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Centurion BARV - October Update


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Been wanting to do a BARV for some time but had to find a donor Cent. Scored a built one of our local online auction site for $NZ12 (about a fiver in real money) recently so the BARV could proceed.

First job was to dismantle the Cent and select the bits I wanted.

REm47Kg.jpg

Then it was paint strip and re-assemble. Before re-assembling I modified the suspension units by removing the shock absorbers, then replaced the idler mount with something a bit nearer to scale, added some semi scale flanges to the return roller brackets and repositioned the rear return roller. Because the hull sides were warped I added a .040" sheet deck to square up the hull.

AepAGjm.jpg

Next stage was the extending the hull sides to the waistline and add the rear fuel tank.

II911GU.jpg

I then had the basic platform to build the superstructure on. Although I have three BARV plans in various scales it soon became obvious that none of them was particularly accurate so it was back to scaling from photos.

dpENSK9.jpg

s6tpQ3x.jpg

Theres a fair way to go on this project but at least I now have the hard part out of the way and can start working on the more interesting bits.

Dave

Edited by Kiwidave4
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I went to the REME reserve collection yesterday with a MAFVA party and got free access to anything. We got lots of BARV pictures that will be loaded onto the Leicester Modellers site soon. Once I get them sorted BM can have them as well.

A great way to use a less than stellar kit and good clean work so far.

BTW most BARVs still show the holes in the hull sides for the trackguards and lower bazooka plate mounts....

@neil The Sherman BARV is a bit more involved but not as frightening as you may fear. IIRC the tamiya hull front has M4A2 pulpits and most of the new superstructure can be built up before you need to modify the kit parts. I used thin card for the tricky parts then copied onto plastic sheet when I was happy with the fit. I used heavy foil from a take away tray to make the wave breaker and brackets for the rear section fasteners.

When I figure out how I'll post a still from a colour film clip showing the actual colours of Sherman BARVs. Light grey and dark blue!

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looking forward to this.

regards oz!.

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Thanks chaps.

Having a break from this project at present while I try to get my RASC DUKW finished. Its at the paint & decal stage which is always a struggle for me!

Will post some more BARV progress pics when I get back to it.

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I went to the REME reserve collection yesterday with a MAFVA party and got free access to anything. We got lots of BARV pictures that will be loaded onto the Leicester Modellers site soon. Once I get them sorted BM can have them as well.

A great way to use a less than stellar kit and good clean work so far.

BTW most BARVs still show the holes in the hull sides for the trackguards and lower bazooka plate mounts....

@neil The Sherman BARV is a bit more involved but not as frightening as you may fear. IIRC the tamiya hull front has M4A2 pulpits and most of the new superstructure can be built up before you need to modify the kit parts. I used thin card for the tricky parts then copied onto plastic sheet when I was happy with the fit. I used heavy foil from a take away tray to make the wave breaker and brackets for the rear section fasteners.

When I figure out how I'll post a still from a colour film clip showing the actual colours of Sherman BARVs. Light grey and dark blue!

The Centurion BARV pics will be loaded up tomorrow - Monday, as I have the day off to get over the REME visit & Staffs Moorlands Show today.

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  • 3 weeks later...

How do you do your welds. It's one thing I always find difficult. I usually use stretched sprue or rod as I've had no luck getting milliput and the like to stick to plastic card, but would like to try something that can be "adjusted" easier.

Regards,

Andy

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Thanks Andy.



Nothing special about the welds, just stretched sprue. There is a bit of technique involved. I have been doing it for years and I am still improving! I find different brands of sprue give different results....my preference is for Tamiya. I soak the sprue in Tamiya cement until it is almost melted and then apply it to the model while it is just still holding together. I give it a poke with the tips of my pointed tweezers to accentuate the weld bead effect, leave it to dry a bit, then give it a coat of Humbrol cement.



Regards Dave



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How do you do your welds. It's one thing I always find difficult. I usually use stretched sprue or rod as I've had no luck getting milliput and the like to stick to plastic card, but would like to try something that can be "adjusted" easier.

Regards,

Andy

Hi Andy, Archers Fine Decals produce weld decals. If they are as good as their rivets, they're worth investigating.

Colin

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Thanks Andy.

Nothing special about the welds, just stretched sprue. There is a bit of technique involved. I have been doing it for years and I am still improving! I find different brands of sprue give different results....my preference is for Tamiya. I soak the sprue in Tamiya cement until it is almost melted and then apply it to the model while it is just still holding together. I give it a poke with the tips of my pointed tweezers to accentuate the weld bead effect, leave it to dry a bit, then give it a coat of Humbrol cement.

Regards Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for that, I'll give it a go. I usually glue the sprue in place first and then flood it with cement to soften it but I'll give your method a try.

Regards,

Andy

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Hi Andy, Archers Fine Decals produce weld decals. If they are as good as their rivets, they're worth investigating.

Colin

Hi Colin,

I have some of them, haven't used them yet, going to try them on a Trumpeter 2S3.

Regards,

Andy

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Hi Dave,

Thanks for that, I'll give it a go. I usually glue the sprue in place first and then flood it with cement to soften it but I'll give your method a try.

Regards,

Andy

There is an element of 'suck it and see'. As I mentioned different sprue (and different cement) do influence the outcome. I hold the stretched sprue in my tweezers and apply cement to the length I will need for the weld. Usually a couple of applications of cement with maybe 15-20 seconds betwwen and then a further 20 seconds or so to soak, then apply it to the model and give it a poke with the tweezers to ensure it is in the right place which also leaves some weld like depressions in the sprue. I then leave it for maybe a minute or two before giving it a liberal coat of thin cement.

If the desired result is not achieved first time then a further application of cement and more poking with the tweezers will often do the trick.

Poking with the tweezers can create some ragged bits and thats where the final coat of thin cement is effective an smoothing things out a bit.

Practice makes perfect...or at least less imperfect!

Good luck!

Regards Dave

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