AFV Club 1/35 Centurion Mk5/2 with 105mm gun

[Mickc1440]

Progress is slow but there’s no real hurry for this build. I was almost caught out by a slightly misleading instruction. Part H21 is clearly shown locating in the oblong mark on the hull, clearly in the next diagram that’s not right but I did notice it. I recently saw a completed model that had been super detailed and looked amazing however I did notice they had managed to install this part upside down


One minor gripe, those little grab handles B29. They are attached to the sprue by the handle part and some of the gates are quite big. They are a bugger to clean up. If I was Scottie they would have all been replaced

[scottie3158]

Mick go on you know you want to. Just drill holes the size of the wire where you want them. Then bend the wire to fit and glue in. They will be good and strong.

[Guest]

Mick go on you know you want to. Just drill holes the size of the wire where you want them. Then bend the wire to fit and glue in. They will be good and strong.

Yeah!!! go on Mick, drill, drill, drill. Or you could order a 3D set from Scorpion Models...

[Guest]

B29 is the box that holds both the infantry telephone (to let nearby foot soldiers talk to the tank crew) and the first-aid kit. The handle should be on the bottom like the instructions show it, yes As for the grab handles, I would replace them with copper wire too, like Paul and Mike say. If you do want to use the kit parts, then I’d advise to clean them up but not completely, then glue them on, and once the glue has set, use a sharp knife to clean up the remains of the sprue attachment point. That way you’re not trying to hold a tiny, fragile part in your fingers.

[Mickc1440]

Mick go on you know you want to. Just drill holes the size of the wire where you want them. Then bend the wire to fit and glue in. They will be good and strong.

oh no I don’t

Yeah!!! go on Mick, drill, drill, drill. Or you could order a 3D set from Scorpion Models...

Too late I’m up for the challenge of sorting them unless they break

B29 is the box that holds both the infantry telephone (to let nearby foot soldiers talk to the tank crew) and the first-aid kit. The handle should be on the bottom like the instructions show it, yes :smiling3: As for the grab handles, I would replace them with copper wire too, like Paul and Mike say. If you do want to use the kit parts, then I’d advise to clean them up but not completely, then glue them on, and once the glue has set, use a sharp knife to clean up the remains of the sprue attachment point. That way you’re not trying to hold a tiny, fragile part in your fingers.

Kit parts are on for now so using your method, let’s see what happens

[Guest]

Looking good Mick. Lots of interest I see. :thumb2:

[Mickc1440]

Looking good Mick. Lots of interest I see. :thumb2:

Thanks mate, think it’s the novelty of me building armour again

[The Smythe Meister]

Thanks mate, think it’s the novelty of me building armour again

.... yes it is....
.... Oh,and the fact that it's a fantastic Tank of course!! :tears-of-joy:

[Mickc1440]

.... yes it is....
.... Oh,and the fact that it's a fantastic Tank of course!! :tears-of-joy:

Thanks pal, might be a while to the next one

[Mickc1440]

A bit more progress made and getting used to how they design their kits. Bits of cleaning up to do then decided in a moment of madness to remove the moulded on control cables on the turret and replace with lead wire. The clear parts on the glacis plate are where some track links go, no idea why they moulded them in clear, and the driver’s periscopes are also clear so a tiny bit of masking required.

[Guest]

I really hope either the gun barrel is still loose, or the fume extractor is … you have it hanging underneath the barrel when it should be on top:

[ATTACH]504539[/ATTACH]

The clear parts on the glacis plate are the tank’s headlights. I have no idea why, but until the Mk. 5 these were two hooded lights above each other. At least at the Mk. 6 they saw sense and put normal headlights on both sides of the glacis.

[scottie3158]

The lead wire is just the beginning this is how the madness begins.

[Mickc1440]

I really hope either the gun barrel is still loose, or the fume extractor is … you have it hanging underneath the barrel when it should be on top:

[ATTACH]504539[/ATTACH]

The clear parts on the glacis plate are the tank’s headlights. I have no idea why, but until the Mk. 5 these were two hooded lights above each other. At least at the Mk. 6 they saw sense and put normal headlights on both sides of the glacis.

only fitted for show but thanks anyway I’d not have known. you can build a Mk6 with this kit and it’s 4 headlights

The lead wire is just the beginning this is how the madness begins.

Nope I will not be seduced by the dark side

[Mickc1440]

A little more progress on the turret but had to stop as our dog needed a vets visit, really wish they would pull a knife on you so I feel like you’ve been robbed correctly. Anyway back to the kit, as I said at the start of this project it’s a first ever ARV Club kit, some of you will be used to how they design their kits but several things I just don’t get or particularly like. There’s a flat PE disc on top, there’s a place to mount it and a locating hole but it’s just a flat disc, there’s no reason for it to be PE. Then there’s the use of all clear parts when only a tiny bit of it is left clear and requires some skilful masking, the top of the commanders hatch being one such part, it’s 95% hull colour with little vision blocks. There’s also another all clear part in the pic that didn’t fit the moulded hole and you can actually see into the turret. I’m not the best modeller but these parts could have been moulded on the normal sprue surely? If I’m doing this wrong I’m sure you’ll point me in the right direction

[Guest]

I think the idea with the clear cupola is that the periscopes are so small that moulding them separately would make masking even more difficult. TBH, I don’t bother at all — I don’t mask them at all, paint over them, and then paint them matt black to be followed by a coat of graphite from a pencil. The clear part at the left front of the turret is the loader’s periscope. Here’s a view of (nearly) all of them:

As for the round etched part, I’m not sure either. Off the top of my head, I think there are also Centurions that have a more raised ventilator there, which would be supplied as a plastic part, but the blanking plate for when the ventilator isn’t fitted is thin enough that they didn’t want to do it in plastic?