Fascinating stuff….especially your explaining how the later model Stugs’ idler wheels have no bearings. Loved the fabrication. Again theYou tube highlight of my week.👍
I so look forward to these every week. True artisan’s that I could watch work for hours. Thanks again for sharing the process to bring them back to life.
The two factories mixing parts was not common until the last year or so of the war, when stresses on manufacturing because of allied air raids and other related factors after D-day meant that an 'all hands on deck' approach was used just to get the vehicles out of the factory (temporary of otherwise and into the line. This meant that whichever factory had a majority of parts remaining shipped them to others to keep things moving. In the field, this of course happened even more often with running repairs.
Lots of people waffling about the accuracy of your return rollers in my circles. They are not an exact known type to us, but if they were found with the vehicle you made the right choice. And did a great job too. We are searching through the wartime StuG images and will get back to you if we find evidence of Miag/Alkett crossover with these or these at all. Great job as always.
I've also seen on certain FB groups people making comments that the return rollers don't look like anything that existed, I think the guys have done a fantastic job and 99% of people who will see the finished items will even know the difference
@@ianstewartbrown5308 People get pretty entitled when they spend a lot of time studying these vehicles. But finding an unknown part is exciting, not to be frowned upon. And exceptions prove the rule.
As the war progressed and spares became harder to get, parts were probably scavenged off other vehicles. We did it when I was in the RAF, ribbed parts from one aircraft to keep another flying as there wasn't a part readily on hand.
It's still common in civilian life, too, anywhere parts & logistics drive a need to be "creative" with solutions. If it fits, does the job, and gets you moving, then the job's good; if that applies when civilian life gets urgent, then you have to tink it goes that to the nth degree in a battlefield.
@@iainburgess8577 This would only make sense if there were one or two, but it sounds as if the entire assembly for the return rollers were made by Miag. Given the late model and the fact that the factories producing the Stug III G's were bombed repeatedly, it's highly likely that the return roller assemblies were shipped in in order to complete vehicles coming off the line while the factory was rebuilt (or built elsewhere such as the plant in Falkenese).
Why not make pattern and core and cast replacements? You had to do all the machining anyway and it would probably be quicker to make the pattern than all that fabrication work. As a bonus, you could offer replacements to other restorers in exchange for parts or cash.
The enthusiasm and skill on display at Oz Armour is always fascinating to watch. I've added cast texture to my 1/35 scale model M4A3 Sherman so it was really cool to see cast texture being added to a 1:1 scale Stug!
That's serious attention to detail. I expect nothing less than that from the father and son duo of Glen and Beau! True craftsmanship! What it must be to work so closely with your dad doing the job they clearly love.
Shows the value of engineering skills. We need to make kids aware that these skills are essential even in a digital world to manufacture and maintain industry and stuff we need.
Just fantastic work. As a detailed loving, OCD guy, this viewer appreciates all the details you share. I heard this a lot from my Dad as a kid. "God damn it son, if you can't do it RIGHT the first time, don't do it at all!" lol. Nothing is more disappointing than to watch someone fix something on RU-vid while they do half assed work. Ugh. I loved the parts being chucked up on the lathe to get them dialed in further. There's a video on RU-vid about what happened to all the German armor after the battles and the war. It's was quickly cut up, shipped across the channel and melted down in England. The same happened in the USA with returned bombers and other aircraft. I'd wonder how much German Armor is still in the rivers/lakes and mud bogs in Russia and the other countries the Germans invaded. My bet is more than we think. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing it with us.
I checked your page when I saw the 'VW'. Doesn't look like you've posted much VW stuff though; hope you haven't lost the love. I used to own a '69 Type 2 Deluxe. Those are notorious for being restored from the dead as well, and just like the tanks they either end up chopped up in salvage yards or discovered hidden in barns and storage facilities. Something about German vehicles, I guess.
Amazing fabrication! Not only are the new wheels perfect re-creations of the originals, but Beau and his father demonstrated perfect knowledge of the sequence of steps to make them.
Fantastic attention to detail, a pleasure to watch. The aging on the new idlers was a great touch, good call Bo. the mount assembly mix could have been a field repair since the mount patterns are the same and wheel centerline s are close. Keep up this great work mates.
Every week, every episode is an improvement from the former. All of you have something wonderful to offer the process! This is a HUGE deal for many of us "That holds the history of the War Machine" sacred and those who aren't aware of it, YET! I have included my teenage sons on the weekly episodes and they are able to digest AND appreciate the craftsmanship! For a dad, to be able to share in this type of work ethic and also the production quality of the video.....gives them motivation and a better understanding! Thanks Again!
I have been a student of armor all of my life. I have a huge library of books, many from the 70's purchased by me as a boy. I have a huge model library with over 50 model tanks most German WW2 era. I have 5- 1/16 scale remote controlled tanks, but have only been in an M4A3E8 Sherman one time as a child! I will hopefully be going to drive tanks this year before retiring into Mexico at 60. I have loved armored vehicles all of my life and just wanted to say thanks for safe guarding and restoring all of these precious old pieces of history!
I think the original designers would be impressed and happy you've gone to all the work to make it right, and the original builders were amazed you took the time to show what they had made!
That was amazing, your detailed work is outstanding, and just like when you have to build something new, well all I can say is unbelievable, you are a very talented craftsman. A pleasure to watch you work...
This is detailing and everything that goes with it that is so appreciated by fans like me, no one else shows the important engineering details that's involved in restoring these vehicles. It also puts you in the mind of engineers who designed these things too. I loved every second of this video. i could watch Bo and all his highly skilled colleagues all day long working on these restorations / remaking of these ww2 armoured vehicles and gives us all an appreciation of the skill and costs involved in the making of vehicles when they were new. MORE ! MORE !
It is amazing what you do to get this piece of history back on the road. All the guys do a great job but Boh ( i dont know how to write his name propperly ) is outstanding. The Passion and the Look for details and precision is very very good . ( a bit German in a positiv way ) Geetings to the Crew Take care Best wishes from Germany and the Harz mountains Yours Frank Galetzka
Wensday is not anymore just Wensday midle of the week. Its Workshops Wensday. Keep up the good work you made. I love youre skills and time you spend on that Tanks. Thanks for sharing that with us.
What an awesome Craftsmenship.....one Part new and the other Part History ! MIAG is still existing. My Father was a Miller and MIAG build the legendary Red Rollergrinder standing in about every Mill in Germany. More peacefull than Parts for a Tank......
Seeing photos of tanks in the field with mixes of different production runs of parts is commonplace. Anecdotally wrecked tanks were stripped for parts which were put back into service on new or rebuilt tanks. Surely one of the other tank museums that has original vehicles should be able to comment?
I'm wondering if they reached out to any other museums or collectors to find replacement casters. Was there some reason that the project had to be exclusively in shop?
Although Alkett and MIAG were the primary Stug manufacturers, it is also possible (in fact very likely) that they had smaller foundries working as satellite suppliers, so finding Alkett parts on MIAG Stug or vice versa is likely more common than you'd imagine. Just look at the Tigers, although built solely by Henschel, there are countless variations of Mantlet casting due to different foundries supplying the castings. Both factories, as well as field workshops also repaired damaged vehicles, so it is also possible that during a service they have swapped parts from another vehicle, perhaps even simply due to wear.
The turrets on all the Tigers were built by Krupp - there were two completely different designs, one by Henshel and the other by Porsche (the Porsche design was intended for their competing design of the Tiger 2 that failed due to drive train issues).
Every week I’m completely blown away by what the boys achieve in reconstructing these vehicles. I can’t imagine what they’re going to do next. Fantastic!
Using a dial indicator to check the run-out of return rollers really? Lol! Ridiculous precision - I love it! So much work though? My mind is blown by your work yet again! - Why should I be surprised at that any more though? Don't hate me for suggesting this, but it may have been 'easier' & quicker to perhaps make a mold & actually cast new rollers & then machine them? I dunno; I guess you'd need another entire workshop to do that ay? Anyway, it's all wonderful to watch. My tv is just taking up space & collecting dust these days. Great work from all of you. Professional narration from you too Kurt. Just the right amount! Thanks to all.
hi there from good old germany 🙂love to watch your wonders, that you do in every single restoration, great and very special craftmanship, be blessed and protected in your doing... shalom greats christian
I hope you guys have a video reel running with the build highlights next to each exhibit. Would really help visitors appreciate the amazing work you guys have put in.
i was watching the chieftain video with Hilary Doyle and he was also talking about subcontractors and supplying between the different company's as they were not making all the bits under one roof , and battle parts were so sort supplied that tank crews did what was needed to fix there tanks . just like the previous chat
from what i've learned over the years is that all german tanks had parts comming in from anywhere and everywhere and then one company would assemble all of them into the comlete tank. in this case it was Allket that built the tank and magi that supplied the part. the gun would come from a different company again as would the engine, all the electrics from different companies, etc etc. (there is a nice Chieftain video out there where he goes around a PZ IV with Hillary Doyle who explains all of this even better) on this stug ... Awesome job yet again gents keep it up and greetz from the Netherlands
Fantastic work. You might consider lost foam casting, where you make the part from styrofoam, embed it in special sand and replace the styrofoam with hot metal. This was not available in 1945, but might help you today.
The swapping of parts between the war time factories, here in the States, was VERY common. There was actually an office at the war department that monitored supply shortages and overages at the various locations and supplemented where needed.
He used stick welding to join old to new because the stick electrode has a closer metallurgy with the hardened steel and more FLUX to deal with impurities in the cast steel. That is also why he preheated the steel to allow for the grain structure of the steel to not be as large and brittle.
Always look forward to another vid! I try to recommend and mention your channel as often as I can to other communities that may be interested; the work you do is always beyond impressive.
Outstanding work as always !.I really didn't know that Miag roller did not have any bearing at all !. I have two types of Miag rollers in my collection and one has two ? bearings in it. I thought the other one must have at least one inner bearing in it !. It is surprise to know Germans made so many variations for their equipment. Also I know there are some types for Alkett six holed return rollers does exsist. I think mix use of these rollers may have been caused by a field repair work not from the factory. I have seen battlefield photos of some Stgs with mix use of steel and rubber roller on them.
The spare parts situation was so dire, due to the need for new tanks and the lack of capacity that many vehicles were cannibalised by the crews, if they needed a part rather than risk being without a vehicle, they pinched it off any wreck they could find. I have seen pictures of vehicles with three different manufacturer and spec road wheels on one side, as they say needs must. Guy I used to work with said "anything but fighting as infantry, they died too fast", he was a Tiger driver, sadly long gone now but told some great stories.
I'm absolutely impressed that you guys paying so much attention about all details like to make new steel look like casted. That makes me a jaw drop down on my knees :) I have to admit that your channel is my the most favourite one and I impatiently waiting for new episodes. A huge thumb up from Poland.
Really enjoyed the in depth video of the work involved with the wheels etc. Both Glenn and Beau are true craftsmen. Always best to go the Extra mile, I was often told through my apprenticeship If a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing right.
Great stuff. Not sure if you're aware of this but your videos were mentioned by Andy's Hobby Headquarters about 2 or 3 weeks ago. He's a big fan of them. I look forward to seeing the StuG in action one day.
