jrts armour comp. cat.3: sIG-33 Cannon

[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 01

When I start a new model project, I look at some original pictures to become a feeling for the thing and take a closer look for potential corrections and detailings. Sometimes my detailing wishes brings me to troubles, because I make new drawings and at last I must see, that it is nearly impossible to do this corrections in paper. If you look at the analogy of the sended pictures (showing the solution of the publisher, the real thing and my corrections), you will know what I'm meaning.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 02

For this reason I try to do somthing new and start the project "paper to metall". I took the paper model "sIG-33" from a polish distributor (Answer) and useed it as a base for a new construction in 3D on the PC. After constructing all necessary parts to sheet metall parts, I made films of all parts and began to make photo etching, using the photo etching process like a sort of chemical jig saw. Fortunately all necessery tools to do this, were at hand, because they are the same tools doing another hobby of me, making of printed circuit boards for electronics (my third hobby is computing - how advantageous).





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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 03

At first there was much work with constructing, drawing and designing.





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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 04

The model was published in 1:25, I don't change this to make it easier in drawing and construction work without calculating all measurements. The final modell will be 168.40 mm in length, 74.80 mm in breadth and 71.00 mm in hight.
The spacing of the lines in my cutting board is 50 mm (2"), ... to tell how large/tiny the parts are in some photos.



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 05

Some parts were a combination of paper (rounded) parts and metall parts. For doing a good connection, first glue them together with MICRO KRISTAL KLEAR from Microscale. After this, I use Cyancylat glue (very thin - Greven) and applicate it to the paper parts, they will become a structur like plastic and a very good connection whith the metall parts. After drying, I grind the paper parts whith fine grinding paper to become a good surface for painting.
Metall parts were joining together via soft-soldering or gluing (Cyancylat).



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 06

All rivets were real ones, made of brass (www.hassler-profile.li) basically whith a shaft of 0,5 mm and a head of 0,8 mm. After shortening the shaft to a lenght af 0,3 mm (thickness of brass sheet) I glue them with Gunze Mr. Metal-Primer into the etched holes.
Most axles were made of small brass tubes, beech wood or steel wire.

*Tip: To become a very straight piece of wire, fasten one end in a vise and pull the other end with a pliers and regulated force. The wire would be a little bit longer (plus 1-2 cm) but also very straight. Lenghten it whith a little cutting-off wheel (Proxxon, Dremel ...) and you get a perfect axle. Using some special flux, it is also possible to soft solder it with brass or something else (www.fohrmann.com).



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 07

*Tip: For doing etching parts for yourself look at www.saemann-aetztechnik.de, where you can find all technics, tools and basic materials (only in german).

*Tip: There are many ways to make a little roll of paper, needing by many paper models. My way is the following. The hardest step to do a little roll is the start to do this. I use a little stripe of wrapping tissue and glue it to the beginning of the paper roll (outside). This wrapping tissue (silkpaper), which is often in use for wrapping flowers is very thin and strong. There is no problem to roll it around a little piece of wire (straight - look above) and when you come to the changeover to the paper part, wet the paper part a little bit whith water to come over the step. After glueing, rolling, gluing, rolling ... you become a perfect roll of paper. After drying you could leave the wire in the paper roll to strenghten it or you can also remove it, by turn it careful against the roll direction, until the bonding surface was loosen connect.



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 08

Each of the two handwheels of the hight adjustment were made of 4 brass parts (two inner parts with the spokes, two outer rings) which were soft welded together. After this I put them in a mini drill and grind, polish with low rotation to a soft outline. The handstick was a little piece of steel wire, which was also soft welded.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 09

Mounting of the main cylinders of the hight adjustment was a little bit tricky, but after some sweatings, they were in place and fully moveable to show the function in the ready model.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 10

The main wheels were completed after I renewed the outer side (contact surface). There happens a little mistake by me, the middle stripe was not exact in the middle and so I grind it away and do it again. The little konus nearby the axle was made of the original paper part and strengthen with superglue.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 11

After mounting the parts I primed all with airbrush to get a good underground for the finish color (german panzergrey).



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 12

*Tip: Working with very little rivets is not so difficult. Make a hole by the correct diameter of the rivetshaft in the right place of the model. If you want do mount the rivet in 0,3 mm sheet metal, you need also a sheet of spill of the same material with the same exact hole. Put the rivet in the hole of the spill material and turn the sheet. Cut the excess length whith a edge cutter as short as possible. Take a fine needle file and remove the rest of the shaft until it is as long as the thickness of the sheet metal. Remove it and turn it, so that the round head is at the top. Apply it whith a very fine tweezers in the hole at the model and fix it carefully with very thin (colorless) paint (I use Gunze Mr. Metal Primer). Best tweezers are available for handling very small SMD components (electronic tools).



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 13

*Tip: Cyancylat or superglue is a very important little helper for every modelbuilder, but unsatisfyingly, it is nearly impossible to use the little bottle, till it is realy empty. Mostly it is unusable by a closed opening after a short time of using (20-30% of contents). I try to get in the way of this by using only hypodermic syringe with small needles to applicate the glue. I draw a little bit (1-2 ml) out of the original bottle and after using I park the syringe with the needle downward in a glass of aceton (nailcolor-remover) which is also likewise use as a thinner for superglue (mostly). If the neddle ist plugging by glue, I heat it whith my firelighter (carefully) and with the burnout of the glue, the needle comes free (don't push at the back end of the syringe by this burnout procedure or you will get a flamethrower!). So the original glue bottle stay clean for a longer time and can be used nearly to end. To store superglue in a refrigerator is also a good idea to get it usable for a longer time.



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 14

The axles were made of some brass tubes with dimensions able to put them in together. The open end of the tubes were closed with a piece of thick paper, after cutting it with a punching tool in the right diameter. You will see again a combination of metall parts with original paper parts (rounded one).
On the left side (in fire direction) you can see the mechanic for the side correction of the cannon. This little parts show the great advantage of etching parts, because I think it is nearly unpossible to cut this parts in a clean and exact way out of paper (reinforced with extra card to 0.5-0.8 mm) and I don't want to talk about the stability.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 15

If you look at the newer kits in our hobby (espacially the newer HMV models), you will see really perfect parts and detailing (5.000 parts and more) but is this really useable in the good old cutting, forming, glueing way? With new technics in printing there is no problem to realise this tiny parts in printing on paper, but is it still possible to cut out all of them, form them and glue to place in a proper way. I think not, and so etching parts becomes more and more interesting in our hobby and in the way to make the perfect model. A little explanation to doing etching parts by yourself you can find here:
http://www.cardmodels.net/phpbb2/vie...=2270&start=30



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 16

After cutting and cleaning the wheelnuts, I produce a little part-collection for the storage of the handlever at the end of the cannon. This were the last parts for the main frame and after mounting them, I come to the colering.



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[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 17

The whole main frame was airbrushed with german panzergrey. After drying over night, I make a wash with black aquarellcolor (few color - much water) to show more details to the little parts (rivets and so..), simulating more shadow. It is realy possible to work with watercolor, using a little trick.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 18

*TIP: Mix some drops of 'Ochsengalle' (oxgall?) to the color and the moistening of water on non absorbent, flush surfaces is the same like with enamel or arcrylic paint. But there is a great advantage by using aquarellpainting colors - if the result is not in the way you want - wash it away with water and do it again. Oxgall(?) is a special liquid, which is exact, what the name say (bah, igitt!), but works well and is available in shops for artists (aquarell-, oil-painting) or graphic specialists.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 19

After the washing, I do a dry brushing (paint-brush and very few color) with light grey - right, again with watercolor - to accentuate the light on the edges and uprisings.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 20

By this methode you should have not too wet (sweating) hands or you will smear your work away. A sprayed-on layer of colorless finish would stop this effect and is a good basic for further proceeding.



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[Gil]

Josef,

THe master's touch! You've accomplished as near to perfection as I've ever seen..., Bravo, Bravo!

Gil

[Leif Oh]

Josef, I hope you have published this somewhere else too, in a forum of your true peers. In any case you should seriously consider submitting these photos and building report to one of the high-class printed magazines as well. Scale Modeller (?) comes to mind. I often glance through that at the library. They publish reports of advanced plastic kit builds. Your efforts and skill far surpasses anything I've seen there, and you've already got the photowork done.

Please consider this. I'm sure you know these magazines better than I do.

I value all your tips very highly. In particular I'll remember those on cyanacrylat, aceton, and burning out a syringe; plus the oxgall and watercolour. Great to see someone advocating the use of water colour in connection with paper models. Many are unreasonably frightened of this connection, I've noticed.

I realize the sense you are making with photo etching. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's out of my league, but you are probably absolutely right about it coming to the fore.

Leif

[bholderman]

Fortunately all necessery tools to do this, were at hand, because they are the same tools doing another hobby of me, making of printed circuit boards for electronics (my third hobby is computing - how advantageous).

Wow, and I thought I was lucky to be in a large format printing business. Great build.

Cheers,
Brad

[fuchsjos]

Hi, Gil!

Thank you very much for your commendation, but you embarrass me. I don't reach perfection, but try to come as near as possible every time.

Josef

[fuchsjos]

Hello Leif!

I'm very amused to read again such nice words of my greatest fan. Great thanks to you. I feel very comfortable in this forum, seeing the high standard of abilities in the other reports, but you're right, someone could know this story about the cannon, because I present it also in some other forums (german speaking). One of the forums is primary busy with plastic models. Here I try to make some advertising for cardmodels.

Kindly regards
Josef

[fuchsjos]

Hello, bholderman!

I'm very happy to have the possibilities (place, tools, time) for intensive working to my hobbies. But this is only possible by the grasp and endurance of my wife - in german we say: EAF (Ehefrauen-Akzeptanz-Faktor) in english it would be: WAF (wife-acceptance-factor).

The highness of the WAF represents the amount of hobby activities.

Servus
Josef

[fuchsjos]

sIG-33 Cannon, Part 21

Gun carriage and barrel.
The parts were builing by using photo etched parts made of brass thickness 0,3 mm (on one picture you can see a basicsheet, just coming out of my etching equipment), ironwires in different diameters, paper and some parts were made of plastic on my lathe.



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sIG-33 Cannon, Part 22

For the inside of the barrel I want to show the grooving of a real cannon. So I made a flat etchpart with slots and right dimensions, roll it to a tube, close the gap by soldering and press it in a plastic tube, which was produced on my lathe. I think the result is looking not so bad and the number of groovings is the same like the original (I have counted them with a magnifier on a photo).



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