MarkSH Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Evening armoury types, Now, without the aid of a safety net, I intend to build my first ever and I mean ever Tank,..armour...thing. A little pre-GB research led me to the conclusion that Dragon made good kits so I got lucky at SMW and picked up the following for less than £30 which I believe is the best I'm going to get out of this GB: Exciting box art.... ZOIKES! I haven't got a scooby! A lot of small bits of plastic. The other interesting and noteworthy fact to come out of my pre-GB research is the number of pieces of armour both Allied and Axis given women's names, I mean, noisy, dangerous, hard edged and intractable machines with high running costs named after....oh wait! I get it now. This should be fun. Cheers, Mark. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasto Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Looks good.., Have fun.. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 You got a real bargain there! And it looks like a box full of goodies too! It gets good reviews. The instructions in Dragon kits can be a bit complicated at times and sometimes confusing. Any problems just ask on here and we'll try to help. Kind regards, Stix 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Nice kit Mark and what looks to be a bargain price, I like the box art the sort of scene I want to try and recreate. You’ve signed up to the dark side now, just think of them as aircraft with no wings. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 7 minutes ago, Ozzy said: Nice kit Mark and what looks to be a bargain price, I like the box art the sort of scene I want to try and recreate. You’ve signed up to the dark side now, just think of them as aircraft with no wings. Yes it would be nice to try and put it all in a landscape context, if I've time the inclusion of some infantry in the landscape would be ideal. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 There are definitely some nice figure sets out there, for both dismounts and crew. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Looks exciting Mark - I'll be looking in on this one - good luck with your 'premiere'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sampanzer Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 I built the Dragon F2 (G) last year, its a great kit, but as mentioned the destructions can get complicated in places, cross off the bits you have done as you go! Hopefully you will enjoy it! I am building my first ever aircraft at the minute, so I understand being out of your comfort zone!!!😏😕 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 Afternoon all, Being new to this particular form of the modelling my effort will be OOB and in the strict sequence described, well at least until I get the hang of the way of the Dragon! anyway with @sampanzer's sound advice ringing in my ears; I made a start: On 12/12/2018 at 1:42 PM, sampanzer said: its a great kit, but as mentioned the destructions can get complicated in places, cross off the bits you have done as you go! So Page 1 and yes it is advisable to read the instructions making particular note of the sub-assembly callouts, they are a little idiosyncratic. The 'running gear' was no problem but the front and rear armour options, I'm guessing for additional armour at the front and a small access panel at the rear, are not clearly defined in regard of applicability to any particular machine, so I picked the options that looked the most interesting and I'll just pretend its a rare field mod if anyone asks. Page 1 construction completed and crossed off on the sheet! Despite the required careful reading of the instructions, it is a very nicely detailed kit, the moulding is excellent plus the plastic is nice to work and responds well to Tamiya extra thin and revell contacta which I'm using because with the thin applicator its more accurate for the multitude of small pieces, a few of which have already made it onto the carpet, fortunately without loss so far. Lovely detail even on the bottom which will likely never be seen again! Now for page 2...… Laterz, Mark. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 A great start Mark - I love a man who crosses off stages as he goes - 'proper modelling' Steve 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 10 minutes ago, BIG X said: A great start Mark - I love a man who crosses of stages as he goes - 'proper modelling' Steve 😂 it won't last. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Well done Mark! as Big X says it does look like you are off to a great start! And you are right - the detail does look lovely. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the South African Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 A much better kit than the old academy molding I am currently wrestling will watch this one. Regards: Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 Hello all, A little more progress on the Dragon Ausf. G kit: The details have been added to the rear panel (What's the correct technical term? other than bottoms Ende!) The front panel (Glacis Plate?), spare track section and the bogie suspension units fitted. The instructions show the front tow hook handles positioned inboard but I have seen photos with them outboard. I haven't glued them as the fit is perfect but so I can change them if it matters. Also the Dragon instructions for the magic tracks are confusing to say the least especially concerning the spare track sections, another nine links are supposed to be fitted to the front of the lower hull. I used links from one bag of the magic tracks (because the instructions gave an L/R option) for the spare section already fitted and I guess I need to use links from the other bag to ensure that I have enough tracks to build the main track assemblies, I really don't know. Speaking of L and R tracks how do I know which side is which? The fenders, flaps/mud guards and internal support bulkhead fitted. I think the next thing to do is to start painting the bogie wheels and return rollers. Cheers, Mark. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetifan Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Great progress Mark, i’m about the same stage as you. Glad i’m not the only one finding the instructions tricky 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 33 minutes ago, Yetifan said: Great progress Mark, i’m about the same stage as you. Glad i’m not the only one finding the instructions tricky 🙂 I'm still ticking off the completed sections as I go but they are definitely tricky as you say, I think I may be envious of your rubber band tracks by the end of the build! That being said I am enjoying it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Aye up Mark, Really nice progress on what looks to be a very well detailed kit Regards, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Great progress again Mark and the detail on these Dragon kits does look impressive. It is a shame the instructions in Dragon kits are not better - you would have thought by now they would have noticed the feedback their instructions tend to get and tried to improve them. With regards the tracks I usually assume the left is on the left and right is on the right when looking forwards from the tank. True AFV experts may know better! With the Magic Tracks I made in the past I didn't try to make the whole run. I made up sections like Link & Length tracks - if you take a look here you can see the whole process I went through: Hope that is of some help. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenoz Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Nice build so far, hope all can be reached when painting... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 As silenoz has said, can't the fenders be removed and attached at the end, after painting, then wheels, then tracks, then fenders, I know your new to armour mark, what I've described is about the order of things, as I understand it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 Hi all, Many thanks for the advice gents it is genuinely appreciated, the fenders form an integral part of the lower to upper hull assembly and really cannot be left off if you want to follow a completed hull process for homogenous painting and weathering and indeed their fixing points also include the alignment system for the separate upper hull components as shown below: I checked out the access by dry fitting and decided that there is ample room to apply paint and weathering to the underside of the fenders before any of the running gear is fitted. Having watched quite a few videos on-line it seems that there is an array of different sequences employed by modellers to achieve the same end result and building up to completed hull level is one of them. I'm not one for copying verbatim so I have settled on a hybrid sequence. Subsequently the plan is to: Build up, and paint the lower and upper hull (which must include the fenders unless you undertake some serious modification and they aren't that substantial) Paint and temporarily tack the running gear in place (probably using masking fluid) Build, fit, align but not close the tracks* Remove, paint and base weather the tracks Final fix the running gear fit and close the complete track assemblies Detail the complete hull Apply the 'whitewash' winter camo Weather the whole model *The running gear track fitting procedure is not finalised and I'm still pondering on that, but once they're aligned one of the on-line video guys suggested that each side could all be tacked/glued together and removed and re-fitted as one assembly, that sounds quite promising. Believe me, I'm not at all stressed by all this infact I'm thoroughly enjoying a different modelling challenge and I don't mean the Dragon instruction sheet! Cheers, Mark. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 Hi all, A little more progress this evening, I assembled the upper hull assemblies including some pretty small and if I'm honest superfluous detail unless you're displaying the model with all the hatches open: working view port mechanism! One side works, its counterpart is a little reluctant. I scratched in some wood grain to the jack block. All the upper hull panels assembled and dry fitted. The machine gun is, like the rest of the kit superbly detailed....but only the barrel will be seen. this side hatch will have to remain closed. There's some PE on the underside of the engine vent grilles again really not noticeable. Cheers, Mark. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 It does look like it goes together a bit different from the norm mark, still it's looking good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Nice progress, coming along nicely... Cheers mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Hi Mark. It looks like you are making excellent progress and I am pleased you are enjoying the build. Your Pz.IV is looking really smart indeed! Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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