Jakko,
All coming on nicely the wiring looks good.
All coming on nicely the wiring looks good.
Nice bit of engine work Jakko...
Nick
Nick
G
Thanks 
Not exactly my favourite part of building models, adding all this kind of fiddly wiring, which is why things are almost stalling at the moment. But the end is in sight, and then the pace will pick up again with the exterior of the tank!
Not exactly my favourite part of building models, adding all this kind of fiddly wiring, which is why things are almost stalling at the moment. But the end is in sight, and then the pace will pick up again with the exterior of the tank!
G
After much more poring over photos and checking the model, I decided not to bother with more wiring. I can’t figure out where half of it goes and/or originates from, and different models of tank appear to have had different cables and pipes, so it’s very hard to pin down how to get this accurate. Plus, most of it will end up out of sight anyway with the engine in place.
View attachment 417529
Like that. The engine is now glued into the hull, as are the air filters (the rectangular boxes at the upper rear of the engine compartment), the pipes running from them to the carburettor, the fire extinguisher nozzles and some miscellaneous pipes.
I replaced two MiniArt pipes (Fb11 and 12) by copper wire, because they had both already broken into two pieces on the sprue, and one of those bits flew away when I was trying to clean it up, so I just gave up on them. The other bit of pipework behind the model should go inside the engine compartment, but if I try to add it before attaching the rear plate, the pipes get pushed out of alignment. Luckily I can insert them through the engine hatch opening when the plate is on.
Also notice I glued the extinguisher nozzles to the rear plate. The kit’s instruction designer appears to think that they are best glued to the side plates by their tails, and the nozzles will then magically align with their support bracket locating points on the rear hull plate … yeah, right. It’s far simpler to glue them to that plate and shorten the pipes for them a little — those will be out of sight anyway underneath the air filters.
A few more pipes still need to be added, and then they all have to be painted. Once that’s done, I can finally get on with the outside. I hope
View attachment 417529
Like that. The engine is now glued into the hull, as are the air filters (the rectangular boxes at the upper rear of the engine compartment), the pipes running from them to the carburettor, the fire extinguisher nozzles and some miscellaneous pipes.
I replaced two MiniArt pipes (Fb11 and 12) by copper wire, because they had both already broken into two pieces on the sprue, and one of those bits flew away when I was trying to clean it up, so I just gave up on them. The other bit of pipework behind the model should go inside the engine compartment, but if I try to add it before attaching the rear plate, the pipes get pushed out of alignment. Luckily I can insert them through the engine hatch opening when the plate is on.
Also notice I glued the extinguisher nozzles to the rear plate. The kit’s instruction designer appears to think that they are best glued to the side plates by their tails, and the nozzles will then magically align with their support bracket locating points on the rear hull plate … yeah, right. It’s far simpler to glue them to that plate and shorten the pipes for them a little — those will be out of sight anyway underneath the air filters.
A few more pipes still need to be added, and then they all have to be painted. Once that’s done, I can finally get on with the outside. I hope
G
The engine bay is now done:
View attachment 417718View attachment 417719
I attached the photoetched screen at the rear (this was to prevent enemy troops form throwing grenades into the air exhaust opening) after priming it with an aerosol can, and carefully painted it white once the glue was dry. You can’t attach this until the rear extension of the upper hull is fitted, though, because it goes between the side plates of that. Without those, the screen is narrower than the opening.
I will leave the engine deck plates loose and the rear doors open, else all of this was for nothing. That did mean I had to find a way to mask the engine compartment. When I dry-fitted the rear deck side plates, I found a small gap left between them and the engine compartment walls, so I decided to cut a piece of paper to fit over the whole engine compartment and underneath the side plates, with a piece at the back that goes just inside the screen:
View attachment 417720
In place:
View attachment 417721
And with the engine deck sides added:
View attachment 417722
The engine hatch in the hull will be closed by temporarily glueing its doors in, with PVA glue I suppose, so I can pry them loose again after painting.
I also attached the rear corner plates for the fighting compartment, and put the roof on to align them correctly, without glueing the roof down yet.
The turret interior is now also done, with the gun controls and stabiliser in the upper half and the gunner’s seat in the lower:
View attachment 417723
View attachment 417718View attachment 417719
I attached the photoetched screen at the rear (this was to prevent enemy troops form throwing grenades into the air exhaust opening) after priming it with an aerosol can, and carefully painted it white once the glue was dry. You can’t attach this until the rear extension of the upper hull is fitted, though, because it goes between the side plates of that. Without those, the screen is narrower than the opening.
I will leave the engine deck plates loose and the rear doors open, else all of this was for nothing. That did mean I had to find a way to mask the engine compartment. When I dry-fitted the rear deck side plates, I found a small gap left between them and the engine compartment walls, so I decided to cut a piece of paper to fit over the whole engine compartment and underneath the side plates, with a piece at the back that goes just inside the screen:
View attachment 417720
In place:
View attachment 417721
And with the engine deck sides added:
View attachment 417722
The engine hatch in the hull will be closed by temporarily glueing its doors in, with PVA glue I suppose, so I can pry them loose again after painting.
I also attached the rear corner plates for the fighting compartment, and put the roof on to align them correctly, without glueing the roof down yet.
The turret interior is now also done, with the gun controls and stabiliser in the upper half and the gunner’s seat in the lower:
View attachment 417723
Jalkko,
The engine bay looks very good
The engine bay looks very good
Hi Jakko
That engine bay is very impressive as is the turret.
Jim
That engine bay is very impressive as is the turret.
Jim
G
Thanks The engine bay is very well done — sure, it lacks some of the cabling, but if you don’t add it, nobody will really be the wiser and the whole thing looks very convincing anyway. It’s just a bit fiddly to put together, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MiniArt’s separate engine set for anyone wanting to stick such an engine into a model that doesn’t come with one.
The engine bay is very well done — sure, it lacks some of the cabling, but if you don’t add it, nobody will really be the wiser and the whole thing looks very convincing anyway. It’s just a bit fiddly to put together, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MiniArt’s separate engine set for anyone wanting to stick such an engine into a model that doesn’t come with one.
Jakko
Coming on very nicely indeed.
ATB.
Andrew
Coming on very nicely indeed.
ATB.
Andrew
Beautifully executed. PaulE
G
Thanks all I have one or two variants of this tank in mind that I want to build, but I think I’ll try a Takom kit for the next one … and if I buy a MiniArt M3 medium again, it won’t be with interior
I have one or two variants of this tank in mind that I want to build, but I think I’ll try a Takom kit for the next one … and if I buy a MiniArt M3 medium again, it won’t be with interior 
Looking good mate. All those small details build up the effect.
Why ever not? You've made a really great job with this one, and a second one would be more straightforward :thumb2:
G
Thanks. The good part is that just about all of those small details are already in the kit, so anyone with a bit of experience should be able to build a convincing model with not that much effort
True … but it also means I know how much work that second one would be, and that alone puts me offWhy ever not? You've made a really great job with this one, and a second one would be more straightforward :thumb2:
Last week I was looking at some reviews of the Takom M3s, and the difference in what the sprues look like, compared to the MiniArt version, is the main thing that jumps out at you. Takom’s version is clearly intended to be a quick and simple build, whereas MiniArt’s seems more intended to be complete rather than simple to make.But the number 1 reason I’ll be going for Takom is that I saw a photo of an M31 armoured recovery vehicle that would be cool to build, and only Takom has that variant in its range
G
With the interior done, I taped up almost all of the openings:
View attachment 417936
Then I put the 75 mm gun in place, without glue, and glued the roof on:
View attachment 417937
This makes it all a little tricky in that I have to be careful not to touch the tape, as it’s got the sticky side out, of course. I’m thinking maybe I should just paint it to get rid of that.
View attachment 417936
Then I put the 75 mm gun in place, without glue, and glued the roof on:
View attachment 417937
This makes it all a little tricky in that I have to be careful not to touch the tape, as it’s got the sticky side out, of course. I’m thinking maybe I should just paint it to get rid of that.
G
Thanks, Mike.
I began adding tools and stuff to the outside, for which all the brackets and tie-downs are etched brass. The brackets are doable, but the tie-downs … maybe for other people, but not me.
View attachment 418036
There’s a bend line on the other side as well. You’re supposed to bend them so the middle, straight part is raised up above the level of the rounded ends. The real thing is a piece of bent steel wire welded to the tank, and the round bits represent the welds. I tried making one (as you can tell from the fret) and found it exceedingly awkward to even hold, never mind bend like it’s supposed to, and then one of the ends broke off. Rather than mess around and waste more, I fell back on the method I tried and found workable on my blown-up M113.
I first punched 0.6 mm discs from 0.25 mm plastic card and glued them in pairs where the tie-downs go:
View attachment 418037
You’re on your own as to where they go, by the way: MiniArt shows it in the instructions, but not in a way you can accurately work it out, and there are no locating marks moulded onto the engine deck for these (unlike for the other etched bits).
After that, I glued lengths of stretched sprue over the pairs of discs:
View attachment 418038View attachment 418039
I used Tamiya Extra Thin for the discs, because it remains “wet” for a fair while and the fine brush let me put a dot of it pretty accurately. However, I found it melts the sprue too easily, so for that I used my normal glue, the degreaser I’ve mentioned before. This evaporates far more quickly, so it doesn’t have the opportunity to melt the sprue much.
I began adding tools and stuff to the outside, for which all the brackets and tie-downs are etched brass. The brackets are doable, but the tie-downs … maybe for other people, but not me.
View attachment 418036
There’s a bend line on the other side as well. You’re supposed to bend them so the middle, straight part is raised up above the level of the rounded ends. The real thing is a piece of bent steel wire welded to the tank, and the round bits represent the welds. I tried making one (as you can tell from the fret) and found it exceedingly awkward to even hold, never mind bend like it’s supposed to, and then one of the ends broke off. Rather than mess around and waste more, I fell back on the method I tried and found workable on my blown-up M113.
I first punched 0.6 mm discs from 0.25 mm plastic card and glued them in pairs where the tie-downs go:
View attachment 418037
You’re on your own as to where they go, by the way: MiniArt shows it in the instructions, but not in a way you can accurately work it out, and there are no locating marks moulded onto the engine deck for these (unlike for the other etched bits).
After that, I glued lengths of stretched sprue over the pairs of discs:
View attachment 418038View attachment 418039
I used Tamiya Extra Thin for the discs, because it remains “wet” for a fair while and the fine brush let me put a dot of it pretty accurately. However, I found it melts the sprue too easily, so for that I used my normal glue, the degreaser I’ve mentioned before. This evaporates far more quickly, so it doesn’t have the opportunity to melt the sprue much.
G
Thanks, and though this is my first MiniArt kit, I would say you’re probably right about their parts …
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