designers were trying to design something reasonable.

Now one might feel the urge to look down on them boys (and girls?) from Trumpeter because their research isn't as good as it should be - but that is the payoff for getting SOMETHING that otherwise would have to be scratchbuild and/or kitbashed. Now you have something that's almost there and you just need to work out minor details. I always look at something like that as an oppportunity to develop skills...

So I agree that this would look good along the Karl, and you got a good price for it - let's make it work then. Did you look up google for "Munitionsschlepper Karl Geraet"? There are some photos there, but yeah, they need interpretation...

Looking at all those pics also made me think how hydraulics made the life easier for the crane designers...

OK, so I took another half an hour to look at various crane pictures and diagrams and I came to a conclusion, that most sheaves (pulleys) are used for the luff rope (the one to move the boom up and down). I have marked the luff rope green and the hoist rope red. Here's the diagram I came up with:

Now you definitely need two pieces of rope for this - luckily making two out of one (cut!) is easier than makin one from two pieces... Also, from what I've seen I wouldn't take the kit supplied twine, but something a lot finer - maybe fine fishing line or something like this.

I sure do hope this helps you - I really invested in this one...

Good luck with your model and have a nice day

Paweł

Thanks Pawel, although it looks like I will still be lost. I will muddle through it. It just makes me wonder about further Trumpeter kits, if their instructions are going to be this vague. With one piece of string, not two, to string the cable to be able to handle both operations, (raise and lower boom) and (raise and lower hook) simulated of course, truly makes you wonder.

 The only reason I bought the kit is that I already had the Mortar Karl kit and thought this would look good beside it, and it was at Half price.

Hello!

I love such specific questions! Although I don't know much about it a quick google research shows this is not a biggie... Here are the kit instructions to make the post also interesting to others:

And yes, Trumpeter effed this one up - but with little creativity and knowing how this thing is supposed to work I'd suggest the following approach:

We've got two winches - one for the arm, another for the hook. This looks a bit iffy for me - I'd personally use the narrow one for arm and the wide one for the hook. From then on it would be like that:

The arm purchase goes from the winch, then the pulley on the tower, then the pulley on the arm's end then back to the tower top where the rope is made fast.

The hook purchase is a little trickier - I'd go: winch - tower pulley - arm pulley - hook - arm pulley - tower pulley - and them make the end of the rope fast somewhere on the arm. The instructions show no part for this, so probably you will have to improvise, or look for unused parts on the sprue.

Hope it helps, good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł