Panzer III, hull #23 build.

[Stuart Alexander]

Hello hello!

The wife and I visited this year's Tankfest last Sunday and as a result, my first Armortek kit arrived today, (with a complete suite of extra gubbins due to arrive in August)...

So far I have managed to spread the contents of both boxes across the lounge table, ordered the recommended bits and bobs from the manual and am now going to start reading up on both the tanks and people's build logs!

In a fit of impatience I thought I might start with assembling the tracks on day 1, but then started wondering which - if any - track components need painting, so promptly threw them back in the box.

I look forward to getting to know you folks and getting this baby rollin'

Cheers!

Stuart A, Kent, UK.

[Oli Dainton]

Welcome Stuart. I am also waiting for August to make some more progress on my build.

Look forward to seeing some updates now we have he weather!

[Stuart Alexander]

I've not had a great deal of time to tinker yet as the kit arrived just I was going on to night shifts, but some light reading has arrived:

Panzer Tracts No.3-3 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. J, L, M und N by T.L.Jentz and H.L.Doyle
The Panzer III: Hitler's Beast of Burden by A. Tucker-Jones
Panzer III - Germany's Medium Tank by B.Carruthers
Panzer III at War 1939-1945 by P.Thomas
Panzer III on the Battlefield by T.Cockle

I had noted a thread where someone received a cupola with the holes incorrectly drilled, so I checked mine out and...

cuppola.jpg (209.91 KiB) Viewed 5672 times

Sure enough, the hinge holes were in the wrong place. I have brought it to work with me and will hopefully get that sorted. Annoyingly I sold my pillar drill, lathe and mill a couple of years ago (and dropped my band saw into the bargain), so will be exploring what we have available in the maintenance workshop.

[Brian Ostlind]

Welcome, I look forward to your build. For my tracks I built them in sections of 12 and rolled them into circles and painted them on a turn table. This way they are ready to assemble and easy to paint in only two stages. Then again some people do not paint the tracks at all.

[Stuart Alexander]

Are there any "essential upgrades" that folks can recommend for the 2018 Panzer III Ausf. L?

I've been remarkably restrained and not ordered any bits yet, mainly because I notice that there appear to have been 2 different Panzer III kits and am still not 100% of the differences between them.

Tell a lie, I did order a pair of jerry cans and a helmet from fleaBay...

Oh, as you might guess from the unneccesarily large picture below, the correctly positioned holes have been added to the cuppola!

cuppola.jpg (151.81 KiB) Viewed 5651 times

[simon_manning]

just feel your way through the build, you might want to change a few things, upgrades etc, one of the interesting features of the kits is you have to work them, an adjustment here and there, it will all fit, do not rush. regards simon manning.

[Stuart Alexander]

I have been merrily bolting and sticking as much as I dare without having the electronics to hand, but I feel a visit to Bovington coming on to double check a few bits, such as weld lines, which bits were cast and so on.

A quick question regarding Loctite (638 specifically), does this stuff fully cure eventually, or will it remain tacky? Where the Loctite has oozed out at some of the bolted bits, it is still sticky even some 7 days after application and I'm wondering whether to experiment with various solvents to clean it away or to be patient and sand it?

[Stephen White]

Stuart, it cures anerobically. Between two mating surfaces in direct contact, it will harden off quickly but on a surface free to air it will remain tacky. If you then paint over it, it will prevent the paint adhering, even etch prime. Best to use a solvent cleaner to remove any external residue.

[Stuart Alexander]

Have taken over 300 photos of the Bovington Panzer IIIs, so hopefully there'll be one or two worth sharing.
Have also measured a few bits, such as the spacing of the castle bolts on the Vorpanzer and the gap between the exhaust silencers and the bottom edge of the armour.

Also discovered the World War Toons model kits by Meng in the Bovington shop; so begins another collection...

[Pete Nash]

Hi Stuart.

Can I give you some advice;
Buy 12 off M5 X 12 bolts.
Pages 6 and 11. Assemble the suspension as in Page 6 but BEFORE permanently fixing the torsion bars into position at the swing arm angle of 20 degrees, increase the angle to about 30 to 35 degrees and tighten the M5 x 8 grub screw onto the CL0222 Suspension Shaft so that it causes a mark.

Remove the grub screw and complete suspension assembly
Drill an M5 hole vertically into CL0222 where the grub screw has marked it.
Reassemble the suspension and secure in place with the M5 x 12 bolt.

OR

File/grind a flat onto CL0222 where the Grub Screw has marked it, and use the grub screw when re-assembling.

Why?

The whole weight of the tank will be taken on the grub screw impinging on a the round CL0222, so when it is at rest or moving all the weight will be trying to turn the suspension and with insufficient surface to stop it turning the suspension will collapse. By drilling into CL0222 and bolting it in position, or filing a flat on it, CL0222 will be unable to turn and your tank will ride correctly.

Pete

[Stuart Alexander]

Whilst at Bovington I took some quick measurements of the bolts spacing on the Vorpanzer...

...and upon my return home, I took a drill to the model.