Working on Tamiya Pz. IV Ausf J (35181). I'm trying to attach the cupola to the turret top. Tamiya is using some kind of bayonet lock or something that the cupola has to sit on before glueing. I can't get the cupola to mount with all of these little studs. What am I doing wrong? This is crazy.
Thanks everyone for looking at this problem.
Rowdycat

I'm not familiar with the specific kit you are building, but the Pz. IV cupola has a specific orientation on the tank's turret roof - hatch-opening direction, hinge positions, vision-slit positions - so those little studs are likely supposed to guide and "force" you to correctly position the cupola, and the cupola has "key features" which need to be aligned with the turret-roof features correctly.

Your goal here is to get that cupola on facing the right way - whether the pins and holes match or whatever.

Things I would do: 1) carefully check to see that I am trying to place the cupola on with its correct orientation (I know... "duh". But I've fought these battles before where I was "sure" that I was right... only to find that I wasn't! ) - look carefully at both the instruction drawings and the box-art for guidance. 2) Once really sure that I am aiming it right... I would carefully examine the part for the correct hole-pattern to match the available stud-lets. I would also examine a possible too-tight fit issue if the part sits down into a hole or dimple... Sometimes there are more pins than holes... or the part is simply too big for its mounting site. IF SO, I cut some or most off, and sand or trim the part if needed. 3) I will check my part fit after cutting some pins - does it fit on looking "correct"? If so, I cement it in. If NOT... I go back and examine the proposed and expected fit locations and ID the mis-match which is keeping that part from fitting.

Hope this helps you a bit!

Bob