SoftScience Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 This thread will present my build of Takom's excellent iron cathedral. The kit is of a very early Lee, so much as I'd like to build it as an Operation Torch machine, my lack of proper parts forces me to keep things the way Takom intended. The kit offers excellent details, and I began with the bogies. Each of these consists of 14 parts, and all hinges can be built to swing. The first one is finished. Five more to go 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Ah, an M3. I'll watch your build with interest ... I am awaiting a Takom Grant, which is in the mails as we write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 50 minutes ago, Robert Stuart said: Ah, an M3. I'll watch your build with interest ... I am awaiting a Takom Grant, which is in the mails as we write. You'll be pleased by what you see. They're lovely kits. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Looking forward to see this one come together, I've not built a tekom kit yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 I have got a Takom M3 Grant and it does look very good. There is a Facebook group dedicated to the Takom M3 and it is useful for all things M3 series. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 First modeling of the new year produced five more bogies in a dash. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Nice progress, are all the road wheel arms moveable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Ozzy said: Nice progress, are all the road wheel arms moveable? If SoftScience hasn't glued them, but the tracks are Link & Length ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 You're both correct. Yes, each arm can move, but also yes, I did glue them as the tracks are link and lenght 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Coffintastic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 I got one run of the tracks done. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but the total length was about a quarter of a link too short. So I increased the space between some of the individual links. Things don't look great between the first bogie and drive sprocket, but the gap at the bottom isn't too visible, and I hope once the sponson goes on, it the top won't be so visible either. I hope the other side turns out better, but I can't really learn from my mistake, as I'm not sure what I did wrong. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Nice going SoftScience, I keep the rear idler moveable as when you rotate it around it can tighten or slacken off the tracks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Nice progress, It may not be anything you have done with the tracks. I'm sure I read in a review that the tracks are slightly too short. Not good for a fifty quid kit! Regards, Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Looking good so far you might want to raise the rear idler as Ozzy said this will take up the slack you have as looking at some pictures I have the tracks do not always sit on the return rollers but seam to just be guided over them beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 13 hours ago, SoftScience said: I got one run of the tracks done. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but the total length was about a quarter of a link too short. So I increased the space between some of the individual links. Things don't look great between the first bogie and drive sprocket, but the gap at the bottom isn't too visible, and I hope once the sponson goes on, it the top won't be so visible either. I hope the other side turns out better, but I can't really learn from my mistake, as I'm not sure what I did wrong. Sorry to hear this I've read somewhere that people add an extra link into the tracks, there are spares on another sprue .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Just stumbled across this ... Thought it might help 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillidragon Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I can only make out 'pod' - an acronym? 'under' makes no sense... and 'za Stalinu' - 'for Stalin'. I have heard that the Soviets called this tank 'A Coffin for Seven Brothers'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillidragon Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 Still no joy trying to read that inscription, but it appears that 'pod' can also mean 'hearth' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 14 minutes ago, Chillidragon said: Still no joy trying to read that inscription, but it appears that 'pod' can also mean 'hearth' It's one of the options in the kit @Chillidragon, shown on the box top ... there's an image of Takom's take here: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1083476-takom-2085-m3-lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Moore Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 On 06/01/2018 at 20:42, SoftScience said: I hope the other side turns out better, but I can't really learn from my mistake, as I'm not sure what I did wrong. You didn't do anything wrong. It just seems to be a glitch in the kit. I had exactly the same gap on both track runs on my M3. A gap slightly less than 1 link I had to trim down one of the spare links, and also shave some plastic from the two ends of the rest of the track run until I could drop the extra link in place. Once they were painted and weathered, the skinny link didn't really show up, and I'm sure it'll be the same for yours Andy 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Hi guys and gals. Sorry about the lack of updates last week. Working in a chapter for an edited volume so modeling time has been limited. I hope to get back to the Lee later this week. Thanks to those who pointed out the track glitch. That's really obnoxious! I'm going to see about pulling back the idler wheel a bit for the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 18 hours ago, AndyRM101 said: You didn't do anything wrong. It just seems to be a glitch in the kit. I had exactly the same gap on both track runs on my M3. A gap slightly less than 1 link I had to trim down one of the spare links, and also shave some plastic from the two ends of the rest of the track run until I could drop the extra link in place. Once they were painted and weathered, the skinny link didn't really show up, and I'm sure it'll be the same for yours Andy pS. Andy, I found the other photos of your Lee in this site and it's a really beautiful build. Gives me a few ideas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 I reckon you could easily go +1 link and allow the track to hang slightly below the sprocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 I'm not dead yet! I got pretty discouraged by the comments about not having enough track links, but weeks later - I somehow made it work. Then I surged ahead and built the hull. Not nearly as difficult to line up the pieces as some folks suggest. The roof parts are only tacked on for now to test fit. Still. Everything fits like a glove. And not one of those OJ gloves, either. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Good to see your back in the saddle SoftScience, you've made some nice progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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