Hamden Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Words still fail me Absolutely stunning engineering! Roger Oh what is next on the base overhaul list? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 1 hour ago, Valenstitch said: The back end is being populated with actual bits from the kit! Well shame on you using the kit parts......................... Beautifully detailed Conk! Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 Got a few minutes in the shed during Popmaster! Mounting plate on the right hand air cleaner! Left hand one is next! Wires on the gun kit bent and inserted! These do actually sit level. Tomorrow I might get the turntable populated! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper-30 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Marvellous build sir ..really enjoying your work terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted July 26, 2017 Author Share Posted July 26, 2017 Wait, there`s more.............................. Air cleaners test fit! Loads of room! The right hand one has the charger unit air cleaner on top of it, and the charger set regulators above and to the right to the right, the left hand one has a stowage rack for three boxes of .30 Cal, a rack for two rounds of 120mm, fire horn and compartment lighting, across the gap between the turntable and the bulkhead there is stowage racks for four 120mm rounds and two 120mm charges. Not much to do then............................................. Ta for lookin` no"G" Granto 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Very nice, inspirational Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widow 65 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 A masterpiece!!!!! Oh, thanks for the "Metadyne" blast from the past...class. "METADYNES ON!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripaman Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 Well not been around for a while, but man have I missed some fantastic scratch building can I ask what reference are you looking at to get the high depth of detail. Regards Richard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted July 27, 2017 Author Share Posted July 27, 2017 5 hours ago, Ripaman said: can I ask what reference are you looking at to get the high depth of detail. I have a user manual, books, a set of drawings and the internet, oh and my own faded memories of crawling around inside the JLR gate guardian when I was supposed to be on guard! Granto 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 2, 2017 Author Share Posted August 2, 2017 Well all of a sudden I cant upload images.......................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 2, 2017 Author Share Posted August 2, 2017 Jesus what a palava! Lets hope that one click upload comes back soon! Right now that all my enthusiasm has been drained away here is what I got up to whilst trapped in my shed due to precipitation! Here is an old shot of the loaders side of the turret, the rough pencil marks on the turret wall are where two ready round racks go, these are going to be a pain in the fundiment, naturally I've been putting off making the buggers, well I've got to the point where they are now stalling the build, so here we go............................ I have made up a jig from stock plastic to bend up some old PE fret into a shallow D section Here are the bits.........................waste not and all that guff! Here is the first bit on the trimmed jig There are four rounds on each rack, each rack has four vertical plates bolted to it, each plate has a stamped slot in it, so I cut a 3.5 mm wide strip of card, marked it at the correct plate height and then marked the centre of the strip, then I used a point to mark the top and bottom of the slot, drilled a hole in each point and then enlarged the hole, then cut the slot between the relevant holes and then filed the slots smooth, then I cut the plates, I marked more than I needed, knowing there would be a couple of below par ones! And here are four lined up on the top bracket, tomorrow I`ll CA them in place and then slide this part off the jig, then bend up the bottom bracket, slide this back on upside down and CA the bottom bracket and move on to the next job which is to make a tiny "shelf" for each round, pierced in the centre which the nose of the round sat in nose down, the tail of the round was held by a strap which was fixed at the top of the rack, the reason for the "shelf" was that the rack could accommodate various different length rounds according to requirements, all the loader had to do was move the "shelf" up or down the rack to change it from Sabot to HESH, given that each plate had four positions there may have been more than two types of ammunition in consideration at the outset, who knows! Then a wee bit of prep for the spray booth, as you can see I have wired up the scaley kit and the GCE This lot will get a shot of Stynylrez tomorrow, weather permitting! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I truly cannot comprehend the skill, precision and craftsmanship involved here. And humourous with it. I am completely in awe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 More micro engineering.............. Superb! Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 4, 2017 Author Share Posted August 4, 2017 A bit more done today.................................... Got a shot of primer on these bits, GCE, battery box, stowage box and "scaley" kit, the Stynylrez has made the detail "pop" right out on this lot! Pleased! And Traverse indicator! Here are the two turret ready round racks, plates are on, bolt heads are on and they are slightly concave so as to wrap around the turret interior, the excess brass will be trimmed down to a 2mm foot which will be CA`d to the wall. This is a small bracket that will hold four ready rounds, it goes in front of the engine bulkhead. These are the four ready round tubes that will fit on the bracket above, I have put a lip on them, their insides will be thinned down and the bottom of each will be cut at an angle like a shallow pen nib and be plated over. And left to right, ready round rack bracket, charger set air cleaner filter, this sits on the lid of the right hand main engine air cleaner, ready round bracket, this one goes on the turret turntable under the gun and will hold two rounds, and also visible are four of the adjustable ready round brackets that go on the turret wall. Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Very impressive. Still think that you are mad, but very accomplished. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 And here we go again! Here is the first turret ready round rack, And here is the other, the nose brackets are in place, the top clips still have to go on yet, but they are taking shape. I`ve intentionally placed these at different heights because they were adjustable! I've also clipped the "feet" back, so these are almost ready to go on the turret wall, just a final fettle and gentle bend up, then "bosh" with a dab of CA and we`re ready for primer! The turret turntable now has a rebate in the RBJ cover to accept the two round ready rack under the gun, the rebate has been faced with some plastic stock which will be trimmed back and possibly edged with some very thin strip that has had the old "riveting wheel" run up it! This fot just gives you an idea of positioning, the GCE also goes on here and a bit of "plumbing as well! Here is the four round ready rack that sits in front of the engine bulkhead, these rounds are stowed vertically in the small gap behind the turntable, the first of many ready round brackets are just sitting in it at the moment, they will all have their ends angled as per the loose one to the left. Then each of them needs a bracket to fit it into the bigger bracket! So I think this all goes in the win column, I have to be up early tomorrow because the loafing council workers have decided to sweep the gully outside and I have to move me motor or they claim they will remove it and charge me for the privilege, this gives me an ideal opportunity to "potter" in the shed before my loafing teenage son drags himself out of his pit at the crack of noon and forces me to interact! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Your attention to detail is amazing..... Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 7, 2017 Author Share Posted August 7, 2017 Allllllrighty then! Here are a couple of fots of this afternoons graft.................................... Yep............it`s the gunners perspex safety shield! Admittedly it`s a test fit but it does fit! I cut this from a piece of vac formed packaging, it`s nice and thick but it`s clear enough for the job, it has to fit in a very small cramped area, which makes that area even more cramped, just like in the real vehicle, but it prevented the gunner being scoffed by the elevation monster! It`s cut to go under the gunners working rangefinder window and it has two bends in it to follow the gunners platform edge on its inboard side, it will be held in place by a rod that goes from the turret roof to the floor of the platform , it will also have the emergency traverse lever fitted to its lower rear edge. It might not look too spectacular in the fots but it really sets off the gunners station, it`s going to look the dogs dusters when its fitted for real! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 More stunning micro engineering as usual! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cromwell Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Amazing work when are you going to open up the engine bay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cromwell Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Me thinks you've been listenin' (no 'G') to too much radio 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 4 hours ago, Cromwell said: Me thinks you've been listenin' (no 'G') to too much radio 2 Peace, Out! Drop the mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Alllllllrighty Then! Time for another update! As of this afternoon, Ready round racks are in the loaders station. The box for Sten Magazines is on the turret ring and the CoAx tray is in the process of being built, although I neglected to take a snap of it! Here is the view through the loaders coal hole, And a low oblique blurred shot through the FCT hole! Not much left to do here, CoAx tray, coat of Mr Surfacer and then spray booth! I have been fettling the turned barrel mounting point, the plastic drainpipe that comes with the kit is too short and the fume extractor is in the wrong place, I couldn't be doing with the Faf about putting that right when there was an Aber replacement out there. However, while the Aber barrel is accurate in length and fume extractor position, how you mount it in the mantlet is a mystery! the hole in the mantlet is the size of the plastic barrels exterior circumference, which, at the breech end is the same as the replacement, all well and good, however the aber barrel has a rebate all around the end so it is way undersized for the socket in the mantlet, so I had to cut the bottom off the original barrel and glue it in the socket, once dry I sanded it flush and gently reamed the interior out so I had a flat base, the socket was still too big though, so I fixed a strip of thin plasticard around the inside, Bang on first time! It is now a very tight fit, which is probably just as well given the weight of the barrel! so that is now drying off with the barrel in place after a generous flooding with some extra thin, the barrel can then be removed and when the time comes can be reattached with some CA into a nice tight socket which should hold it permanently! And here is the Turret turntable, these are the final fixings going off before primer gets shot all over it! The GCE goes on the front end of the turntable, that is being sprayed up separately, almost everything in this shot will be sprayed silver apart from the two "bottles" on the RBJ which will be bright green. The two round ready rack and base end for the mollins gear are in place and the pole support for the gunners safety guard is in place. So yet again it`s going in the right direction! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 I had to go down to the shed, so I took my camera and took a few more fots! CoAx tray, this goes on the front wall of the turret above the turret ring, I`m not filling the stowage with anything, the only time Tanks were "Bombed up" is on the ranges, Canada, or Berlin Armoured Squadron, I did all three in my time! The rest of the time all the ready racks and clips did was rip your covies! Here is what I was saying about the end of the Aber barrel................... So I cut the end off the plastic drainpipe and glued it in place................. As you can see here, I still had to put a plasticard shim in to get the pipe to fit snug! Here is my wee box of bits in various stages of completion! All this stuff is ready to go in! And here is the Turret turntable with the gunners safety guard sitting in its clip This will be held in place on the upright by a bit of brass fret. I hope to get a shot of primer on this before the weekend! Ta for lookin no "G" Granto 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valenstitch Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Ahhh what the hell...........................Stynylrez BOOM! l Lookin` pretty clean for scratch work................................................................ Ha, you can even see my riveted strip! A couple of bits to touch up and a hair or something to drag off, cant be a pube, its too straight! And got the cables strapped in with self adhesive foil! And that is genuinely it for the day............................. Ta for lookin` again no "G" Granticus Decimus Meridius 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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