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Heller AMX-13 - A Cold War tank from my youth and beyond!


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On 4/25/2020 at 6:18 PM, Dads203 said:

Very nice weathering Terry, looks the dogs mate, all in right areas :thumbsup:

Thanks. A bit more to do yet, but I'm pretty pleased so far.

 

Terry

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14 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

I wouldn't de-emphasise any of it. It looks realistic. I should imagine that desert winds gave these quite a battering.

 

John.

Thanks John. Yes I assume that in the desert a lot of paint wear can occur.

 

14 hours ago, phildagreek said:

I like it, nice job.

Thanks!

 

1 hour ago, Courageous said:

Weathering looks great to this layman. Care to pass on your take on chipping Terry...

 

Stuart

Thanks Stuart. If you mean how have I applied it, I used a very fine brush and just touched those edges where you might expect the paint to be chipped or worn. The finer chippings, like those around the gun and other areas were done with a small sponge, almost dry paint, dabbed on. I used a very dark grey/green for some of it and dark reddish brown in other areas. A mixture of flaked paint showing perhaps original paint scheme, rust or primer. Well documented methods all of them, just a first for me.

 

I think the key with this stuff is VERY fine and careful work on all parts of the model where you would expect wear and tear. Takes a lot of time, but it seems worth it. Washes and pigments next, as well as finishing off the chipping/wearing.

 

I should have most of it done in a few days, so will post more pics then.

 

Still got to tackle those tracks!

 

Terry

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  • 1 month later...

Managed to get a bit more time on this recently, having finished the Norwegian C-47.

 

First job was separate and clean up around 180 individual track links from the Takom set.

 

IMG20200531171908

 

It's tempting to use the Heller all-in-one rubber track supplied, but these links look so impressive and I've not done separate track links before, so I have to give it a go. In the above picture they have been test fitted around one of the sprockets.

 

Yesterday after several mammoth cleaning up sessions on each of the links, I gave all the road wheel tyres some dark grey paint, by hand. The tyre rims are quite well defined, so that helped a lot, and any wobbly edges should disappear when some further weathering washes are applied around the wheels. Each road wheel was then glued in position.  

 

I've left the two idlers and two drive sprockets as just push fit for now as that is key to my plan to get the tracks fitted and glued up to set without letting them set to any of the wheels. Much thinking and input from others on how to get the tracks glued together has led to plan A which involves assembling them on a sort of jig of a straight edge and sticky side up masking tape, then running small amounts of liquid poly between the joins. I'll need to use a slower setting glue to allow them to set off enough to wrap around the wheels, but still hold together ..... I think I might have to fit the sprocket tracks separately and let those set off entirely, as they are a tight fit. Not sure about that bit yet. Anyway, the theory is that when all the tracks are set into position with some minor sag between the return rollers, I'll then carefully remove the tracks for painting and some weathering, then refix complete with sprockets and idlers finally glued in place - simples! 🤪

 

Some pictures of where we are so far. Note only the rearmost left hand side road wheel has had some subtle weathering. All wheels will go a similar way when the paint is next out.

 

IMG20200531122719 IMG20200531122706 IMG20200531171847 IMG20200531171832 IMG20200531171818

 

Comments welcome on the proposed approach to getting the tracks done!

 

Terry

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Nice to see you back on this one Terry.

Looks great so far looking forward to seeing it with tracks on.

 

  Stay safe          Roger

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It looks good Terry. Go for a jig. I've made up a couple of manufacturers tracks, and I always make a simple jig. Just two lengths of balsa wood glued to a base and then sliding the links between them and assembling them that way. It's worked with Bronco tracks and Panda Plastics. 

 

John.

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1 hour ago, Hamden said:

 

Nice to see you back on this one Terry.

Looks great so far looking forward to seeing it with tracks on.

 

  Stay safe          Roger

Thanks Roger

 

23 minutes ago, Bullbasket said:

It looks good Terry. Go for a jig. I've made up a couple of manufacturers tracks, and I always make a simple jig. Just two lengths of balsa wood glued to a base and then sliding the links between them and assembling them that way. It's worked with Bronco tracks and Panda Plastics. 

 

John.

Thanks John. So I assume with that sort of jig, you make runs of the track into major sub-components that could then each be painted, and then final assembled together on the model? I'd imagine if I did it that way, for each side I would need a curved section each for the sprocket and idler, a run for the length below the road wheels, then two short runs from that piece up to respective sprocket and idler, then a final piece along the top across the return rollers? I think it will be more of a challenge to try and make the whole track up as one and then get it over all the wheels, as the clearance at the sprocket in is minimal, and also they fit very tightly around that part.

 

Terry

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2 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

So I assume with that sort of jig, you make runs of the track into major sub-components

I've never assembled Takom tracks, but if they are anything like Bronco's, then I used to assemble them in about ten link lengths, and then join them together. The Bronco ones that I used were for an A13 Cruiser. I assembled them and positioned them around the sprockets and added just a dab of MEK to hold them together.

 

John.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/1/2020 at 9:14 AM, Bullbasket said:

I've never assembled Takom tracks, but if they are anything like Bronco's, then I used to assemble them in about ten link lengths, and then join them together. The Bronco ones that I used were for an A13 Cruiser. I assembled them and positioned them around the sprockets and added just a dab of MEK to hold them together.

 

John.

Thanks John. I suspect they are like Bronco's. In the end I took your advice on two counts, the template, and then assembling in smaller parts.

 

I used some brass square section rod for the template, first trying to use them as parallels. That worked OK, but the links are so small they were hard to align to snap together between the brass as they rocked a bit as I tried to push them together:

 

IMG20200601174612

 

An improvement on that was this one, where the track teeth dropped either side of the brass which again was slightly easier than above:

 

IMG20200601180103

 

Then a light went on, and I ended up with this arrangement, where the teeth fitted between the three blass rods perfectly, almost eradicating any side by side movement:

 

IMG20200601180401

 

So then I measured up various lengths into a number of sub assemblies, or runs of track, but left all the links that went around sprockets and idlers as individual to be assembled around those wheels. Here they are marked up and ready for an airbrush coat of my home mixed acrylic track colour:

 

IMG20200604221921

 

Luckily I remembered to take this picture before the paint went on, so I had a reference as to which parts were for which runs, as the airbrush paint would obviously cover up my careful notes!

 

Once painted, on both sides, I then tackled first one side, allowing it to dry overnight, then the other side, and all the links were on!

 

So this afternoon we have this:

 

IMG20200609154327

 

There is some touching up to do where the glue and handling generally, took off some of the track colour, but overall, I'm very pleased with my first attempt at link and length tracks, a job I dreaded, yet in hindsight actually enjoyed!

 

So next I plan to weather the tracks with washes and highlights for the worn metallic areas, and complete the weathering on the wheels and a few other small areas. There are headlights to attach also, and the 7.62 Mag, plus one or two other bits of detail. I plan to do the weathering over a few days as various washes and pigment layers each need time to dry.

 

Final episode very soon.

 

Terry

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Terry, this looks fantastic!

 

That was a very effective way to assemble the tracks, I will keep this in mind for when I will do the next vehicle with tracks (these individual link tracks always make me think twice about starting such a kit!) if I may.

 

Have a nice day

Nick

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3 hours ago, flashlight said:

Terry, this looks fantastic!

 

That was a very effective way to assemble the tracks, I will keep this in mind for when I will do the next vehicle with tracks (these individual link tracks always make me think twice about starting such a kit!) if I may.

 

Have a nice day

Nick

Thanks Nick. John @Bullbasket and a few others, gave me the confidence to go this way with the tracks. Like you, I thought twice about using these sorts of tracks due to concerns about ease of build, but they are so much better visually than the usual vynl types. it really is worth it IMHO.

 

2 hours ago, Dads203 said:

Now that has turned out really well Terry, nothing not to love mate :thumbsup: 

Thanks. Am very pleased with the way this is going, and for sure, more 1/35 AFV's will follow now that I've gotten into the groove! Just a way to go now with final weathering.

 

2 hours ago, beefy66 said:

Nice so this is why the Vosper is not getting done  :whistle:

 

beefy

Thanks Beefy. So you found me here, and yes, this has been one of the many reasons the Vosper is not seeing much progress. There will be more on that soon, I promise, and I'm feeling in the mood for a 1/350 build soon ................. 😉

 

Terry

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

That looks really good Terry. The chipping and the turret skirt stand out, and great work with those tracks. Your jig worked well.

 

John.

Thanks John. Yes, the jig idea worked a treat. I'm actually way less scared of link and length now!

 

5 hours ago, Courageous said:

Looking pretty neat that Terry. Is it going on a vignette type base...just asking?

 

Stuart

Thanks Stuart. I've not decided how to display it yet, although your question made me think of this, which I picked up last year at the Bovington show........

 

IMG20200610181254

 

Somewhere near the Suez Canal in the summer of 1967 maybe............

 

Terry

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have not had much modelling time on this one recently due to a commission build of a 1/48 Meteor F8, and much to do in the garden.

 

I have managed to get the tracks weathered, along with a bit more weathering generally in areas that had not had much attention. First the tracks and running gear, getting some washes and further scratches and general wear and tear:

 

IMG20200612215558 IMG20200612215604 IMG20200614174534 IMG20200614174635

 

Then some similar extra work around the engine deck and turret areas:

 

IMG20200614172833 IMG20200614172847 IMG20200614174607

 

Next task was to glue the 7.62 Mag assembling into place but then I realised something else was missing, in the form of the four front headlights which I'd deliberately left off to avoid knocking them off during construction, but had completely forgotten about them!

 

IMG20200615141911

 

The offending parts were found lurking at the back of the "in build" shelf, amongst some other part finished projects............

 

IMG20200612141336

 

 So some rapid work to paint the inside silver, and insert the "glass" parts.

 

Tonights job then is to finish the lights and put them in place, give the whole model a final coat of satin varnish and possibly add some pigment dust to the tracks and lower body. The very final thing will involve constructing two whip aerials for either side of the front turret.

 

Final episode very soon!

 

Terry

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It's the little bits that can get knocked off that can also get forgotten about. My memory is getting so bad that I have to start writing down little notes to remind me......but then I forget where I've put them!

The chipping looks great. Nice work.

 

John.

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16 minutes ago, Hamden said:

 

Very nice Terry you have certainly raised the bar with this one!

 

  Stay safe         Roger

Got to agree with Roger, very very nice indeed Terry :thumbsup:

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Thanks for all your comments @Courageous, @Bullbasket, @Hamden, @Dads203 and @robgizlu

 

Finally sorted the lamps....

 

IMG20200623220342

 

And fitted two whip aerials, one either side of the turret. I made these from fine brass wire, curved around a tin of baked beans!

 

IMG20200625080823

 

Some further minor weathering all finished, so am now calling this one done.

 

RFI here with a large amount of general, and detailed pictures of the finished vehicle............

 

 

Thanks all for following the long journey to attempt to turn this old kit into a respectable model!

 

Terry

 

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