Hull construction problems of king tiger

[John Moorcroft]

Hi everyone I have a problem with my king tiger build some of the parts of my build are not fitting properly I have filed the radiuses as instructed and debent parts of the alluminium that were already bent by the machining process but some parts is having difficulty in fitting

I have have also filed down a part of the hole where the m4 bolt is on the side panel which fits into the front glacis plate as originally it didn't line up properly

However the side panels attached to the front glacis plate are the pieces that are having the most pressing problems to fit

I'm not sure why this is happening I have tried everything in my power and determination to fit these parts accurately and perfectly but they just don't fit

I have read on the forum about someone else having a similar problem with the same model however I'm not sure if the problems fitting where the same

I would like to have some helpful guidance/advice about my issue

But I would not like to be given the runaround by being told to look on the forum as this did not help much before in my previous post

Hopefully someone can assist in my question thanks everyone

[Phil Young]

Hi John
Firstly, congratulations for getting the bend out of the side and pannier plates, at least you won’t have to alter your top decking to fit the banana shaped hull! If it’s any consolation, my pannier side plates fit worse than yours...I’ll now have to cover my hull with zimmerit to cover up the misalignment. Seems like this batch of parts is leaving a lot to be desired?
Phil.

[John Moorcroft]

I'm happy it's not just me that are having issues my dad and I put one of the pieces over the gas cooker to heat it then we put g clamps over it it seemed to work for now but we seem to be doing more alignedments then acutely building anything

I'm doing zimmerit too but mainly through choice I will work at it until we get an matching alignment

[simon_manning]

I have built two king Tiger's and they always need some adjustments due to the size of the panels, always loosely assemble first, it will all work you just have to keep at it, regards simon.

[John Moorcroft]

Just a quick question does the back plate tip where you put the radiator fans goes does that have align to the sides of the tank edge so it's all level my dad wants to know we have been working at it all day today

We are just looking for some help

[John Clarke]

Keep working at it John, I've been building and rebuilding these things since 1999. The fit can be challenging sometimes, but trust me it can be done. A bit of ingenuity which you have already realised will get you there, stress not.
There's plenty of pictures of the KT on the forum and usually an answer. If there is no answer, improvise and share it, then you may have saved someone else's headache.
That's what I do, then they can take it on board or they may come up with another solution and hopefully share it too.
Keep slogging you'll hit a boundary soon.
Ps If you'd seen some of the howler's I've seen, that picture you posted is a pretty good fit.

[michael duncombe]

I have mine assembled and those parts can be difficult. sometimes you have to take more metal than just the corners. mine is a 2019 and I thought it would never fit properly but with patience and really looking at what is holding the pieces in missalaignment just keep trimming a little at a time and it will go. my left side back corner is perfect but right side is down 30 thousands but I can live with it. good luck and keep digging bud...you will get it

[Armortek]

... Seems like this batch of parts is leaving a lot to be desired?

Not the most constructive nor balanced of comments. If there are issues then drop us an email.

Long lengths of aluminium will have a bend in them, It is the nature of their manufacturing process and as the plates are cut or machined, stress is released. Nonetheless, with use of clamps or stretchers the bow can be compensated for in assembly.

John M - the image you posted is within the tolerances of the parts.

[John Moorcroft]

Hi its john here I am looking for help my tank components don't fit properly as shown in pictures in booklet and there is no info on forum to show pictures of how parts fit before primer goes on

I have seen the pictures made by armortek but I'm worried that it's not descriptive enough to see if all kits are made the same then people may be having same problems as me but I just need some more info regarding placement of frontal armor does it definitely have to touch top of the hull side plate at bottom where all the wheels goe also rear plate is not meeting with panniers and when I try to alternate different positions it just doesn't look right

I have seen videos made by john grima on YouTube where he builds a king tiger However it's the 2013 version so it doesn't seem to have the information I need

Parts are morphed slightly I have made some changes but I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong

But really I need to know if anyone has sand down the rear plate so the pannier side plates meet accordingly rather the what I'm experiencing

I don't mind doing work and alterations but I just need to know what to do

I want to share a video to show you guys what I mean but I don't know how to do that so if anyone is able to do a skype chat or some kind of video chat I can show exactly what in referring to so you know what I'm talking about

A few people have mentioned about the kit having issues but I didn't expect this many considering how much I paid

I just want some help but constructive and helpful and please no referring to other places on forum

My issue is specific

I don't want 6 years of waiting to get this kit to be in vain

Trying to fit these pieces is a nightmare and has been upsetting me almost to tears I hope you can help thanks guys

[Brian Ostlind]

John hang in there. No matter how much frustration you feel at the moment it will be relieved soon. You just have to trust the process. Part of building an Armortek kit is to find solutions to problems, backtracking and of course reaching out for help. The best advice is sometimes to take a step back and take a break then take the experience you have gained from problem solving and apply it to the solution. There is a lot of work involved with building a kit like the king tiger. Of course someone with more experience than me can give you more specific advice. I’ll be starting my King Tiger and look forward to the experience no matter how difficult it may be!

And yes I have had the same emotions you are experiencing with my Tiger 1. It’s just a toy don’t let it get the better of you.

[Gerhard Michel]

Hi John,

I think you should upload some pics that show your problems to a file hoster and put the links here to the forum that we can see your specific difficulties. This is very easy to do and would help a lot. Similarly you could make a short video, upload it to youtube or so and give us the link. These are basics that everyone can learn in a very short time, and they are very helpful to describe the problems you have. I am sure that somebody may help you when you are successful to show the real issues you have.

[Phil Young]

Hi John
The placement of the front glacis plate to the pannier side is crucial as it has fixing points for the front section of the side skirt. I had to re drill my fixing points to allow the front side skirts to fit. Just work slowly and methodically through each process, sometimes you need 3 (or 4) hands to hold it all together before tightening parts. I also fitted an additional c/sunk screw at the back of the pannier side to the rear hull plate, to pull it into position so that pannier top and rear hull top are level. Hope this is some help.
Keep going and beat it into submission!
Phil.