1:35 German Clamps Late

German tool brackets, late type, 1:35, BSK Model

A set of 3D-printed tool brackets and clamps for models of German Second World War vehicles, the manufacturer's part number BSK-C35002. This is an accessory for a model, not a kit. The C line at BSK Model is built as universal: the same brackets are used on a whole range of vehicles, not on one single type. The print is of photopolymer resin, which is flexible and at the same time durable.

The real subject

German combat vehicles carried a set of tools on the hull and on the fenders, a shovel, a pickaxe, a pry bar, a tow cable and a fire extinguisher, and every piece was held by its own bracket with a clamp and a quick-release catch. In the late part of the war the shape of these brackets became simpler, because production was saving material and time. It is precisely this late shape that the set renders, so it fits a vehicle from 1944 or 1945 better in shape than parts from the early period.

Fitting and painting tips

The brackets are small, so separate them from the printed carrier frame with a sharp knife and handle them with tweezers over a mat. They are glued with cyanoacrylate glue. On the flexibility of the print the manufacturer gives a useful piece of advice: if a part seems too yielding, leave it in the sun for about an hour and the material will cure further. Glue the tools onto the hull only after the base coat of the vehicle, and paint the metal parts and the wooden handles separately, otherwise the detail is lost.

Who the set is for

• builders of German vehicles in 1:35 who are bothered by thick plastic brackets
• modelers who build vehicles from the late part of the war
• those who want the tools removable or left off, with empty brackets
• modelers used to small 3D-printed parts and cyanoacrylate glue

This is an accessory for a model, not a kit. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.