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Conqueror Mk2


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One of the many reasons that this build has taken years of stop-start was the amount of unusable resin that AA supplied. The most significant was the track. The 'lengths' vaguely resembled tracks along one edge, although they were cast out of register for much of their length, while the other edge was just a formless mass of aerated resin.

 

Acquisition of a Cromwell models Mk2 gave me some track lengths and links that do in fact look like tracks but still leave me with the really exciting job of cleaning up fifty individual links that fit where they touch. Working through them a short burst at a time:- firstly cleaning up the shape and opening the voids, and now working on getting them to actually fit together. At least the lengths have required little work apart from bending to shape which I have to redo cos I got it wrong!

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Most of the smaller details are ready to fit but I am waiting till I sort out the tracks and the lower bazooka plates before attaching fragile details. I did have to find some spare track links. The AA and Cromwell ones were just too much hard work so I have used the Amusing Hobby ones that were left over from the Gas Turbine build. They just needed the track pin holes drilled out and some white styrene to represent the hull bracket.

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I have used the Cromwell crow bar, - usually I would scratch build from brass but the priority now is completion. The AA pick axe heads look good, and by fitting the helves the wrong way round I can hide the air bubbles! Could not find a sledgehammer in the parts bin, the AA one being no use, so will fudge it by only fitting the clips.

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While rummaging around in my box of PE and oddments I discovered the Markits railway carriage door handles that I bought for the Gas Turbine build. It occurred to me they might just be perfect for the fire handles in the side bins. Cant get a good photo but you get the idea!

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So its onwards and upwards. Certainly looks like I could get this one done by Christmas now!

 

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Finally got all the track links cleaned up and started gluing together the links to go round the idlers and sprockets.

 

I have quite a bit to do on the underside...tracks, bazooka plate fitting, refit the road wheel I broke off, etc, .... so decided I could do with some way to hold the hull.

A dig around in the workshop turned up a bit of scrap wood and some miscellaneous bits that were good for starters. Then I raided the pantry and found a tin of coconut milk 

that was just the size to complete the ensemble! SWMBO obligingly produced a dinner menu to use the tins contents and I was in business.

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Used in conjunction with my machine vice it will hold the hull vertically, either side or end.

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13 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Ingenious! And what happened to the coconut milk........a Thai curry perhaps?

 

John.

 

 

Thanks John. These days my geriatric digestive system can't cope with curries. My wife tells me it was Peter Gordon recipe, 'Fish poached in creamy leeks, ginger and saffron', though she uses turmeric as it is somewhat more affordable. We have it often and it is very nice with a local Sauv Blanc!

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Somehow managed to plod on with the resin tracks even though I really felt like throwing the lot in the bin. Having got the individual links cleaned up I made the short sections that wrap around the idler and sprockets. Relatively easy to do on the idlers but a bit tricky at the sprockets. The Cromwell track has different dimensions to the AA track so the sprocket teeth do not align with the track holes. That was in fact the least of my problems. The AA sprockets are not round, the two halves do not align, the teeth are of varying thickness and the distance between inner and outer faces varies around the circumference. Much huffing and puffing ensued and eventually I got a usable track. the idler section is attached to the run as it can be slipped in from the front, but the sprocket section is separate until final assembly after painting.

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Most of the small detail parts were safely stored awaiting this stage of the build. The exceptions were the AA PE headlight guards and the tow cable clips which were still on their fret.

The guards were straight forward, but I had a bit of a senior moment with the clips. For reasons that are not immediately obvious I removed the unbent clips from the fret prior to annealing. Not a major problem if I had done what I usually do and annealed them by holding each one individually in a candle flame. Instead I got out the small propane torch my son-in-law had given me. Confusion set in as I watched the first clip disappear before my eyes as it melted and brazed my tweezers closed. Of course that's the sort of mistake that one only makes once - so when the second clip vaporised I realised it was time for plan B. But first I had to find some suitable brass strip to make two more clips from!

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The rear left corner of the model is a good example of its mixed parentage. AA upper hull, scratch built side skirts, Cromwell Models pioneer tools with some scratch detailing, and Amusing Hobby spare track links, also with scratch enhancement.

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Hung all the parts together for a photo shoot and now I will box it up awaiting painting weather. Still have the base to sort out, so far its just a bit of primed MDF - not sure if I should do something creative and maybe add a figure or two. So hopefully my next post will be in RFI! 

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20 minutes ago, Bullbasket said:

That is really looking good Dave. The tracks may have been a PITA, but the final outcome was worth it. Nice work.

 

John.

 

Totally agree with John @Bullbasket superb workmanship!

 

  Stay safe      Roger

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