Armortek

The rear box will need a fair bit of work if you are fussy. I am currently trying the barrel clamp always but may put it back up a tad and the other way round

What a wonderful job you've made of the rear end exhaust box, the extra fasteners really set it off.

I have had my reservations on the telephone coms box for being some what "loose", but the extra face and back plate set it off quite nicely.

For me, Jury's still out on the tracks.

The coms plumbing, well some of it, still have around 10 more tiny conduit brackets to make and some double cable runs under the rear box to complete. Then some big, as in full size weld runs and we can move on. The large and small exhausts and flanges are also needed to complete the look.

Thanks John, this area is so important for the look we are after. You will get the tracks just be patient!

Please note guys that my email has changed ( a second party was buggering around with my accounts!)

It's now

Philandkris2@hotmail.com

It is also on the signature at the bottom of every post as normal.

Moving on.

It's poring with rain and blowing a storm, I'm nice and snug in the tankshop having a good day
More later.

Hi Phil
You really are cracking on well
Can i ask What do you use for your Cable Trunking please

Cheers

Andy

Hi Andy, it's just malleable tying wire 2mm diameter. It's the tiny brackets that are so fidley !

Now onto the front casting, you guys are gonna have fun with getting this to fit, best leave the hull fixings loose or just nipped up so that the hull width can move a bit. If you don't know what witness marks are then you will struggle. Put simply they are the contact evidence that's shows you where the material needs to be removed. So clean the casting up and fit and file until it drops in, you will need a rubber mallet to get it to drop in!.
The front plate also needed a fair bit of material removing from the mating edge, if you are familiar with say woodwork joints or even stone masonary, you will understand that the front edge that can be seen needs to be a perfect fit ,to achieve this only that edge needs to touch the mating surface, the back section of that surface can be chamfered a few thou to allow the front to contact. It's a lot less work than having a full thickness perfect joint.

Good build thread to follow, even though i dont have a Chieftain, a complex Tank to make, real or 1/6, Heavy Armor, regards simon manning.

I'm looking for some decent photos of the upper deck plate welds either side of the engine covers, also the fender/armour fillet piece, the engine deck centre plates that supports the hatch louvers and how that bolts on. I have big plans for the engine deck but reference material is sparse!
I could do with finding a Chieftain near me that I could go along and maybe photograph the odd detail, anyone know of a vehicle nr Plymouth?

Guess what I have been doing?

Love your work Phil, brings me down to ground level , and some normality I do not need stress at my age, I should be handled with care....or in a care home ..Mick

I feel sad when you are sad Mick! Poor ol Ivano is sad to as the lab that will be producing the L60 motor castings are caught up in the flooding around Venice right now!
On another note that cross piece on the engine deck is called the "T piece" so I can now confidently cut things about so that the part can be removed just like the original.

Plodding on even on the day of our Lord.

Looks Great Phil I prefer the threads showing on the track tensioner's and flush fit bolt nut.
Can I ask if your going to add support to the rear hull deck when you remove the "Tee section". I had considered doing this myself for better access, but as there is little support for the turret at the rear thought better of it, though I am considering a little structure improvement under the rear turret ring anyway.
The weight of the turret is ....Heavy. And although the front upper hull casting supports the turret ring well, the rear is only lightly supported by the rear deck. This maybe ok with the gun pointing forward with the weight at the front. But I'm guessing transport will have the gun facing to the rear, gun split or no split.
I have looked at some old pictures of a 1:5 Chieftain I once owned which had a removable "Tee section". It had extra cross members, thicker rear deck support material for a turret that weighed half as much as that of the Armortek Chieftain.
Do you think there's enough support for the turret ring bearing?.
Old 1:5 Chieftain pictures.