Mighty's Möbelwagen

[Mighty Ninja]

Hi everyone

I would like to present my first Group Build entry - Möbelwagen from Tamiya. It's been a very long time since I posted my build on the net and I hope I don't disappoint.

I got given this kit for free from the local hobby shop because it was missing the lower hull, suspension and roadwheels - Thanks Tristar Models!!

For the missing parts I can either scavenge from a spare Tamiya Pz IV Ausf H kit or use spare parts from Tristar.

At the moment the only AM part I will add is the beautifully executed Adler's Nest barrel. I may add some PE fenders and MK/Fruil tracks. I plan to use minimal AM parts as I don't want to get bogged down with this build. It's about time I finished a build!!

Here's the kit and Tristar roadwheels

In addition to my collection of photos, here are some of the reference books I will use

For an introduction to the Möbelwagen click on this link http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_mobelwagen.html

Cheers

 

[Kreighshoer]

Mighty Ninja wrote:

It's been a very long time since I posted my build on the net and I hope I don't disappoint.

no way man! disappointment is not possible with one of your blogs!

i'm very happy to see you firing away this thread! i was anxiously awaiting this to happen!

For the missing parts I can either scavenge from a spare Tamiya Pz IV Ausf H kit or use spare parts from Tristar.

scavenging would be my weapon of choice here!

is the adlers nest barrel a blue finish one?

 

[Mighty Ninja]

Thanks to Laura for helping me get started on my very first Group Build

is the adlers nest barrel a blue finish one?

No, it's the normal brass version. Here's details of it
Adlers Nest 3.7cm Flak 37

 

[Mighty Ninja]

Ok..let's get started with the build.

As I haven't decided which lower to use (Tamiya or Tristar), I did a quick check on whether the Tristar lower hull would fit. But lo and behold I found that it was too long for the upper hull!! hmy:

A quick measure revealed that there is a 2mm difference in length!

I wasn't sure whether the Tamiya kit is too short or the Tristar too long, so out came PanzerTracts.

Comparison of the side folding armour plate revealed that the Tamiya part is 1.5mm too short.

Top view comparison confirmed my fears that the problem lies with the Flak fighting compartment.

2mm doesn't sound a lot but in the real world that equates to 7cm or 2 3/4 inches!

To fix the problem is not that easy as the extra 2mm needs to be added to lengthen the fighting compartment and new side armours will need to be made. Sanding the fighting compartment flat would be quite tedious unless a whole new floor is made from a single piece of plastic.

Or alternatively, I could forget about fixing the problem and just build the kit as it is. I would save a lot of time going down this route.

I'm in two minds about this. What do you guys think? :hmmm

 

[Kreighshoer]

any else place would have been better than that spot where to cut and lengthen! any else spot!

go the easy way this time and use the tamiya hull! you wanted a quick 'n easy build and for what it's worth live with it this time! even with the enormous 2mm difference!

 

[mike walsh]

Wow Lawrence,

Thats a good amount of reference for this beast .

Good pickup on the length variation.

Cheers
Michael

 

[Jenny Croft]

Well Lawrence you certainly seem confident to meet the length discrepency , this should be fun to watch

Jenny :kiss:

 

[Ruben Lopez]

Lawrence. Forget the 2mm discrepancy. No one is going to criticize you for that! Sometimes we are our worst critics!

 

[Noel Petroni]

I'm with Ruben. Start building and take no notice of the 2mm!

As long as you have a decent representation of the actual vehicle.... it's enough.

Regards
Noel

 

[Sharkmouth]

Hi Lawrence,

Paying attention to the proportions of the gaps in the images of the upper hull, it seems to me that the added length should be to the driver's section at the front. The fighting compartment floor should remain where it is with the diver's sections sliding back over it a bit. This keeps the gun's centerline where it is correctly at the moment.

The lower hull seems much shorter on the Tamiya kit. Could this be the angles of the for and aft plates? Note that the hull bottom details on the Tamiya kit a re correct for a late model whereas the Tristar resembles an early mark.

Now, what should you do?

I say build it OOB since correcting all the hull shortcomings would then make you want to replace the gun with the LionRoar or Dragon item (stolen from another kit from which you'll steal the wheels the... why not kit-bash with a Dragon kit? - OOPS, did I write that aloud?)

Regards,

 

[Mighty Ninja]

Thanks Laura, Michael, Jenny, Ruben, Noel and Saul for your comments.

The 2mm has been bugging me and I was contemplating scratching the whole tray as it would be easier than cutting the tray, adding the 2mm and sanding it flat. Also it it doesn't work out then I still have the untouched Tamiya upper hull as backup.

But after much thought and your kind comments, I decided to go with the crowd and plough on. I guess either Trumpy or DML will likely release one as they have the PzIV base and Flak 43 and it's just a matter of putting both together into a box.

Paying attention to the proportions of the gaps in the images of the upper hull, it seems to me that the added length should be to the driver's section at the front. The fighting compartment floor should remain where it is with the diver's sections sliding back over it a bit. This keeps the gun's centerline where it is correctly at the moment.

The lower hull seems much shorter on the Tamiya kit. Could this be the angles of the for and aft plates? Note that the hull bottom details on the Tamiya kit a re correct for a late model whereas the Tristar resembles an early mark.

Now, what should you do?

I say build it OOB since correcting all the hull shortcomings would then make you want to replace the gun with the LionRoar or Dragon item (stolen from another kit from which you'll steal the wheels the... why not kit-bash with a Dragon kit? - OOPS, did I write that aloud?)

Saul

I was so hoping the problem was the drivers section as it would have been much easier to correct. The drivers section looks shorter in my photo as I didn't take a pic with the drivers front plate in place. But alas the problem is actually the tray.

I was planning on using the Tamiya gun as I don't see much difference between it and the LR kit save for the brass shields. The LR kit is more expensive than the Mobelwagen (or even a standard DML/Trumpy kit!). There's actually not much wrong with the gun. And it's more fun detailing up the Tamiya gun.

For the wheels I could either go for Tamiya wheels scavenged from the PzIV H kit or test shots of Tristar's late roadwheels. Haven't decided on which yet.

The Tamiya kit front angle is actually incorrect as well. The Tamiya lower hull is the same lower hull used for all their PzIV variants. This means that all their Pz IVs are too short!!!

 

[Mighty Ninja]

Here's a small update. Pictures of Mobelwagens show a different style of idler mounts. Mobelwagen chassis were produced by Krupp-Grusonwerk and finished off by Deutsche Eisenwerke AG-Werk Stahlindustrie in Duisburg.

I removed the idler mounts from the Tamiya kit and scratched new ones from plasticard. The bolts are from the underside of a spare Tristar hull. I also added the track pin pusher plate.

I won't be able to work on this for the rest of the week as the in-laws are in town.

As always all comments are welcomed.

 

[Plushy]

Nice work so far Laz once you go AMS it`s hard to go back to OOB building .

 

[Jenny Croft]

Hey Lawrence , what is the bet that both Trumpeter and Dragon will release theirs before the final coat of paint is dry ? The best way to get a superduper new kit released is to buy every aftermarket available to do the same job with an older kit & start building :laugh: .

Jenny :kiss:

 

[Mighty Ninja]

once you go AMS it`s hard to go back to OOB building .

Hey Lawrence , what is the bet that both Trumpeter and Dragon will release theirs before the final coat of paint is dry ? The best way to get a superduper new kit released is to buy every aftermarket available to do the same job with an older kit & start building .

That is so true :cheer:. It's like learning to walk again! I been having massive struggles not to throw every single AM kit into this build. But I keep telling myself that I have more builds planned for this GB and that I need to actually finish a build for once!

 

[Kreighshoer]

small update but awesome update! it's the small steps that lead us towards the finish in giant leaps!

 

[Ruben Lopez]

Ah! Nothing like scratch building to transform a regular kit into a masterpiece.

Ruben