Armour Workshop

I also had a crack at the fuel tanks and how they were fitted underneath the fighting compartment floor boards.
20110708Tranny-9.jpg
The floor boards are from the Voyager kit but I will need to make some brackets to support these.
20110708Tranny-11.jpg
I am planning to display the model with work being done on the transmission with the driver bay roof removed so I had to cut of the triangles.
The AFV detail kit had some spare ones so these will come in handy. Next the bolthead will need to removed drilled out.
Will need to made the support brackets with aligning holes from some scrap brass.
Sorry that it is a slow process but I am making the model at work during my lunchbreak so time will be limited.
Hope to get some more action next week.
Here is a pic of the engine out of the CMK Stug IV kit. Detail and dimensions seem to be OK.
Will be adding some more detail to the beast after some comparisons with some engine pics.
20110708Tranny-26.jpg

Work like this is very inspiring to me, John, as it seems pretty quite lately it helps feeling motivated to post my stuff. I will be following with interest!

Jamie
Well talking about inspiring.
I saw your post on the Sd'Kfz.251 and the way you tackled the scratchbuilt seat in there.
I was a bit disappointed with seat in the CMK Kit specially the springs on the back on thought I had a crack on them myself.
Wow I don't know how you get it done but I must have cursed the whole workplace together.
Even after some 20 attempts I don't seem to get the bleeding thing right.
Made some kind of template for the springs but its nearly an impossibility.
Planned to have another crack at it after seeing your work and that it can be done.
Found some scale dwg on the Tiger I side and made a new template.
Will keep yours updated.

I added the Brakelinkages to the model. These are from the CMK Kit "Drivers Compartment STUG". In a STUG they are located in a diffferent position, trying them of the plate in one piece was a bit of a pain and maybe it would have been easier to remade the whole lot from some brass tubing and supports.
It all went resonable well and I positioned them in the correct position under the welded roof support bracket.
Here are some pics.
20110720Drivers Brakes.jpg

20110720Drivers Brakes-4.jpg

In the second pic you can also see the hull side wall support brackets glued in place. These are also part of the kit but the port bracket is a bit to short.
This is because in the STUG they were installed above the Torsion bar support. I will add a bit of styrene later on butfor now I just wanted to see if it wouldn't interfere with some wiring which is planned here and the Brake ventilation piping.

In the CMK kit the linkage to the Track brakes is ommited and need to be added.
Here's a pic from the Nashorn dienstvorschrift

Nashorn Brakes 2.jpg

I added a piece of wire to the bottom of the Brakes and with the other side flattened with a flatnose plier and filed round.
20110720Drivers Brakes-6.jpg

20110720Drivers Brakes-7.jpg

Once installed the most of it will be hidden behind the drums but at least they will be there for some eagle eye.

20110720Drivers Brakes-8.jpg

And here with the triangle support in place
20110720Drivers Brakes-11.jpg

Added the Welded support for the Firewall.
20110720Drivers Brakes-14.jpg

Lining up of the Tranny with some brass pipe revealed that the driveshafts are of an incorrect lenght. Will have a crack at hem to see if a new bit of ping will do the trick.
20110720Drivers Brakes-12.jpg

20110720Drivers Brakes-13.jpg

Had a look at the Sprockets.
Got 4 sets to choose out.
Sprocket-6.jpg
The one on the left are from thye Modelkasten Upgrade Kit, the 2 centre pairs are from the Cuberhobby kit and the ones on the right belong to the ancient Dragon 6001 Kit.
Good to see how things have changed in a timespan of 10 years.
Here two closeups.
Sprocket-9.jpg
Sprocket-10.jpg
The Modelkasten are the more crisp ones in detail and made out of whitemetal add somme weight to the model. My Choice.
Both Kit sets are accurate with good detail. The difference being that one is with wheel hubs the other one without. (Maybe good for a Maintenace Diarama)
HereSprocket-22.jpg's the Modelkasten one installed.

Using the Modelkasten you have two options to mount hem.
The first one by attaching the Inner Sprocket to the Gearbox with a M3 CSK, flat washer and Nyloc and then glueing the whole assembly to the Hull. This gives you a moveable sprocket but you have to remove the already attached tube from the Hull.
Sprocket.jpg
Sprocket-2.jpg
Sprocket-4.jpg

I opted for the second option. I drilled the tube out with a 2.5mm drill and threaded the hole with a M3 Bottoming tap.
Using a M3 CounterSunk screw you can attach the gearbox with the inner Sprocket to the threaded hull stud.
This looks like a more stable option.
Sprocket-12.jpg
Sprocket-14.jpg
The outer sprocket will be glued to the assembly

Nice looking work John, this looks real interesting.