Tow cables?

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Sat May 23, 2009 12:54 pm

Hi everyone,
I was planning on replacing the tow cables on my late Tiger eventually with ones that are more in scale.The Armortek ones have a metal collar holding the ends together.When I saw the Tiger at Bovington, it's cables had what looked like material or rubber on these said collars.Is this an outer coating to protect an inner metal core? Does anyone know how or what the real collars are made from.Maybe the Bovington ones are not authentic?
Also,I know this has been writen about before,but can anyone tell me the correct size for the cable and where I might purchase it.
Thank you in advance,
Lionel

Tim Bowman · Post by **Tim Bowman** » Sat May 23, 2009 3:52 pm

Hi Lionel

Here are the one's Jacques had made for his Ausf A Panther. I assume they are 100% accurate to the original and Tiger 1s had the same detail at the loop-ends. I'm not sure but maybe the ones you describe are post war? Not meant to discourage you from making your own but, just another option, Mike Stannard makes very nice cables for the Tiger 1.

Mike's Cables

Hope this helps

Kind regards
Tim

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:38 pm

Cheers for that Tim. I am assuming that the material is metal.

Stewart Ashton · Post by **Stewart Ashton** » Sat May 23, 2009 5:07 pm

Hi Lionel yes they are metal.

Here is Mikes catalog link;

http://www.afceremonials.com/catalog-pages/

Third item down 02a Tiger A

Regards Stewart

Allan Richards · Post by **Allan Richards** » Sat May 23, 2009 10:22 pm

Lionel,

I used the original Armortek cables and glued the cable in the collars putting tension on the cables to get the eye looing good. With the glue dry I then made the conical rear to the collar with filler. I didn't try squashing the collar to clamp the cables.

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:59 pm

I can remember reading a previous post on cables saying that the supplied ones are not to scale and are slightly to large ( I can't find the said post as I read it a while back). Does anyone know the correct diameter of cable and where it may be brought? Local D.I.Y stores only have a limited choice.
Mike's cables are great, but It is always nice if you know you've made something yourself.
Cheers

Mike Stannard (toyrific) · Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:49 pm

Hi Lionel

Real tank tow cable 32 mm (5.333 mm in 6scale) x 8.2 m (1.3666 m in 6scale) long and track cable is 14 mm (2.333 mm in 6 scale) x 15 m (2.5 m in 6 scale) long. Lengths include towing eyes. I use 3/16" cable for tank cables and 3/32" for the track cable which is the closests I could find.

Regards
Mike

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:17 pm

Thank you Mike. It's nice to know that if my cables don't look right,I can always rely on your cables( fantastic work).
Lionel