Panzer Tool Clamps

This video is an incredibly deep dive in to the specific details of the different types of tool clamps used on German tanks of WW2. I review my personal collection, some 3D models and some reference images.

[@krautreport202]

I just realized what a strange hobby I picked with Armor modeling: I am about to watch a 50 min. long video about tool clamps(!) and I am absolutely hyped for it.

[@Panzermeister36]

Been waiting for this video for a while :) awesome! You should do another video showing your panzer bits and all the different colours they are. I plan on making a video discussing camouflages and good modelling colours that are accurate, so I will have to discuss how common tropentarn 1 and 2 were during the panzer grey era. I don't have any original bits to show for that, apart from a few pics of your clamps from Chicago.

[@cygnusx10]

Wow - who knew that there was so much difference between clamps. Great video, very informative, thanks for making this and sharing, much appreciated.

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

You Sir are crazy and thats why we love you :) What a video to watch and to digest. When it comes to certain twists and bends in some of the band parts, one reason might be that a piece of metal rod or bar becomes a bit more solid to be used for spring tension when you add sharp bends to the piece. Think of a long wooden board and a short one, the long board is very easy to bend with your arms, while the short one is super tough. Lever principle. With a bend in a metal band you divide the band into two shorter sections, each of which is much harder to deform.

[@michaelkoschar3434]

wow man - the elusive tool clamp video!! nice work ....

[@user-kz3qg1qv2p]

Just by the CAD work alone, I can tell how much work has gone into the two assembly models you have shown, stunning documentation of these components! To let you know I am the CAD guy at the Wirbelwind project in Canada, so I have access to all of the original parts of the Wirbelwind as well as our original wartime Jagdpanzer 38(t) (earliest surviving example) if you are interested in any original clamps or other fittings that we may happen to have, let me know. Also sorry for the drawings for the external fire extinguisher mount from our Wirbelwind, I wasn't aware or told of the purpose you would use it for, and the sample that I was given to document was a reproduction part that used a modern clamp and took little to no measurements from an original example. I am hoping that some authentic information arises for that and other Panzer IV fittings so my team can reproduce them to historical accuracy.

[@AdamMann3D]

I'm very interested in seeing data/info on your clamps up there. Rob had told me there was someone making CAD from all the measured parts. My background is video games/vfx, so my models here are built that way. It's been a challenge altering the files for 3D printing as normally our stuff only has to render well, so it's often built very differently than traditional CAD. Would love to see what is there and what is gone on the Wirbelwind fenders. I will start looking for high res reference of wartime vehicles. I see from pics when it was outside, fittings on the LHS fender look pretty in tact. You guys know the history of that vehicle too, so maybe we can reference of it's unit. The extinguisher reference, i eventually found enough here and there. Don't worry about that.

[@user-kz3qg1qv2p]

@@AdamMann3D I will be back at Borden in around 2 weeks time, and I should have enough time to take a few photographs, unfortunately the Wirbelwind's fenders are in pretty rough shape, not only the inaccurate paint, but the Canadian forces added reinforcement to our fenders since they were rusting to paper thin, and they rewelded some of the clamps back onto new metal, but all the clamps there are original. I'll message your Facebook once I have the photos. Understood with your 3D modeling files, I just associate anything that is a 3D model with CAD just because of my experiences thus far.

[@AdamMann3D]

@@user-kz3qg1qv2p Corona probably messed up your work days. Just holler at me whenever you get back there. [e-mail]

[@brucethemodelnoob]

Great video Adam, and an impressive collection! I’m sure I’ll be watching this video over and over as I’m working on models.

[@modelmadness9498]

Yes the king is back

[@nietrich8161]

Great video, thanks for sharing so much info! Lovely work

[@SmallSoldier]

I would never have thought someone could be so dedicated to one item. I also had no idea that there were so many types of clamps. Interesting.

[@AdamMann3D]

When i started modeling in 2014 i saw all these videos talking about upgrading the tool clamps with PE. Which up until then I'd never thought about. Then i started to wonder how accurate the PE was, and I wanted to see a real clamp so I knew what I was trying to represent. It just snowballed from there. 1 turns in to 3 then 5 then 25 and so on.

[@SmallSoldier]

Yeah, I know the feeling. I use to collect militaria and that got expensive and I just plain ran out of room to display it.

[@HonestBlake]

Glad to see you back!!! And great video 👍

[@SomeNordicMan]

Hope u make videos about other parts/details in panzers also, very useful and interesting

[@j3v167]

Thanks for posting again, Adam. Always super informative.

[@RollingThunderModels]

Thank you for putting the effort in this video! High quality material! Great work!

[@SteveJonesScaleModellingSite]

Learnt a lot with this video. Will be a great help for my modelling research. Many thanks

[@fleetwarrior75]

I respect you passion for tool clamps!

[@kimcason8764]

Yet another Great Video. Thanks yet again..! Cheers Kim in Oz.😎

[@73north]

Thanks for the great videos on the German Tiger tank variants by Dragon in 1/35 scale - you did a superb job on the subject , also fascinating to hear that Tamiya Tigers aren't that great - luckily the Tamiya King Tiger 1/35 is not bad - I added a lot of etch , Fruil ( of Hungary ) Metal Tracks , brass barrels and aftermarket Zimmerit Resin Sheets to make it very good

[@scottbedard3471]

Welcome back

[@garylangston2818]

Hi Adam very interesting video mate.

[@AFV85]

I always call type 2 the mammoth clamp lol if you look at it side on you'll see what I mean! The shape and clap lock handles the tusks, I went and bought a couple of different Photo etch sets early and late workable clamps for my builds so starting the new marder 1 I'll have to see if any were on the marder 1 I know it had the square clamps and the pick axe head was like scew bolts with butterfly screws holding it down! But definitely look good only jagdtiger build after the marder!

[@rob3609]

Trust the Germans to make a tool clamp a work of art

[@VintageSprue]

@Adam Mann, another question… Do we know which clamp goes for each tool ? is there any classification ? thank you again ! 👍😉

[@thearsenalmisfit2414]

Very nicely done, but my wife is a little worried by what yon mean by you ha a piece of a panzer III at home. She's worried that I going to start stock piling tank parts in my garage so I can build my own real full sized panzer. One thing to keep in mind about clamps is that they quite often got damaged or were ripped off the vehicles durjng combat so the crews and repair depots would replace them with what ever they had available or refashioned them from scratch so you would ofren find types where you wouldn't expect them.

[@Panzermeister36]

I'm pretty sure Adam has a section of Pz III fender with a couple of clamps on it. So nothing too crazy....yet..... :)

[@AdamMann3D]

Evan is correct, i have just a piece of fender.

[@derekshores5839]

Glad to see you are back with a subject of great interest to me. As photo-etch clamps can be an absolute pain do you have any views on the resin ones I have found on Scalemates from Fcmodeltrends? As they look reasonably priced I might get a set to try out on that cheap Panzer I B you have mentioned which I also have in my stash

[@jonL88]

Thanks so much for the lesson, I know I’m one year late; now that the model market is starting to flood in 3d printed models of clamps, in particular types 1 and 2 (or A and B) and “pro” depending on the company, can I clarify that the different clamp types are not just “early” or “late” (or found on early war/late war tanks), but they can be a mix of both on a single vehicle? or do certain types associate with certain tanks (like a panther only has all type 2 clamps)? Hope this doesn’t sound inane, just bought some 3d clamps so I just wanted to be sure I’m joining them on the correct vehicle. Thanks Adam!

[@derekshores5839]

Just re-visited this video as am experimenting with various clamps particularly T-Rex and Rochm the latter only their PE but thinking about their 3D. Am I correct that there are no "rules" to to what clamps were fitted apart from as you say no type 1's on Panther or type 2's on Tigers? According to Aber the change was 43 but given what you have identified in your own research on PIII and IV at Bovington which I have also seen it looks a bit like they subsequently fitted whatever was on the shelf or have I got that wrong?

[@AdamMann3D]

There are some pretty strict rules, but of course exceptions. Rochm has a very accurate chart on their website. A few vehicles like later StuG III had a mix, but I certainly wouldn't say no rules.

[@derekshores5839]

@@AdamMann3D Just tracked the chart down thanks which explains why the Jagdtiger has a couple of 2's but predominately 1's and this will be very useful in the future. At least this is clear unlike their instructions with their PE set which makes Dragon instructions look like a model of clarity! Given the surge in 3D printing have you yet been able to form a view as to the most accurate? The use of black resin on the T-Rex you reviewed is I feel not helpful and the material feels a little soft

[@VintageSprue]

Impressive documentary by its accuracy!! I found it after having found the way to build “easily” the 1/35 ABER photoetched clamps. Not so easy !! Can we consider that clamps on the really first WWII German Panzer I were only type 1 ? I now hesitate on the type to add to my model ! Thank you for your answer ! Any reference picture welcome ( personal message if you are ok) Best regards from France 🇫🇷 😄😉👍

[@AdamMann3D]

My references suggest yes Panzer I used only type I. I helped the Panzer I restoration guys in Spain with measurements to make theirs. Must vehicles stick to one type or the other. StuG and Panzer IV are all over the place.

[@VintageSprue]

@@AdamMann3D thank you for your answer and for this brillant clamp study !

[@martinelliotedwards1883]

Could you do a review of dragons panzer IV Ausf H kit please?

[@AdamMann3D]

I have one, the one with Zim, but I think I boxed it up to send to Hamilkar Barkas. I'll check.

[@Patrick-cr7ql]

This is a panzer tool clap documentary.

[@vasili1207]

I have been asked if I could try and 3d print tool clamps... gives me a good idea of what he wants. Now I just have to get the dimensions, you don't have any do you, if not post thekungflu I will nip to bovy and grab some measurements. I will post back here. I can probably gather enough info from the net and this video to be some what accurate, in the mean time

[@AdamMann3D]

I have been 3D printing 1:1 and 1:35 versions of these. I have measurements as, as you saw I own many originals.

[@vasili1207]

Won in battle or the regular way eBay 🤣, have you made the dimensions available publicly? If not that's ok, worth a ask. I don't mind creating my own models. 👍🏻.

[@clivecro4971]

Adam, if you go to any car parts counter like a trade motor factors and buy a 5ltr drum of penetrating oil and find a large container or plastic box to lay your clamps in you can then pour the penetrating oil over them so that it completely covers the clamps. Leave them to soak for 24/48 hours and every so often gently move them back and forth. This should at least free them up so that they can move again and it won't remove the paint. Failing that you can lay them in a water and salt bath and pass an electric current through them to completely remove all of the rust but unless you know what you are doing with this method I wouldn't advise it.

[@kimcason8764]

Another Example of, How much Effort the German's put into to their Equipment. Over Engineering maybe.!? 😎