Mk IV Build Information

[Armortek]

Many builders are now well on with the construction of the Mk IV. Some questions have been asked by builders, the answers to which would be useful for everyone. Here is an extract of the various replies:

The drive axles and bearings are precision ground items that we buy in from industrial suppliers. They do fit together but they are quite tight and require a mallet to tap the assembly together. This fit can be eased quite quickly by polishing the shaft with emery.

The six pounder barrels are free to slide in their recoil bushes. They are not retained at this stage. When the motion pack is fitted they are attached to the recoil operating servo linkage.


Here are the things to know reference fitting the options:

You can fit the drive motors with all the external armor already fitted, but it will be much easier if the two plates immediately to the rear of the sponsons are left off, or easily removable.

The option pack mounting bracket uses fixings in the floor (see drawing 1) and on the rear panel. The three rivet holes nearest the top door hinge are used in the rear panel.

The smoker connects to the rear riser, via a length of flexible hose as part of the option kit. The other two risers are blanked off. I left the copper pipe loose in the back of the silencer so that it could be pulled out to remove the roof.

The c/sunk holes in the sponson side and the glacis plate are for the servo bracket, the one that wiggles the machine gun.


There is nothing else to know about, just leave the sponsons so you can get them on and off easily.