I finally started working on the turret and this is what I did. First I made the turret from 7/16 (11.1 mm) rod. The shield is from the same rod but I cut it in half and I trimed it so it would fit inside the turret. Since the breach cannot be seen I removed it. The gun opening was made by drilling one hole above the other and removing the plastic in between.The drawings I have show the turret to be .400 (10.16mm) in diameter but the closest plastic rod I have is 7/16(11.1mm). I could have used brass tubing which is .406(10.3mm) But I prefer plastic rod and it is still smaller then the Emhar turrets. The opening in the shield was drilled out and I round file was used to enlarge the hole so the barrel would fit into it. I made the sight opening by using a razor saw and cutting parallel to the gun opening. I then used a Flex-I-File to smooth the cut. I will add a strip of styrene to close off the opening at the top.
-- Edited by plastic fan on Sunday 18th of July 2010 11:35:44 PM
Nice work, and thanks for sharing the measurements too! May be another possibility: 'thickening' a, let's say 10mm, rod with Evergreen sheet? I did that to improve the Airfix turrets, to get rid of that annoying spacing between turret and sponson. Though there I just glued a strip of thin Evergreen on the Airfix turret itself. And then there's the method of bending sheet itself, around an aluminium or brass rod, made warm. I think I have seen that already on Landships, under Modelling Tips or something the like?
If you need to do more of these, you could try out the old "Wrap-the-strip-around-a-metal-rod-of-the-diametre-then-secure-it-with-wire-and-heat-it-briefly-under-the-steam-of-the-kettle-so-as-to-form-it-but-not-for-too-long-or-it-can-melt" technique? Very nice work anyway, I think its been established amoungst us that you are one of Landship's best modellers.
