How to make a metal 7.5 cm ammo box (K-002)

Set can be used with the following AFVs:

Name: Metal box for 7.5 cm ammunition for Kw.K.42

Scale: 1/35

Item used: K-002 (metal ammo box included in A-3513, A-3514 and A-3515 sets)

Author: Stefan Frankiewicz

Step 1 — Prepare your workshop

We are going to complete one metal box for 7.5 cm ammunition for Kw.K.42 tank gun. Photoetched sheet included in A-3513, A-3514 and A-3515 sets has elements for two such boxes. Look at photo below for further reference.

Making a metal box for 7.5 cm ammunition for Kw.K.42

Following tolls will be helpful:

metal forceps;
sharp knife;
piece of flat rubber, not to hard;
rubber hammer;
metal rods;
source of heat — soldering iron or gas burner.

This tutorial describes methods of joining photoetched parts with use of open fire and high temperatures. Soldering demands high temperatures so be very careful. It’s forbidden to use open fire close to the flammable items and liquids. Please remember about it, modeller’s workshop is full of flammable objects. Use heat resistant table and join parts on grog pad (also known as firesand or chamotte) to avoid unnecessary risk. Remember to use metal forceps to keep and handle photoetched parts during soldering.

Step 2 — Prepare the parts

I can recommend Japanese solder paste called Koki. It’s excellent for fixing smaller details with use of gas burner. To join parts with use of Koki paste you’ll have to heat parts to about 200°C with use of your gas burner set on minimum power. Please be careful because gas burner can heat your photoetched parts up to 1100°C and melt them into shapeless piece of metal.

Step 3 — Soldering

Part 1 should be formed to the tube shape by delicate knocking metal rod with use of rubber hammer. Piece of flat rubber is shock absorber and excellent surface to bend flat part into the tube. Your main goal is to precise closing both edges of the part 1 for further fixing. Solder paste should be applied in few areas. When heated, it will melt and join both elements strong enough. To join parts with use of the Koki paste you’ll have to heat parts to about 200°C with use of your gas burner set on minimum power. Please be careful because gas burner can heat your photoetched parts up to 1100°C and melt them into shapeless piece of metal.

Step 4 — Forming the tube

With part 1 formed into the tube we may start to make it real tube with circular cross section. Start knocking with rubber hammer on metal rod with slightly smaller diameter (about 3.4–3.5 mm) and finish on metal rod with final 3.70 mm diameter.

Step 5 — Detailing

Bottom part of the tube is build from part 2 and 2A. Part 2 should be inserted into the part 2A and such module should be soldered to part 1. To avoid problems you may insert metal rod into the tube for the time needed to solder both modules.

Part 1A should be fixed just below the edge of the tube. Please remember that parts 1A and 2A can be slightly too long. Please check it before soldering. Parts 3 and 3A are complete cover of the tube. Please remember to check fitting before fixing all parts together. Upper edge, where parts 3 and 3A are joined, should be semicircular.

Parts 3C formed like flattened Greek Ω (omega) letter should be fixed into the selected places (squares) on the top of cover (part 3). Parts 3C will be hinges for the handle (part 3B) which will be installed at the end of our work. Part 3B should be slightly unbended and, after entering endings into the holes formed by 3C parts, should be bended again. That’s how we’ve made movable handle on the cover of the metal tube.

Parts 4 and 4A are hinge joining tube with tube cover. On the opposite site we should attach part 5A — hook. Parts 5, 5B i 6 are hook closure. Axle joining all parts should be made from two pieces of copper wire. Completed closure should be movable.