1:35 Italský kanystr

The Italian jerrycan and its different signature

For fuel the Italian army used a container that differs from the German pattern in its proportions, in the shape of its handles and in the arrangement of the pressings on its sides. For a model that matters more than it seems, because a jerrycan is an object that tends to be seen close up on a vehicle and a knowing eye spots a substitution at once. Using the correct shape is therefore a simple way to give a build conviction.

Eight pieces in the package are enough both to line a whole vehicle and for a little heap by a post. They need not all be full; a slightly dented side or a torn-off handle on one piece makes a more interesting object than seven perfect ones.

The work starts at the bottom. The castings are held on a common surface or on a short peg and are separated by a cut made square, not at an angle; otherwise the container does not stand and tips when set into a bracket. Level the resulting surface with a stroke over abrasive paper laid on glass; turning the part a quarter turn between strokes will keep the bottom flat.

The handles are the finest part of the casting and at the same time the place where flash collects. Clean them with the point of a scalpel drawn from the inside outwards and clear the gap under the handle with a folded piece of abrasive paper. Where a handle breaks, it can be replaced with bent copper wire glued into two drilled holes.

In color, never unify the jerrycans completely. Containers topped up from different sources had different shades, and it is precisely the difference between them that looks natural, whereas eight identical pieces give away that they came out of one mold.