Look-Alike Drive Band Idea = Copper Foil Tape...

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

I have a relic 3.7cm Pak 36 AP shell that had it's drive band removed long ago. I know people have re-banded projectiles using copper billet, lathes, hose connector clamps, etc. but that's a bit out of the league of my humble tool box. I've been trying to think of some relatively simple way of adding a look-alike drive band to it and a thought that occurred today is wrapping some sort of copper strip round it. The drive band width is 12mm and you can get 12mm wide copper foil tape:

http://www.banggood.com/12mm30m-Cop...I-Shielding-Self-Adhesive-Tape-p-1009065.html

So my idea is to wrap it round and round until it has built up to roughly the thickness of the drive band. This will obviously have various things visually wrong with it, (such as a seam) so I was merely thinking in terms of something that'll look drive band-ish to a casual glance and will seat the shell in a case.

I was wondering if anyone else had tried something like this? Will it be an improvement on no drive band at all, or will it look hopelessly wrong? All thoughts gratefully received.

Cheers,
Mark

PS. As an aside, what's a fair UK price for a 3.7cm Pak 36 case?

 

[SG500]

I've got a piece fired driving band off a 25 pounder you can have if you want it.
Its too wide and too thick for what you need so if you fix a part of it in place then sand it down it'll look real enough.
If you want it pm me your address.
Dave.

 

[khanmak]

Good idea! Might try this myself. I wonder, could you not just get a piece of pvc the approximate thickness
- shape it & and try sticking it to that.

 

[peregrinvs]

I've got a piece fired driving band off a 25 pounder you can have if you want it.
Its too wide and too thick for what you need so if you fix a part of it in place then sand it down it'll look real enough.
If you want it pm me your address.
Dave.

Hi Dave,
That's a very kind offer, but I don't feel confident of doing it justice. I think I'll try the copper tape idea first and if it looks rubbish I shall reconsider.
Thanks,
Mark

 

[HAZORD]

You could make a band out of PVC, and then put one wrap of copper tape around it. It would give you the same look without all the wrapping, and you can taper the front edge of the PVC which would be really hard to try on the tape option.

 

[peregrinvs]

Update: I bought a 1936 dated Pak 36 case at Stoneleigh on Sunday, so I'm going to fill and repaint the relic shell and then test the copper tape idea. Wish me luck...

 

[raymeketa]

A spray can of copper paint can make many materials look like the real thing. It's cheap and easy to apply.

 

[peregrinvs]

I have considered that as a Plan B: cut a thick piece of plastic pipe to shape, glue it on, fill in the join and then paint it copper.

 

[Spaceinvader]

Another idea which I have used that worked well was modeling clay. Just put a strip of it around the projectile and shape correctly, and paint it. I used air dry clay, and using some "tools" (AKA a credit card, rolling pin, exact-o knife) it worked pretty well!

 

[peregrinvs]

Threat carried out...


A word of warning... the tape is very soft. I made the mistake of compressing it after wrapping it round in order to try and even it out. As you can see, it squashed a bit and is even less even. Ah well... it was an interesting experiment and mostly successful.

 

[5th Armored]

I use copper shielding tape from a guitar parts supply website for driving bands on resin reproductions - but that's a little easier than your situation because the proper shape pf the band is already moulded for you.

 

[Sully]

I'm in the process of restoring WW1, 75mm, 18 pounder and a 60 pounder and have found the if you get a piece of 15mm copper pipe and hammer it flat it's the exact size of the drive band, 22mm flattened is the size for the 60 pounder. Both were just shaped round and stuck with Stixall, any DIY shop, and tightened with a jubilee clip till set.