1:35 Panzer IV steel return rollers with welded base final pattern

Return rollers with a welded base, the final pattern, 1:35

An add-on set for building the Panzer IV medium tank in 1:35 scale. It concerns the rollers along which the top run of the track is led, in the form with a welded base in the final pattern, as the name gives. The vehicle is not in the package; it is a replacement for the parts the base kit supplies.

How this variant differs

The all-steel rollers of the Panzer IV divide into two families according to how their center was made: by casting, or by welding from sheet-metal pressings. This item belongs to the welded family and carries the designation of the final pattern, that is the latest form in shape. The difference in the ribbing and in the mounting is clearly readable on a finished model, so it is worth comparing the set with a photograph of the machine you are building.

The real subject

The late series of the Panzer IV abandoned rollers with a rubber tire band and replaced them with all-steel ones. Behind the change stood both the shortage of rubber and the pressure for simpler production. The shape changed several more times during production, so on period photographs you will meet even two different patterns side by side on one vehicle.

Fitting and painting

First fit the parts dry onto the brackets of the hull and check whether they seat in one plane. Remove any remains of manufacture from the mating surfaces and choose the glue according to the material of the parts. Painting the rollers before the track covers them is considerably more comfortable than fighting your way to them with a brush afterward.

Who the set is useful for

• Builders of the late versions of the Panzer IV in 1:35
• Modelers who watch the match with a particular subject
• Makers of dioramas with the running gear in focus