PZInz. 130 Amphibious Tank - Answer 1:25

[redhorse]

I decided my next project should be a tank. I picked a small one, so hopefully it will be easy with fewer wheels and track links. This is a pre-WWII Polish vehicle and there was only one prototype made. It didn't carry a gun, but I think I'm going to put one on this for practice and, well, I think tanks look better with guns!

Here's some info on it if you're interested: PZIn?.130 - Polish amphibious tank (http://www.geocities.com/pibwl/pzinz130.htm)

There are four pages of cardstock parts and 1.5 pages of thin paper parts along with a 4 view and instruction drawings.

[redhorse]

The frame parts are laminated to 0.5 mm card and then glued together. The skins are glued to this and fit pretty well. I had to go out and buy an olive marker for the edge coloring and it seems close enough.

I think I'm getting addicted to these models, if I'm not working on one I'm looking through my stack deciding which one to build next :D

[whulsey]

Cool looking little piece of armour. Just noticed your location, guess you're far enough north that you just got some heavy rain from Ike?

[KCStephens]

Oh Good, another armor build! I'll be following along closely

[pmbirner]

"...it will be easy with fewer wheels and track links." Easier than what? Looking at the parts pages it still looks like you will have a challenging build ahead of you. Good luck. Phil

[redhorse]

Ike was supposed to dump about 6 inches of rain on us with 45 - 60 mph winds, but it went farther east and we got 1.25 inches and maybe 30 mph winds. I can't say I'm too dissapointed...

Well, I guess it's easier than the other tank model I've got. It's the Modelik T-35. That thing is huge!! 5 turrets and a complete interior.

Anyhow, here's some more progress. There do seem to be some extra parts here. Two forming braces for the sides of the grill just simply don't fit - they make the whole thing too wide so I left them off and it seems fit fine. It's strange, they even tell you to laminate those parts to 0.5 mm card.

[redhorse]

Finally, I have a bit more to post on this one. These wheels seem to take forever. I decided to open up the space between the spokes, so that took a little longer I suppose. The 8 road wheels are finished and then I have all the rest still to go...

[cjwalas]

Lookin' good! The wheels look great. They also look like they took a lot of time!
Chris

[KCStephens]

Very nice. The end result is definitely worth the extra time that you've invested. They look great.

[Gharbad]

This was my first tank!
Except, a Maly version from 1993 or something. I think you already put together more parts than my completed model!

The wheels are looking really cool, totally worth it.

[redhorse]

That's cool you built this little thing for your first tank as well Gharbad!

I finished the drive wheels this evening. I used a Tamiya paint pen for the parts that would contact the treads. Six more wheels left...

[dansls1]

Wow - I thought I'd posted but I guess not. Great looking wheels!

[redhorse]

Here are some pictures of the idler wheels. I tried out the woodpecker techique with an Olfa knife on these. The second picture shows on the right the normal slicing method I use and the left shows the new woodpecker way. I liked the results and hopefully can improve with some practice. It's much easier on my hands than slicing the cardboard.

[redhorse]

And the wheels are all finally finished!! They want you to laminate three parts of each return roller to 0.5 mm stock, but it's only necessary for the outside tire. It'll be too wide if you do. Of course I found out the hard way and had to rip the cardstock off :(

I guess I'll work on suspension parts next. I keep putting off the tracks...

[Łukasz]

Here are some pictures of the idler wheels. I tried out the woodpecker techique with an Olfa knife on these. The second picture shows on the right the normal slicing method I use and the left shows the new woodpecker way. I liked the results and hopefully can improve with some practice. It's much easier on my hands than slicing the cardboard.

Yeah, it looks good - and when you get used to the technique, it will be even better. To make the the edges look smoother, I personally use this technique, too:

http://kartonwork.pl/ftp/zdjecia/makulatura/Swinger/Ju88/SwingerJu88Mikroszpachlowanie2.jpg
edges have been painted

http://kartonwork.pl/ftp/zdjecia/makulatura/Swinger/Ju88/SwingerJu88Mikroszpachlowanie3.jpg
edges are being covered with thinned PVA glue several times (if necessary, I use acrylic putty, too)

http://kartonwork.pl/ftp/zdjecia/makulatura/Swinger/Ju88/SwingerJu88Fotelradzika.jpg
edges have been painted again

[redhorse]

Thanks Lukasz, your pictures didn't come through but I think I've got an idea your technique. I'll try it out on the next tank I do.

[dansls1]

Thanks Lukasz, your pictures didn't come through but I think I've got an idea your technique. I'll try it out on the next tank I do.

If you right click on it, hit 'properties', then paste the url into another window (or tab depending on what browser you use), then you can see the images.

[Łukasz]

If you right click on it, hit 'properties', then paste the url into another window (or tab depending on what browser you use), then you can see the images.

...and if you still cannot see them, refresh the site (it works like that in my browser).

[popala]

Nevermind - I typed before what I read processed. I can see the pictures from Łukasz (after the refresh).

[redhorse]

I couldn't get the refresh thing to work, but the cut and paste did. Nice looking seat! Man, I need to work on my edge coloring, although it looks surprisingly better through my own eyes rather than the camera's. I wonder what it would look like through the camera in daylight? Oh well, maybe I'll try Johnny's method and go to home depot and have them color match. Flat or egg-shell?

Here are the road wheel suspension parts:

[redhorse]

And here is the idler suspension. It looks so strange, I think it's going to look pretty cool once the propeller is done.

[KCStephens]

Great job so far, Jim. Those wheels really look nice. Keep it up

[CharlieC]

And here is the idler suspension. It looks so strange, I think it's going to look pretty cool once the propeller is done.

Looks like the Polish engineers tried to make it simple to tension the tracks. Reminds me of the snail chain adjusters used on some British motorcycles. Most track tensioners from this period were much simpler and required a sledgehammer (and lots of very bad language).

Regards,

Charlie

[redhorse]

So far the model hasn't required too much bad language, but that may change with the tracks.

Wheels are on.

[dansls1]

Very nice! Great job on the wheels and idler suspension!

[Don Boose]

You are doing a fine job on this nice little AFV. I love anything amphibious!

Don

[redhorse]

Thanks for all of your comments! I got the propeller and it's "steering tube" installed now...

[redhorse]

I've started the tracks. Hoo boy - these are going to drive me nuts. Here are pictures of the first two, I did those first to make sure they would fit. They do, quite nicely! Now I'm stuck in the middle of cutting out all the little parts and it's driving me nuts! :p

For the next tank I do, I think I'll start cutting a few tracks for every other step I do - that may improve things. For this one though, I've started another simple little model I've wanted to do for a break between links.

[KCStephens]

Jim,
Your tracks sure do look nice.
This is true test of your patients, many a model builder has lost to the mind numbing tracks, Just keep pluggen away! It'll all be worth it in the end!

You have my support and sympathy - Go Jim! Go Jim! Go Jim! GO JIM!!!!!

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the close ups of the propulsion and steering system, Jim. That duplex drive approach is quite different from the use of the tracks as the propelling agent in US amphibious tanks and tractors.

I don't envy you the work of fabricating those tracks, but I sure envy your skill!

Don

[redhorse]

Thanks for the support guys! I think I'm about 2/3rds through cutting out the track pieces. I've needed a lot of breaks...

[CharlieC]

Thanks for the close ups of the propulsion and steering system, Jim. That duplex drive approach is quite different from the use of the tracks as the propelling agent in US amphibious tanks and tractors.

Don

The PZL 130 was derived from the Vickers-Carden-Loyd A4E11/12 of 1932 or rather it was inspired by the Russian T-37/T-38 which in turn were Russian versions of the A4E11/12. The cylindrical "rudder" was used on the A4E11. The only A4E12 in existence is at Kubinka (outside Moscow).

Regards,

Charlie

[redhorse]

Thanks for the info Charlie, that's really interesting.

I'm done cutting out the tracks!!!:D I left a few uncut in case I make mistakes then I can copy them. I also realized that the little black circles on each link are actually holes, so I punched the first two links to see what they'd look like.

Now for the joy of putting all these parts together...

[redhorse]

Slow but sure it's advancing. It's a bit like making a ladies watch band out of paper...

[redhorse]

Finally, all the track links are together. A little over 13" for each track. I'm not sure of the terminology, but I still need to add the teeth and the little cleats.

[CharlieC]

I'm not sure of the terminology, but I still need to add the teeth and the little cleats.

Probably mean guide plates (guide the track through the idlers and roadwheels) and grousers (bars across the track elements to increase grip).

Regards,

Charlie

[Gharbad]

Tracks are very fun to play with, but very tedious to make - and I've only made 1 real set!
Looking great!

[redhorse]

They do make an interesting toy:)

I glued the guide plates (thanks Charlie) to the first track and got it mounted.

It looks like I won't have enough guide plates, so I copied and laminated a few more just in case. They may have lost count on the track parts, there were way too many links, probably too few guide plates and we'll see about the grousers once I start on those.

[willygoat]

Very nice Red Horse! The tracks are a bit too fiddly for me :p

[CharlieC]

The second image shows off the running gear very well - I think you've done a great job with this. I hadn't realised the PZL 130 didn't use sprockets to drive the track. The track seems to be driven by the guide plates. I can't think of too many AFVs which use this sort of drive - BT and T-34 had this sort of drive.

Regards,

Charlie

[birder]

That looks great, I don't know what you guys are talking about, though!

[birder]

Seriously, Jim your work on these tracks looks just super to my eye, very nice and clean.

[Johnny]

Really good looking tracks!! Great work there Jim!!

[redhorse]

Thanks for all of your comments. You are right Charlie, it is driven by the guide plates. There are rods across the two sides of the drive wheel in order to do this.

I finally finished the tracks. Well, almost. I still want to paint the ends of the brass wire so it doesn't stick out so much. Finally, on to something less tedious though :D

[Gharbad]

Looks perfect!
Great work.

[willygoat]

Woh :eek: That looks awesome!

[redhorse]

Thanks! Back to building the rest of the tank now!!

Finished the mudguards - they were apparently filled with balsa to aid in flotation. And then added the muffler and a couple other details.

[Don Boose]

This is really beautiful work, Jim!

Don

[dansls1]

Looking great!

[redhorse]

Thank you very much Don & Dan!

I got a few more details on it the last few days. They include a tarp in the kit. It's just a gray rectangle printed on thin paper. I ended up wadding it up then rolling and flattening. I held it under the faucet and then let it dry on the counter. It worked pretty good, but it felt kind of strange wadding up a part from a printed kit.

I'm almost finished, just have to do the turret.

[Barry]

Looks brilliant

[redhorse]

Thanks Barry!

Finished the turret and this was probably the most difficult piece. Some parts were too small, some too big, and some simply had improper angles. At least the parts with the problems were all straight lines and relatively simple to adjust. The gun is made from wire with a little hole drilled in the end as I didn't have any tube the right size.

[birder]

Nice Jim!:)

[Don Boose]

Looks like you overcame any fit and size problems with style!

Of course, anyone who can bore a centered hole in the end of a wire is in a whole different league!

Don

[GreMir]

Don is right - drilling holes in the wire is something I wouldn't even contemplate.
Great job.

[redhorse]

Thanks Don, Mike & Glen. Drilling a hole in the end of a wire isn't really that difficult. I used to be into making jewellry and have a foredom flex shaft - it's all in the tool and the speed. Really, those things are way better than dremels for that kind of thing.

But here are the final pics of the completed tank. The leaves on the table are a bit overscale, but I always think of the woods when I think of tanks. Probably too many Sgt. Rock comic books when I was younger :D

[Johnny]

Congratulations with a great build Jim!!
The tank looks really good!!

[Tim Crowe]

Great build - those wheels are fantastic!

Tim

[dansls1]

Very nice model! Great job!

[CharlieC]

Looks good.

Nice work on the Hotchkiss gun - how about a short tutorial on how to centre drill wire?

Regards,

Charlie

[Don Boose]

Very impressive.

The photos, especially the outdoor shots, are very realistic. No way to tell that the model is only about 6-inches long!

I'd like to see that wire-drilling tutorial, too, especially after getting a clear view of the muzzle -- dead-center!

Don

[willygoat]

That thing is amazing! How you drilled that wire blows my mind. :eek:

[birder]

Jim that looks super. The Foredom is a nice tool but spendy, I use my Dremel with a flex shaft for similar, but I dont know if I could center drill a wire..:)

[Gharbad]

Fantastic stuff

[cjwalas]

Great build. At first glance, I thought the outdoor shots were a real tank in a museum! Congratulations!
Chris
PS. There's no such thing as too many Sgt. Rock comic books! (Although I preferred Russ Heath's work on the Haunted Tank comics).

[redhorse]

Thanks everyone for all your compliments!

PS. There's no such thing as too many Sgt. Rock comic books! (Although I preferred Russ Heath's work on the Haunted Tank comics).

Was that the one with the ghost of J.E.B. Stuart? If so, I've got to agree with you. The Stuart's always been my favorite tank ever since reading those when I was a kid.

I'll try doing a tutorial when I get home tonight, but I'm not sure how successful it will be...

[cjwalas]

Was that the one with the ghost of J.E.B. Stuart? If so, I've got to agree with you. The Stuart's always been my favorite tank ever since reading those when I was a kid.

That's the one. I suffer the same result. The M3's been my favorite ever since.
Chris

[whulsey]

Catching up on looking through the posts. Wow that is an amazing job and have looked at your drilling wire tutorial. A couple of friends of mine have Foredom's. Going to have to get them to let me play with them a bit to see if I can justify the price.

[redhorse]

Thanks Whulsey! I highly recommend the Foredom, you get some really amazing control with it.

[treadhead1952]

I feel a bit like a lurker, but I had to check out your armor project Jim.

I am amazed by your work, you certainly did a heck of a job with the wheels, tracks and that gun shows some very careful workmanship. I know when I go for the gusto with some armor, I will be checking back on this one for some tips as well as some of the other great builds from the other armor contingent here.

Jay Massey
treadhead1952
Las Vegas, NV

[redhorse]

Thanks Jay! There are a lot of excellent armor modellers here!