JeroenS Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Hey Big X, nice to see you digging into the Blitz! This kit makes an excellent build, I used it for weathering practice, good fun. I'm curious to see your version so I'll just tag along. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Hi Big X, A model that can be taken advantage of, I really like the "tricks" that you have resorted to to solve the small problems encountered. Very good progress so far ... Cheers mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Nice to see you back at the bench. And a nice subject too. Radiator? Card, mesh. ten minutes, tops. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 Thanks Guys... 28 minutes ago, JeroenS said: Hey Big X, nice to see you digging into the Blitz! This kit makes an excellent build, I used it for weathering practice, good fun. I'm curious to see your version so I'll just tag along. Hey Jeroen - it won't be a patch on yours - but hopefully it will help me get back to the bench and actually make something - thanks for following. 17 minutes ago, FrancisGL said: Hi Big X, A model that can be taken advantage of, I really like the "tricks" that you have resorted to to solve the small problems encountered. Very good progress so far ... Cheers mate Hi Francis - the 'tricks' are usually to remedy my mistakes - but hey pass the popcorn. 🍿 10 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said: Nice to see you back at the bench. And a nice subject too. Radiator? Card, mesh. ten minutes, tops. Thanks Pete - I'll show you my 'masterpiece' shortly. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 Well @Pete in Lincs I didn't have any mesh - but here is what I did have... ...it's some 1/72 'corrugation' - to which I added a frame... ...then a bit more and some shaping... ...it's pretty basic - but it will hide the empty engine bay. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Nice work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Excellent progress today and I like the trick with the radiator - should look the part once it's all painted. Gearstick looks good as well. All the best Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 I haven't built any armour since I was a kid but I'm really starting to think I'm going to have to change that and I'm seriously considering picking up this Opel kit to cut my teeth on. 8 hours ago, BIG X said: 12th SS Panzer Division - Hitlerjugend. I just got "Three Days in Hell" on Friday about the fighting between the 12th SS and the Canadians between Bayeux and Caen on the 7th to 9th June and it has a photo where in the background an Opel is driving up to the front carrying Panzergrenadiers. Absolutely fantastic book and the level of research in it is astounding and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in the fighting in Normandy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 20 minutes ago, Smithy said: I haven't built any armour since I was a kid but I'm really starting to think I'm going to have to change that and I'm seriously considering picking up this Opel kit to cut my teeth on. I just got "Three Days in Hell" on Friday about the fighting between the 12th SS and the Canadians between Bayeux and Caen on the 7th to 9th June and it has a photo where in the background an Opel is driving up to the front carrying Panzergrenadiers. Absolutely fantastic book and the level of research in it is astounding and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in the fighting in Normandy. Wow Smitty - that sounds like a fantastic read. My own current main area of interest is the British 11th Armoured Division. Only the 'Inns of Court' (armoured car regt) were present on D-Day - the rest of the boys shipped in few days later - though they saw plenty of action in the months the that followed. I managed to pick up a copy of their official history of the campaign - published in 1946... It is an amazing read - especially as it was published 'at the time' - by and for the men who were actually there. Like you - I joined as an aircraft modeller - but found a new interest that has fascinated me & now I'm converted to the quieter side of the forum - where some very skilled modellers are willing to tolerate an AFV beginner and offer tons of encouragement & advice - without knocking my efforts. It's good to swap and change genre and scale - it keeps you 'fresh'. I'm looking at butchering a chopper next year and maybe even a Vietnam US PBR (river boat) - ala 'Apocalypse Now'. Cheers - Steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 8 minutes ago, BIG X said: Wow Smitty - that sounds like a fantastic read. It's quite simply one of the best researched books I have ever read Steve. The translation from French isn't perfect but the research in it is just downright astounding. The part I am up to in reading it, it even breaks down SS platoons into individual members - you don't usually see this kind of microscopic detail in relation to a combat narrative of this scale. Just a fantastic book. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 Well it's been a very busy day - Lewis has won another GP in Abu Dhabi - "Get in there Lewis" as his race engineer would say. Meanwhile - I've spent hours at the bench - having fun, for the first time since the August Blitz Build... "Get in there Steve" as some of you have been whispering in my ear. Thanks for all the support - it is appreciated. Steve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 Happy Saturday Folks - it's been a busy week and I've just noticed I haven't actually commented on anything ALL WEEK. I have got a few things done - a little each night, so it's time for an update. The Mr Surfacer had time to dry and harden on all the ejector marks. What I did notice was these slots though on 'what I thought was the rear of the truck bed'. I considered using filler on them after putting the bed together - but figured it might be a lot of work - so I went down another track. I found some 'C' section in the spares box - like this... So I chopped it and popped it on... As you can see I started 'scoring' the sanded filler to try and regain the wood grain too. I spent the middle of the week attaching the supports and mud guards to the underside of the bed... ...it was a tad fiddly to say the least - but kept me occupied in a positive way. Now the hilarious bit was when I came to pop the bed onto the chassis... I realised the slots on the bed would have been hidden by the cab - as it was the front of the bed and not the back as I had thought... ...I guess I should have had more faith in Tamiya - but it doesn't look too bad. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Anyway, the work was magnificent, and you can always "scrutinize" the model from all angles, without fear of seeing unwanted marks ... Cheers mate 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 The other 'brain teaser' this week was what to do about these... They looked awfully fragile and with my clumsy approach to handling models I knew they would snap off almost as soon as I had them in place. I did a little research and found they were probably 'whiskers'... ...meet Pearl - she has very long whiskers - for a reason... Men might grow a beard or maintain a mustache just for extra style points, but the facial hair of the cat has nothing to do with fashion. A cat's whiskers — or vibrissae — are a well-honed sensory tool that helps a cat see in the dark and steer clear of hungry predators. Whiskers are highly sensitive tactile hairs that grow in patterns on a cat's muzzle, above its eyes and elsewhere on its body, like the ears, jaw and forelegs. At the root of each of these long, stiff hairs is a follicle loaded with nerves. By brushing its whiskers against an object, a cat can detect the precise location, size and texture of the object, even in the dark. This feature proves particularly useful for a cat trying to gauge whether it can fit into a tight space. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 Here are a few examples of Opels with 'whiskers'... I know these are modern restored vehicles and the whiskers in the kit are 'paddles' - rather than 'golf balls' - but I decided to go down the golf ball route - with more pins - dipped in PVA... Once the PVA had hardened I gave them a quick coat of paint to make sure the finish was smoother than my 'primitive' gear stick. PVA certainly works better than Mr Surfacer - which dries a bit 'knobbly'. Meanwhile - I set to work on drilling some holes in the mudguards... ..not pretty I admit & fiddly too - but fun anyway. Time for a bit of primer... Amazing how a bit of primer hides all those gluey smears. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Looking awesome, great work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 The last bit of work before the weekend was priming the truck bed... My mojo is holding up well and I'm looking forward to getting more done over the weekend. Thanks for popping in and see you later - hopefully. Steve 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jan Scholte v. Mast Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Looks good. Heard a lot of positive things about it, but it lacks an engine and then my interest is almost gone. Your build made me start the Cyber Hobby kits I have in the stash. I really love that little truck, so its Blitz Time untill the end of the year. Happy Days, Robert Jan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 1 minute ago, Robert Jan Scholte v. Mast said: Looks good. Heard a lot of positive things about it, but it lacks an engine and then my interest is almost gone. Your build made me start the Cyber Hobby kits I have in the stash. I really love that little truck, so its Blitz Time untill the end of the year. Happy Days, Robert Jan Will you be doing a WIP Robert ??? It would be good to see how different the Cyber Hobby kit is compared to the Tamiya. If you are - please post a link on here please. Thanks - Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jan Scholte v. Mast Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Actually I started the Dragon Opel Blitz with the AA in back. I was planning to use that AA Gun for another purpose, so builded that GEM over last weekend. Now I have the Dragon and 2 Cyber Hobby Opel Blitz kits. One Cyber will stay in the stash for a super detailing job. Dragon and Cyber Hobby kits are twins, the only difference is the offering of 8 holed rims Dragon provided as an option. I will make pictures and start a blog later this weekend. Al lot of work has been done already, but still needs construction to make it a truck. Will be fun. Regards, Robert Jan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 It's looking really good Steve, and the width indicators turned out well. One remembers the time that one took off the width indicator of a Magirus Deutz with ones Bedford RL, whilst coming through some road works. The silly bas beggar wouldn't sit there and wait for me to get through first. He came off worst! Although I did end up on CO's orders for it. John. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 38 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: It's looking really good Steve, and the width indicators turned out well. One remembers the time that one took off the width indicator of a Magirus Deutz with ones Bedford RL, whilst coming through some road works. The silly bas beggar wouldn't sit there and wait for me to get through first. He came off worst! Although I did end up on CO's orders for it. John. Ha Ha - width indicators - I knew there would be a 'proper name' for my 'whiskers'. I'm off to pull my cat's 'width indicators' - she gets really rowdy when you do that - Down pearl Down... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 Apart from playing catch up (and pulling my cat's whiskers) I have actually got some useful work done today - weekends are so precious... In my attempt to build a model without breakable parts I turned to the wing mirror AND more pins... The kit comes with 2 identical sprues - mainly of parts that need duplicating - but also with some unique parts - like the wing mirror for the left hand door. Again it is very fragile - so I made a 'facsimile' with a pin and made a duplicate for the other door... It looks like most Opels only had the one mirror - but if you can make 2 - why not??? I'm quite pleased with the result... They look pretty good and won't snap off when I'm assing around with her later on. The City v Utd match is about to start coverage on SKY Wish me & @Avereda luck - who knows what could happen - lets have another 6-1 - in our favour of course 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Looking very nice Steve, these do look fantastic kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Excellent progress today Steve. Glad to see no cats were harmed in the making of the model though. Good idea to "breakage-proof" as much as possible. I hate it when you have everything nicely painted only to snap something off and then get glue marks over the paintwork. All the best Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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