Carter's Lasercut Tank - StuG III Ausf. F

This is my second tank ! the german Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. F (or the StuG III F). This instructable shows you the steps to follow so you can build your own.

Download the model on its Thingiverse page : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2560738

You can check my FabLab's group : https://www.thingiverse.com/groups/plasci/things

The material you need for the moving tracks is :

Some wood glue
4x little zipties
10x Ø3mm 30mm long screws (two nuts per screw) ,
18x Ø3mm 20mm long screws (two nuts per screw) ,
4x Ø3mm 10mm long screws (one nut per screw)
60 nuts for total.

The material you need for the easy tracks is just some wood glue and 4x zipties (again) and 6x 40mm long screws with 6 nuts.

Step 1: The Gun

Step 2: The Frame

Step 3: The Sheets

Step 4: The Hinges & the Trapdoors

Step 5: The Exhaust Pipe & the Random Backside Decorative Box

Step 6: The Sides

You have the choice between two parts if you want to display the Balkenkreuz (the Wehrmacht cross) or not.

Step 7: The Frame Details

You can add the side driver's hatch, the two front armors and the rod on the front hatch.

Step 8: The Easy Tracks

If you don't want to make the moving tracks, there are these easier-to-make tracks. Just stack the 7 slices and add some additionnal rings to keep the track 3mm spaced away from the side part before screwing it (see photos) .

Step 9: The Moving Tracks (Pt. 1) - the Wheels

If you read this, you want to decided to make real moving wheels. Noice.

Be careful to align all the wheels slices.

For the drive wheel : The two geared slices must be perfectly aligned. You can wrap your wheel with your track or, like i did, level the two gears with the table.

For the top wheels : Watch out, the middle slice is very thin.

For the bottom and the rear wheel : Align the holes.

Step 10: The Moving Tracks (Pt. 2) - the Tracks

You will need a lot of patience during this step.

You will firstly need to join all the teeth with the hole-parts and all the hinges with the long rectangle ones (i don't know how to describe them). It will be easier to assemble the whole track with these already assembled parts.

My tracks is 33 hinges long, to give the idea of the total track length.

Just follow the photos for the pattern.