Pig of the Week Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 This is the same mini sub I had as a kid, not sure if they were based on an actual real life piece of kit tho ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted September 8, 2021 Author Share Posted September 8, 2021 On 8/27/2021 at 10:36 AM, APA said: Your PE work is astounding! Not a drop of CA to be seen anywhere! Well done. Cheers Andrew, much appreciated. The reason why you can't see any CA is likely due to the fact that I didn't use any. Klear is generally my weapon of choice for the fine etch. On 8/26/2021 at 12:59 AM, Pig of the Week said: With the tools I'd go with period photos for mounting points, often kit manufacturers just make stuff up like that ! They were likely often just thrown in the back of the truck too I think I'll go with the tool locations as per the period photos Mr P. It may look a tad cluttered up front though what with the engine on show. We shall see I guess. On 8/26/2021 at 12:59 AM, Pig of the Week said: The midget sub looks interesting, I had a toy one as a kid, it had two diver figures, and possibly an elastic band drive propeller.. i used to play with it in a tin bath at my gran's ! On 8/27/2021 at 3:31 PM, Pig of the Week said: This is the same mini sub I had as a kid, not sure if they were based on an actual real life piece of kit tho ! That looks really cool! I'm willing to wager that it performed as poorly as the real thing? I remember taking my Dad's Airfix 1/600 HMS Victorious into the bath and being very disappointed with it's stability (or lack of it). I suspect it was the overhanging angled flight deck that didn't help matters much. My Dad wasn't best pleased with my experimentation as I recall, although it did dry out eventually! On 8/26/2021 at 1:10 AM, Pig of the Week said: Just had a squint at the sub thread, looks great, it'll make a cool little model in it's own right too. It got me wondering if these L4500 trucks were ever issued or loaned to the Italians ? .. if so it'd kind of make more sense to paint the truck up as in Italian service, the italians would be operating the sub and more likely to have a German truck, rather than the other way round maybe ? Just a thought. Very interesting development anyway ! Must admit that I hadn't really considered the fact that the Italians may not have had access to the Mercedes trucks, I didn't think things through, naively assuming that as allies the Italians would have access to the German gear. Realistically the trucks would probably more likely be in great demand on the eastern front and so not be issued to the Italian backwater. Thanks for the reality check Mr P, I'll have to mull things over. Meanwhile, back on the truck, I've been dabbling with the cab access steps. The kit steps are pretty basic missing tread plate detail. Fortunately the Voyager set provides a replacement. Unfortunately the Voyager offering bears little resemblance to the thing it is replacing. The instructions are rather basic too. Is the etch supposed to sit over the kit steps? Your guess is as good as mine... It would appear that Voyager have had a stab at replicating the step arrangement of the L4500 example at Saumur, this being very much the exception rather than the rule... In general we see a simpler step arrangement, which is basically tubular supports with a tread plate slapped on top... The first job was to manufacture the step supports, which shouldn't strictly have been necessary if I hadn't somehow managed to break one kit support and lose another.🤪 Never mind, find some suitable brass tube (Albion alloys slide fit 1.1mm diameter), anneal it (to reduce the chance of crushing when bent), and produce replacements using one of the remaining supports as a template... We then need to add some pins to to be used when attaching the steps to the chassis. Brass rod was therefore soldered to the supports... Trim and tidy the brass rod and we end up with four replacement supports... Now for the tread plates. The etch plate was separated from the unwanted 'thing' (repeated bending makes and easy and neat job of this), and bends were made to produce the plate edges. The kit plate was used to mark the support location on the etch plate, and 1.3mm diameter tube to act as the support holders was cut to size... Soldering time. Not the neatest of jobs I'll freely admit, but a bit of a clean up, slap on some 'mud', and no one will be any the wiser... Slide the supports into the holders and we have some steps... I think they are an improvement over the kit offering... Handily the supports are a snug fit, but still adjustable in two planes, so there is 'wiggle room' to fine tune attachment to the chassis... The front mudguards will dictate the step location (the step butting tightly up to the mudguard edge) so I'll need to progress the mudguards before I can attach the steps. The mudguard location, however, is dictated by the cab location. The cab will therefore be next. Cheers, and thanks for looking, Paul. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Certainly an exponential improvement on the very crude kit foot steps ! I like the fact that yours are hollow tube, like the real thing, tempting to have one that's been "ripped off" to show that The toy sub, as you suspect, didn't perform that well, but it only had to propel itself the length of an olde tin bath, by rubber band naturally ! i can just imagine your dad's reaction to you dunking his HMS Victorious in the "ocean" tho ! probably worth a bit of research as regards what the Italians used truck wise, you just need a pic of a similar German truck in Italian service.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 As it's piqued my interest now, I've just had an initial quick look and it seems the Germans were commonly using Italian trucks and various vehicles, but the other way round, not so much. When the Italian fascist government went tits up in 43 the Germans pretty much took control and grabbed everything they wanted for themselves and their own use.. The Germans could very easily have nabbed one of those subs for "evaluation" and driven off with it on a Merc truck ! I may be spending your money here but i did see a nice looking 1/35 scale 3RO Italian truck by IBG models on my "virtual travels". I'd think one of those might possibly be more historically likely for the sub, but ?? Just a thought, bear in mind I've just had a very quick shufti online, and Italian kit I know very little about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Those footsteps are a little work of art all on their own. Great work. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted September 22, 2021 Author Share Posted September 22, 2021 On 9/8/2021 at 9:57 PM, Pig of the Week said: Certainly an exponential improvement on the very crude kit foot steps ! I like the fact that yours are hollow tube, like the real thing, tempting to have one that's been "ripped off" to show that Thanks Mr P, but steady on old chap, rip off one of the steps after all the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the blighters! Actually it is quite tempting now you've mentioned it. On 9/8/2021 at 10:19 PM, Pig of the Week said: As it's piqued my interest now, I've just had an initial quick look and it seems the Germans were commonly using Italian trucks and various vehicles, but the other way round, not so much. When the Italian fascist government went tits up in 43 the Germans pretty much took control and grabbed everything they wanted for themselves and their own use.. The Germans could very easily have nabbed one of those subs for "evaluation" and driven off with it on a Merc truck ! I may be spending your money here but i did see a nice looking 1/35 scale 3RO Italian truck by IBG models on my "virtual travels". I'd think one of those might possibly be more historically likely for the sub, but ?? Just a thought, bear in mind I've just had a very quick shufti online, and Italian kit I know very little about. I had a poke around too on the off chance that something may crop up, but no such luck, The home base for the Pigs appeared to be La Spezia in north Italy, still under German control after the Italian surrender, and still active operationally (and actually attacked by previous Pig operators now working with the allies). So the 'evaluation' scenario could have been a thing maybe, though unlikely. I'll be continuing with the Maiale build over in the Maritime section, but still undecided whether it will end up on the truck or not, The 3RO looks nice, but I don't plan to build another truck just now - it's going to take be long enough to finish this one! Though kinda off topic here, it's an interesting read to learn what the Decima Flottiglia MAS got up to with their Pigs and attack boats. A resourceful and brave group of chaps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decima_Flottiglia_MAS On 9/9/2021 at 8:07 AM, Bullbasket said: Those footsteps are a little work of art all on their own. Great work. Cheers John, much appreciated. Now, where were we? Ah yes, the cab. It's been a while since I'd worked on the cab so it was a case of blowing the dust off and seeing where we'd got to. One area I wasn't happy with were the gaping holes around the top of the dashboard. Mind the gap..! That cannot be right surely? It's surprising hard to find a clear picture of the area, but it certainly looks like there was a 'coaming' above the dash... Out with the plasticard, and after much careful trial and error trimming/sanding we end up with something to bridge the chasm... It's strange when you return to something you seem to have a more critical eye (or is this just me?). I wasn't happy with the half-moon rods I'd added to represent the strengthening(?) lines embossed on the dash. So off they came, to be replaced by something a little less agricultural, taking the opportunity to add the ones at the ends of the dash that I'd missed previously... Here's a view that shows the embossed lines I'd attempted to replicate. Also in evidence from left to right is the gear stick, what I'm assuming is the lever to engage four wheel drive (4WD), and the hand brake.... The 4WD lever that come with the kit is a bit, well, odd, having a small, misshapen knob (no giggling at the back). We'll have to do something about that... To fashion a new knob I started with an appropriately sized sprue gate thing, do some initial shaping, then mount on some brass rod for the final shaping, rolling between fingers like a mini lathe. The mounting on the cab floor was a pretty uninspiring half-moon hole, which was quickly replaced by a slot containing a small piece of brass tube. The new 4WD lever could then be added to the cab floor... The kit hand brake was next for the treatment, being added to the cab floor alongside the 4WD lever... Things were going swimmingly, but then I noticed the instructions. Ah, it looks like I've mounted the 4WD lever where the gear stick should be! Note to self: The instructions are there for a reason. Check them now and then, you lummox! But hang on a second. In the cab picture above, the 4WD lever definitely looks to be between the gear stick and the hand brake. Or am I going mad? Hmmmm. Are the instruction wrong, or is the picture some modified or later version L4500? Time to do some digging... Cheers, and thanks for looking, Paul. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 I'd tend to trust original pics rather than the instructions, we know they often just make stuff up in those i can't see that they'd "modify" a vehicle by switching gear and 4wd lever positions.. Again going on the vehicles with selectable 4wd that I know from real life, ie Land Rovers, the basic levers have to remain in the same place, whether the motor is left or right hand drive. ...nice to see the cab progressing nicely too 👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil1960 Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Better and better👍👍👍👍 ciao Filippo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaoinas Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 Stunning work on details. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted October 5, 2021 Author Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 9/22/2021 at 9:12 PM, Pig of the Week said: I'd tend to trust original pics rather than the instructions, we know they often just make stuff up in those i can't see that they'd "modify" a vehicle by switching gear and 4wd lever positions.. Again going on the vehicles with selectable 4wd that I know from real life, ie Land Rovers, the basic levers have to remain in the same place, whether the motor is left or right hand drive. ...nice to see the cab progressing nicely too I too usually conform to the 'don't trust instructions until you see evidence' rule Mr P, but more on this particular topic shortly... On 9/22/2021 at 9:20 PM, Phil1960 said: Better and better👍👍👍👍 ciao Filippo Cheers Filippo - I'm flattered to get four thumbs up rather than just one On 9/23/2021 at 9:47 AM, vaoinas said: Stunning work on details. Thanks Kristjan, much appreciated. This update will be a bit of a ramble I'm afraid, being a continuation of 'The great gear stick location mystery', one of the more boring episodes in the Columbo series. I've been using cab reference pictures from here, and you may recall that I was puzzled by this image which clearly shows the gear stick to the left of what was assumed to be the 4WD lever... The kit instructions however indicated that the gear stick should be in the middle with the 4WD lever to its left. So what's the truth? Well firstly it may be useful to mention that there was a L4500S which was rear-wheel-drive (RWD), and a L4500A which was all-wheel-drive (4WD). Our kit is an L4500A, hence my assumption that the small lever is to engage the 4WD. Looking more closely on the site where I got the reference pictures we see a caption. It's in German, but running it through a translator we get this... 'The bumper was omitted in later versions. The flatbed structure of this 4500 S comes from the post-war period.' Oh, hang on, so that's a L4500S then, the version that's not 4WD. What's that small lever for then? Lord knows, but It may well be nothing to do with engaging 4WD. Nuts! That would probably explain the discrepancy with the instructions, but it would be nice to find a supporting picture somewhere. Well no such luck, I searched high and low but came up with a blank. Not all bad news though, as in the depths of my reference folder I found a diagram. I'm afraid I can't recall the source of the diagram, but it appears to be very accurate... Zooming in on the plan view of the transmission we see a small lever to the left of the gear stick. Bingo...! I therefore decided to ignore the reference pictures with the 'odd lever whose function is unknown' and go with the instructions. A replacement gear stick was knocked up... The 4WD lever was then moved from the centre position being replaced by the gear stick... The Voyager set provides a replacement for the accelerator pedal, which although having questionable accuracy, it is a vast improvement on the kit 'slab'... Voyager also provide replacements for the kit clutch and brake pedals... Voyager suggest that you attach the folded etch to the cab firewall recess 'as is', but methinks we can do better than that. First chain drill holes in the firewall recess and fashion some pedal slits... Then thread the folded pedal legs through the slits from the rear, glue in place, bend the small supporting tabs over, and then attach the pedals to the legs... A final shot illustrates how the pedals orientate with the other controls on the cab floor... That's it for now, Cheers, and thanks for looking, Paul. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 There's some excellent detailing work here Paul, looking forward to seeing how the rest of the build progresses. Wayne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Good detective work there Columbo ! The lever could also be to engage low ratios if not a 4wd lever ?? Again going back to Land Rover tech, just a thought..shame there's not a driver's / owner's manual out there for one of these somewhere. Tasty looking interior you're cooking here anyway 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Agree about it possibly being a low ratio lever. I remember those on our old Series 2 LR's. Excellent work again with the etch and replacement parts. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted October 22, 2021 Author Share Posted October 22, 2021 On 10/5/2021 at 10:18 PM, diablo rsv said: There's some excellent detailing work here Paul, looking forward to seeing how the rest of the build progresses. Cheers Wayne, much appreciated. 👍 On 10/6/2021 at 7:55 AM, Pig of the Week said: Good detective work there Columbo ! The lever could also be to engage low ratios if not a 4wd lever ?? Again going back to Land Rover tech, just a thought..shame there's not a driver's / owner's manual out there for one of these somewhere. Tasty looking interior you're cooking here anyway Ah yes, a low ratio selector <nods sagely while hitting the internet to find out what engaging low ratio actually does>. There looks to be a manual available, which is tempting, but it costs money and I'm a Yorkshire man. Thanks for the kind comment by the way Mr P. On 10/6/2021 at 4:28 PM, Bullbasket said: Agree about it possibly being a low ratio lever. I remember those on our old Series 2 LR's. Excellent work again with the etch and replacement parts. Thanks John. Another vote for a low ratio lever, which may well be the case, but if so I suspect it's some kind of modification in the extant example I'm using for reference. There are a few other things that don't ring true about that machine, more of which later. Bench time has been limited recently due to pesky things like life and work getting in the way. There has been some progress though, predominately associated with the instrument binnacle on the dashboard. The Voyager set provides an etch replacement for the binnacle, along with a transparent film for the instrument faces... I'm not a big fan of these films, mainly due to the thickness of the film raising the overlying etch so it doesn't sit properly. Having said that I'm going to give the film a go, so the reverse of the was painted white to highlight the instrument faces. Do the instruments look like those on our reference machine? Well kind of, maybe, if you squint a bit. One difference are the numbers on the speedometer. The film version goes to 120 (assumed to be km/h), but the reference machine goes to 90. Is 90 a bit low for km/h? Might it be more appropriate for mph, possibly suggesting the speedometer has been replaced (it does look bolted on rather than an original fit)? I don't know to be honest, maybe it's the 120 figure that's questionable? Another noticeable difference is the fact that the speedometer in the reference machine is proud of the binnacle whereas the etch suggests that all the instruments are flush. Does this again point to the speedometer being a replacement...? Unfortunately the only other reference that I have is for a very different (later?) version of the truck where the instruments are clustered around the steering wheel. The instruments are very different, though the various knobs and buttons look similar but in different locations. We see that the speedometer is flush, which may not mean a great deal given that the dash has radically changed. Note also that the speedometer goes to 100, which doesn't really clarify things one way or the other... I think it's going to have to be a case of going with the one reference I have, even if it may be questionable. The kit pretty much mirrors the reference with respect to the speedometer being proud, so a proud speedo we shall have... Firstly the dashboard was prepared to accept the etch binnacle. But why has a huge hole been hacked in the middle of the binnacle? Is the truck going to have a Sat Nav upgrade? Unfortunately not, the hole will (hopefully) allow the instrument film to be attached from the rear following painting... Then it was a case of scratching up the raised speedometer, and adding knobs, switches, a key and various rivet detail. The plan is for the speedometer film to be carefully trimmed (which will be fun!) and added into the speedo recess following painting... There's also been some progress on the cab firewall in an attempt to replicate the wiring, fuses(?), and rivet detail that is quite prominent. As an aside, note the split seat on this reference machine - a definite modification from the original... Wiring gubbins in place, which is pretty much imaginary, especially in the upper reaches (which won't be visible in normal viewing angles when the dashboard is in place)... It all looks very messy in those pictures doesn't it? It's not that bad in real life, but the proof of the pudding will be when the primer goes on. Cheers, and thanks for looking, Paul. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Beautiful detail work, absolutely smashing... Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APA Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Paul your attention to detail and presicion is 1st class 👍 Terrific stuff Andrew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 Looking great with all the detailing going on there 👍 That "fat" speedo mounting thing is odd, it gets me thinking it may be an added on crude driver's "tacho" type thing ??? I say this as it's got a secure key lock on the top to open and access it, it's got a clock in the middle, a counter which may be hours rather than miles, and it's own makers id. plate.... Just a thought to rattle your brains a bit more 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 That original driver's manual you found available is very tempting isn't it... go on, you know you want to ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vytautas Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 16 hours ago, edjbartos said: Beautiful detail work, absolutely smashing... Yes, that is a real truth! Just incredible... Vytautas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen Barett Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 17 hours ago, Lummox said: Cheers Wayne, much appreciated. 👍 +++ Do the instruments look like those on our reference machine? Well kind of, maybe, if you squint a bit. One difference are the numbers on the speedometer. The film version goes to 120 (assumed to be km/h), but the reference machine goes to 90. Is 90 a bit low for km/h? Might it be more appropriate for mph, possibly suggesting the speedometer has been replaced (it does look bolted on rather than an original fit)? I don't know to be honest, maybe it's the 120 figure that's questionable? Another noticeable difference is the fact that the speedometer in the reference machine is proud of the binnacle whereas the etch suggests that all the instruments are flush. Does this again point to the speedometer being a replacement...? Unfortunately the only other reference that I have is for a very different (later?) version of the truck where the instruments are clustered around the steering wheel. The instruments are very different, though the various knobs and buttons look similar but in different locations. We see that the speedometer is flush, which may not mean a great deal given that the dash has radically changed. Note also that the speedometer goes to 100, which doesn't really clarify things one way or the other... +++ There's also been some progress on the cab firewall in an attempt to replicate the wiring, fuses(?), and rivet detail that is quite prominent. As an aside, note the split seat on this reference machine - a definite modification from the original... +++ Paul. I think I have an idea of a hint to kind of an explanation ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph#In_Germany_(historical) the tachograph became mandatory for new vehicles and most probably after a certain period retrofitting to commercial verhicles became mandatory too. So my guess is: "A retrofittetd post-war instrument." (look at the lock, it hints towards a tachograph) Another "reference" with a flat speedo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/L_4500_Innenraum.jpg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 Bearing in mind what Jochen says above I'd say it confirms what I suspected and it has to be a tacho, added subsequently post war. I'd be inclined to just make a flat faced regular type speedo on the model tbh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted October 24, 2021 Author Share Posted October 24, 2021 On 10/22/2021 at 9:04 PM, edjbartos said: Beautiful detail work, absolutely smashing... Cheers Ed, much appreciated. 👍 On 10/22/2021 at 10:09 PM, APA said: Paul your attention to detail and presicion is 1st class 👍 Terrific stuff Thanks for the kind words Andrew. 👍 On 10/23/2021 at 9:50 AM, Pig of the Week said: Looking great with all the detailing going on there 👍 That "fat" speedo mounting thing is odd, it gets me thinking it may be an added on crude driver's "tacho" type thing ??? I say this as it's got a secure key lock on the top to open and access it, it's got a clock in the middle, a counter which may be hours rather than miles, and it's own makers id. plate.... Just a thought to rattle your brains a bit more Cheers Mr P. A tachograph you say, that has got the brain a rattling! On 10/23/2021 at 10:10 AM, Pig of the Week said: That original driver's manual you found available is very tempting isn't it... go on, you know you want to ... Well it will soon be Christmas, and I'm sure I've been a good boy this year. On 10/23/2021 at 1:39 PM, vytautas said: Yes, that is a real truth! Just incredible... You're too kind Vytautas - thank you. On 10/23/2021 at 1:45 PM, Jochen Barett said: I think I have an idea of a hint to kind of an explanation ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph#In_Germany_(historical) the tachograph became mandatory for new vehicles and most probably after a certain period retrofitting to commercial verhicles became mandatory too. So my guess is: "A retrofittetd post-war instrument." (look at the lock, it hints towards a tachograph) Thank you for the information Jochen, I think you and Mr P are on the same wavelength, the tachograph explanation makes perfect sense. We seem to be looking at a post war modification. On 10/23/2021 at 1:55 PM, Pig of the Week said: I'd be inclined to just make a flat faced regular type speedo on the model tbh Unfortunately I agree with you Mr P, which means that the lovingly (and mistakenly) crafted tachograph is now history... Some of the binnacle knobs haven't survived the deconstruction, but at least I managed to preserve the key (I didn't relish making that again!) It's a case of two steps forward and one step back, but hey ho, you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. And finally, thanks for the reference picture @Jochen Barett. There's some very un-German wiring going on there! If you think I'm going to replicate that spaghetti you've got another think coming... Cheers, thanks for looking, thanks for the comments, and thanks for keeping me honest when I get things wrong, Paul. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APA Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 37 minutes ago, Lummox said: " which means that the lovingly (and mistakenly) crafted tachograph is now history..." 1/72 searchlight waiting to happen 😊👍 Andrew 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen Barett Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Apologies for being a bit late with my guesses regarding the tachygraph. That un-German wiring may still be observed in rather contemporary German cars, I'd accredit it to foreign (in those days forced) labour or "there was a war goin' on ya know". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted November 15, 2021 Author Share Posted November 15, 2021 On 10/24/2021 at 7:55 PM, APA said: 1/72 searchlight waiting to happen 😊 Ever resourceful I see Andrew, but I think I may find a home for the tachograph in my Maiale human torpedo build going on over in Maritime. Happily I reckon it's just about the right size to be recycled as a compass, which should please Greta. On 10/24/2021 at 9:38 PM, Jochen Barett said: Apologies for being a bit late with my guesses regarding the tachygraph. There's absolutely no reason for you to apologise Jochen. You've been an invaluable font of information throughout this build. 👍 It's been quite some time since the last update (doesn't time fly!) Unfortunately quality bench time has been as rare as hen's teeth, but I do have some minor progress to report. I'm also taking the opportunity to ask for advice from you smart, charming and highly attractive people, but more on that later... Firstly, the troublesome instrument binnacle has been reconstructed with all the various knobs and switches. There will just about be enough room for the film representing the instrument faces to be inserted behind the binnacle following painting: The fuel tank has been finished, with the filler cap sitting on top as if removed during a refuel stop: The battery has also been completed, this being a flight of fancy as I haven't a clue what the battery may have looked like on a L4500: The fuel tank and battery will 'live' under the seat something like the arrangement below. It's not too clear here, but I've also attempted to introduce some shallow depressions into the seat back where driver and passenger backs and shoulders will have rubbed/worn/stressed the seat. Not sure how accurate this kind of wear is to be honest, but it does temper the pristine 'arrow straight' look of the original seat: And that brings things up to date. We're getting perilously close to paint, but there is one thing I'd like to run past you if I may...? Before I commit to painting and constructing the cab components, I need to consider what preparation work my be necessary for the windscreen replacement. I will definitely need to replace the windscreen (and the back window for that matter) as there is an odd mould flaw which looks like a hair running through the middle of the 'glass'. The transparencies are quite thick too, which although clear, do cause severe distortions: While mulling over how best to replace the windscreen, I came across these excellent illustrations which seem to suggest that the windscreen could open by being tilted forwards: Looks interesting I thought, let's see if I can find any supporting references for an opening windscreen. Easier said than done, but I did mange to find a couple of examples, the first being a poor quality still from a film (I think, which would not be the most reliable of sources), the second being a period shot of a Maultier (which is more promising evidence): Now I quite fancy going for a tilting windscreen, but don't really know whether they were standard fit in any way, or indeed how the things worked! I assume there must be some kind of hinge at the top of the windscreen, but I'm unsure what the opening/closing latches may have looked like or operated. Might it have been as simple as this Beetle example, there being a couple of sliding brackets that you pushed forwards to open the windscreen...? As ever, any comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. gratefully accepted. Cheers, and thanks for looking, Paul. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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