elmarriachi Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) Hello all together. A long time ago… at a place far, far away … I have started a big project concerning the German railway gun „Dora“. I have planned to continue this never ending project several times, but due to some other projects I never had the nerve to go back to the “Dora-project”. I have made lot of modifications and changes to the kit which made lot of work necessary. This discouraged me to continue so many times… so many times I had the “Dora” back on my desk, but never really started to continue finally. Now finally, after some years of pause I want to come back to this work…. What are we talking about… the “Dora”. It was Hitler Germany’s biggest (often called by mistake) railway gun, although it was no railway gun as it was not able to drive on rails. It was transported in several separate pieces and put together at its final destination. The kit in scale 1/35 from manufacturer Soar Art Workshop was called the biggest plastic kit ever…. And it is really, really huge. Big parts, lot of parts and lot of mistakes. There are many things at the kit that need some modifications or upgrades, some changes which I started long time ago. A small survey of the changes done before are … Gun barrel. The gun barrel in the kit is too long and the proportions are wrong. I have cut the barrel in several pieces, shortened each part and put it together once again with an aluminium pipe inside for stability. - Catwalks. The catwalks in the original cannon were made of wire frame. In the kit it is made of one-piece plastic walks. I have made new catwalks with mesh and new crossbars. Railings. All railings in the kit are about 10mm too high. I have modified each railing to its correct sizes. Wagons. The gun was situated on 4 long wagons. Each of these wagons consisted of two separate wagons, put together under carriers. The kit provides 4 long wagons. I have cut each and made 8 separate wagons as it is at the original cannon. The running surface was made new of real balsa wood. Further changes or modificatsions were made and some more will follow during the further built of this model. But for the moment, some pictures of the actual state of the kit in the following … The next steps will be the platform at the top rear of the gun and the engine bay below it. Also I will start painting of the eight railway wagons in the next days. I hope that this might become an interesting project for you, although I want to warn that I will not be able to work on it daily… so the updates will not come every day or week I think…. But after such long time I will continue now finally Cheers, Micha Edited November 3, 2016 by elmarriachi 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Nice work Micha... I'll be keeping up with this one for obvious reasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Wow, looks fantastic. Can't wait for your next update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Those images are really clear and detailed Micha. I have the 1:144 scale version of this gun by Soar-Art and will be following your build for inspiration. Thanks for posting. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 Thank you very much for your interest .) here are the bogies once again - totally there are four nearly identically bogies now (each consisting of two 5-axled wagons). The differences are only the railings and the chests on top. Next step will be a washing of the wooden parts.... then salt/water on the wood.... then airbrush in German Grey.... as fist step Then some highlights with light grey... drybrushing, washings Cheers Micha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) Just shoot me.................!!! Edited October 30, 2016 by Jerry V 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Seriously though, looking great so far! I can't imagine tackling a project of this size and complexity. Just the thought of all the detailing and painting is enough to put me over the edge. If it makes you feel any better, you have me hooked! Not likely people watching this one will let you drop the ball (for long) so that should keep you on track. Will be following this one, for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Thanks a lot Yesterday painted the first four halfes of the wagons .... today the next four plus the bridges which are being added on the wagons.... then photos Cheers Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 That is one seriously BIG lump of plastic I have seen one of these built up you need a full size garage to keep it in Beefy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukmodeller Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Loving the look of this project. Such a monster and the detailing is coming along amazingly. Only wish I had the space for such a creation. Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 Update 1: Some of the doors and hatches at the "Kraftzentrale" (engine room) will remain open or at least partly open. Due to that it was necessary to add something to the inside. I have searched wherever I could but have not found a detailed picture of the engine. As there won't be much visible of it I have decided to make it with some parts which I had left from any other kits... some trucks, tanks, airplanes, sprues, ... whatever I could find and glued together. After that I have painted it in a light grey with the airbrush, then added some colors with the paint brush to it. I think it would be ok inside the engine room.... Also I have added one area ("indside a 1/24 truck tank") with some handwheels, lever and - later - some gauges. The floor of the catwalk is made with plastic profile (evergreen) and aluminium mesh. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) Update 2: The housing received some putty (not yet sanded) and the doors, partly open, with some (not finished) clasps inside. On the roof I have added a new exhaust which is possibly visible on one picutre. Also I have added some closed hatches. The exhaust on the downside of the floor received some new, open endpipes... Edited November 3, 2016 by elmarriachi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 Update 3 All the 8 wagons and the 4 bridges were painted in Tamiya's "German Grey" first, then I have added some highlights with a ligther grey. After that a washing with AK Interactive's "Blue Washing for German Grey" followed, also the (hand painted) silver wheels. A layer Future as base for the decals came next.... Next steps - decals, then matt clear coat, then further wathering .... Cheers Micha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) As Shep Paine used to say "creative gizmology". Looks fantastic! Edited November 3, 2016 by Jerry V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Nice for one day's work!!!,(joke). Fantastic bit of modeling Micha. foxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 UPDATE After a layer of Future I have added all the thousands decals of the new peddinghaus-set. This is a lot of work. ... and each decal needs to be cut out .... Now some days drying, then matt clear coat to save the decals ... then a little bit of weathering (but not much) The "Kraftzentrale" was first painted inside in a light grey, then outside in German Grey, with light grey highlights. The doors were painted light grey, highlights in white. Now also a filter from AK Interactive follows, then future, then decals and matt clear coat.... Cheers Micha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpfiend Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Very nice Micha. Regards Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Coming together nicely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 (edited) Hello, big update... big dissatisfaction on my side.... I hate these decals .... the decals are still much too thick... nothing seems to work to solve this issue..... And - despite several layer of clear coat and using of several chemicals to fix the decals, it is still possible to remove each decal easily.... so what to do ...... Today I asked the best graphic-artist I know to issue the full decal sheet for me and print it on a new decal foil .... I have a company on hand, which made several decals for me some time ago in highest quality, They will print the decals for me new .... and then I will add all decals once again ... and then I will have this problem solved and the decals looking fantastic then That means for now.... I have to wait with the wagons... wait till I get the new decals. Then I will remove the decals of the first wagon for trying... then adding the new decals... when everything good, then I will remove all decals once again and add the new ones... until I get the new decals on my desk I will continue with the other parts of the gun ... Cheers Michael Edited November 8, 2016 by elmarriachi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 Hello, some new update of the Dora gun. First the modified gun barrel, ready for a first layer of primer (and maybe more sanding and primering after that). The loading mechanismus of the gun got a lot of modifications. The kit parts are realy simplified and need lot of modification. I have added some details with plastic profile, plastic card, parts from other kits, wire, .... The plattform at the rear of the gun was mounted next, then lot of modifications added. Some made of plastic profile, lot of mesh for all catwalks, modified hand rail and new made plattform left and right of the pillars. The loading mechanism was painted with Tamiya German Grey, then added some highlights with a light grey and a filter with AK Interactive's "Blue for German Grey" ... The plattform after the painting, highlighting and filtering ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 The painted main struts of the gun. The painting of these was a kind of logistical problem as it is really, really big... lot of paint and much to big for my paint booth ... Also painted in German Grey, highlights with light grey, filtering ... The engine room after the paint, some chains added at the hand rail ... All the painting was made in a cloudy way, so that the black plastic was partially visibile under the grey paint. This gave some first kind of shadow to the big grey surfaces. Some light grey was used for adding highlights in the big surfaces, specially at the areas which were in the light.The bluefilter from AK Interactive is a great product to give some variety in the color and makes it look more interesting. Next step will be some dry brushing of all the painted parts with a lighter grey, then a pin wash with high diluted black oil color. A final layer of future will be the base for the decals, which were made completely new, printed on a very thin decal foil and will be added next Cheers Micha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Continues to look great. Glad to see you resolved the issue with decals. Waiting for more.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmarriachi Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 Hello. the gun mount with add-on parts also received its painting now. First Tamiya's German Grey, followed with light grey higlights and a blue oil color filter.... Also this part will wait for the print of the decals now, then I will spray on a layer of clear coat as base for the decals which follow next. After a matt clear coat to seal the decals I will start with a light weathering - rust streaks, rainmarks, dust, ... But now it will pause a few days, as I will be on a bussines trip until middle of next week ... Cheers Micha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carius Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Excellent build for now. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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