flashlight Posted June 18, 2020 Share Posted June 18, 2020 Hi everybody, hope that everyone is fine and safe. While I'm slowly slowly crawling towards the finishing line with my current project (Zvezda Tiger M w/Arbalet) I will start this little thingie, just to stay in the flow. It's one of the newer kits of Ace and I really look forward to building it, I really like the Ace kits. Before I begin let's have a look what's inside the box: Typical for Ace kits are the very small and delicate detail parts - this is going to be fun! Most likely I will build the Northern Ireland version. Hope to show you some progress soon! Have a nice day Nick 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 18, 2020 Share Posted June 18, 2020 Right scale, nice subject...I'm in. I'm yet to build an Ace kit, got two Centurion's waiting for some attention. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 18, 2020 Author Share Posted June 18, 2020 @Courageous Hi Stuart, nice to have you along. I can show a bit of progress already. Cut off and cleaned the first five parts of the main hull. More flash than expected, but no problem. ...and glued them together, fit is okay, not quite as good as their Tiger, but maybe my fault, sometimes it's hard to tell which is flash and which is the part.. That's it for now, thanks for looking! Have a nice day Nick 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted June 18, 2020 Share Posted June 18, 2020 Great subject, pity about the scale, it must be tiny! Good luck. Darryl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Looking good Nick. Those rear doors are screaming to be posed open but I don't think I'd like to detail the innards but ... Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 @Jasper dog @Courageous Hi Darryl and Stuart, thank you very much for your kind words. Yes it's tiny, I couldn't do it without magnifiers, but it's fun and a good training for my hamfisted fingers! Re the rear doors - unfortunately all the hatches are moulded closed and it would take quite a surgery to open them without destroying them... There is no interior provided. I'm not good at scratch building at all so I leave everything as is. Have a nice day Nick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Nick, I wasn't implying that you hack the doors off, that side of it doesn't phase me but the interior would. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Hi Stuart, thank you, I think that I understood you correctly, I just tried to explain why I won't open the doors. Usually I build oob, when there is no possibility to open up doors or hatches it's okay with me. 🍻 Building an interior from scratch is far beyond my skills. Have a nice day Nick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 Hi everybody, in between my many commitments this weekend I found some time to get on with this little vehicle. Six lifting eyes and the first parts of the suspension were attached to each side. Went on as per instructions with the wheel shocks and a kind of torsion bar. I have to say that it seems like the moulding forms are already worn out and seem to be out of alignment, each of the parts is somehow misaligned in itself by about half a millimeter, which is a lot for such tiny parts. Therefore much time was spent cleaning up the parts. The attachment of the above shown parts was a bit difficult, first you had to stick the shocks through the openings on the torsion bar and then you have to attach all the parts together to the hull sides, After a lot of swearing an fettling it was done. The fit is less than perfect, but I think most of these parts will be hidden. After this I added the attachment points for the wheels, also not a very good fit and much work to bring them there. Next parts of the suspension - this vehicle seems to have a very complicated system! Parts cleaned and ready for some glue... ...glued together... ...and in place! Suspension is still not finished, there were still some tiny parts that wanted to be attached. Well, this is the result of the on and off modelling during the weekend - the suspension is completed, and I am glad that it's done because it was quite difficult. Thanks for looking, any comments are welcome! Have a nice day Nick 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 A good bit of weekend work Nick. With such small suspension parts it was always going to be difficult. It will be interesting to see how much of it will be seen when the wheels are on and that may influence my decision on what I would do . I also like to offset my wheels, I think that would be a tricky job to do but something else to look at, we'll see. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 Hi Stuart, thank you very much for your comment. I think that most of it will be hidden. When you look at pics of the real thing you don't see very much of the suspension. To offset the wheels it just would need some minor surgery on the suspension parts of the front an middle axles I think, it could be worth a try. Have a nice day Nick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 That really looks incredibly fiddly. Nice work on getting it together neatly! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 @Murdo Hi Murdo, thank you for your kind words. It really was fiddly but big fun too! I am enjoying this build very much! Have a nice day Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 This one is coming along nicely Nick. I have a few of those ACE kits in my stash, though not this particular one. I quite like the finesse of the detail they provide, while not being OTT. Will follow with interest. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 @Terry1954 Hi Terry, thank you very much for the nice comment. I am glad to have you with me! I really like the qualitiy of their newer productions, and I like their older kits because of the challenge! Have a nice day Nick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 Hi all, had some progress last day. I applied the exhaust pipes to the rear, and the fenders and the storage boxes beneath them. I had to remove some flash from the parts but otherwise this was quite straightforward. Next will be the upper parts of the hull and the front grille. Thanks for looking. Any comments are welcome. Have a nice day Nick 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 It's looking good Nick. Our radio squadron had these in Germany, along with Humber Pigs. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 @Bullbasket Interesting! Must have been no fun riding in these vehicles cross country, they seem to have been very cramped inside for 3 crew + 8! During the last days I got the hull done, but it was quite tricky, more than expected. All the parts didn't fit quite well and it was rather difficult to get them all in place. Some filler was needed, especially at the rooftop, because the part is a tad too short. After that I built the tiny turret, which consists of 5 parts. Fit of the parts is good. I drilled up the lifting eyes. Here it is where it's supposed to be. Next will be some detail parts and primer. Thanks for looking! Any comments are welcome. Have a nice day Nick 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted July 5, 2020 Author Share Posted July 5, 2020 Hi all, there has been some progress. First I sprayed a coat of primer to see if all the gaps are closed, especially the gap on the rooftop. After this I started to attach most of the detail parts. Some of them are very small, and I spent more time on my hands and knees searching for the jumped off itsy bitsy parts than attaching them. Fortunately my parquet monster wasn't hungry, I found them all! Next I sprayed another coat of primer, this is the current status. Next will be building the wheel disks, and then I might spray the first coat of green overall. Have a nice day Nick 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Looking great Nick. Recently acquired my copy. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Nice work Nick. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Doft my hat to all you 72nd scale armour builders working in such a small scale isn't an easy task but you make it look like child's play Nick 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashlight Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 @Courageous @Bullbasket @Dads203 Thank you very much for your very kind words, Stuart, John and Dads! 14 hours ago, Courageous said: Recently acquired my copy. Great! I hope you'll enjoy the build as much as I do! 14 hours ago, Dads203 said: ....but you make it look like child's play Nick Not at all in fact, I swear and curse and say things not suitable for children's ears during handling such small parts! Anyway, I think the hardest part is done now. Have a nice day Nick 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Hi Nick, just catching up with your build, progressed really well, looks good even in primer. Still to small for sanity! Good luck Darryl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan-o Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Very nice work indeed👌 Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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