2cm Flak 38 grouping ~ DML, Tristar, and Italeri

[Jamie Tainton]

Here I have drilled out holes that will accommodate a pin to locate and mount these scratch built brass arms. The two sides need to be in line.


Here I have soldered some of the camouflage wire loops A58 to one side of the shields.


couple of overall views.


to mount the front bar I came up with the idea of using a slice from a slightly larger diameter tube glued at the end of the mounting point. You can see the locating pin on the one on the left which needed to be removed. This is glued in place with gap filler CA and once accelerated I sanded it down.


added the gun base from a previous (SdKfz. 10/5) flak build, that's why its black.




a couple of overall shots.






Here you can see (above) the single wing nuts that are in the Voyager set that are meant to mount the ammo tray on the left side. These are total works of fiction. Below are some from Bronco that I will be using.

[Jamie Tainton]

In this picture you can see they made a better effort on part 12- which is for the rear storage box on the base, but it is still too flat so of no use.


So in this update I will discuss the front part of the main unit. The DML take on things is rather basic. There is a small box included but everything is so basic- it is not really all that reflective of how the real thing looks. I sanded all of the mounting plastic that the box should sit on. I found that I did this to farther than planned and after referring to some refs I saw that the mounting was like cut out angle iron metal. The Voyager box clasps are too big and no small clips are included. Generally, I think PE is only good for boxes. The tiny half wing nut is not the right shape at all. I'M UNHAPPY WITH THE VOYAGER SET
Here, on the right you can see the Voyager storage box that goes on the front, a vast improvement over the DML item which is just a square box. On the left I decided to revamp the front section of the main unit which has really very very basic shapes on the kit. I made a thing from brass that I added some hollowed out areas to simulate the real items- which are like angled iron.

a shot from my collection to show what I mean


I had to add the small clip attachment points cut from scrap brass. I also think the clasps themselves are a little large but hey ho.


In this picture you can see a new set of proper arms that I made- set three or four? Each time I got better at it but still after everything I had to make an adjustment down the line as one of the end pieces broke off the side, and well it all went downhill from there- glad I had made an extra one.


Test fitting the front shields, this is where I discovered I did not have enough clearance on the front shield and horizontal bar/gun unit mounting point. It caused tiny bulges in the front of the shield where the two mounting point squeezed.







the side ammo tray, with some plastic strip embellishments.

[Allan Williams]

Coming along very nicely Jamie. Always amazed at how well you handle the PE and the new upper supports you fashioned are much nicer.
God only knows what that weird cutout is on the edge of the lower right shield, never noticed anything like that before and the small slot in the same plate is over way too much. Both things you can really do nothing about though.
A shame you're losing patience with the project, although it's understandable, but I hope we can all watch you see it through.

Cheers
Allan

[Jamie Tainton]

Does anyone have any great reference shots of that shows the construction of the side shell catch basket?

[Jamie Tainton]

I have added some text to last nights 30 pictures.

[Jamie Tainton]

I desperately need some good clear images of the ammo shell basket!

[Tim Coulson]

[Jamie Tainton]

Thanks Tim, a little small though.
Any ways here is another update, finally seeing the end of the tunnel, and I must say going in depth like this is good for actually learning the make-up and construction of the real thing as you go through, having to check everything against reference photos etc. And all I can say is this kit from Dragon, or any other manufacturer for that matter can only get it right to some degree. I would have to scratch build something completely working from scale drawings I think to get anything that would be "rivet counting accurate" Several areas are not right and/or simplified in these plastic kits.

Anyways as we are focused on this build of a DML using a Voyager let's direct the critique there for now the other kits will follow and their merits and foibles will be looked into at that time.

So in this picture you can see the home made, (not PE Allan ), support arms for the shielding. I have drilled two small holes for the pin chain to hang from. These arms actually are an earlier set that the ones on there now, one of the reasons this build is dragging on, is I have to redo things sometimes because they aren't "perfect"





I soldered the tiny PE chains that come with the set. I subsequent pictures you will see these gone, for a number of reasons, one being that they just don't look right-too stiff!


Next I cobbled together a couple of the replacement adjustment levers that come with the Voyager set. They ask for plastic rod but I solder brass.


Here you can see I have re-heated and removed the troublesome straps and in the following photograph you can see a rough cut brass tube being fitted under the strap.




a test fit and everything is Groovy... (BTW, in this picture you can see the side braces referred to below, B41 and B51, lying right beside the gun.)


The small central shield has some nice side mounting braces but care must be shown when positioning everything so the bends are not forced or not succinct.


The front shield braces could be better designed as the hinge fold on parts B41and B51is difficult. Also there should be a slight cut angle to the top. I pressed out the rivets on the shield itself, which looked good till I put pressure on them when I soldered the braces on- they were then sanded down and replacements will be used.
The instructions are not clear where too attach this small shield to the gun!? - check your references carefully.

[Jamie Tainton]

A shot from the side showing a dry fitting. You may notice the small adjustment handle has been added to the side wall below the seat support




This is the gun from the Sdkfz 10/5 build's Flak assembly, that's why it's black. Here it is lined up against the LionRoar replacement. (Man do they ever go over the top with their fricking packaging, very environmentally unfriendly and just unnecessary!)
You can see that it is too short. But as I went further into this build, I found out that DML had really F-ed up when they included the wrong "J" sprue.
I was aware that the gun was the wrong one in the kit being the KwK one that has a shorter barrel, and I thought that all that need be done is a replacement barrel of the correct length switched in. However, I discovered that the whole back end of the gun is completely wrong wrong for this seating and that you need the proper "J" sprue like the one from their stand alone gun kit # 6288!!!!


the correct gun is shown here still on it's sprue. WTF




here beside a duplicate you can see I have sanded off the face controls in preparation to make the PE replacement of the controls box.






Just a couple of shots showing some other plastic bits added to the back end.

[Jamie Tainton]

So here is a shot where I have cut and drilled out a correct gum from the 6288 gun and using 2 part 5 minute epoxy I have glued the Lion Roar Brass bit in, a definite improvement.
I can see the day coming though when the manufacturer of the model will include a better and better version and in time replacements may go the way of the DODO.



the front central gun shield all soldered up.


Like I said before the rivet details will be added later.


These PE parts are for the front foot pedal upgrade. The thinness of the components are a definite improvement but the resemblance to the actual device gets a C+ grade from me. But going in and detailing this forced me to really take a look and I surely understand what is down there better than when I previously just glued the plastic parts in place.




Here I have glued the assembly in place after cutting some of the plastic out the is by the adjustment bar, the thing with all the holes. That is the thing that fits through the small slit on the lower right shield half.