Military Modeling in 1/6 Scale

Panzerwaffen.com

The upper hull

The aftermarket hinges for the hatch door were drilled and countersunk and then bolted to the upper deck.  The fit is pretty solid and we will install the p/e grills next.  The second hatch covers the radiator(s) for the Maybach 120 and uses three hinges to secure it to the upper deck.  The opening had to be enlarged in order for the brass grills to fit properly.  We will create a lip around the opening using Plastruct and add weld detail as seen in the picture on the right.

We have started folding the upper hull sheet metal and using a rivet gun to hold things in place for the time being (see right).  We are using a resin aftermarket engine hatch cover along with photo etched brass louvers for greater detail.  The driver and radio hatches will be replaced with upgraded units as well. We plan on adding structural supports and will detail the engine compartment along with a scale Maybach engine!

The resin engine hatch "window" has been cleaned out using our Dremel stylus.  The hatch door must be widened by 1/8 inch in order to fit the FOA engine compartment opening.   Pictured below we are adding aluminum and styrene bracing to line the compartment opening and stiffen the rear of the upper hull.  A firewall inside the lower hull will also be added.

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The FOA upper hull has arrived and we began assembly by wiping down the sheet metal with mineral spirits to remove any dirt or oil residue.  We will rivet the side and front panels together, apply spot welds and epoxy to the seams in order to complete initial assembly.  We will measure the length and width of the sheet metal first to make sure that it will fit our Spearhead lower hull.