Good evening all
Firstly sincerest apologies for not being around much this week. Just couldn't find the time somehow.
So the follow have turned up in the past couple of weeks......
The tow cables are for my current and some other long stalled builds. I actually managed to get these half price (incl. p&p) because of a load of loyalty points I have with the vendor. The odd thing is that both the StuG and Pz IV versions come with an odd number of eyes for no obvious reason....3 in one case and 5 in the other but only three cables between them rather than four....and that's how they come, they're not faulty sets....
This Eduard forced itself into my eBay basket.....it's from a retailer I have used on a number of occasions and for some unknown reason he is currently selling new kits at ridiculous prices.....cheapest 'normal' price for this is £29 delivered.....this cost me just over £17.....delivered....40% cheaper. It would of course have been rude not to!
I'm still not sure why I bought the below AB as I already have two perfectly good - if not deluxe - ABs but I think I have got a good deal.
These are a new company (apparently Chinese made) but only available on Amazon's US site. I first saw them on a UK YouTube channel called Gary's Stuff (
HERE) but the US' Barbatos Rex also reviewed them (
HERE)....and they both raved about them.
Initial thoughts are very good:
- Very nicely packaged although it got a bit creased when it was forced through the letter box ;
- Nice set of instructions, including a full parts list in diagram form;
- Each AB is tested before it leaves the factory and they include the test card (gimmicky??);
- 0.35mm and 0.5mm needles/nozzles;
- Seals are PTFE, not rubber;
- Two different size screw in paint cups (1/4 and 1/2 fl. Oz [7mm and 14mm)], both with lids;
- Whilst these cups are very large, the AB can be used without them if you have a small amount of paint due to its design; you can just drop it into the hole;
- Apparently the needle is made of 'spring/springy' steel that makes it less prone to being damaged (see c. 6:30 on Barbatos Rex video).....will have to see how that works;
- They do seem to be very nicely built and not at all cheap;
- They come with a quick release attachment, lube and spare seals;
- but what really got my attention was that it has one of those compression fit, self-centering nozzles that you don't have to screw in and risk stripping the thread on - just like the Iwata Eclipse SBS, albeit a different shape.
The Gary's Stuff channel has arranged a 20% discount via Amazon, which wiped out the tax I had to pay and so even with the $9 delivery it only cost me
£45.
If it's as good as they say, then I can see this making a really good entry level AB for the novice....but I still can't quite work out why I bought it....
I might do a mini review after I've used it a bit.
ATB
Andrew
The tracks are noticeably too narrow, by over a millimetre, and I don’t see any way to correct them. Not just because of the way they’ve been printed in one piece, but also because there is no suitable alternative (even though it looks like Sherman track, IRL these were about 5 cm narrower than that, but they were also about 4 cm wider than Stuart track).
I had good results using snippers on 3D-printed Crab flail chains, so I was planning on using them here too, but it helps a lot to have that confirmed by someone with more experience in this kind of thing than I have.
