discussion Pete's Cromwell Airfix 1/76

[stillp]

Well, the garage is occupied by a 1:1 project for Management, so I can't do any airbrushing, but I've made a start on my Cromwell. Here's the box shots:
View attachment 324592View attachment 324593
Skill level 1, so I should be able to manage. Two sprues, with pretty good detail, and nearly flash-free:
View attachment 324595View attachment 324596
A couple of oversize sprue gates on the drive sprockets though.
View attachment 324597
Luckily those two go next to the hull, so won't be seen much, but they're going to be a challenge to clean up.
Anyway, construction starts with the hull.
View attachment 324598I realised that when the outer sides are added it would be impossible to paint the suspension, so I slopped some thin paint on with a brush:
View attachment 324599
They don't look quite that bad in real life! Then on with hull assembly, ending like this:
View attachment 324600View attachment 324601
I'm sure I built one of these in the 60s, and the tracks were 'rubber band' types, but these are single piece mouldings. Airfix would have you paint them a 'gunmetal' colour, but I think they should be more brownish to represent manganese steel. I might mix some brown with the 53 supplied, and see how it comes out. I don't think I can add the tracks after the mudguards have been fitted, so the painting sequence will need a bit of thought.
That's it for now, thanks for watching.

Pete

 

[PaulTRose]

will watch with interest as this is on my list of 'maybes' for the starter kit GB

i think this is the 'new tool' kit as it has the moulded tracks but i remember building the rubber band tracked one many many moons ago back when you did

 

[Graeme C.]

Talk about quick off the mark, I haven't even got mine out of the plastic bag yet! Yes, the paint sequence will need thought, painting the running gear first & masking off before the upper hull & track guards was an idea for mine, but not without problems.

 

[stillp]

Hi Graeme, problems as in how do you get the masking off? I'm wondering if the track guards can be painted separately and added later.

Pete

 

[papa 695]

Nice start Peter

 

[Steve Jones]

I will take a pew if I may Peter. I too will be interested in how you tackle the painting on this one. Good luck

 

[stillp]

Hi Steve, and welcome - make sure your pew has a good cushion on it, it'll be a while before I can finish the 'real life' work and get the airbrush out again!

Pete

 

[stillp]

I've added some more parts to the hull:
View attachment 324984View attachment 324985View attachment 324986View attachment 324987including 6 of those tiny towing shackles. I've come across a few problems: the main gun barrel isn't circular in cross-section, but is 'flattened' on the sides, even before sanding the mould lines. I've run a bead of Mr Surfacer down each side and will sand that when it's hardened.
View attachment 324988You can just about see that the side facing the camera is rather flat. A periscope (or is it a ventilator?), part numer 6, has a sink mark on top, easily fixed with a blob of Mr S again:
View attachment 324989
Now for the bigger problem. The turret. It's twisted.
View attachment 324990View attachment 324991
I managed to fit the base of the turret by gluing one side at a time, but it's still distorted so the rear panel doesn't fit properly. I'll have to cobble up some kind of clamping arrangement to force it into shape.

Pete

 

[Fernando N]

Great start and I’ll be looking on too Pete.
Good luck with the twisted turret.

 

[stillp]

Thanks Fernando, I'll need it!

Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Pete
I made this a little while ago, and you’re right, you cannot get the tracks on the wheels if you put the track guard sides on first (at least, I couldn’t). I painted the tracks, wheels and hull first, painted the sides, added them, then masked it up and touch-up painted the top....bit of a faff really...might be easier if you are brush painting though.
Yours is coming on well, pity about the turret....good luck with the rest....

 

[stillp]

Thanks Tim.

Pete

 

[papa 695]

Yes a pity about the twisted turret

 

[Steve Jones]

Bummer about the turret. Hopefully it should straighten out okay.

 

[Mickc1440]

Its not a bad little kit, built mine straight oob and it looks ok, keep going Pete you can sort it.

 

[stillp]

Thanks for the encouragement folks. I think I'd have done better to have tried to straighten the turret before fixing the base, but I'd assumed that fixing the base would straighten it. The turret roof was sagging, so I've made a spacer from a bit of sprue to wedge it upwards.
View attachment 325360View attachment 325361
When that's had a chance to set, I'll have to file the turret sides quite a lot, but there are plates to fit on the outside, so they'll cover the file marks!

Might be able to get the airbrush back into action later in the week...

Pete

 

[papa 695]

Nice fix

 

[stillp]

Thanks Ian!
Pete

 

[stillp]

A bit more progress:
View attachment 325446View attachment 325447
The joints are a bit prominent, but they are on the real ones as well, so I'm not worried. I've added the spotlight to the LH side of the turret, and I think that's about all I can do until I can finish SWMBO's shelves and get the garage back ready for airbrushing.

Thanks for watching,
Pete

 

[Graeme C.]

The turret is nicely fixed Peter, your gun barrel looks better than mine, which was slightly misaligned.