Roden's BL mk6 8 inch howitzer has finally arrived....

[McNab]

...and well what can I say? Not exactly ICM or Copper State quality of moldings, and I am being kind. And gentle. The vinyl tracks that fit to the inner wheels are simply ghastly. A lot of the moldings are reminiscent of Airfix in the sixties. Massive mold lines, lots of oddly placed release marks and many assembly points not lined up or holes too small, or pins too short etc etc. 

 

However, I have been waiting for this for a long time since I built the Holt 75. It was just begging to have something to tow. So I doggedly got it more or less to fit together over the weekend. I rebuilt the wheels today and it has improved it greatly. Those vinyl tracks are so deformed that if you cut them in order to straighten them out, then they are simply too narrow. The inside of the barrel could have benefitted from some rifling; I will have to do something about that, because if the box art is anything to go by, then the barrel was rifled. But… the brake system shown on the box is not the same as the one included in the kit. I haven't researched (shock horror) how it all should look but I am not so fussy… as long as the model looks nice! 

 

On the plus side, there is a nice little caisson included AND a firing pad - for want of a better word - that can be built either to receive the howitzer or for moving from one firing ground to another. when it's all linked together with the Holt, it makes for an impressive display. 

 

In conclusion, I have to say that I have found the whole kit giving the feeling of being rushed; it's been advertised since GKW but some of it looks like the moldings were milled yesterday and not finished off. What a shame.

 

BUT - having said that - I think I will have to buy another one so it can be displayed on the firing pad, with barrel set at a steep angle. Masochism is a virtue.🙄

 

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by McNab

[Stevejj]

Just read the post must have missed it. You mentioned a Holt tractor was it from a kit or scratch built? Would love to see a pic

All the best

Steve

[sinnerboy]

kit

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ROD812

[McNab]

On 5/1/2019 at 7:10 PM, Stevejj said:

Just read the post must have missed it. You mentioned a Holt tractor was it from a kit or scratch built? Would love to see a pic

All the best

Steve

Hi Steve, sorry, not ignoring you ! I forgot to choose the notifications thing 🙄 and yes as sinnerboy showed it is available from Roden. I built one when they first came out. Nice kit, some bits need reworking but nothing major. I will post a picture of the finished tractor if you like.

 

cheers

Andrew

[Stevejj]

1 hour ago, McNab said:

Hi Steve, sorry, not ignoring you ! I forgot to choose the notifications thing 🙄 and yes as sinnerboy showed it is available from Roden. I built one when they first came out. Nice kit, some bits need reworking but nothing major. I will post a picture of the finished tractor if you like.

 

cheers

Andrew

Would love to see a picture Andrew, very kind of you to offer. Thanks 

Steve

[Stevejj]

On 01/05/2019 at 19:15, sinnerboy said:

kit

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ROD812

Thanks for the link. Sorry I missed the post, I miss a lot as I get older lol

Steve

[McNab]

15 hours ago, Stevejj said:

Would love to see a picture Andrew, very kind of you to offer. Thanks 

Steve

Hi Steve. Camera on charge, will take some when done. Cheers.

[McNab]

1 hour ago, McNab said:

Hi Steve. Camera on charge, will take some when done. Cheers.

Hi Steve. Here you are. With Roden's howitzer in tow plus caisson/limber and firing platform in transit. The artillery parts are not yet weathered but will be. I like to leave them a week or so before starting to distress them. I think I made one mistake (probably more) but I added what I think is the oil reserve tank for the hydraulic recoil… I have been advised that this only appeared on later models? If so, butchering is needed : 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[McNab]

Hi Steve.

 

Looking at the Holt now, I think the tracks are too silvery so I will rectify that. I added the rolled up tarps around the roof section. I remade the exhaust stack out of aluminium tubing, and it is probably too tall but I liked it so there There is a series of sink marks along the centre line of the corrugated roof. I got lazy and just added a strip of styrene instead of filling or remaking the thing entirely. I don't think it looks out of place, even if it is completely wrong and I shall burn in Hell 😮 

 

Anyway, hope it gives you an idea what the kit looks like. 

 

Cheers

Andrew

 

PS: excuse kitchen back drop… my usual place to photograph models is currently 'flup' with other gear. 

Edited May 4, 2019 by McNab
none

[McNab]

Regards the howitzer kit (the topic of this thread, after all!) there is at least one omission in the instructions. Parts D20 (two of them) are supposed to be fixed to the rear on top of the tail of the howitzer where the spade would be digging into the ground underneath. I imagine they are for attaching lifting gear? There are clear indentations to guide their placement.

 

There is another part, B26, which looks like a bracket of some sort but it's location so far eludes me.  If anyone can shed some light on this it would be appreciated. 

 

Cheers

Andrew

 

 

[Stevejj]

Thanks for the pic. Brilliant modeling agree about the tracks but the rest is great. Just the right amount of weathering good stuff

All the best

Steve

[dnl42]

Bravo!

 

Regardless of any issues with the kit, you achieved an outstanding result!

[sinnerboy]

Wow, very nice Sir!

Hats off