Armortek

Hello Kent.

I have stopped being surprised by your ingenuity and skill, or indeed the information you freely supply to forum members and for all that once again congratulations and thanks,
What is surprising is that its that long since all fellow Panther builders and owners started following your example.
Well done and thanks.
Cheers Paul

HI Kent
outstanding work as always just remember ,rome wasnt built in a day your panther is probably already the most detailed and accurate tank on the forum and its not finished yet , that doesent happen overnight . Great build thanks for posting .regards ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nick

Thanks Paul and Nick for those warming words, just what I needed.
Much needed energy for me as this long turn build has more then one dip and to be honest I have lost the spirit more then once but gladly found the way back to continue this saga.
Hopefully I will have a Panther some day...

Nick//
Don’t know about the most accurate tank on the forum as there has been and is a lot of wonderful builds here but I hope my saga has inspired others to make a little x-tra to their kits, it is well worth it.

Kind regards
Kent

Hello Kent, thank you for the information reference the Jagdpanther upper hull hatches. It is very clear, once explained.....no need for outside handles, best wishes, Mick.

Hi all!

Long time since but here I am today to give you the rest of my “pimp-story” of Bob Morey´s outstanding early type idler.



To be absolute frank they would look ok with paint on them just as they are as hidden behind the track links most of what I will do to them want be seen.
Yes this might be insane but then again it is that feeling to make them as accurate as I possible have the ability and tools to make them become.

Studying the real thing some areas can become a bit more accurate with not that much effort.





Mr Dremel, a small square file and a lot of patience was all it took.

One interesting thing about the idlers is that they have 2 grease nipples and they are attached differently.
The outer one has a socket and is square to the idler shaft.



The inner one is without a socket and is square to the tilted idler surface.



I always (when possible) work from WW2 photos to study how things were done and luckily here is a god one of an early idler:



Please note how the lock tabs has just one fold to the bolts and that they are all made on the same side of the bolt heads.
Used Mikes nice lock tabs here and they are spot on the real thing.
Also note how dirty the grease nipples become, something I will keep in mind when it is time for the weathering many moons from now…

At this stage my Panther is just a pile of metal and when the hull become assembled it will be in red oxide before it gets it dunkelgelb paint, because of this and for the photos in this chapter I have this factory photo as archetype:



Idlers got some layers of dunkelgelb before assembled onto the red oxide hull.
Please note that the bolts and lock tabs has no paint at this stage:

This is how the idlers turned out in the end:







Thanks again Bob for making those outstanding idlers. I really, really love them and I would never have been able to change the kit ones to become something even close to this.

As always thanks for looking
Kent

once finished this tank will be too good to run kent, it will be something special when final assembely starts to happen, can't wait, all the best simon manning.

Stunning detail Kent. Amazing what you can do with a dremel. My poor dremel finaly died yesterday. Work halted pending replacement. I agree that it's nice to know the detail is there even though it's difficult to see. All your efforts will end in a stunning model.

John

Yes Kent it's insane, but i like it. Nice job

Kent
I thik you missed a spot on the 3d j shape .

Marvelous as always........start smacking it together NOW.
Im going to be breathless when its done.

Fredrik

Simon, John, Bob and Fredrik,

Thanks guys for your kind comments and for taking your time and reply, makes my day to know atleast someone out there appreciate my posting.

Fredrik//
First of all so good to have you back with us but sorry, you want see her assembled for a while.
Still have some parts in need to be made/customized and I know myself that much that if I begin assembling now I start cut corners just to finish my build. Something I know I will later regret, loose interest in this and take up another hobby instead

Kind regards
Kent

Hi all!

Today something almost invisible but well in place a good feeling I did it after all.

The thing named “Bumper stop” in Panzer Tracts 5-3, placed under the first swing arm on the LHS.



As this item has no springs I would rather name it “Swing Arm Stopper” (SAS) as that is what it is.

At the beginning of the Panther production Ausf D didn’t have this item.
At the fighting baptise for the Panther in the battle of Kursk a lot of Panthers was lost while running on mines so something had to be done.
Running on a mine with on the LHS caused huge damage due to the swing arms on that side was pointed forward.



To prevent the wheel/swing arm rotate backward and inflict sewer damage to the rear road wheels/swing arms this SAS was to be mounted.
At the same time the front 1/3 of the belly plate changed from 16mm to 30mm.



Those things came in production late 1943 so also early Ausf A was made without them.

Here is (Thanks to Sven Strobbe) a photo of the SAS on the Houffalize Ausf G.
Please note that the upper left steel tube is a post war addition.



A lot of juice details like the 6 holes for torsion bar fittings.
All those things will later be attached direct to the hull side and not on the SAS.

Due to the tiny free space available the rings supported the base of the swing arm I just made with a row in the plate, those rings are almost invisible behind the swing arm and wheel anyhow.

Please note the design of the horizontal bar and the steel plate at the rear.
Also note how close to the edge the upper right hole is located.

The real plate thickness was 15mm so that is 2,5 in 1:6th.
As it is located under the hull and might take punishment while running I wanted it made of steel. Aluminium is a nice material but as this plate will be full of holes I prefer something stronger here.
I also love to “make something out of nothing” and “dig were you stand” so after a quick walk about in the house I came out victorious.
My boy’s soft airgun target bullet catcher had a perfect steel plate and I only needed ¼ of it.
I am sure they want notice a slice of it is missing…I hope…



I used the drawing in Panzer Tracts 5-3 as a template but did some minor changes after study the real thing and the kit design.
I will add the correct extra thickness to the belly plate front 1/3, but more of it later.

The horizontal bar I made from 4mm plexi glass rods glued and bolted together and with Mr Dremel sculpted into correct design.
Plexi is pleasant to work with and as this bar want takes any weight or force protected by the steel plate I am sure will work fine here.

The only place from were the SAS is visible from the front looking under the hull.



Please note the 2 bolts with lock tabs and how the lock tabs are folded once to the bolt head and under the horizontal plate.
I made this from M5 bolts and the lock tabs I cut out from a 0,2mm brass sheet.

The SAS will be attached to the hull side with 3x M2,5 countersunk and later hidden screws.

Work in progress:



Did someone mention Cheese?



After some fiddling, trial and error and drilling (but always pure fun) the end result was this:





I simply love the colour of RAL 8012 Red Oxide primer and I will probably hang this one in the X-mas tree (has done this before and my family has given up telling me not to… )

Hope you found this worth reading and as always thanks for looking.

Kind regards
Kent

You see Kent,

That is why we all love your great details on the Panthers absolutely "Brilliant" as usual, come the good info coming Kent, I admire your super knowledge on all aspects on the Panther.

Cheers
Ian

from Glasgow, Scotland

Hi Kent,

it`s always interesting to follow your Pantherbuild. Every time I saw this part, I was wondering about the function of it. Really nice addition, hope to see more soon.

Bodo

Another great looking part you have produced there, I know how difficult it is to make something close to this from when i did mine, Personaly i would go for steel or aluminium rather than the plexi glass as it may shatter if it gets knocked when in use.
Regards
Steve

keep it up kent, the super build continues, i have made part of this item aswell but never fitted it, i think made of metal would be better and stronger, but if its a museum piece not to worry, always interesting, regards simon.