Allen's SU-152 "Zveroboy" (Beast Slayer) Trumpeter 1/35

[Tim Marlow]

Allen if I'd have known you could have had my trumpeter clamp benders ,perhaps I've been using them wrong but quicker and easier to just use pliers and the kit part as a pattern. Perhaps brass rod is too strong for them but you'd have to source copper in diffrent gauges or wobbly lead wire let us know when you use them mean time I'll stick with my pliers, oh and good work so far having just done this one in 72nd looking forward to what seems a monolithic piece of plastic. Dave

Agree about it being quicker using pliers. I use a pair of fine snipe nosed pliers with serrated jaws. Just mark the correct serration with pencil and you can bang out dozens of identical hand rails in seconds using brass pin wire.

[Guest]

Allen if I'd have known you could have had my trumpeter clamp benders ,perhaps I've been using them wrong but quicker and easier to just use pliers and the kit part as a pattern.

These?



Yes, I agree. I bought those years ago and tried them a few times, with copper wire of the indicated thicknesses, but found them hard to use, and the handles to be not very useful at that. A major part of the reason for both is that it puts four bends into the wire rather than two. I have thought about sawing parts off so that it makes a U-shape, but I haven’t bothered yet.

[David Lovell]

These?



Yes, I agree. I bought those years ago and tried them a few times, with copper wire of the indicated thicknesses, but found them hard to use, and the handles to be not very useful at that. A major part of the reason for both is that it puts four bends into the wire rather than two. I have thought about sawing parts off so that it makes a U-shape, but I haven’t bothered yet.

Not just me then thought they were pretty poor (how polite was that). Dave

[Guest]

Not just me then thought they were pretty poor (how polite was that). Dave

Morning Dave, are you feeling ok, slipping in such a remark. :smiling2:

[Guest]

Jakko, if you have any copies of the photos, please post them up here if you can. It would be a great flashback to see them......

This is probably the best one:

[ATTACH]445118[/ATTACH]

Somewhat poor quality because taken through the window of a campervan, and square because I had a camera that used 126 film

[Allen Dewire]

Morn All,

I do hope all of your goosebumps have gone down and things are back to normal. Been driving on (with my eyes closed), but first a few words from the sponsor(s)

Rick, Thanks buddy! Yea, I guess I don't have any other choice but to keep on going with the Beast. All of the links are finally done.......

Paul and Tim, I'm starting to worry about you two. At first, I thought Paul OD'd on dark chocolates while typing the end of his post and having flashbacks of Fair Maidens and such. Then Tim, you jump in and support it. Easy on the tutti's buddy. It's over my head, but cool all the same???....

Richard, I can't say much about the Italeri kit, but the Trumpeter kit basics have been molded in many of their KVII based kits. Funny is that JR's and Tim's kits have Link and length tracks and JR's has rubber ones too. My kit was made in the middle of theirs and has indy links. That's a 13 year timespan. Go figure...........

David, Thank you for the offer and for the heads up. I guess I will have to try it out and see for myself. Luckily, it wasn't that expensive. Most of the time, I use my pliers for bending etch and making handles too.....

Dude 2, Come on John, David's always polite and straightforward too. That's why we like him..........

Jakko, That's the set I bought and as I said, wasn't too expensive. I'll have to do a test with them. Thanks for posting up the photo. You got the back side of the stage in it. I have a few of the front side and they were taken with a 126 camera too. I just cant find my negatives to copy them though. I have a banana carton full of pictures and it's tough as I am trying to digitalize them with a scanner for my kids. Too many negatives, too little time I'm afraid.................

With the Nasty finally done, it was time to put all the bits together into two runs of tracks. 88 links, 44 w/horn and 44 w/o each. The links really go together well with just pressing them into one another and form some good runs. I used an aluminum strip to keep them straight if they wander. I normally use MIG extra thin for my work, but for the tracks, I switched to TET as the MIG dries in 7 minutes and the TET in about 10 or more. Worked out perfectly,


Here the bottom run is on and drying. To the right is the other bottom run. You can see how the tracks push together and even stay straight without glue against the alu strip. The downside is they are extremely light and hard to hold in place on the road wheels. With Friuls, you have the weight to help and you can do the whole run at one time. Anyway, the damn hull kept slipping around as I worked so I found a solution for that,

Throw some weight in it to hold it still. That worked and I could do the top runs and add the sag these puppy's normally had. Above, is the other run made in two pieces too, so you can paint them and add them before the fenders are added. If you glue the fenders on first, you can't get them on with the sag in 'em. I'll tack the fenders on for hissy stick work and then, after the tracks are mounted, glue them on permanently.......

There is a dust/rain cover on the gun mantlet and if you glue it in place, you can't elevate the gun. Out with the micro drill bit and made it hinge by drilling it out. I used a 4mm long bit of brass wire for the pin,


It moves and I'm happy with that.........

Slowly we are getting somewhere, but still a lot to do. Thanks again for looking in and the comments. I also hope the Orffs and tuttis are wearing off, LMAO!!! Keep all the C, C and abuse coming as it motivates me to no end!!! Have a good one............................

Na Zdorovie (Prost)
Allen(ski) Pres.
RBB Factory #69

[Guest]

Dude 1, I'm still recovering from seeing so many postings of updates, in a good way I hasten to add. :surprised:
Nice to see such progress, just shows what the joys of retirement bring.

Some good photos of the tracks, is that purely for my benefit ? its always easier than an explanation so armed with this and rolls of masking tape today might be the day !

Upward on onward brother.
Dude 2

[Allen Dewire]

You'll be fine Dude 2. Just dive in, let the glue dry enough and the wrap those thangs around the sprocket and idler, then let 'em dry. I'll try and help you whenever I can, just holler. Honestly, I really think I just got lucky this time.....

[David Lovell]

You'll be fine Dude 2. Just dive in, let the glue dry enough and the wrap those thangs around the sprocket and idler, then let 'em dry. I'll try and help you whenever I can, just holler. Honestly, I really think I just got lucky this time.....

Hoping you have more luck with him than I ever have talk about stubborn , link and length seems to be the adult version of the bogeyman. Dave

[David Lovell]

You'll be fine Dude 2. Just dive in, let the glue dry enough and the wrap those thangs around the sprocket and idler, then let 'em dry. I'll try and help you whenever I can, just holler. Honestly, I really think I just got lucky this time.....

Did you just get lucky or simply follow the instructions plus as you've said and me in my build you can leave em for ages before you offer them up the more sets you build the easier it becomes, I've only ever built one set of fruils every link had to be cleaned up and drilled out to accept the wire to form the links plus they were well short with that thought they were rubbish ,look no different when painted and for what they cost.......then if you get duped into it the burnishing fluid....if a old git like me(65) can build them in 72nd..........Dave
PS using nothing but my reading glasses.

[Tim Marlow]

Morn All,

I do hope all of your goosebumps have gone down and things are back to normal. Been driving on (with my eyes closed), but first a few words from the sponsor(s)

Rick, Thanks buddy! Yea, I guess I don't have any other choice but to keep on going with the Beast. All of the links are finally done.......

Paul and Tim, I'm starting to worry about you two. At first, I thought Paul OD'd on dark chocolates while typing the end of his post and having flashbacks of Fair Maidens and such. Then Tim, you jump in and support it. Easy on the tutti's buddy. It's over my head, but cool all the same???....

Richard, I can't say much about the Italeri kit, but the Trumpeter kit basics have been molded in many of their KVII based kits. Funny is that JR's and Tim's kits have Link and length tracks and JR's has rubber ones too. My kit was made in the middle of theirs and has indy links. That's a 13 year timespan. Go figure...........

David, Thank you for the offer and for the heads up. I guess I will have to try it out and see for myself. Luckily, it wasn't that expensive. Most of the time, I use my pliers for bending etch and making handles too.....

Dude 2, Come on John, David's always polite and straightforward too. That's why we like him..........

Jakko, That's the set I bought and as I said, wasn't too expensive. I'll have to do a test with them. Thanks for posting up the photo. You got the back side of the stage in it. I have a few of the front side and they were taken with a 126 camera too. I just cant find my negatives to copy them though. I have a banana carton full of pictures and it's tough as I am trying to digitalize them with a scanner for my kids. Too many negatives, too little time I'm afraid.................

With the Nasty finally done, it was time to put all the bits together into two runs of tracks. 88 links, 44 w/horn and 44 w/o each. The links really go together well with just pressing them into one another and form some good runs. I used an aluminum strip to keep them straight if they wander. I normally use MIG extra thin for my work, but for the tracks, I switched to TET as the MIG dries in 7 minutes and the TET in about 10 or more. Worked out perfectly,

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1169005[/ATTACH]
Here the bottom run is on and drying. To the right is the other bottom run. You can see how the tracks push together and even stay straight without glue against the alu strip. The downside is they are extremely light and hard to hold in place on the road wheels. With Friuls, you have the weight to help and you can do the whole run at one time. Anyway, the damn hull kept slipping around as I worked so I found a solution for that,

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1169006[/ATTACH]Throw some weight in it to hold it still. That worked and I could do the top runs and add the sag these puppy's normally had. Above, is the other run made in two pieces too, so you can paint them and add them before the fenders are added. If you glue the fenders on first, you can't get them on with the sag in 'em. I'll tack the fenders on for hissy stick work and then, after the tracks are mounted, glue them on permanently.......

There is a dust/rain cover on the gun mantlet and if you glue it in place, you can't elevate the gun. Out with the micro drill bit and made it hinge by drilling it out. I used a 4mm long bit of brass wire for the pin,

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1169007[/ATTACH]
It moves and I'm happy with that.........

Slowly we are getting somewhere, but still a lot to do. Thanks again for looking in and the comments. I also hope the Orffs and tuttis are wearing off, LMAO!!! Keep all the C, C and abuse coming as it motivates me to no end!!! Have a good one............................

Na Zdorovie (Prost)
Allen(ski) Pres.
RBB Factory #69

Yep the Tuttis are wearing Orff all right…..tracks look good, and making excellent progress….what’s not to like

[scottie3158]

Lovely work on the tracks mate. Great scratchery on the rain cover looks excellent.

[Allen Dewire]

Late Evening To All The Loonies Out There,

I'm sure we are all celebrating Dude 2's (JR, Dzhon) success with the L&L tracks. A great achievement for our good friend and modelling buddy. Too bad he didn't share any cake with us......But,

David, Wow, that is great that you can work in 1/72 with just glasses. Respect Sir! As to Friuls, the reason I like them is for the weight and the sag they give. Clean up is a lot easier and it takes less time than my kit's tracks did. Also, I buy them at the show in Holland really cheap so the cost isn't a big factor. But hey, to each his own on that matter..........

Tim, Good to hear that all is back to normal and thanks for the kind words my friend........Done yet???

Paul, Thanks too Bro! I realized today that my scratchy on the hinges really wasn't necessary. How many times am I going to play around moving the barrel up and down after it's done anyway........

So I played around some more at the table today and decided to throw caution into the wind.....Or maybe it was just a fart......and glued the fenders on. The more I thought about it, I figured I could mount the tracks and idler wheels on the chassis at the same time after everything is painted. It will make painting the whole thing easier in the long run too,


Plus, the fenders are a mounting/gluing surface for the casemate,


The fit needs a little more sanding/tweaking work, but it is almost spot on. I also started cleaning up the last of the parts and began drilling the starter holes for the handrails. Finally I made up the depth charges,


Ok, so they're beer kegs??? Uhhh, Ohh, the external fuel drums.....They need a little more love to finish them off!!! Damn, I'm getting pretty near to the paint stage now........Scary thought.............

That's all folks.......Have a great weekend, take care and stay safe and thanks for looking in at the RBB Factory #69...................

Na Zdorovie (Prost)
Allen(ski) Pres.
RBB Factory #69

[Mini Me]

I have those fuel tanks to do also........looking at yours Allen....they aren't much better than mine. Are you going to redo them or replace them?

[Mark1]

Making nice progress there Allen