Sorry Mike. I should have known. Not like you are a novice at scratch building! . Was half asleep and didn't recognise it was you that posted.




Angel, do you have a folding tool for PE that has the base part projecting out further than the top part like this?



I find that It is easy if you clamp your scratch part in one. You can line up the top edge of the folding tool along where you need to cut. Then you can run the knife point along the edge of the folding tool for a perfect cut with no risk of twisting movement and minimal distortion of the part as it can't bend away from the cut due to being firm up against the base.

Sure I have one, Peter.
But honestly- it never crossed my mind I can use it like that

Thanks!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention!! I do this with delicate etch pieces when I can. I find it avoids tears...

PS. I usually slip a piece of Acetate under the part I'm cutting to protect the bottom of the PE tool.

Ditto - but GREAT idea!

Made another try today-I need 2 more tractor seats-but instead of PE scissors I used Excel #22 Curved Edge Blade:

Top side of burnished seat:


Underside of burnished seat-rim was initially bent with pliers and then burnished with the finest burnisher tip:


Cut outs done with Excel #22 Curved Edge Blade(cutting from top side of seat):


Need to sand the cutouts.
I also have #10 Curved Edge Blade and will use it for the last seat.

Again - (Insert open mouthed exclamation here!)

Thanks Mike,Robert!

Finished last 2 seats.
The knife to use for cutouts is definitely #10.
It is light and allows far more control/bolder cuts.

Soldered everything and test fitted:



Next to come are the rain cover rails with headset supports/headsets(Attention Kalin! ).

Sensational Angel.

Saw this, and Immediately thought of you

Thanks Peter,

I'm (slowly) getting closer and closer:

Slowly progressing on my RRH auf Sd.Ah.104 scratchbuild.

I modelled on and off on the Sd.Ah.104 trailers in the last 2 weeks.
They are 2 as you know, almost identical(the only difference being the airbrake connection line storage feature, present only on the right fender of the "front" trailer) which makes their build a bit tedious.

Some pictures follow:

Trailers with Bettung:


The abovementioned feature is on the left front fender


RRH temporarily fitted on Bettung:


I have to finish the brake lines on the rear trailer and will start detailing both undersides (suspension and steering)...

That's all for now,

Super nice 👍
The 104’s look great 👍

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Angel, that is amazing....

Thanks Robert!

Very complicated trailers and some features that I still struggle to find logic behind(like 2 parking brake levers per trailer)...
I'm sure the Germans stopped their production not only because of low loading capacity reasons...

Thanks too, Greg!

A build that is challenging from the very beginning(almost 2 years ago).

Angel, regarding the two brake levers: during your research did you find any indication that one of your great bucket seats could be relocated to either trailer boggy for use by a riding brakeman while towing?

On the two part trailer for the flak 36/37 the brakemen's seat could be relocated to either the front or rear unit, yet both units had a brake lever. On four wheel trailers with mechanical brakes where the two axles are separated by some distance (and by the load) only the rear most axle should have brakes applied when braking while being towed.

Then of course when the two trailer parts are separated and parked they both require individual brakes to keep them from rolling away on a downhill.

(You probably know all this already.)

Mike,

I've seen no seat on the Sd.Ah.104 pictures I've found sofar.

As mentoned earlier- there are 2 brake levers on each trailer(#13 and #24 on the picture bellow):


#24 is rigidly connected to the airbrake cylinder and it has a ring on top of the handle, where obviously a rope could be attached for use when the trailer was pulled by horses.It's name is Handbremse-hand brake.

#13 is connected to the same shaft, where #24 and the airbrake cylinder are connected.It is called Verriegelungshebel-locking lever and it has additional locking device(#14-Feststellvorrichtung fuer Verriegelungshebel).

Another picture:


What puzzles me is:
If you park the trailer, wouldn't it be enough to pull the hand brake- till it stops-to secure the trailer from rolling?

Why do you need an additional locking lever when both(the lever and the hand brake) work on one and same shaft?!?Sure- the lever has a safety device, but so does the hand brake...

Is it possible that the German Army had requirements demanding 2 different brakes to be present on each rolling piece?!?

Another great picture I found of Sd.Ah.104 in Axis History Forum:


The trailer took heavy small arms fire from the left side- note left fender and tyre holed on various locations.Bullets penetrated also the left support base and cut the left steering rod in two-therefore the weird angle of the left tyre.

Further to note are the 2 wooden funeral crosses, leaned against the wall.Were they prepared for members of the crew of the shot up equipment mounted on the shot up trailer(s)?

The 3 Luftwaffe servicemen(at least 2 are officers) seem to be busy doing the paperwork: Writing off the trailer? Or writing to the relatives of the guys, for whom the wooden crosses were prepared? Or both-simultaneosly?

If I had the gift of making dioramas, I would have definitely did this one and named it: "No bigger tragedy than war".

Angel - A reference photo I just found in my files (sorry - but better late than never.)

Thanks Mike!

This RRH is like the one I am building.It has a support tube frame for the "listening ears".

While collecting photos for refference, I found out there was also another RRH type, where the support tube frame was omitted-probably to ease production and reduce material usage:

I think this one must be a "late" type.

Meanwhile, I finished the suspension and steering of the forward Sd.Ah.104:





I still need to add 2 forward supports and the 2 shackles at the rear.

And I need to finish the aft Sd.Ah.104. It will be an easier task as it will lack the working steering.

Very nice Angel. I like the clean styrene, good size and construction reference. I will need that for my Sd.Kfz. 415 (scratch building missing details on IBG kits)

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Inspiring Angel. Just fantastic work.

Angel - Fantastic work!

(and a F.Y.I. to all)

A source for small brass rings:

http://smallbrookstudio.co.uk/kits-parts/4569521210/SUPER-NELLIE

Thanks Robert, Peter, Mike!

I'm nearing RRH completion, so will soon post a pre-priming update.

In the meantime, I started planning the Pionierfahrzeug 11(Pontonwagen) and just ordered some missing shapes and bits for its scratchbuild.

Kalin(k_mero4) decided to build the Pionierfahrzeug 12(Rampenwagen), so I hope soon there will be two more scratchbuilds to enjoy.

That's interesting news, Pioneer equipment is so cool. It has layout and system I like to see.

Follow with interest,

Robert Jan