I have been looking through this forum with a lot of interest, it's a wealth of information! I am trying to enhance my Mark IV tank model and I am counting rivets, so to speak...
One part of the tank is a mystery to me, that being the narrow strips left and right between the tracks and the drivers cabin.
I just cannot find out for sure if there are rivets outside along the angled part that connects these strips to the cabin or not.
I have no access to a surviving Mark IV within reasonable distance (next one is 800 km away) to check out myself.
On most pictures, there seem to be none, but it is a diffficult angle to capture. On the inside, the bolts can be seen. There is one photograph that seems to show rivets, but it was shot in WW2 and the according tank had already been in the rain for decades.
On the Aberdeen tank, there seems to be a hint that the bolts where maybe ground flat, leaving a ring like groove. But it might just be a crack - as in so many other places on this particular survivor.
I have attached a collection of picture parts showing the area.
If there are people around who can help, they would be in this forum. That would be great thanks!
I have a rather poor photo of the Foster built HMLS Execllent that shows part of that area, it looks to me that countersunk rivets were fitted from the outside and the domed head formed on the inside. I makes sense to use countersunk rivets as rocks and debris could cause damage to the track if it was caught on an exposed rivet head.
-- Edited by LincolnTanker on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 09:40:10 PM
-- Edited by LincolnTanker on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 09:40:41 PM
New to writing to forum. Found two photos of the rivet connection in the cab area. Photos are from visit to APG. Too bad the tank is in such condition. Hope these photos show the rivet joint clearer. The rivet heads show as being countersunk.
great pictures, thank you very much! To show what I have done with the information so far, here is a picture of the cab, now with the according flat rivets. I am going to flatten them a little more, although the shadow on this image exaggerates the height.
I will probably be pestering this forum with similar questions regarding small details. I still have a long way to go with this one...
It is 1/16, I want to have it in scale to the other models I have. As there are no kits around in this scale, I am developing this myself. The tracks will be a challenge...
I also have the Emhar 1/35 model but it is not precise enough for my taste, so I am researching as much as I can. (This forum is a goldmine.)
If possible, I want to make it RC. Once I have more to show, I will post a full report!
I am using double-sided circuit boards of 1 mm thickness with brass attachments, angles etc.. The rivets are copper.
The thickness is a slight bit too much, I know, as regarding the scale it should be 0,75 mm max. But this will be only apparent with the front panel and the rear - and 0,25 mm offscale I will have to live with - and I can. The side panels and horns will be 1,5 mm strong, as they will have to take the strain later on.
Curcuit boards are light, very rigid and you can glue and solder stuff onto them, just perfect! Pure brass sheet would just be too heavy - and expensive aswell.
