Martin's Elefant

[Martin Hofmann]

Hi all,
here i start a new projekt: an Elefant
Please find some fotos and the first impressions

[simon_manning]

Nice to see the new project Martin, i know it will be good, regards simon manning.

[Christoffer Ahlfors]

An elefant! Your tank parking should be pretty impressive by now!
I am looking very much forward to following this build.

[David Brady]

Nice to see another build from you Martin... these elefant kits are superb! I'm a few months away from getting back to mine but will be looking for details to include

Cheers

[Martin Hofmann]

Hi Simon, Chris and David,
thank you for the nice welcome at the Elefant corner
I start with the motor grill and the barrel holder. Here are the photos from this area.

[Martin Hofmann]

After the first parts of the barrel holder i made the distance sleeve between the nut and the holder. The nut got two handles soldered on.
The 3 covers are scatch built from aluminium for the existing covers at the front plate.

[Martin Hofmann]

Now i am starting with the mechanic for the road wheels. I also etch primed the sprocket rings and the drive wheels.
They got some radii for simulating a cast surface. The wheels are primed.

[Martin Hofmann]

After making the casting surface with radii, i made some grease nippel in M2 for the hub caps. There are balls glued into the inner hexagon of the head.
Than the drive wheels got some casting numbers - i didn't find any photos where i could read the numbers, but the place is the correct one. Afterwards i made some drawings for the laser cutter for making the safety washers.

[Martin Hofmann]

After a wonderful holiday, i make a little update for the idler wheels and the drive wheels.

[Martin Hofmann]

There are some grease nipples for the road wheels with a diameter of 1,6mm - also with a ball glued in. The road wheels got some screws M 2,5 with locking washers insted of the studs. I have to modified all the ready built idler and sprocket wheels on a lathe, because there was not so much place for the horns of the track. Now the difference is more than 3mm.

[Adrian Harris]

I love those grease nipples.

But at 1.6mm ? With a ball ? You're mad

Adrian.

[Martin Hofmann]

Hi Adrian,
it is good to be a little mad for doing this job
After drilled and threaded 134 pieces of castellated nuts with M2.5 the result you can see here.
Now i had made the casting structure again to the wheels and painted afterwards.

[simon_manning]

Great work Martin, the nut's look superb, regards simon.

[Martin Hofmann]

Hi Simon,
thank you for the nice comment. Now i start with the modification of the mud scrapers.
The first one is only modified and got a new angle with some screws. The second one is scratch built from some photos.
I think the dimensions could be correct.

[Martin Hofmann]

In the meantime i prepared the road wheel suspension covers with some castellated nuts in M2 self made. And also the hub caps for the wheels got some screws in M2,5 with the new safety washers.