MG42 Lafette project Some pics re-posted

[CRUSADER]

Good Score!

I wouldn't dye it though - just the rejuvenator looks good. Why make the leather look 'old' when the rest of the tripod looks factory-fresh? Just my .02 ...

When I did my tripod, I bought a set of leather pad covers from Schnee. I just sewed them on as-is. Simply carrying & handling the tripod has begun to give the leather a slightly used look - my paint job & the leather are 'aging' together. I may hit the leather with a little LEXOL though...or pehaps I'll pick up some of that Tandy stuff you are using.

[ChrisPCook]

That leather looks good....I had a good solution for mine....I was lucky enough to score an original MG34 Tripod 4 years ago or so, that had postwar canvas pads....I went to a local Salvation Army and found a nicely weathered leather jacket that made a perfect donor for replacements.... Looked the part, and good thickness....just an idea for all who are pursuing the same kind of project. Chris...

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

I agree, the leather rejuvenator alone looks best on a newly refinished lafette.

[David]

What is the preferred leather to use? Also what does one use for the padding? Or do you just cover over the canvas of teh Yugo stuff?

[tomcatshaas]

I just used the old padding which looks like a felt padding perhaps felt horse hair?

as far as the leather, I just compared it to the original MG34 leather covers I had. I will post thickness and other properties later.

[tomcatshaas]

[tomcatshaas]

Well looks pretty good. In another 60 years it should look like the one on the right.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

It looks good to me. Can i keep it ?

[12thWaffenSS]

It looks good to me. Can i keep it ?

Don't be greedy. You already have one. I need one.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

It looks good to me. Can i keep it ?

Don't be greedy. You already have one. I need one.

Oh... Oh yeah.

[Kaltenbach]

Fantastic job there!

[Swampyankee]

at first I thought this was a post war mod. But I'm really not sure. If you look at the 42 lafette's in Folke's book, you will see the same thing. I wonder if this is original or a waffenmeister field mod.

TC

I was watching an old War Dept. video with an early model 42 and lafette used to train the troops. It appeared to have the bent lower pad. That seems to argue that it's not a post war mod since these series of videos were intended to desensitize the troops to the sound of the ripper. Also, I just looked up at the photo on this Board's header and it seems to have the bent lower as well. My Yugo lafette has the same thing. When I strip it for repaint, I'll look for any markings or evidence if this was a field or factory mod.

[42rocker]

Adding these pics here so I can work on them later. part 1

42rocker

[42rocker]

42rocker

[42rocker]

This is all of the pics that I had copied. I don't know if this is everything or not. Over the next few days I'll try to place them where they should be.

42rocker

[Oldrelic]

I have purchased a Yugo lafette , and I intend on removing the Yugo Pea-Green paint, and Re paint this in WWII German PanzerGrau.

Does anyone have a Sherwin-Williams Formula for this color (Panzergrau) ?????


Also , I read in this thread about "Baking the paint" in Between coats (using Oil Based paint) ??

What is the reason to bake the paint , and what is the Actual process in doing this, ie. Temp , oven type,
time of bake ect. Will it Smell up my House ????


Sounds like silly questions , but I want to do it right !!

Any input will be a BIG HELP.

Oldrelic

[42rocker]

Oldrelic
While I've tried to repost all of the pics in this thread I'm guessing at this time that I don't have them all and not one else is going to step forward with any of the other pics on this. I've called and pm-ed and emailed the thread writer, tomcatshaas and have not heard anything back from him at this time. I have hopes that he will get back with me on this and help repost the pics someday maybe.
That said I've spend about 1 hour so far getting together what pics that I can and have started posting what I can. The numbers that I used while downloading the pics were different than the numbers that he used while posting them and I know that I did not download them all because I always thought that this thread would be here with all of the pics. Oh well.
Ok, there was joking someplace or with tomcatshaas when I meet him in person or talked with him on the phone about his shake and bake method of his baking the paints dry. Remember shake and bake ovens?? Well tomcatshaas kind of made his own by taking the drawers out of his craftsman tool boxes and hanging the parts inside of them to dry and then adding a couple of lights inside. Just like the kids shake and bake ovens that working using a light blub. tomcatshaas used normal clamp on spotlights inside and then clamped plastic over the opening to make a drying oven that was hopefully dust free inside. You would have to talk with others about why the drying is used and temp etc.. I thought it was to make a harder stronger paint outer body and reduce the dry time.

As far as smell goes I believe the tomcatshaas did it in his garage and I'll never done anything like it so can't help there.

You might also want to check tommygunner's thread on his painting a lafette.

Also I believe that the red base coat was always used on the German lafettes. Then the outer color was added, that being up to what theater of war the lafette was going to.

Again I say if anyone has pics from this thread or other threads I'm willing to spend my time trying to rebuild the threads.

Later 42rocker

[42rocker]

On page one of this thread

fab posted the following """this is a 1940 dated lafette.... so if i will paint it in RAL 7021 "panzer grey" (Schwartzgrau) because it was the natural color."""

Well I then ran a search for """RAL 7021""" and found a lot of match's and I think that you will find your answer in reviewing a search.

One of many threads / posts that came up in my search.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4273

Later 42rocker