discussion Neil's Italeri 1/35 LCVP Landing Craft

[Neil Merryweather]

As announced already in the chat thread this is my entry.


The sprue shot

And I have a few after market bits for it.



I have had this on the stocks for at least ten years, probably longer, and my plan is to incorporate it into a diorama, and full of GI’s on their way to the beaches. I’ve been putting off starting it but there’s no more appropriate time than now, I think. I won’t be attempting the diorama part for the GB, just the Higgins Boat itself, with a couple of US Coastguard crew.

Even though I’ve got the AM stuff I’m not going to get too hung up on detailing(he says...)but I DO want to make it look battered- many of these Higgins Boats had already been used in the Sicily and Italy landings, so they had been around the block a time or two.

I particularly like these two shots



And this is the inspiration for the crew figures.


And there will be CITB-well, In The Front, really :tongue-out3:

The decal instructions just say Normandy, they don’t specify which beach the two decal options apply to , but a rudimentary search leads me to believe that PA13-25 was at Utah Beach, which means the infantry (when I get to them) will have the insignia of 4th Division.

It’s such a long time since I have built a plastic kit, I’m really looking forward to the change.
cheers
Neil

 

[Jim R]

Sounds like a nice project. Certainly the appropriate time for the build. I'll look forward to all the figures and the subsequent dio.

 

[Allen Dewire]

Uh-oh, Mr. Merryweather goes floaty!!!...Film at 11pm, right here on BBC 2!!!..........Looks like a great project Neil and with your figgie skills, it will even be better!!!...

Prost
Allen

 

[Lee Drennen]

Very nice always like to see the goodies aftermarket stuff. Neil seated by Dude 1

 

[Tworrs]

I'm in the queue for a seat as well.

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

This is going to be interesting Neil. I was surprised at the number of pieces in the kit. Happy building.

 

[Geoffers]

Excellent choice Neil, looking forward to seeing you put this together :thumb2:

Geoff.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

I am pleased to announce that on 5th June 2024 I cut plastic (and PE), and completed stage 1 of the instructions.
I had already gone through the PE instructions and noted on the kit instructions where and what the alterations are, and it was straight in with the rudder and exhaust(?) surround.




I was in two minds about the rudder detail because it will be under water and probably not visible, but then I thought ‘what the hell?’ My plan is to have the LCVP at a serious angle on the choppy sea so it could actually be out of the water, so I went for it.

Boy , was that fun.....

Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered. If it doesn’t survive the handling I won’t be too concerned.

Next up are some rather serious sink-marks to be filled



I’ve just started watching the BBC’s ‘D-Day: The Unheard Tapes’ and it is BRILLIANT.
Cheers
Neil

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Great start Neil!

 

[Bri62]

Neil, nice neat progress love the detail

 

[Allen Dewire]

Oh Mr. Merryweather, those are some nasty craters on the parts. The etch looks good too Neil! Uhh, are you getting seasick yet???...

Prost
Allen

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Oh Mr. Merryweather, those are some nasty craters on the parts. The etch looks good too Neil! Uhh, are you getting seasick yet???...

Prost
Allen

Mr Dewire I have missed you!
So good to have you back

 

[Guest]

Room for one more please Neil.
I remember the last time you built a landing craft , and that was brilliant.

 

[Tworrs]

Great progress Neil.
As Allen said those are some serious craters for you to fill.

 

[Valeron]

Looking forward to this one

 

[Neil Merryweather]

I’ve proceeded to the next step in the destructions which is the installation of the vertical ribs in the hull sides.

I primed the sides to check how well the filling of the sink marks had gone- not great, more work required.


It also occurred to me that it’s going to be tricky painting the inside of the hull behind these ribs, so I gave that a blast of the Halfords rattle can as well, and I will paint it the proper grey before I assemble it all.
This is the stage where the destructions add the cable for raising the bow door, and the kit provides a grey thread for it. I know that painting any kind of thread will raise the hairs so I was considering using something else like E-Z- line. But the thread does have the look of steel cable which I like so I reconsidered. Hmm, not only is it hairy (although not too awful), but it’s a bit crinkly which I don’t like at all. People talk about using CA to smooth it out but I am wary of that, and there’s no spare for cock-ups. I don’t know if this is already a tried and trusted technique but I tied a weight to one end and ran the thread through a bath of Pledge-AKA Klear. I used the weight to stretch the thread taught - but not hanging, as it started to unwind, which I don’t want. Of course I didn’t take a pic of the before so there’s not much point in a pic of the after...
The instructions tell you to tie the thread but I know that ‘s just wrong, it needs to be a cable eye, so that’s something else I will be trying to represent.
This is another good reason to paint as I go, because I have a feeling that I need to thread the cable as I go along.
And that’s going to be interesting because of the wear and tear I want to include, which I am an utter novice at......
So , Hairspray or Vallejo Chipping Medium??????
Cheers
Neil

 

[Allen Dewire]

Evening Ensign Merryweather,

Some nice progress Neil and the craters really don't look too bad at all. Are they really in a visible area when it's built? Sorry, I can't help you with the chipping solution as I've only tried chipping fluid once. Painted the undercoat, applied the AK fluid, applied the top coat and then I forgot to chip it afterwards...

A long time ago, and I can't remember when or where, someone said running thread through candle wax, reduced the fuzzy's. I can't say how it took paint though...Looks like it's too late now my friend...

Prost
Allen

 

[scottie3158]

Neil, count me in. Your off to a great start.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Evening Ensign Merryweather,

Some nice progress Neil and the craters really don't look too bad at all. Are they really in a visible area when it's built? Sorry, I can't help you with the chipping solution as I've only tried chipping fluid once. Painted the undercoat, applied the AK fluid, applied the top coat and then I forgot to chip it afterwards...

A long time ago, and I can't remember when or where, someone said running thread through candle wax, reduced the fuzzy's. I can't say how it took paint though...Looks like it's too late now my friend...

Prost
Allen

Welcome aboard Allen , I can see how candle wax would work, and the colour of this is good so I'm not going to paint it, apart from a couple of rust spots.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Neil, count me in. Your off to a great start.

Glad to have you along Paul, you have inspired me with your miniature magic engineering. I shan't be anything like as ambitious, but it will be a little bit blinged up.