Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Due to possible decal difficulties with my Crocodile build, I'm going to start in on another uniquely British vehicle, a Crusader AA tank of RHQ Squadron, Staffordshire Yeomanry.....Here's what I will be using for this build: S-Models 1/72 Crusader Mk.I/II Revell 1/72 Cromwell Mk.IV (Track Donor) Dan Taylor Modelworks Crusader Running Gear Dan Taylor Modelworks Crusader AA Conversion Set Dan Taylor Modelworks 27AB Decals It's quite a big pile for what will actually be a very small model when it's finished! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Nice subject to be build. Will this be the one that is comming out of the water in that famous picture?! Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smuts Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Great subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Cheers guys, this will be a stand alone model, ultimately intended, like all my models, for wargaming.....Yes I know it's mad, but it keeps me out of trouble! I'll also be building three Staffs Yeomanry Sherman IIIs and a Vc, probably from A or B Squadron and one or more Stuart IIIs from RHQ.....I'm picking Dan's brains for info on these vehicles, but he's a very busy man at the moment, given his rather specialised knowlege of the very occasion we are celebrating with this GB. The chances of me getting this lot finished in any sensible sort of timescale is absolutely nil (I'm still working on another two British Sherman platoons, from 2RTR & 13/18 Hussars, that I started years ago) but like I say, it keeps me out of trouble. I was a bit gutted about scrapping the beautiful Revell Cromwell just for its tracks (I hate resin tracks with a passion), but I managed to win another one on eBay for £4.38 posted to my door, which has rather helped to take the pain away.....I've also ordered some more bit's from Dan which with a couple more parts from the Cromwell can be used to convert the ESCI/Italeri Churchill Mk.III into a 75mm armed Mk.III* which now appear to have been much more common in Normandy than was previously believed. That build may appear here depending on how quickly this one comes together, which at present is 'not very'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Ooh - Tasty!! Beer in the fridge and nibbles ready! Watching with interest! Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 There's a big difference in pitch and guage between the Revell Cromwell and S-Models or DTM Crusader tracks and the latter are also significantly finer than various other manufacturers rendition of the same parts. Thus I'm not sure that my plan of replacing the tracks with Revell parts will work, I'll certainly have to replace the sprockets as the DTM parts have a wrap of links moulded around them. There may be issues with clearance for the cut down side-skirts if I use Cromwell parts, so a lot of comparison of parts with references, tinkering and trial & error is going to have to take place before I can get the track runs assembled (my preferred starting point for a tank). As you can see, in the quest for more parts options, 'The Pile' has grown to insane proportions, you can't easily see it in the picture but there's an Airfix 1/7? Crusader kit in there too, inside which I discovered a Vac Cast conversion set for a Crusader II AA Mk.I (which were also present on D-Day and which might be a much simpler build)! Here are the various tracks: Airfix Crusader - Too wide, very crude and featuring the sort of ultra-fine flash that only shows up in macro shots or when you wash & dry-brush the damned things! :thumbsdown: Hasegawa Crusader - Still too wide, much cleaner, shonky detail. Revel Cromwell - Too wide but actually slightly finer than either of the sets above, gorgeous (but probably wrong for a Crusader) detail for 1/72 and a doddle to assemble. So all in all, it's good news and bad news.....The good news is I've finally taken my tools to some parts, the bad news is those parts are the DTM resin tracks and as expected the results are far from satisfactory! Here's how the DTM tracks arrive, a standard L&L format, in a wafer of resin: And here's the first length that I've started cleaning up: The detail is OK, better than either of the band type tracks above, but the spacing of the links is uneven, the flash is a nightmare and there are air bubbles in very inconvenient locations, I'm not sure I'll be able to use some of the single links as they are very indistinct in the wafer. If one of the chaps who is building the Airfix 1/76 Crusader (or who has one stashed) could measure the width of the tracks at both the track-pin and the pad, I'd be very grateful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 wow thats going to be one hell of a cleaning the tracks O.o but i m sure after that it ll be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 I wish I were that confident, the single length part I cleaned up looked reasonable through my magnifiers (the part is 48mm long, 3.5mm wide at the pin and 3mm wide at the pad), but as you can see it's a mess.....If I were to wash & dry-brush it as is, it would look awful! I'm still leaning towards trying to get away with the Revell parts, but the Airfix 1/76 Cromwell kit might offer an even better solution. The Cromwell actually had wider tracks than the Crusader, but the difference between 1/76 and 1/72 kits might get me into the ball park so to speak and I understand that Airfix will sell individual parts from their sprues.....Two sets of Airfix tracks (and possibly a pair of sprockets) plus some very careful scalpel work might well be my best bet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlemaster Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 looks like your on track with your build 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 I wish.....I'm seriously contemplating shelving this and doing a Sherman OOTB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 (edited) What about a set of Eduard PE tracks for the Cromwell? Edited June 19, 2014 by Brews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 eBay has OKB 1072073 1:72 PE Crusader track. GBP 9.45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Cheers dude, but I reckon I'll give it a miss.....Another £12, the wait for it to arrive from California and then I've got to fold them (probably to then find they won't fit any of the sprockets I have)! I'll check T&T & some UK options, but I'm losing the love for this model fairly rapidly at the moment. In the mean time I've investigated my options with the parts I have.....The Hasegawa sprocket & idler are right out as for some insane reason Hasegawa have moulded half of each to the lower hull sides. I tried assembling the Airfix sprockets and discovered that both the Hasegawa and Airfix tracks are too wide to fit them and if I add a spacer the sprocket will be as wide as the Revell Cromwell part! The Cromwell tracks themselves are much too wide, almost 50%! I'll wait on the measurements of the Airfix Cromwell parts and if those won't do the job it's going to be a straight toss up between using the S-Model QB parts or going for a completely different different build.....I've still got quite a few options available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 You have a problem, huh! What did you think of the track detail on the OKB items? They come from Bulgaria, so if you ever feel inclined at a late time, you may be able to find something closer to home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 I may have a solution, just got an e-mail from Dan regarding various other bits and he's going to take a look at my tracks to see if I got a duff set.....You don't get that sort of service from Dragon! OKB stuff is very good indeed, rather too good for my fumbling efforts.....Georgi is a regular poster over on ML Braille and you can often see previews of OKB products there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 I've got the measurements for the Airfix Cromwell tracks and while the pins are too long the pads are spot on.....I feel a message to Airfix coming on! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 You don't get that sort of service from Dragon! I had a very good experience with Dragoncare USA recently. I'd lost a couple of sets of Pzkw II tracks in the house move (who knows, they may turn up). Anyway, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing (I had to demonstrate that I actually had the kits - a photo of the boxes was sufficient), and I did say from the outset that it was no fault of the kits that the tracks were missing, I got replacements for $20 including shipping. Not that shipping would have been much, but it's still a bit cheaper than having to get Bronco workable links as replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 To be fair their UK customer service is excellent.....Dragoncare itself either messed me around for months or ignored messages completely. I don't really think there's a serious problem with Dan's tracks, as I said at the outset, I just don't get on with resin tracks very well. If I can fudge up a set of plastic L&L from the Airfix Cromwell parts I'll be back on track (see what I did there). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Bloody hell, you aren't making it easy on yourself are you? You'll be putting bar armour on it next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Have to say an OOTB build is beginning to have a very strong appeal! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Stuff it.....I'm going to use the S-Model tracks! If I can clean up the DTM tracks they can go on the other kit one day (maybe). I reckon with some tricksy painting I can make the kit parts look OK.....I need another stalled build like a hole in the head! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Good morning Sarge, Hope you are well. Looking forward to seeing some progress on this!! Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Got one more model to finish off then this GB (and a similar GB on ATF) will be the focus of my undivided attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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