Pz III New Build

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:58 pm

Turned an insert for the turret roof to accomodate the reduced diameter of Brian Leach's scale cupola. The off-centre inner circle needed some thought but by some judicious clamping, I was able to mill it on the rotary table:

Silver soldered into the roof, will now need some tidying up, filling and texturing. This is a prototype for Brian's cupola to test fit, the production standard is underway, although Brian is also doing the swing arms.

Regards

Stephen

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:01 pm

The turret roof insert, ready to receive Brian's brilliant cupola, which, according to the US Post, is sitting in the British Post Office - good job I'm patient:

Started on the 75-millimetre KwK 37 L/24 cannon. The more powerful 75mm charge required bigger gun recoil buffers to accept the increased forces so the housing was longer than the Ausf L. I've machined an insert to get the length right. It also had different chamfer and despite my efforts to mill the chamfers accurately, it still needed some filing by hand. The rebate at the front accomodates the front panel.

Then turned the gun housing, ready to accept the 75mm barrel:

Together, starting to get the effect of the short, stubby cannon. The rear part of the recoil housing will need some work to achieve the right chamfers and blend it in with the new insert.

Still thinking about how to do the rifling.

Regards

Stephen

Brian Leach · Post by **Brian Leach** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:11 pm

Stephen,

Cool, very cool!

Do you have a picture from a bit further back jus tto see how the gun looks relative to the tank size?

Thanks again for sharing

And good job!

Fabrice Le Roux · Post by **Fabrice Le Roux** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:35 pm

Stephen,

Very precise insert. Tight as a crab's arse..and that's watertight

!

Talk us mere mortals through the silver soldering. How did you clamp it and did you tack solder first to prevent warp and creep?

Very neat job with minimal damage to the painted parts. What size burner did you use?

Reeespeckt

!

Fabrice

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:11 pm

Brian - the pix you asked for:

Fabrice - isn't there something about "fools rush in ......". I made the insert with a slight chamfer so that if it didn't quite fit, a tap with "tools, fine adjusting" ie a hammer would sort the problem. As it happened, it sat well in the hole. I used a butane/propane mix in a Ronson blow torch, very sparingly. My Dremel gas soldering iron wouldn't touch it. The insert came from the chopped up Armortek tray for the motion pack. It's a bit thinner than the turret roof and the slight step inside the turret gave a good key for the solder on the surface. Enough penetrated the joint to hold it.
I couldn't clamp it so I tack soldered it and then adjusted it with said hammer before running some more solder around the inside. Given the size, I had to keep alternating sides. Not the first time I've taken a hammer to this model!

Call it beginner's luck.

Good to hear from you.

Stephen

Robert E Morey · Post by **Robert E Morey** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:43 am

Stephen your P3 looks awesome, the swing arms especially look fantastic in the side view! The cannon will be amazing. Looks like the lathe and mill were money well spent! I love the details!
Kind regards,
Bob

Brian Leach · Post by **Brian Leach** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 3:39 am

Stephen,

Thanks for the pictures!

It really is looking SWEET!

What are we going to do when you are through!!!???

Have a good one and thanks!

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:57 pm

Next step on the recoil housing, to machine the surfaces parallel to the new profile and then start to add packing to make up the larger volume. The six packing pieces will then need to be milled to match the overall profile set by the front piece:

Work on the gun was suspended by a very welcome package arriving from Washington State. Brian's production cupola has landed.

I can't say how much I've been looking forward to seeing it after all the work Brian has done with his 3D printer. And it's every bit as good as the photos suggest. Because it's the right size, it really makes the turret, which suddenly seems to look right, like a picture coming into focus. OK, so there are some things in life where remaining cool doesn't cut it.....

Let the photos speak for themselves:

Brian has gone to such detail that the components can be made to work - the vision block holders open, visors open and so on. Brialliant. Thanks Brian. Made my day.

Regards

Stephen

Brian Leach · Post by **Brian Leach** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 3:57 am

Stephen,

I am glad you like.

Thank you!

The recoil mechanism is really coming along.

What kind of vise you are using to hold it? irt looks like something I should get.

Thanks

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:45 pm

Brian

I use two types of milling vice, a heavy duty rotating vice:

http://www.warco.co.uk/DH-1-Vice-95316CD3E5.aspx

and a smalller precision elevating and rotating vice:

http://www.warco.co.uk/Precision-Tiltin ... 75D93.aspx

Next update on the recoil housing, two top plates fully machined and grooves cut for the two welds:

Lining up the chamfered faces needs a lot more milling precision than I'd anticipated, so this is taking forever.

Regards

Stephen

robert michael hilton · Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:11 am

Hello Stephen, I have just finished reading through your build, that is seriously brilliant....you have my respect.....mick

Tim Bowman · Post by **Tim Bowman** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 5:36 pm

Hi Stephen

Love every post and every photo. Amazing work on the gun's barrel and recoil housing. This has been, and is, just an amazing build to watch.

kindest regards
Tim

ps believe it or not, I have not forgotten about your ammunition.

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:09 am

Mick, Tim - I very much appreciate your comments. Tim - the ammo rounds will seriously enhance the model, so I'm really grateful for your kind offer, whenever. Thanks.

Sorry for the lack of updates - no internet for the last ten days after someone got a tree felling exercise wrong in a nearby village.

While waiting for some transparent acrylic to do the Glasbocks on Brian's cupola, completed the mounting plate installation:

Been busy on the L24 gun mounting, recoil system and barrel.

Enlarging the recoil system from L60 to L24 has proven to be more difficult than expected. Slap on some extra bits, mill to size, job done. But getting the twelve facets, in four different sizes, to match up was quite a pain. Still some welds to do, although I've milled the channels for the milliput:

Next the barrel support tube, just a simple piece of turning with some texture:

Assembly complete so far:

Then some brasswork to complete the front plate:

Kit of parts so far. The cone bolts are a bespoke size and needed some hand filing and turning to get the right size:

Now on the final piece, the barrel. First the bore, which I'm making to scale 75mm size but will probably enlarge to accomodate the way I intend to represent the rifling, using an insert.

Regards

Stephen

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:00 pm

Here is the finished barrel. Now it's obvious with such a large calibre muzzle that some form of rifling is needed:

And here is the barrel in recoil and in battery:

Finally, some general shots of the vehicle:

Now to work on the recoil system.

Regards

Stephen

Brian Leach · Post by **Brian Leach** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:08 pm

Stephen,

Just logged in-wow again you set the bar!

Again, your PZ III is incredable. The 75 L24 looks great.

I look forward to seeing how you soleve the rifling challange.

Thanks!

Pz III New Build

Turret Roof Insert

The Cupola has arrived

April Update

2nd Installment