PANZER IV BUILD no 012

[John Fitzsimons]

Keep a set for me. I'm in Ireland. Happy to send postage.

John

[Robert Allsop]

A happy xmas to everyone and a thank you to all who have helped me out.

Steve I would love a set of plans if you have any left.

And a happy New Year

Bob

[Nick Farrugia]

Hello to all
not hade much time last couple of days ,but managed to do some this afternoon,fixed the turret doors on ,a bit fidly drilling them out but ok
i wont be using the vision blocks and apertures on the doors because the model im trying to copy didnt have any so just the handle and a cone head bolt to atach later on next i had a go at the armored vent i already cut an extra hole so i could swap the signal or grenade port over to the new hole and replace it with the vent

reasonably happy with the way it turned out just need to add a bracket to the top to finish it of (does any body now what the bracket on the top was for) then i bolted the bin on the back ,a bit of trial and error to get it to fit but sortedit out in the end i then had to put threds in the holes 7 holes that bolt the turret ring in place(m5 threds) that done i bolted it all together thats it for now merry christmas to all .
regards,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nick

[Steve Lewington]

Hi Bob
If you PM me your address I will get a set off to you.

Merry christmas

Regards

Steve

[Nick Farrugia]

Hi to all
Hope your all having a good time ,did a bit more today wasnt happy with the vision slits in the cupola they were a bit too big ,they didnt fit the profile very well of the cupola so i sanded them down ,it was the only option i had i think Gunter on his build made new ones fo the same reason ,any way here,s some pics of before and after
i think you will agree that they do stand out a bit ,this is what they look like now
as well as sanding down the profile i took about 3mm off the bottom edge they looked a little too tall as well ,i think they look a lot better than they did before ,i didnt try to follow the contor on the bottom edge i was worried about messing them up or destroying them completly .THATS IT FOR NOW ,HAPPY HOLS TO ALL ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NICK

[Günter Gäbelein]

Hi Nick,

the vision ports look much better now. Thats the reason, why I made new ones out of polystyrol.

[Nick Farrugia]

HI Gunter
yes im much happier with them now it wasnt until you posted that you changed yours that i could see them sticking out ,i had been looking at the cupola for days ,thinking somethings not right then i read your post ,and their you have it ,THANKS, I have been doing a bit more on the bin today and decided to put some rivets around the top edge (not real rivets ,cut down stileto nails)
i also put the lid on the bin ,the higes didnt fit the holes were out of position ,so i drilled new holes and then had to cover the old holes with a strip of brass off the mud guard plating i decided to do the tred plating on the mudgards next the greycolour all over them is the glue i used ,had a bit of a problem with it
next i did the armoured vent or rather finish it of put rivets in the top (real ones this time)and made the guard or what ever it is that sat on the top(still dont now what it was for ,ANY ONE KNOW,)
still loads too do crane sockets and the external gun mantlet to sort out next .allthe best to all ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nick

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Nick
Just spent a nice bit of time going through your Panzer 1V build from the start,I missed
the start
You have got on really well and doing a cracking job and sorting out the few little niggles.
It looks a great kit to build,I like the suspension on the PZ 1V.
Like every one else is saying I like your use of welding(proper stuff)on your model,looks
very good.
Keep up the excellent work

Phil

[Graham Ord]

It allways bothers me when I see Allen head screws/bolts on WW2 tanks.
Did they actually use them on the real ones?

[John Fitzsimons]

Looking good Nick. Cupola looks realy good. The profiling helps a lot. I'wondering how the ports opened and closed on the real model. I would like to see some prisms there. Brass etch on the guards looks great. Carry on sorting out the bugs. It will make my life so much easier when I start.

[Stephen White]

John

The Pz III and IV had the same cupola, designed for commonality. The vision block covers (scheiben) were operated manually by a complicated set of scissor arms connectied to a bar below the inner vision block mounting, which the commander had to pull sideways to disengage and then move up or down to operate the scheiben. Each vision block had something like forty five seperate parts and must have been a manufacturing nightmare.

I attempted to replicate the mechanism on my Pz III but decided on a non-functional representation. The pics below show the original German engineering drawings and then a couple of shots of the Pz III Ausf N model.











Regards and happy new year.

Stephen

[John Fitzsimons]

Thanks Stephen. Great pictures. I knew you had done a lot of this work on your panzer 111. Was not sure if the panzer IV had the same cupola. Good to know. Was it just the top block cover that moved to open and close? I will try to add some details similar to yours and like you expect that they will be locked in open position just for display. Your framework is a masterpiece of miniature engineering. Where did you get the cupola itself? I had some of these internal drawing already but as you say it is very complicated. Need so sit down and study how they worked. Sorry Nick for invading your biild post. I can probably make some basic clear resin blocks for you if you want. You would need to cut a bit off the cupola inserts.

[Nick Farrugia]

Hi all
Graham you got to cut me some slack here im in no way as talented as the guys on the forum half of them could make a living out of making these things and the other half do ,so ive gone back and changed them over to hex head bolts and i think its better for it so thanks for the advice
As to your question did they ever use socket head bolts heres a pic of the drivers vision port on the spanish pz4
the top bolts clearly seem to be socket head bolts ,this tank was renevated recently but looking at the way they are positioned i dont think they could have used any thing else ,so must be original bolts , does any one else know , any way thanks .
Hi john
no worrys mate its good to see the pics i just couldnt come close to replicating that sort of skill thanks for the offer of vision blocks but i will have a bash at them myself when i get a chance ,if they are the same type as the ones on your tiger i will probably kick myself later well thats it got to go and do somemore. best wishes to all,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nick

[John Fitzsimons]

It was just a few spare inserts. If you need them they are there and free. I have some spare blocks from the tiger and think they might fit. If you are going to have a go at making your own and need information on making a mould send me a pm if you need help.

[Nick Farrugia]

Hi to all
thanks again john for the offer.
yesterday and today ive been doing the crane sockets and the shot guard that goes around the cupola on the type i,m trying to copy the sockets were straitforward and didnt take long next i had a go at the shot guard around the the cupola ,this took me quite a bit of time but i think was worth it .I had to go off drawings from a book and they all show the brackets on the inside of the ring ,the only picture i found is of the spanish pz4 and it had the brackets on the outside of the ring as you will see i,ve gone inside ,just my preferance thats all . i was able to fix the iron sight to the ring from drawings and photo evidence i am very pleased with the way it came together .
so thats another two jobs sorted i think? still got to sort out a bracket for the external mantlet ,maybe try that tomorrow.
well thats it for today . BEST WISHES AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nick