Early Tiger 1 from sPzAbt 503

[cahlfors]

Yes, yes, yes! The terrible icy conditions we have had for several weeks changed as Fimbul (the Norse god of winter) dumped some snow on us last week. So out we went. Turn up the heat and come follow me!


This time, the snow was wet again and I tried loosening the track tension some more with good results. The model idlers do not quite replicate the self cleaning properties of the prototype, however, and there can be ice buildup on the idlers. With the looser track tension, the track will not break, but may jam against the pannier floor as in this garage picture taken afterwards:


Anyway, chugging along in deep snow is free of any troubles. Turning in deep, wet snow is heavy and the outer track is struggling with friction to move the masses of snow:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4908.mp4

It has been debated what might be the right amount of smoke for a WW II tank. This is definitely too much unless one is replicating serious engine trouble - I accidentally overfilled the smoke oil reservoir. But it appears that I have too little fan capacity as well. I much prefer the blow of Tim's PzIV:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4909.mp4

Crossing its own tracks:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4910.mp4

The world's worst photographer:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4911.mp4

Coming toward the camera:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4912.mp4

A favorite passage (into the flower bed again). Watch how the idlers get filled with snow when the tank is turning:
http://s980.photobucket.com/albums/ae29 ... i_4914.mp4

I do not get much done in the workshop these days. Driving is too much fun!

May spring never come!
/Chris

[Björn Johansson]

Nice videos I bet you have a
every time you take her out.

But I for sure would like some spring now
URGENT!!.

[TBowman]

Hi Chris

Very nice videos. The Tiger seems to perform well in the deep snow. I really like the sound of your Tiger.

kindest regards
Tim

[cahlfors]

Thanks guys!

Sound and smoke are from Benedini.

Cheers,
/Chris

[cahlfors]

I have been looking into hub caps of the early type. There seems to be two variants - a one piece sprocket casting with integrated cap and a loose cap. The second seems to be the only practical choice since there will inevitably be two pieces...

Using the stock machined cap as a master, I have started on a new cap:


In place on the sprocket:


Thanks for looking,
/Chris

[cahlfors]

At the IPMS Open exhibit a couple weekends ago (http://www.ipmsstockholm.se/wp/?page_id=125), people remarked that there was not enough power in the exhaust smoke. "Like someone smoking a pipe", was one comment. It was also suggested that a radial fan would have the necessary pressure. :scratch:

The good news is that I managed to get hold of a 24V radial fan and have been experimenting with it. The bad news is that when connected, there is almost no smoke at all. As it says in the smoker instructions, the amount of smoke generated is a carefully balanced mix of the size of fan blowing into the "smoke box", the size of the holes and the diameter of the piping. Any change is likely to produce less smoke. And sure enough... At least I tried. Next, I will see if I can preheat the elements, so that there is plenty of smoke on startup at least. That would be great!

I have also installed some more batteries and tidied up the electrical installation:


I also got one of these small jacks, so that I can raise the model without breaking my back and risking that it falls to the floor when I try to put blocks under it:

I wish I had got this earlier!

Thanks for your interest!
/Chris

[Björn Johansson]

Sure like the jack great idéa!
Even more batteries

[TBowman]

Hi Chris

Contact Richie Wignall. The performance of his smoke units is very good. The best there is in my humble opinion. Price is reasonable as well. Getting close to installing motors and electronics into the Tiger so if you want to wait and see how his smoke unit works in a Tiger, it should only be another month or so.

He has videos on YouTube as well. Just do a search for wiggytronics. Or go to my web site under the 'friends' page and there's a link and his email. http://thepanzertrap.com/panzertrap_friends.html

Don't mean to be a salesman for Richie but I am a very happy and satisfied customer. : ) and I know you would be too.

Kindest regards
Tim

[cahlfors]

Thanks for the tip, Tim! I have spent too many dineros on my current smoker, so I am a bit unwilling to give up without a fight. Spending some more on radial fans, ducts and whatnot seems quite reasonable in this situation...

I will keep experimenting and maybe I give up when I see yours. The Tiger is a bit demanding for any smoker because of the exhaust tops. I am looking forward to seeing yours. It sure looked good on the P4!

Thanks,
/Chris

[cahlfors]

Lately, I have been into electronics. At the IPMS show, I realized that the sound volume needs to be adjustable. The current setup allows this only directly on the sound card, which is in a closed box unreachable under the deck. Of course it has to be adjustable via radio! However, it appears that no one on the planet has done this before. At least, my googling has not turned up much and my own trials have not been successful. As a last resort, I could just put a potentiometer on a servo, but that's an ugly solution!

As a pause from the electronics, I went back to the hub caps to do some milling. If this looks correct, then there is just the grease nipple and washers left to do:

Can I please have your constructive criticism?

Thanks,
/Chris

[Peter]

Bigger pictures!

I´m old, handicapped and damned near blind...

Great work, I have got some true inspiration and some problem solving from this thread.

But honestly. This thread need bigger pictures.

[Kent W]

Chris have you checked with Thomas Benedini he aught to know ant I am sure he will find out or has a solution.
His English is as good(?) as our and he is a friendly foe eager to hear comments regarding his products in order to improve them.
http://www.benedini.de/

Talking about bigger photos...always welcomed for us who’s eyes getting older every year.
Here is a big one of the Bovington Early Tiger I hub cap:



Yours look good but please add the locking tabs and don’t forget to fold them up against the bolt head.

Kind regards
Kent

[cahlfors]

Alright guys - bigger pictures its going to be.

Thanks for taking the time to help me.

Great work, I have got some true inspiration and some problem solving from this thread.

I am really glad to hear that! Your 103 build has been a great inspiration to me. Hope you are recuperating well!

Chris have you checked with Thomas Benedini he aught to know ant I am sure he will find out or has a solution.
His English is as good(?) as our and he is a friendly foe eager to hear comments regarding his products in order to improve them.
http://www.benedini.de/

I will give it a try

Yours look good but please add the locking tabs and don’t forget to fold them up against the bolt head.

Yes, I called them "washers". It looks like I will have to make an order for aftermarket parts, after all. Will save up for a batch.

Thanks for the Bovington photo. It is from a very good angle. Note how that hub is different from the photo you posted a year ago:

I have tried to get close to this variant. I think the reason might be an old Tamiya kit I built in my youth that looked more like this. Do you or anybody else know the story of the different looks?

I have also noted that the kit supplied sprocket locking tabs are for a later version and that I will have to replace them with the round ones shown in the Bovington photo. Together with checking the size of the nuts. I have a hard time making out if the kit supplied nuts should be replaced with Knupfer scale?

Thanks for your input!
/Chris

[cahlfors]

Testing bigger pictures:


And from another angle. Here I have tried a couple of Knupfer scale bolts. The upper one is 2,5 mm, the next is 3 mm (requiring replacement of the 2,5 mm bolts) and the lower one is standard. Which looks best?


Thanks for your engagement!
/Chris

[Kent W]

Hi again Chris,

Your hub cap looks ok for an Early Tiger 1 so please don’t change it.
IMHO there are no bigger differences of the hub caps seen in the two photos I have posted.
Remember small difference did occur on the real ones.

Regarding the double lock tab.
Well as they were introduced in June 1944 as standard they were highly unlike to find them on Early Tiger 1.
The single ones seen on the Bovie Tiger is the way to go for Early sprockets:



Sorry about that

Mike Stannard has the single lock tab for sale as did Vince Abbott but his items are not for sale any more sadly.

There are photo evidence of the double bar above used before June -44.
The well known shots of SS101 commanders taken in spring -44 show them but then again it was common for priority units to have "the latest" before it was common standard equipment.

Kind regards
Kent