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Building a 1:8 Scale Panther: Part 1

Reassembling the Suspension

On attempting to reassemble it appears that the bolt holes are not drilled in a jig but freehand. As a consequence a happy time was spent trying to line up the holes with their respective components. Eventually I located what fitted what and turned to the sprocket detail. The centre of the actual sprocket is conical. On to the lathe! I turned down the correct shape from lime wood and made yet another silicon mould. As there would be a degree of wear/load bearing 3 layers of f/g were laid up inside each of the 2 shapes needed. These when finished were adjusted to fit and a hole drilled through the centre of each to allow for the new cap screw that would secure the sprocket to its drive shaft.

I then turned to the final drive housing. This is quite prominent and thanks to the books I had bought easy to make and detail with plasticard and f/g resin. (All of the bolt heads etc. were made of f/g resin by making a silicon mould of 6, 8, and 10, BA nuts and bolts and pouring the f/g into the finished mould. Very fiddly and lots of misshape were made before getting the knack). The single return roller on each side were made on the lathe and run in their own bronze bearings. The detail is from f/g/resin and the tyres themselves from cut down rubber tap washers.

I then made from plasticard and nuts and bolts the 2 very prominent final drive mounting brackets that are on the lower glacis plate and fixed these into the place. The final detailing of the hull consisted of making false suspension units which, with a myriad of f/g bolts, were fixed to the hull (the frustration now being that after all of this ‘super detailing’ they will not be seen when the tracks are fitted. Still, I know they are there).

A jack was then made from scratch and the whole hull was then primed and sprayed as per the road wheels. The wheels, idlers and sprockets were then refixed into place, the suspension units and their springs (their attachments now modified for greater security) were fixed to the road wheels and all tested.

Here ends part one of this three part series. In part two Peter will continue with the final corrections and building of the deck, turret, tracks and other details. Part three will cover the final painting and weathering as well as his overall impressions of the project. So stay tuned! - Jim