Schwerer Panzerkraftwagen

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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July 2021
Spend some attention to the tracks – again


The heavy abrasion of the tracks and some collisions with the track locks and a few rollers during the first tests in march made me worried.
I decided to look if I could make some small improvements in the workshop before the tank goes into action. So the tracks had to be taken off again.
 
The two things I changed were the sharp heads of the chain lock which I rounded, and I flattened all the screws which connect the track plates to the conveyor chain hoping that this will help to improve a smooth run.

Best regards
Oliver



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Rounding of the chain lock pins

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flatten all the screws

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as first abrasion showed up

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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June 2021
A heavy used tank needs some dust.


I found all the dust impressions on 1/35 scale models showed massive dust.
So I wasn‘t sure if it would work in 1/6, as I wanted to preserve the underlying detail and not cover it all up with dust.
 
So I tried to apply some light dusty hues with Humbrol enamels. After that, the exclusive paintwork was covered with Humbrol matte vanish. In the previous tests, this matte varnish gave the best results with the mix of oils and enamels on my model. To enrich the diversity of the different surfaces, another light weathering with oils was applied. 
On the rooftop and the horizontal surfaces, I pushed some lighter hues with some earth tones in the corners and around some rivets to get some vividness in the overall appearance of the heavily used tank.

The tracks were easier to fit the second time, as they had already stretched slightly. But it is still a time-consuming and somewhat inconvenient job on this model.


Best regards
Oliver


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before

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after

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Impressions in sunshine

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Inside a used spud box with the filler neck for the smoker

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Rear view of the cab

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Tracks on again

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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July 2021
Some oily tests


There were often traces of oil on the old photos of the tanks on the drive shaft bearings.
I didn‘t want to do without such a thankful detail, especially as the shiny oil can be shown authentically and vividly on the matt finish. Real oil traces and oil paints complement each other perfectly by their very nature.

But since I could ruin the model‘s look without any experience, I practiced a bit on my test palette before I started working on the model. Everything had to be just right here, as corrections were no longer possible at this stage of the finish. I am satisfied with the result for the time being, and if the tank needs to be oiled a little more, I can continue painting here as I wish.


Best wishes
Oliver


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First attempt on the test chart

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Drive shaft bearing right

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Drive shaft bearing left

[Phil Woollard]

Looking uniquely very good!

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

Thank you Phil.

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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August 2021
well, something important is still missing – The Unditching Beam


The tank still lacks its characteristic unditching beam.
The piece of wood included in the kit was not quite the right size and was also missing various details that make up the charm of this prominent accessory. So in 2021, I had a carpenter craft me a fine-grained oak wood and later in the summer I sanded it to the correct size.

This would not have been possible without Steve Stuarts‘s detailed measurements in his build log.
So a big thank you at this point for publishing the data.

I then assembled metal plates to match existing images and again blackened them for an authentic look. The oak wood was carefully stained and sealed with a very matt finish.

Best Wishes
Oliver


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Dusty business with the belt sander

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Who spots the error?

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Blackening the iron plates

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It will need some chains and fasteners ...

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but first some stain.

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[Chris Hall]

The narrower face of the beam should be facing upwards

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

You got it Chris,

only a WW1 tankie would would spot that at first glance .

Best wishes
Oliver

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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November 2021
Chains on tanks excite me ...

Well, not the way you might think, because it was a little bit difficult to get the right measurements for the Unditching Beam chains.
Most of the chains you can buy these days have different shapes than the ones in the past. It took several tries and orders to get closer to the vintage look. Sometimes it was a frustrating and sometimes an exciting search. So, with the chains of today, I could only get an approximation of the old shapes that can be seen in the references.
The biggest challenge was figuring out how the chains were attached to the chain plates, but more on that later ... ... ...

Best Wishes
Oliver


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The first attempt with different sizes for the chain links and shackles

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Closer to the original but still not quite right

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The final chain links

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The carefully aged beam with side straps, bolts and nuts

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At least some dark silver for the shiny chains

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[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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December 2021
How to attach piece of wood

How was the unditching beam held on the tank?
To find out again a longer search on the web was necessary. A few posts in forums and especially details of old pictures gave an approximate hint how a simple attachment could have been. The attachment had to be quickly detachable even under enemy fire. A rope and hook was used to hold a chain wrapped around the Unditching Beam. The rope was tightened or loosened by the crew from inside the tank.

In the model, the tension of the holding rope is taken over by a tension spring, which is fixed inside.
This makes it very easy to demonstrate the principle.

Best Wishes
Oliver


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the attached beam

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hook with rope that is tightened or loosed from inside

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view from behind

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if not in use or the Unditiching Beam was lost

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[Phil Woollard]

Great looking and functional model!

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

Thank you Phil

January 2022
Power suply line for the TechRack


For convenient maintenance of the tank I soldered an additional lead to the most important components like the drives. Whether this will ever be needed I don‘t know yet, but it is a practical aid in case of doubt. Perhaps the lead could also be used for an external power supply in emergencies when the batteries are discharged? Maybe I can come up with something useful.

Best wishes
Oliver


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[Derek Attree]

Hi Oliver
A simply stunning model.

I really hope that Armortek re release this model kit.

Regards

Derek

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

Thank you Derek,

I’m with you, a re run of the mark IV would be great. Only 51 of theses iconic tanks in one to six are not enough. There are so many options to build an unique tracked beast and the best of all, these tracks are unbreakable.

Best wishes
Oliver

[Oliver Brüninghaus]

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Feb 2022
Little more details for the Lewis Guns


The beautiful turned Lewis Gun Barrels from Adrian still seemed a bit plain to me on the tank. Additional details like the front sight and the gas regulator would offer some variety to the eye. These parts are now cast in resin.


Best wishes
Oliver


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