C&WR Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 Thanks, Kallisti. I would suspect the denier in ladies' hosiery might be a bit fine in 1/35 - perhaps it's time to ask Sunray to get some fishnets? I'll say a bloke off the internet said so I have seen your build, Dan, I'll be keeping an eye. I'm not sure I'll go as far as buying an aftermarket GPMG - I did have a look but drew a blank at AFV ones so thought I'd do my best with what I had. Same with the mount, it's only experts on here who would notice the errors. As for the save leads I remember them vividly round the smoke dischargers for the 43s, I think on the panzers when they weren't in a bin they used to get wrapped round the headlight protectors - must scan my photo album again... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Thanks, Kallisti. I would suspect the denier in ladies' hosiery might be a bit fine in 1/35 - perhaps it's time to ask Sunray to get some fishnets? I'll say a bloke off the internet said so I have seen your build, Dan, I'll be keeping an eye. I'm not sure I'll go as far as buying an aftermarket GPMG - I did have a look but drew a blank at AFV ones so thought I'd do my best with what I had. Same with the mount, it's only experts on here who would notice the errors. As for the save leads I remember them vividly round the smoke dischargers for the 43s, I think on the panzers when they weren't in a bin they used to get wrapped round the headlight protectors - must scan my photo album again... Chuffed you worked on them, I now have someone to ask questions , hopefully you mind too much. Regards Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 That would be a pleasure, Dan, although it was 20 + years ago I was on the things! We only had a few Mk11s per Squadron when I was with the Skins, although there were more when we did BATUS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Looks like you've cracked this one, it really is looking the part now Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks, Roger. There are a few bits and pieces I would do differently but generally I'm pretty happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Not too much progress. Work has been a bit hellish, Sunray Minor has had his birthday, and I've had a sports injury which thank goodness wasn't damage to the anterior cruciate ligament but which I'm still waiting to see a specialist about. Luckily I'm not still in the mob where the prescription would be twwo brufen, a tubigrip, and soldier on! What I have done is add a little carrying handle for the GPMG out of strip & rod. I do have a Minimi from a Tamiya Modern US Military Accessory set which I am tempted to rob the handle from instead. Sorry for poor picture: Before I start messing around with the barrel I started doing some tests with a bit of styrene rod. Here we have the cam net made above wrapped around & rolled in PVA before being rolled in some dry Earl Grey tea leaves. It's getting towards the texture I want, but I need more leaves obviously: For contrast see here: I'm also very grateful indeed to another member here for a little Red Cross parcel of spares to help out my modelling: Thanks a million! Aside from all the other bits gratefully received I had been trying to make the oil cans myself out of styrene rod, putty & strip and was just about to give up. As nearly all my reference pictures show one of these somewhere they are great, just wondering if I can pluck up the courage to make one look flattened... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 It's been a slow old business! I had to work this morning, then spent the afternoon painting walls at the Rugby Club. I was supposed to be on light duties sitting down polishing silver, but I arrived to find the few who had turned up had done that. A 30m wall with a double height section later & I'm starting to question the wisdom of standing up for a few hours with a knee injury! Anyway, here's what I did do. The vajazzling aisle at Hobbycraft came up with a gem suitable as the seach light lens, so I got the Commander's main optics & the GPMG in place: With luck I can get some more done tomorrow! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David1988 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Looking great C&WR, really enjoying following this build! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Progressing rather nicely fella, looking forward to seeing the sub assemblies coming together now. I feel it's going to be a stunner :-) I have one question, would the GPMG have the bipod fitted, now if memory serves me right the official designation for the tank mounted version was the L37A1 so I'm figuring that it wouldn't ? Would the crews have kept the stock and pistol grip to convert back to standard GPMG in the wagon just in case they might need to bail out as a weapon in case of emergency, if you know what I mean ? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 (edited) Thanks, David, sorry it's slowed to geological time! There were, of course, two GPMGs fitted Dan. One was on the Commander's cupola and one coaxial to the main armament. I'm sure I remember the latter rather than the flash hider & foresight had just a plain tube at the end of the barrel, fitting over the barrel itself. I ad the caveat that this was a long time ago, but I'm certain we carried one of not two sets of butts and pistol grips for the guns. I am sure I'm not dreaming it that when in a Troop hide a gun from each panzer as dismounted and put out to sentry posts at each point of a triangle round the hide. It was before my time, but there was a CO who was very keen on dismounting the Regiment from time to time and having them navigate round the battlefield on foot. Not what I joined the Cavalry for! People may have been having me on, but I believe the radios were dismounted too, which would really have spoilt someone's day... Edited June 21, 2014 by C&WR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Thanks, David, sorry it's slowed to geological time! There were, of course, two GPMGs fitted Dan. One was on the Commander's cupola and one coaxial to the main armament. I'm sure I remember the latter rather than the flash hider & foresight had just a plain tube at the end of the barrel, fitting over the barrel itself. I ad the caveat that this was a long time ago, but I'm certain we carried one of not two sets of butts and pistol grips for the guns. I am sure I'm not dreaming it that when in a Troop hide a gun from each panzer as dismounted and put out to sentry posts at each point of a triangle round the hide. It was before my time, but there was a CO who was very keen on dismounting the Regiment from time to time and having them navigate round the battlefield on foot. Not what I joined the Cavalry for! People may have been having me on, but I believe the radios were dismounted too, which would really have spoilt someone's day... GPMG' s I can understand ..... Radios are just pure sadism, we used to do similar on some exercises, 436 knocked out by what ever means, strip the 12 volt radio batteries out and the sets and bug out to a new location on foot. Not fun when you have to carry every thing like the masts, pdb's radios, DMU's and all the other baggage for a few k's in 3 Romeo. It promptly calls for a sence of humour failure, an no matter how many times a senior said it was character building I still think that they lied through their teeth. I could however, be a better person for it today :-) Dan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! It has just been pointed out to me that the left hand track is on the wrong way round. I now face a massive dilemma about changing it round as I have very firmly fixed the skirt plates in place and resprayed the paintwork... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Hi Matthew, You can my spare set of you need to cut your tracks off the kit? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 Thanks, Dan. It's not so much the splitting of the tracks as taking off the skirt plates on the left hand side after all the work I did getting them on and looking OK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Oh bugger I did that on BOTH my Scimitar builds the last 2 years - really bloody annoying!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 The good news: managed to get the skirt plates off to get at the track. The bad news: I also needed to take the upper hull off. The better news: I was able to remove the offending track without splitting it and replaced it the correct way round. The worse news: I managed to break off and lose the right rear tow cable bracket & also had a trace of glue on my fingers which left a fingerprint on the back decks. I'm afraid the project is on hold now until I can get another rattle can of NATO Green, there is some serious work to be done to sort out the finish! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Sorry to hear you have had problems, I'm sure with your skills no one will ever know when its all finished! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Very kin of you to say, Roger, but I am still a novice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 It doesn't show! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Still thank you! Glad to say I've ordered a stack of NATO Green spray so will be able to get on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 No waiting for the replacement spray paint and also for some etched brass cam net for the barrel. I just wasn't happy with the tea leaves and gauze solution so decided to splash out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Finally got down to something. I had wanted to have metal tow cables and bought some nice braided wire from Homebase. This was overscale, but would have fitted until I built in the skirt plate brackets. I resolved to use the kit tow cables, but these were too short for the distance between the support brackets and then I managed to snap one. I racked my brains and asked the CDT master whether he knew of any products. His solution was to strip several lengths of electrical cable and braid this. I've been too busy to have a bash at this until tonight, but then had a go, winding the strands of wire carefully then gluing them into a hole drilled in the end of the cables from the kit. In front a WIP, in the middle one end glued on, and at the back some painting done on part of a generous package sent by another member: How it looks on the panzer. I really must learn to wait until paint dries before test fitting - some of the aluminium brushed on the end has come off on the support bracket: Now just need my parcel of NATO Green spray paint to get on... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 This build is looking better and better! A radio story if I may? I had my company all together on one airplane. We flew from the east coast, Camp LeJuene, North Caroline, to the desert southwest, 29 Palms, California. The C 130 lands in the desert, we exit into a "training" scenario that has already begun. I'm about 2/3rds back in the line talking incessantly on the net as all chaos has begun. Hitting the ground running with all your gear is a total pain, but hey it's good for a laugh afterwards. As my radio man and I walk away I think to myself, "Gee that turbo jet exhaust is really HOT" After a bit and a lot of radio communication, I realize I'm no cooler that before and I'm now a mile from the landing zone. It really is that hot in that part of the desert. Fast forward 35 years and I actually moved to the high desert of southern Nevada. No more radios to interfere with life though. G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks, Agent G, and thanks for your story! I note Camp Lejeune, were you by any chance USMC? One of my greatest friends was a Gny Sgt in comms at the US Embassy in London. He was a real Anglophile and kept extending his duty there! It's now been pointed out to me that the front bracket holding up the tow cable is incorrect. I therefore need to remove it - just as well another respray was on the cards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Blast! I had wondered where my delivery of bits and bobs of paint had got to (I'm reliant on ordering by phone as I have no local supplier) so chased up on it. I am told that there is a container of Tamiya stuff en route but it will be another 10-14 days. Just hope the barrel cam net turns up so i can finish off the barrel and get that attached... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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