I'll be leaving now, Mike's turning into a rivet counter.
(You open the door on that one.) LOL

All kidding aside Mike, not sure I've seen those types before, new to me bro. Your back up plan sound good to me or you can try to make them for the smallest square stock styrene, mold them.
One 12 inch rod mold should make a pretty good amount.

Just throwing that out there.

See ya in the funnies.................

Tichy Train has some round .08" rivets (2mm) that are about the right size for this. Take those, still on the sprue and heat the brass square stock I have and "melt" the square hole in them.

Thanks Brian....potentially solves that worry.

Mike

Cool, cool Mike.
Hope it works. Can't wait to see it.

See ya in the funnies..............

That's about $272 USD. Probably just covered the shipping! Unless the vehicle was built of scrap cardboard, or cereal boxes, and detailed and decorated with crayon. (Disclaimer: I haven't seen the actual product, so I'm just talking off the top of my head)

Biggles, it actually looked pretty nice. There was little to no information provided about the build; just some pics and a very brief description.

Anyhow, focus right now is on the main turret; trying to get the front right to determine the barrel mounts. I've found I need to modify it some - which seems to make it more accurate (visually that is). Adding a half inch to the front will make a big difference.

When I start the other half of the track housing I'm going to have to move into the garage with it as I'll be needing a clear workbench with access to both sides of the bench. It's that big.

Still awaiting word on the replacement road wheels.

Mike

after it's finished make a diorama for it

better request "some little space" in the lawn and get the shovel ready

Good to hear that you´re still on it, Mike

You're not too far off Tommy. Assuming I get one of the Heinrich's, I'll need some ground for it.

Mike

Third time's a charm. Finally have the front and front top figured. Angles and all seem good. Just a bit of trimming and sanding to do (KT turret is pretty small sitting on the top):





The roof and front will get the three openings cut, then trimmed, and finally glued together. Then I'll put in a little reinforcement and build the mounts for the two barrels and the cover for the center opening.

Hopefully the back will be nice to me.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Looking good. Also most time to figure out how to mount the two .410 gauge shotguns inside the turret.
Oh crap, did I say that out loud? LOL

See ya in the funnies.......................

410's would be fun! That may well be for the 1/35th metal Ratte with full RC and video.

Turret work. I did get a bit greedy with the drill bit (15/16th's Spade bit) and slipped. Being repaired with putty (left side as you look at it).





Next up is the mounting/bracing for the barrels, the cover for the center gun 'hole,' and then to tackle the back end. After that? Rivets, doors, details.

Oh, the other two halves for the track housing are shaped. I'll need to drill the axle holes and start putting it together. Heh, turret is on the basement bench and the track housing parts are on the garage bench.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Are going two barrel with this? If so you may want to move the end openings closer to center. With the center plugged the side mounts openings look too far out.
Now if you are on a three gun mount, then it looks good bro.

Something to think about I guess. LOL

See ya in the funnies.............

Brian,

Spacing needs to be set up the way the battleship turret is:



Mike

Ah, cool deal Mike.

Although, a three barrel would be different.

See ya in the funnies............

Saw this today, found it amusing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKItVDjmlk8

I don't speak Russian, but I assume this is a joke. Doesn't stop some people on the official WoT forums from believing it though.

Heheh miniflea, I've seen that. It'd take a few MAUS' to take it out considering it was only using it's main guns.

Turret work - this time the rear curved area. Coming along nice:







I figure once the panels are all on and tuned, I'll start working on the larger detail bits - exhausts, intakes, door, armored window things, and the like. Received some Tichy Train rivets and two thickness' of K&S brass sheet.

What I really, really need to do is cut the circular turret mounts...roughly 12 inches in diameter (11-15/16th or 303mm). I think I can get away with the two sections that attach to the sides and one that the turret sits on. That one in turn rotates atop the main housing (in the ship or shore position). In my case, the main housing will be the structure on top of the Ratte.

I have a 5-day weekend and if the weather holds out, a lot of that will be the rear fence and some other honey-do's...and several of us are going Saturday to the range...my "ground-up" AR-15 build will get tested and optics/flip sights zeroed. FuN tImEs!!

Mike

Hiya Mike,

Looking good. Turret ring that huge? Wow, Now I know this thing is massive.
Finally got the AR up and going, good to hear also.

See ya in the funnies...............

More turret work.

Got the base figured out:





This is the approximate positioning of one of the Heinrich doors/ramps:



This side's will be closed up permanently as I can't really go through both parts of the hull correctly and I'd only be getting one Heinrich.

The other side will be openable to show off the Heinrich bay's interior with plumbing, lighting (non-functional), tools, etc.

And to give you an idea of what this thing will look like:



The turret will be raised up approximately 1 to 1.5 inches (3 to 4 feet in scale). The platform will be sloped on all four sides and the front platform slope will match the glacis.

Mike

p.s. That AR shot like a freakin' dream!!! Never again will I buy one off the shelf....no....I'll build my own.

Mike,
Nice work on a very cool project. Can't wait to see the final! Nice AR build too!

PS: Sent you a PM; check your Inbox.

--mike

Thanks Mike. PM inbound.

No new pics right now.

Cut the two holes in the sides for the Heinrich bay and started building said bay; pretty much setting up the layout and whatnot. Figure a workbench and (IF I can get them) spare ammo cans/drums along the free space of the walls (tall, narrow bay). Maybe a crate or two and "plumbing" along the wall(s) and ceiling and lights.

Pretty much once I have the basic "box" for the bay built (it'll be in a "take down" format so I can detail it) I can start putting the other half together and then figure out the front, back, roof, and underside.

Mike

A little bit of detail type stuff for the Heinrich bay:




I decided to give the back wall some "shape" by angling it. No other reason than it looks better than a rectangle.

Most of what will go in there will be spares box parts (the two rectangle parts on the upper left are from a Dragon BTR-80 I think, the tan box is a toolbox from a 1/24 Ranchero), a mix of copper, aluminum, and styrene tube for piping, and some scratch work.



Primed with hooks on the back left wall for chain, three doors (one on each side - to access crew compartments battle positions(?) and one to access the "storage area" between the two Heinrich bays). I also scratched a quick workbench. Not sure what else will go in there as it's just tall and wide enough to accept a Heinrich.

Because this will "slide" into the track housing, I can't have anything sticking out from the sides, top, or bottom; so I'm trying to figure out how to put six tie-downs on the floor. I can't really recess them unless I drill the holes and line the bottom of the holes with some .005" brass sheet. If I do that, then I can scratch some hooks for the chain tie-downs.

And I still need to come up with a ramp lifting system...thinking something very much like an M113/M577 pully system.

(borrowed from panzer-modell.de FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY)



Mike

Hey Mike,

It's looking good.
Had a thought about the access door. How about a barn door set up mounted on the inside of the turret. Like a water tight compartment door. This way the exterior is clean and you don't have a weak point in the armor.

See ya in the funnies..................

Hey Brian. I have to keep the Heinrich bays center-mass on the body for space.

In a real sense, the bays need to be there anyway. The turret "tower" (what's below the actual turret) contains its machinery, rounds, powder, fuzes, elevators, et cetera. It wouldn't be able to hold a walker. Too far back and it interferes with the engine bay.

If you look up a couple posts, you'll see where I was going to put the doors; pretty close to the rear of the turret. I'll post some pictures soon...I've cut the openings out for the bay.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Yup, saw where the placement was in the side, I just wasn't sure how the room with Lil' Hans/Franz/Fritz was going to be installed, if it was going length of the hull or width of the hull.

Looking forward to the photos'

See ya in the funnies.....................

Here's the bay I've done. Rather spartan right now. No weathering has been done; not until I get a Heinrich and can properly get the scratches and bangs and stains on the floor, walls and ceiling where they'd "make sense."

This will slide in from the side towards the opposite side.





The track housing that this will go into is on the bench in the garage - reinforcing strips are being installed and the top and bottom are being added. Pics will follow.

Mike