Char B1-bis scratchbuild: Turret construction.

This is the first step in making the turret, the styrene is heated

with a paint stripping heat gun untill the plastic becomes pliable. It is laid against the

wooden former and pressed down to conform to the shape, it is held down with gloved hands

untill it cools and thats it. It was then screwed down to the wooden former to ensure that it doesn't move.

The same thing is done on the opposite side of the former.

Both sides have been done and the roof sanded flush with the wooden former, the roof plate gets glued onto these edges.

Showing the subtle curves and angles, this is actually two 4mm sheets that have been heat formed together to give me the thickness required.

The first initial turret shell takes shape, the lower half of the turret form can be seen on the left as well as the rear hatch insert and hatch itself.

Here you can see the inner surfaces of the turret shell.

A good view of the wooden former, your accuracy of the turret depends on how accurate this has been shaped.

Starting to look like a turret, note the screw holes were put where openings would be cut anyway.

The other side of the turret.

The hatch rim insert added and blended in with softened styrene, this is friction melted on a bench grinder and squashed into the nooks and crannies before it cools then glued down with MEK.

The inner view, the corners have yet to be rounded off with plastic putty.

Heat forming the lower turret ring.

The ring will be trimmed from this part.

The openings have been cut out and the upper and lower halves glued and puttied.

The ring and loswer details added, you can see some of the interior with rounded corners.

A photo of the lower turret floor before attachment ot the turret, the recesses for the turret rear hatch can be seen as well as the mounting points for the traverse mechanism.