Hi

I took a closer look at the upper deck mesh screens with frames in Dragon's new Panzer IV J "late" kit yesterday.

I discovered that the parts doesn't look as in the instruction (the "recessed" area is on the opposite side compared to the locating brackets, but that's another story and doesn't affect the way the etced parts are mountedand the "build" itself.

But these screens are the kit's "achilles heel" I think, the way they're designed and made make's the parts WAY out of scale and gluing the heavy "gauge" etched parts on top of the styrene frames makes the final parts to thick.

The styrene frames themselves look good and pretty much in scale, perhaps should be slightly "thinner" looking from the side (they are ca 1.3mm)and the upper width 1.0mm I think is good.

If they had made the frames as etched parts instead, to be folded and then added thin mesh screens, now we talk thin. from beneath, would have made them look better.

I'm thinking of designing a new etched frame set for he kit and now I would like to take the opportunity to ask if anyone of you might have any ideas where you can find very fine mesh sheets (square pattern)(in nylon or other materials), I'm thinking slightly heavier gauge than what you can find in the nylon tea bags for example.

I have seen pics is the net and it's VERY fine and in 1/35th scale I don't think etched screens is an alternative, but there are fine fabrics avaliable, but I would like to have something that is "flat" and doesn't curl so much, to make it easier to cut the contours and glue them flat to the etched frames.

Any help or hint in finding appropriate mesh sheets would be helpful.

Best regards/ Gunnar

Hi Gunnar,
did you tried plastic mosquito nets?
I'm not sure if there is a mesh size small enough, but may be worth a try.
Cheers
Mario

Gunnar,

I agree with you and tried to get DML to provide a PE mesh frame that you could fold the edges over to make the angle frame but cost considerations prevented that.

As for finding mesh that matches the side skirts, the closest thing I have found that is easily available is a fabric called 'tulle'. Before PE mesh, I used to use this for all my engine deck screens. Here in Canada, we also used to be able to buy large plastic funnels at a national automotive store called Canadian Tire, that had removable brass mesh screens and could be purchased separately from the funnel. I haven't tried to find it for several years now because of the availability of PE mesh.

By the way, they only way you are going to be able to insert the side skirt brackets through the mesh the way DML show in their instructions, is to enlarge the hole in the mesh with a compass point. Use the instruction sheet layout as a guide for locating the spot first.

Regards,

Tom

Hi Tom

Thank you for your answer, I think there was a miss understanding regarding what mesh I'm talking about.

I'm looking for mesh to the upper screens not the side skirts,they are perfect in "gauge" size in the kit.

The mesh on the upper screens is VERY fine, thats why I mention the net in tea bags for example, it's that small or pretty close to.

I would like to fins someting very thin and small, but still "stiff" enough to stay pretty flat when cutting and gluing, I hope I'm clear enough what I mean.

best regards/ Gunnar

http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Meshes___Mailles.html

Loads of other stuff here.

The Aber screens may be worth looking at,I have the Voyager set and the horizontal side screens are much larger than Dragon's offering. Murray McLennan

Hi guys

As final model IVJs are not my specialist subject, were there IVJs produced WITH the side mesh shields but WITHOUT the top ones, or did they incept at the same time?

Ron

Hi again Tom

I'm looking through my stash for the Aber set, I think I have it somewere.

I went through your Osprey book building the Panzer IV, here you use this set on one of your builds and you mention here that they should not be symmetrical?

In the Dragon kit they are symmetrical, is there someting wrong here or?

I'm no expert either on the Panzer IV but I can't see why they shouldn't be symmetrical "lengtwise"?

Was there a differense between the mounting of the "Toma shields" tubular brackets on left and right side that needed this or?

Maybe you can you give som emore info on this?

Regards/ Gunnar

Gunnar,

We found that they were actually symmetrical from studies that DML's Japanese designers did of existing museum vehicles.

I did a lot of work for nothing back then.

Regards,

Tom

Ads opposed to the Panzer Tracts drawings ?
I seem to remember the Aber set is symmetrical and a bit out of scale (wrong dimensions) cuz it's based on the old DML pz IV Ausf J kit (which had to be among the first kits they made).

Laurent,

I don't know if it was based on the old Dragon kit or not but it fit my newer mold Tamiya kit except for the work I did to make it asymmetric like the drawings in the Begleitwagen book.

Regards,

Tom

Hi
Currently in ML CC - great job. The model is from DML with Aber photo-etch -

http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/thread/1316182940/T-34+Panzer+IV+Wannabe

may give some extra details or help to see pics of a PE set in use...

Cheers
Andrew

Hi Andrew

Thanks for pointing out this build by Adam, I saw it today and agree very impressive and nice work and Aber's use of "Toma shileds".

BUT not to be rude or so, but was this an input to my post I don't understand?
Either you haven't read my post or my english is so bad I can't get my point out, or perhaps an attempt to "advertise Adams build perhaps? lol

Sorry I just couldn't resist writing this as the the post has nothing to do with the side skirts.

Have a nice week end all.

Regards/ Gunnar

That's all.

Andrew