While detailing the Centurion I have been making replicas of the various grab handles/engine cover handles and have found the following techniques helpful -
• Drilling holes. I find it best to use an undersized drill, for instance 15 thou for 20 thou wire, (sorry Metric users I am old fashioned when it comes to measurements) and then ream the hole out to size by using an off-cut of the wire that the detail is made of. Snipping the wire with a sidecutter leaves a nice cutting edge that is slightly larger than the wire. At this stage I only drill one hole where the detail is going.
• Bending wire. Copper is easier to use, and is cheaper than brass if you strip old electrical cable! I simply bend it in a small pair of long nose pliers using the teeth of the pliers as the gauge for the width of the 'U'. For instance the Cents engine bay handles were the fifth tooth of my pliers. I grab the wire in the fifth tooth, bend it down each side of the jaw, press against a firm surface, and there is the basic U. Then snip the legs off so one is longer than the other.
• Locating the second hole. Push the longest leg of the handle into the hole until the short leg touches the model. A wiggle will then scribe a mark where the next hole needs to be drilled.
• Installing. Because one leg is longer than the other it is easy to locate the long leg, then put a drop of superglue on each leg and push into position.

Regards Dave

What Centurion are you building? I want to build an Aussie Vietnam Centurion... I have the kit... any other pointers about it?

Nice explanation. I like the method. I use a variant of it. I drill the 1st hole and use the handle as a guide for my 2nd hole. That way I"m not off on measuring.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks slodder, I did not make myself clear, I use the handle to mark the second hole position. That was the idea of the uneven legs. I need to improve my international english.

2-2dragoon. I am doing the Tamiya Cent as a generic MkIII. My research indicates that the basic kit is quite accurate but sadly lacking in detail. So I have accumulated a pile of reference pics and then scratchbuilt the bits that are most typical of an early British MkIII. That might upset the purists who feel a model should represent a particular vehicle but I am new to armour and the thing I have noticed about tanks is the fact that they were constantly being modified, either officially or unofficially, so I am quite happy with a 'typical' representation.

Regards Dave

Thanks for sharing this info. See you can teach an old horse new tricks

I have a tip to make tie downs quick and easy using copper wire (for it's softness), never tried it with brass. Use 1/8" brass channel and 1/16" sq. brass tube, just lay down short sections of the wire across the open channel and press the sq. tube down into it. Makes what I think just about the right size tie downs for just about anything American , at least to my old eyes. Hope this helps.