Pz.Kpfw III Ausf L

[echen]

I have had a shed-load of irritation with Revell link and length tracks on a Revell Tiger 1 Ausf H and a Revell Tiger 1 Ausf E that I have been working on for months. 

My various disasters can be found in @M3talpig's Tiger Superthread at Page 92 Page 98 Page 146 Page 147 and Page 151 (With a bit more success on Page 166)

@Sgt.Squarehead suggested building the Revell Pz.Kpfw III Ausf L which has much simpler and more straightforward L&L tracks.

So I will take a short break from Tiger I running gear and attempt a simpler Panzer.

So here goes.

 

 

 

The destructions for construction are here.

The plan is to build detachable track runs which can be painted after construction in order to avoid the complications of paint on the surfaces where cement needs to hold the parts and poorly fitting track links.

Edited August 3, 2022 by echen

[echen]

I recall somebody somewhere saying that sometimes not all the supplied L&L indy links are needed for Revell kits.

Does anyone know if the Revell Pz.Kpfw III Ausf L needs all the indy links that come with the kit?

Seems the carpet monster has had one of mine. I can salvage a link off the end of the length supplied for the hull and just extend the support bar if the missing link is indispensable but it would be good if I didn't need them all. 😀

[echen]

I have made a start on the tracks. The sprocket and idler halves are cemented.

The indy links are microscopic! 

The destructions specify eight links on sprocket and eight on the idler and one at each end of the bottom length.

In accordance with guidance received I have fixed 8 to the sprocket and 8-1=7 to the idlers. Altogether, according to the destructions I need a total of 36 indy links - all that are supplied.

The carpet monster got one so I'll need one off the spare tracks to place on the hull.

BUT

If I don't need an extra one for the idlers I'll get away with what I've got without cutting the spares.

I plan to try taping up a track run to see what fits round the fixed indy links on the sprocket/idler.

The fit so far has been good, much more straightforward than Revell Tiger II tracks and far far better than Revell Tiger 1 tracks.

[Seahawk]

After spending what feels like the best part of a week wrestling with Revell (Luchs) and UM (Flakpanzer 38(t)) link and length tracks, I congratulate you on a very neat job so far.  From experience I think your decision to keep the tracks paint-free during assembly may be a wise one.  Good luck!

[echen]

Once bitten, twice shy. I prepainted Tiģer I & II tracks. Hours of fun trying to put them together! I plan to try building detachable runs for painting purposes. The road wheel halves have a weird connection point so I might have a problem but will.see how it goes when I get there.

[Bullbasket]

15 hours ago, echen said:

The indy links are microscopic!

Rather you than me. It's bad enough doing them in 1/35th scale. Good luck with that.

 

John.

[echen]

Started looking at the roadwheels.

My original plan was to fit the track run round the sprocket, the idler and the inner roadwheels, leaving the outer roadwheels off to facilitate painting.

This will not work because the inner faces of the roadwheels, although they seem to be nicely designed to line up the holes through the wheels, I do not hold out much hope of them sticking together if they're painted before they are cemented.

There are 3 pins on the inside of the inner wheel that match 3 indentations on the inside of the outer wheel.

 I think this will preclude painting the inner wheels before fitting the outer ones.

Also the inner and outer wheels IMHO need an axle to line them up for cementing together. Controlling model cement to limit itself to the plastic wheels without adhering to the plastic axles, I think, might be an issue.

I do not want the track runs stuck to the hull at this stage.

The road wheels do seem to have a loose fit on the axles.

 So that's good(ish) news for building detachable track runs.

But I'll need to fix the wheel halves together before the track lengths are added. A non-stick axle is therefore required.

A drill bit of suitable diameter, hopefully, will suffice.

I don't think model cement should stick to the steel drill bit.  Unless someone knows different - I'm using Mr Hobby Mr Cement S )

With the drill bit through the inner wheel I can then fit/cement the outer wheel and tidy the rim of each unit.

I really hope this is worth it - as fitting everything to the hull from the start would be so much simpler. When I think of how I used to put these together as a kid - it used to be so simple, just paint the running gear and stretch a stitched rubber track round!

However, this is a practice run for @Sgt.Squarehead's method for Tiger I tracks and, IMHO, would be the only way to get decent running gear for said Panzers.

Edited February 19, 2022 by echen
Typo: running gear not running rear

[Knevi]

I might not be able to offer advice but I'll be cheering you on.

[Knevi]

2 hours ago, echen said:

Started looking at the roadwheels.

My original plan was to fit the track run round the sprocket, the idler and the inner roadwheels, leaving the outer roadwheels off to facilitate painting.

This will not work because the inner faces of the roadwheels, although they seem to be nicely designed to line up the holes through the wheels, I do not hold out much hope of them sticking together if they're painted before they are cemented.

There are 3 pins on the inside of the inner wheel that match 3 indentations on the inside of the outer wheel.

 I think this will preclude painting the inner wheels before fitting the outer ones.

Also the inner and outer wheels IMHO need an axle to line them up for cementing together. Controlling model cement to limit itself to the plastic wheels without adhering to the plastic axles, I think, might be an issue.

I do not want the track runs stuck to the hull at this stage.

The road wheels do seem to have a loose fit on the axles.

 So that's good(ish) news for building detachable track runs.

But I'll need to fix the wheel halves together before the track lengths are added. A non-stick axle is therefore required.

A drill bit of suitable diameter, hopefully, will suffice.

I don't think model cement should stick to the steel drill bit.  Unless someone knows different - I'm using Mr Hobby Mr Cement S )

With the drill bit through the inner wheel I can then fit/cement the outer wheel and tidy the rim of each unit.

I really hope this is worth it - as fitting everything to the hull from the start would be so much simpler. When I think of how I used to put these together as a kid - it used to be so simple, just paint the running gear and stretch a stitched rubber track round!

However, this is a practice run for @Sgt.Squarehead's method for Tiger I tracks and, IMHO, would be the only way to get decent running gear for said Panzers.

There's a build of this kit by Plasmo on YT that might help you. He pre-paints then uses CA on the tracks 

[echen]

44 minutes ago, Knevi said:

There's a build of this kit by Plasmo on YT that might help you. He pre-paints then uses CA on the tracks 

Thanks for the tip but I found painted tracks did not fit very well even though they stuck with CA.

[echen]

4 hours ago, echen said:

I don't think model cement should stick to the steel drill bit. 

I found the drill bit can be used for alignment during application of the cement then it can be removed before anything sticks to it. I then hold the two halves together for a bit until they hold together. 😌

But I still don't know if Mr Cement S sticks plastic to steel. 

[echen]

2 hours ago, echen said:

There's a build of this kit by Plasmo on YT that might help you. He pre-paints then uses CA on the tracks 

Just watched the video. I think I'd seen it before, ages ago. He makes it look so simple and easy and achieves great results.

[Bertie McBoatface]

5 minutes ago, echen said:

I found the drill bit can be used for alignment during application of the cement then it can be removed before anything sticks to it. I then hold the two halves together for a bit until they hold together. 😌

But I still don't know if Mr Cement S sticks plastic to steel. 

 

That's a clever move.

 

I've seen tracks done by gluing the tracks to the wheels while the wheels were only dry fitted. This enabled 'Uncle Nightshift' to remove the entire wheel/track assembly and paint it separately. Just a thought. 

[echen]

Just now, Bertie Psmith said:

I've seen tracks done by gluing the tracks to the wheels while the wheels were only dry fitted. This enabled 'Uncle Nightshift' to remove the entire wheel/track assembly and paint it separately. Just a thought. 

This is what I'm aiming to achieve, detachable track runs that give access to both sides for painting purposes.

[PlaStix]

Hi Echen. The tracks you have made up so far look very neat. I use a similar method for L&L tracks. Good luck with these. 🤞

Kind regards, 

Stix

[Bertie McBoatface]

26 minutes ago, echen said:

This is what I'm aiming to achieve, detachable track runs that give access to both sides for painting purposes.

 Oh sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you wanted just the tracks to come off.

[echen]

9 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

Oh sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you wanted just the tracks to come off.

Probably my poor explanation We got there in the end.  

[Knevi]

23 hours ago, echen said:

Just watched the video. I think I'd seen it before, ages ago. He makes it look so simple and easy and achieves great results.

Yes I like the quality and diversity of his builds and tutorials

[echen]

A little more progress and THE PLAN is developing.

I cemented the remaining wheel halves together. No pics I'm afraid - but I'm sure everyone knows roughly what Pz III wheels look like. They're round with a lot of little holes in the front and back and one big hole in the back for the axle.

(Revell ones are pigs to put together without the axle stubs to hold them in place despite using the drill bit as above to guide them.)

I then tried to place the sprocket and idler where they belong with a view to adding the top track run. I succeeded in placing the top track length against the sprocket only to have the idler fall off the other end.

Replacing the idler I managed to release and drop the track length and then the sprocket fell off as well.

Maybe you can see where this is going?

Thought I'd try taping things together but everything then fell off.....so no pics of that either.

 

 

Finally cracked it! At least this part anyway. White tack is holding the sprocket and idler and the top run cement is, hopefully, setting rock solid ready for the next section of THE PLAN.

(The next section of THE PLAN is yet to be planned so the little grey cell is going to be in overdrive for a while.)

 

It irks me a little to see the YouTube videos where Revell L&L tracks are being fitted and a few links go onto the sprocket and the next frame is a full track run.

Hopefully this post will remedy that and will not require a change of title later on to something like "Pz.Kpfw III Ausf L - Don't follow me I'm lost too...."

Edited March 8, 2022 by echen

[Jack Klugman]

Nice build, like that you are planning ahead with the tracks

[Knevi]

Steady progress and looks like nothing that needs to be undone which is a big win.😀

[Milan Mynar]

I like this version of the Pz.Kpfw III tank.  I like your building too.

[echen]

Pressing on.

Added the front lower length. Note the end is hanging free. Not the ideal because a single link has to be fitted there.

Eventually got the indy link fitted and then the lower long length. It came way short of the last road wheel.

As already mentioned I lost an indy link to the carpet monster. Measuring up with the rear drop length there looked like space for two links under the last roadwheel. So I cut two links from the spare tracks that sit on the hull in front of the driver and cut them about until they could fit the gap. They're a little wonky but are better than a gap.

Next - the return rollers. I lifted off the track run and dry fitted the inner half of the rollers, refitted the track run and cemented the inner rollers under the track before adding the outer roller halves.

So the left hand side was complete.

I then planned the right hand side.

Fitted the top run and, anticipating the need for two indy links under last roadwheel I planned to add them there.

As has been said about plans they are only a basis for change (or something like that)

I found that the drop length would not join up properly if I had the two indy links at the bottom so I cemented one to the wheel then the drop length. I then inserted the final indy link into the gap at the joint on the idler.

(This arrangement is that which is described in the Revell destructions!!!)

So I now have two detachable sets of Pz III running gear which seem solidly cemented together and accessible for painting from both sides.

 

PHEW! 😅

And shed-loads of thanks to @Sgt.Squarehead for all the helpful guidance on getting this done so far. Next I'm going to tackle a T-80 BV for some more L&L practice and then it's back to the Tiger I Ausf Es.

Edited March 9, 2022 by echen

[Knevi]

I bought the PSC Pz iii to avoid this kind of brain ache but I'll have to look for the Revell kit, now that you've done the hard work.

[echen]

@Knevi Just don't follow me by feeding an indy link to the carpet monster!

Edited March 9, 2022 by echen