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Soviet M3 Lee


SoftScience

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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. 

IMG_20171031_200829936_HDR.jpg

 

The first one is finished.

 

IMG_20171031_200850206.jpg

 

Five more to go :P

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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. 

 

IMG_20180106_152732354_HDR.jpg

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Nice going SoftScience, I keep the rear idler moveable as when you rotate it around it can tighten or slacken off the tracks.

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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! :huh:

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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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 

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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 ....

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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

 

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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

 

Takom+M3+Lee+build+review+%252824%2529.J

 

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

 

Takom+M3+Lee+build+review+%252825%2529.J

 

Andy:cat:

 

 

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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.

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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

 

Takom+M3+Lee+build+review+%252824%2529.J

 

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

 

Takom+M3+Lee+build+review+%252825%2529.J

 

Andy:cat:

 

 

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! :)

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  • 1 month later...

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. ;) 


IMG_20180221_215856831_HDR.jpg

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