Trumpeter 1/72 M-46 Patton

[badger]

Hi All,

This will be my entry for the group build - better late than never!!!

£5.99 from the much missed Model Zone about 6 years ago.

Couldn't be bothered with sprue shots as really boring so here's the main bits:

It's a big beast compared to a Panzer IV!

Nicely detailed model

Roadwheels are going to take some cleaning up

As is the seam on the turret!!

Exhausts are badly moulded so I'll probably replace these with tube

More to follow when I get chance to work on it!!

Ben

[snapper_city]

Good choice Ben.

[Shermaniac]

You going to do the Dragon face

That turret seam is also the weld seam so be careful.

The kit Hull shows the 'inboard' periscopes which were not fitted SFAIK see but I don't have my Hunnicutt to hand to double check

[Mozzy19]

Nice to see some more armour here.

I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.

Sean

[badger]

You going to do the Dragon face

That turret seam is also the weld seam so be careful.

The kit Hull shows the 'inboard' periscopes which were not fitted SFAIK see but I don't have my Hunnicutt to hand to double check

Hi Shermaniac,

Thanks for that - I have a copy of hunnicut on the shelf so will check. If not it wouldnt be hard to remove the periscopes.

Nope - not going with the face as theres no decals and I dont fancy painting it freehand.

Contemplating a whitewash finish but will more than likely be very weathered OD.

Thanks for looking in

Ben

Edited May 12, 2014 by badger

[badger]

Nice to see some more armour here.

I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.

Sean

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the support. Had this in the stash for years so time to get it built!

Kind regards

Ben

[Shermaniac]

Hi Shermaniac,

Thanks for that - I have a copy of hunnicut on the shelf so will check. If not it wouldnt be hard to remove the periscopes.

Nope - not going with the face as theres no decals and I dont fancy painting it freehand.

Contemplating a whitewash finish but will more than likely be very weathered OD.

Thanks for looking in

Ben

bring it on!

[badger]

Some good progress this weekend.

Wheels are all cleaned up and assembled.

Some work done on the hull and turret.

Photos to follow tomorrow.

[badger]

Upon reflection and having done a small bit of research this morning I think I'm going to have a go at the full tiger face scheme.

Will brighten the tank up a bit and make it stand out amongst all the other OD models on my shelf.

Thinking of this:

http://www.missing-lynx.com/art_gallery/art_modern/m46_patton_bryan.htm

Ben

[Mozzy19]

That's a great paint scheme. A nice challenge for 1/72...

Sean

[badger]

Thanks Sean,

I thought so too - had briefly contemplated it, but dismissed it as too hard. Shermaniac got me thinking though and I did a little research today.

Think it might be doable as the original is very rough and ready.

Have a diorama base idea of putting it in a hull down position surrounded by rough earthern walls similar to the GB banner above (no idea how to insert one here!).

It's half term next week so hopefully get some time off work to spend on this.

Thanks for looking in.

Ben

[Mozzy19]

If you copy the link from here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234951675-korean-war-group-build/page-11

and then go into your profile settings, there should be a menu for editing your signature. Paste the link into the box and it should appear below your posts.

HTH

Sean

Edit: the link is in post 214 made by Procopius

[badger]

Thanks Sean,

I'll try that while I wait for Flickr to upload my photos!

[badger]

Right, on with the photos:

Hull with some running gear assemblage - this was a pain due to the amount of flash on the road wheel arms

Road wheels - they weren't as bad as I expected. I need to drill out the mounting holes before I fit them as they are too tight to fit on the arms!

Turret tidied up - going to primer this when I get a moment to check to see if I need to do any more.

General view

Thanks to Shermaniac I've decided to do this in the tiger face scheme - nothing like a challenge and making something infinitely more complex when it has to be done within a limited timeframe!!!

More to come when I get a moment to work on it - off to watch Game of Thrones now!

[badger]

If you copy the link from here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234951675-korean-war-group-build/page-11

and then go into your profile settings, there should be a menu for editing your signature. Paste the link into the box and it should appear below your posts.

HTH

Sean

Edit: the link is in post 214 made by Procopius

Hmmmm

Not had much luck with this - doesn't seem to work. Oh well, worth a try!

[badger]

Some small progress with this.

Have drilled out the mounting holes on the road wheels ready to attach these and the fit is now much better.

Have also removed the sideskirts as these are missing in most of the photos I have seen.

Also might have to try and figure out how to make a mantlet cover as seems to be a very common feature.

Photos to follow when there's something worth showing.

Ben

[Shermaniac]

Some small progress with this.

Have drilled out the mounting holes on the road wheels ready to attach these and the fit is now much better.

Have also removed the sideskirts as these are missing in most of the photos I have seen.

Also might have to try and figure out how to make a mantlet cover as seems to be a very common feature.

Photos to follow when there's something worth showing.

Ben

Mantlet cover - try fine Kleenex tissue (the blow your nose type!!!) with a little water/pva mix, that should do the job - or that extremely fine tissue paper you sometimes get in shoe/shirt packages

[badger]

Mantlet cover - try fine Kleenex tissue (the blow your nose type!!!) with a little water/pva mix, that should do the job - or that extremely fine tissue paper you sometimes get in shoe/shirt packages

Ooh - now that's an idea. Will give it a go now I've finished my under a tenner build as I need to get back into this one.

Have made some miniscule progress cleaning up the fenders after removing the sideskirts and have removed the extra periscopes as advised above.

Should get some time at the weekend to progress this a bit more.

Ben

[badger]

Some teeny weeny progress with this - finished cleaning up the fenders where I've removed the sideskirts and filled the holes in the turret side where a rack goes as it's not fitted on my reference photos.

Also had a go at drilling out the lifting eyes on the turret that Trumpeter mold as solid blobs.

Mantlet is fitted ready for me to have a go at the canvas cover.

Some progress in cleaning up the gun barrel - I really wish someone would do a turned metal barrel for this kit!

Photos to follow when there's something worth taking a photo of.

Ben

[badger]

At last - an update of sorts!!!! Photos will appear when I get home tonight as can't upload them at work.

Work / holidays and other builds have all conspired against me with this build, along with a serious case of meh caused by the amount of things that needed correcting, removing or adding to this kit to recreate a Korean War Patton.

When we last saw the M46 it was looking pretty basic with not much done to it.

Over the last week I've been busily working on this (any spare time I've had I've been building rather than updating) thanks to my wife giving me a much needed KUTA!

So, where are we at now? (sneak peek for those that don't want to read my ramblings).

Turret:

Lifting eyes drilled out, mounting for rack on right side filled, strange protrusions / brackets on left side removed and filled as per photos, stowage added, commanders hatch periscope added (Wee Friends set), 50 cal MG replaced with a Dragon one, spare track links (from a scrap M46 kit) added, gun barrel finally cleaned up (thought about using an Extratech resin replacement but it was a little bent so the Trumpeter one had to be used).

Still to do: Periscope guard for loader, mantlet cover, periscope guard/MG mount for commander, replace hatch handles with etch or wire replacements, add aerial mounts, fashion a square of plastic card for the left front by the mantlet where a bracket has been removed.

Hull: Track guards removed from side, hollow recesses in underside of hull top filled,

wheels and suspension added (horrible job!!),

stowage added, exhausts removed and replaced with metal tube,

first aid box added to hull rear, MG replaced with Dragon (and snapped off again!), lifting eyes drilled out,

extra periscopes removed, started to replace fender reinforcements with brass tube

Still to do: periscope guards, remaining 3 fender reinforcements, add reinforcing strip to rear fenders, replace hatch handles with etch / wire, add lights, replace light brush guards for more scale appearance, replace broken MG, add tools to pioneer frame, add missing towing point on glacis plate, add rear towing points and hook

Hopefully have all this done by the end of the weekend ready for primer and base colour on Monday.

One bit I'm really pleased with is the replacement fender reinforcements (I guess that's what they are). Trumpeter provide just the front ones as horribly thick plastic blobs with major mould lines. Looking at some photos, I figured the best way to replace these would be with brass tubing, as I would never be able to get the hollow centre section in 1/72. I used some Albion Alloys 0.2mm and 0.5mm slide fit tubing to make these and attached them to the trumpeter mounting points I cut off the original and thinned down.

Looks much better to me!

In between straining my eyes with tiny bits of detailing, I've been working on the scenic base as I like to display all my models on some groundwork, usually with a figure or two.

I picked up a load of wood bases from a show years ago and found one the right size. A dug out position was then created using cheap (Wilkinson's) ready mix plaster textured with assorted shot blasting power. Over a few nights I gradually built up the shape I wanted using the scrap M46 that donated some track to ensure it was the right size.

When fully dry this will be painted as soil / mud with some water effects to represent puddles - nice and easy!!

I have a set of crew figures in winter gear by Calibre 72 that fit the time period nicely. Not sure how many will make it onto the final diorama, but there will be at least one in the turret hatch. (Shame Trumpeter didn't mould the other hatches open as then I could have used them all!)

(web photo used for illustration purposes)

So little to do and so little time left

Thanks for looking in

Ben

Edited with photos

Edited again with extra photos as Flickr is really, really slow at uploading!!

Edited August 8, 2014 by badger

[badger]

Yay - Page 2!!

Time for another update, although a much quicker one this time!!

More progress!

Following Shermaniac's advice I had a go at making the mantlet cover from some very fine tissue paper that came wrapped around some new shoes Mrs Badger had recently bought.

I firstly cut out the rough shape, then screwed this up to break up the fibres, before soaking it in a mix of pva and warm water. I then applied this to the mantlet, ensuring it had a few creases. I had to add an extra piece to one side where it tore, but generally I think it looks pretty good.

I then added the jerrycans to the rear deck based on several photos I have of Korean War M46s. The retaining cage was made with some beading wire bent with tweezers and superglued in place.

The hinge or mudscraper (?) on the rear mudguard is completely missing from the Trumpeter kit, so was made from a section of photoetched ejector seat railing with a piece of wire in the centre to give it a 3d shape. Not totally accurate, but better than nothing.

Onto the turret and I had a go at making the mounting plate for the 50cal machine gun in front of the commander's cupola. I used some very thin plastic card and rod and kept trimming and shaping it, until it looked right.

Time for a progress check:

Turret: to do from last post:

Periscope guard for loader - Done

Mantlet cover - Done

Periscope guard/MG mount for commander - Done

Replace hatch handles with etch or wire replacements - Done

Add aerial mounts - Done (not on photos)

Fashion a square of plastic card for the left front by the mantlet where a bracket has been removed - Done

This must mean the turret is done and ready for priming!!!

Hull: to do from last post:

Periscope guards - Done

Remaining 3 fender reinforcements (not on photos)

Add reinforcing strip to rear fenders - Done

Replace hatch handles with etch / wire - Not doing as moulded ones actually look ok, being proper handles and not blobs.

Add lights - still to do

Replace light brush guards for more scale appearance - still to do

Replace broken MG - done (not on photos)

Add tools to pioneer frame - still to do

Add missing towing point on glacis plate - still to do

Add rear towing points and hook - done (not on photos)

So a bit still to do on the hull. Aiming to clear this today and get it primed.

The base has had some more paint and washes. Still needs "something" doing to it before I add the puddles, but not sure what that "something" is. It'll come to me I'm sure.

A final photo for now:

Thanks for looking

Ben

Edited August 12, 2014 by badger

[badger]

Quick update - construction is finished and it's off for primer!

Yay! !

[badger]

Further update.

Well that didnt go well!! Sprayed it with halfords finest grey primer which went on ok.

Once dry I got the airbrush out and tried the yellow using humbrol acrylics. Must have had the paint too thick as when I'd finished it was horrendously grainy and looked rubbish!

Cue a soak in some model paint stripper and a brush with a stiff brush and its back to bare plastic with a minimum of damage. Lost the mantlet cover so will have to redo that and one of the periscope guards came off but I managed to save it.

Some small amount of repairs and it should be ok to reprime tomorrow. Phew!!

Had an idea though to make up for lost time. In my collection of spray cans is a yellow filler primer from halfords. I initially discarded the idea of using this as I thought it would obscure the detail. A test spray on an old tank proved that so long as it is lightly applied it will be fine. I'll do the yellow in this as it drys very quickly so after an hour I'll be able to mask it for the olive drab. Was going to use humbrol od but might go back to tamiya as I have few problems spraying these usually (fingers crossed).

More tomorrow.

Ben

[badger]

Good news!!

Today has been far more succesful! I primered the tank this morning with no issues. There's a few rough patches which could be damage from yesterday's issues, bit hopefully it won't be noticeable on the finished model.

I then sprayed the yellow using the filler primer and this worked ok so long as I did very thin coats. Once this was dry I masked up the hull with vallejos latex masking fluid and sprayed the olive drab using tamiya. In my attempts to not repeat yesterday's mess up I inadvertently overthined the paint which means I'll have to apply a second coat.

The turret has been repaired and a new mantlet cover made. This has been primed and the yellow applied ready for masking and the od airbrushing later tonight.

Fingers crossed all goes well later, then I can start handpainting the tiger markings tomorrow.

More later

Ben

[badger]

Arghhhh - this kit is cursed!!

I have a strong suspicion that the Trumpeter M46 Patton is my nemesis kit! Having failed to complete one some years ago when having primed it OK, I then sprayed it green, only for a bizarre paint reaction to occur and eat into the plastic.

I thought I would try again for this group build, but this kit has fought me all the way. The latest issue occurred Thursday night when applying the second coat of green to the hull my light inexplicably fell over onto the kit smashing off several wheels, the rear tow ropes and damaging the top deck.

It almost achieved flight for a moment, but the thought of all the work that had gone into stopped me. I carried on and got it sprayed then let it dry and removed the masking more or less successfully with a tiny bit of underspray.

In doing so I lost the remaining front periscope guard and damaged one of the headlight guards - more to repair!!!

However on Friday the horrible weather meant I had a fair bit of time free to spend on this and I managed to freehand paint all the tiger markings. They're a bit rough in places, and the eyes need a touch up, but on the whole I'm well chuffed with them! With some light weathering, they'll blend in with the rest of the paintwork nicely.

I also managed to get a bit of the stowage painted and have been doing a bit more on the base with some MIG washes.

However the fact that it finally stopped raining for the first time in a week yesterday meant I spent the day tackling my jungle and it now more or less resembles a garden! A further session this morning before rain stopped play means that I'm not going to be able to get this completed in time for the end of the GB as all the problems have meant there's just too much left to do.

I don't want to rush it for the sake of meeting the deadline, as I'll never be entirely happy with it if I do, so I'll continue on at my own pace and post in RFI in the armour section when I complete it.

Apologies to the hosts.

Ben