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G
Very ambitious project for a beginner at armor, so far you're doing a great job..............Jim
Thanks grumpa, I'm not an out and out beginner though, I've built ships in the past and done one tank previously. But I am still very much learning , as I suspect I always will be!
Bryan
G
Onward...
Gearbox Assembly and Engine Assembly now complete. The former was easy enough albeit a little head scratching was involved regarding the oddity of assembling the gearbox proper only to completely hide it in another box! One gets used to knowing most of the superb detail involved in this kit will be forever hidden once complete, but this seems to be taking it to extremes!
View attachment 279139
But who am I to reason why...
View attachment 279140
Gearbox treated with the wonderful Humbrol Metal Cote Spray and polished (after drying). Such a gorgeous "gunmetal" finish. Shame it has to be weathered and made dirty!
View attachment 279141
The Engine Assembly was rather more challenging, not the least because a considerable part had to be disassebled when I realised one section had been glued in upside down! Challenging and awkward, but very rewarding.
View attachment 279142
Again treated with the Metal Cote Spray but shown above before being polished. And below polished but not yet painted and weathered.
View attachment 279143
Very aware the next task should be painting and weathering parts of the engine, I put it off whilst I fitted the gearbox assembly. It wasn't as starightforward as I'd assumed as the whole assembly had a distinct "wobble". The cause was identified as a slightly too proud part in the hull base, which promptly went under the knife! The gearbox then fitted fine.
View attachment 279145
View attachment 279146
The above photo gives the impression the assembly is slightly "scew whiff", but I assure you it isn't!
Right, now to add some paint and weathering to the engine, then to fit it. I've a feeling that isn't going to be straight forward either!
Gearbox Assembly and Engine Assembly now complete. The former was easy enough albeit a little head scratching was involved regarding the oddity of assembling the gearbox proper only to completely hide it in another box! One gets used to knowing most of the superb detail involved in this kit will be forever hidden once complete, but this seems to be taking it to extremes!
View attachment 279139
But who am I to reason why...
View attachment 279140
Gearbox treated with the wonderful Humbrol Metal Cote Spray and polished (after drying). Such a gorgeous "gunmetal" finish. Shame it has to be weathered and made dirty!
View attachment 279141
The Engine Assembly was rather more challenging, not the least because a considerable part had to be disassebled when I realised one section had been glued in upside down! Challenging and awkward, but very rewarding.
View attachment 279142
Again treated with the Metal Cote Spray but shown above before being polished. And below polished but not yet painted and weathered.
View attachment 279143
Very aware the next task should be painting and weathering parts of the engine, I put it off whilst I fitted the gearbox assembly. It wasn't as starightforward as I'd assumed as the whole assembly had a distinct "wobble". The cause was identified as a slightly too proud part in the hull base, which promptly went under the knife! The gearbox then fitted fine.
View attachment 279145
View attachment 279146
The above photo gives the impression the assembly is slightly "scew whiff", but I assure you it isn't!
Right, now to add some paint and weathering to the engine, then to fit it. I've a feeling that isn't going to be straight forward either!
G
Looks very nice Bryan, you're coming along great guns on this one.
And if anybody who's looking is thinking the area looks overly oily, I've read first hand accounts from drivers who said the transmission would leak & squirt oil all over the place!
And if anybody who's looking is thinking the area looks overly oily, I've read first hand accounts from drivers who said the transmission would leak & squirt oil all over the place!
G
Looking good Bryan, well used. And as Patrick pointed out, 'oil all over the place' is bang on matey.
Have fun, John
Have fun, John
G
Thanks guys. Its gratifying to know you agree there would be plenty of oil and muck on the interior. I'm really enjoying this build and yes John, having great fun!
G
Time for another update – and an apology!
View attachment 279431
We’ve now entered what I have found to be the most challenging part of the build; the mounting of the engine assembly and associated parts. Making it fit, together with the associated piping, has been a very awkward and difficult procedure, and still is, with the flutes in the air filters (not shown) being the most trying of all to fit, and, predictably, unlike many other parts which will be comfortably hidden, they will always on show, more or less.
View attachment 279432
Perhaps it’s this involvement that led to me neglecting to take as many photos of the engine after painting and during fitting. Sorry!
View attachment 279433
Its perhaps worth noting that for much of the piping I ignored the supplied black "soft" plastic parts, and substituted (painted) brass wire of various diameters. I found it easier to cope with, and, once fitted, more likely to stay put than the flimsy floppy plastic that came with the kit.
View attachment 279434
Right, back to trying to fit the flutes and air filters themselves…
View attachment 279431
We’ve now entered what I have found to be the most challenging part of the build; the mounting of the engine assembly and associated parts. Making it fit, together with the associated piping, has been a very awkward and difficult procedure, and still is, with the flutes in the air filters (not shown) being the most trying of all to fit, and, predictably, unlike many other parts which will be comfortably hidden, they will always on show, more or less.
View attachment 279432
Perhaps it’s this involvement that led to me neglecting to take as many photos of the engine after painting and during fitting. Sorry!
View attachment 279433
Its perhaps worth noting that for much of the piping I ignored the supplied black "soft" plastic parts, and substituted (painted) brass wire of various diameters. I found it easier to cope with, and, once fitted, more likely to stay put than the flimsy floppy plastic that came with the kit.
View attachment 279434
Right, back to trying to fit the flutes and air filters themselves…
G
Moving quickly on - the air baffles, (flutes whatever they are called) were as hard to fit as anticipated, but eventually all was well. To my dismay the filters themselves were equally tricky to position, I even cut off the lugs which were intended to position them (you can clearly see the holes intended to take them in the photo above), as they actually pulled the filters out of shape. I eventually realised the two small shelves (again clearly shown above - under the holes) were intended to hold and support the filter(s), and all was again well.
View attachment 279483
Once all the additional piping and cabling was fitted, the engine compartment was suddenly finished, and looked the part! All that was left for me to do was dirty things up again!
View attachment 279484
I appreciate the air filter intakes should be dusty as much as dirty, and I will investigate a means of doing that.
View attachment 279485
...and a last lingering shot of the rear of the engine compartment, because the very next piece to put on the kit is the rear end piece which will completely obscure everything within!
View attachment 279486
View attachment 279483
Once all the additional piping and cabling was fitted, the engine compartment was suddenly finished, and looked the part! All that was left for me to do was dirty things up again!
View attachment 279484
I appreciate the air filter intakes should be dusty as much as dirty, and I will investigate a means of doing that.
View attachment 279485
...and a last lingering shot of the rear of the engine compartment, because the very next piece to put on the kit is the rear end piece which will completely obscure everything within!
View attachment 279486
G
Thanks guys, your comments - and compliments - are genuinely very much appreciated! I've seen far more professional builds of this same kit, but no one has more enthuisiasm I assure you! I'm very much enjoying doing the build - and the thread Robert, so thank you.
G
The build continues apace; the lower hull interior smaller pieces went in, including the checker plate floor tread which I didn’t fit as well as I would have liked, but which I made up for by nicely weathering - using the kitchen foil technique.
View attachment 279826
The radio had been previously built and was now positioned. There are meant to be decals positioned for the dials and so on, but I couldn’t find any of the bigger ones in the kit (though I’ve no doubt it was me that misplaced them), and the smaller ones are just too tiny for me to work with! (I’m old enough to remember when “decals” were called “transfers” - back in the day).
I would have loved to have constructed a proper framework around the radio kit, but without proper direction it was a little beyond me. The original is actually suspended from above within a framework, Trumpeter cheated somewhat here, to make it easier. It’s worth pointing out on my previous and first tank build, the Medium German tank, also by Trumpeter, they did position the radio as it was originally built, and it was the most awkward piece of the kit, not only to construct (out of the hated photo etched pieces), but to be fitted.
View attachment 279827
View attachment 279828
But my piece de resistance I consider to be the rear panel assembly. I’m sure I’ve overdone the weathering, but I love it. My proposed colour scheme now reveals itself; a white “winter camouflage” which consists of a rough coat of white painted over the base colour green, this was common practice on the real thing; factory painted camouflage hastily and badly painted over when the vehicles were shipped to the wintery Russian front. Obviously it weathered very quickly under such circumstances – although possibly not as quickly as mine has! I hope I can duplicate the quality of weathering elsewhere when the time comes.
View attachment 279829
I’ve an admission to make here; so obsessed was I working on the weathering of the rear panel, I totally forgot about the Zimmerit coating on the vehicle generally, until it was too late. No mention is made of it in the manual, although I was perfectly aware of the option to use it that one has. In my case it will now not be used. I wasn’t relishing the idea anyway.
View attachment 279830
I omitted several items that were intended to be fitted on the rear panel assembly, notably the huge tank jack which is meant to be suspended for transport at the bottom of the panel. It just looked wrong. I’ll find somewhere else for it.
View attachment 279831
The upper hull brackets were positioned, prior to the next job; constructing and fitting the ammunition racks, which frankly look boring to make, but no doubt not as boring as cutting out and cleaning up all the shells to go within them! There’s tiny decals intended to go on each shell as well…
View attachment 279826
The radio had been previously built and was now positioned. There are meant to be decals positioned for the dials and so on, but I couldn’t find any of the bigger ones in the kit (though I’ve no doubt it was me that misplaced them), and the smaller ones are just too tiny for me to work with! (I’m old enough to remember when “decals” were called “transfers” - back in the day).
I would have loved to have constructed a proper framework around the radio kit, but without proper direction it was a little beyond me. The original is actually suspended from above within a framework, Trumpeter cheated somewhat here, to make it easier. It’s worth pointing out on my previous and first tank build, the Medium German tank, also by Trumpeter, they did position the radio as it was originally built, and it was the most awkward piece of the kit, not only to construct (out of the hated photo etched pieces), but to be fitted.
View attachment 279827
View attachment 279828
But my piece de resistance I consider to be the rear panel assembly. I’m sure I’ve overdone the weathering, but I love it. My proposed colour scheme now reveals itself; a white “winter camouflage” which consists of a rough coat of white painted over the base colour green, this was common practice on the real thing; factory painted camouflage hastily and badly painted over when the vehicles were shipped to the wintery Russian front. Obviously it weathered very quickly under such circumstances – although possibly not as quickly as mine has! I hope I can duplicate the quality of weathering elsewhere when the time comes.
View attachment 279829
I’ve an admission to make here; so obsessed was I working on the weathering of the rear panel, I totally forgot about the Zimmerit coating on the vehicle generally, until it was too late. No mention is made of it in the manual, although I was perfectly aware of the option to use it that one has. In my case it will now not be used. I wasn’t relishing the idea anyway.
View attachment 279830
I omitted several items that were intended to be fitted on the rear panel assembly, notably the huge tank jack which is meant to be suspended for transport at the bottom of the panel. It just looked wrong. I’ll find somewhere else for it.
View attachment 279831
The upper hull brackets were positioned, prior to the next job; constructing and fitting the ammunition racks, which frankly look boring to make, but no doubt not as boring as cutting out and cleaning up all the shells to go within them! There’s tiny decals intended to go on each shell as well…
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