Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 (edited) Stevehnz requested I do WIPs on a couple of kits I mentioned but until I can acquire them, I thought I'd break my cherry with a Chieftain Mk11. I bought it by mistake - I wanted to do the Berlin cammo but couldn't find a Mk10 for love nor money only to find out later that Mk11s never made it to Berlin, so it'll have to be good old BAOR black and green. It'll have to wait until I can find a Mk10. I have the Mig Berlin cammo set sat on my shelf taunting me. Obligatory box shot: This is only my second Takom kit after doing their 432. Nice crisp mouldings as expected from them, however I'm finding more flash than expected but still a lot less than some I've built. Tracks, fawsands of 'em, well two hundred each with a separate track pad. First things first, give it a wash. In a David Attenborough voice - "here we see the modeller ritualistically washing the parts to appease the Carpet Monster and ensure a bountiful construction without any being taken in tribute". Especially as the room I use has a grey carpet. At the end of the first day I've got the running gear done and started on the top. As you may have noticed from the previous pic, the instructions tell you to remove the ridges around the driver periscope and drill four holes. The road wheels aren't glued as I'll be taken them off to paint. Next instalment to follow....... Bill Edited September 12, 2020 by Big_Bad_Bill fat fingers 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan-o Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Carry on please👍 Be careful what you wish for on the Berlin camo,done my 432 in it and wouldn’t wish all them curves on a Chieftain on anyone😀 Ivan 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 8 minutes ago, ivan-o said: Carry on please👍 Be careful what you wish for on the Berlin camo,done my 432 in it and wouldn’t wish all them curves on a Chieftain on anyone😀 Ivan I know but it must be done. I was stationed in Berlin and also it is a bit of a rite of passage as an AFV modeller. I read a guide and it suggested leaving off the racks and any other sticky outy bit until the main colours are on. It'll be a challenge. I did a Boxer in the Union Flag scheme and it went horribly wrong, although it looks OK from a distance. If you squint a bit. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 On wards and upwards.... The exhausts are nice and deep. The plan is to paint them and Maskol. It's lot easier to pull off the Maskol after spraying then paint them afterwards. The paint is "Scenic Tracks" which I've had for about 40 years along with tin of others. I started modelling in my youth and stopped when girls and cadets got in the way. I've still got some Airfix paint. God knows when they stopped making them. First bit of PE on. I use one tile to cut on and the other as a superglue palette with a length of wire as an application tool. Whilst I'm waiting for the glue to dry on the rear I painted the lights, periscopes, blinky pot and lenses using AK clear colours. I dilute with X-20A to milky consistency and paint on in thin layers . I'll attached the clear parts with PVA and mask prior to spraying. Whilst waiting for everything to dry I started on the turret sub assemblies to make it easier later. Bill 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 18 hours ago, Big_Bad_Bill said: I know but it must be done. I was stationed in Berlin and also it is a bit of a rite of passage as an AFV modeller. I read a guide and it suggested leaving off the racks and any other sticky outy bit until the main colours are on. It'll be a challenge. I did a Boxer in the Union Flag scheme and it went horribly wrong, although it looks OK from a distance. If you squint a bit. Union flag upside down? 😊 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan-o Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Hi Bill, you might want to visit the Armorama site there is a bloke doing the Berlin camo on there! Might be a help and I can recommend the Tankograd Berlin Brigade book. .Ivan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 Done modelling for the day. Went to the sea front for fish and chips with my lovely wife and the dog. You can just about make out France in the distance... Bill 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I'll be watching this with interest, you can't be a Chieftain build! If I can point you to my Berlin Brigade build & reveal, it may be of use to use you when you get round to yours. It was probably the most satisfying build I've done, that camo can be quite daunting at first but I was so glad I tried it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 Ta. I'll check it out when I get s chance. Alas it's Monday and the real world gets in the way of the miniature one. Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I'm going to keep an eye on this as I have the Mk.10 and the Mig Berlin set also, so I'll be looking for any problems that you encounter. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 43 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: I'm going to keep an eye on this as I have the Mk.10 and the Mig Berlin set also, so I'll be looking for any problems that you encounter. John. I appear to have created confusion. This one will be a vanilla BAOR black and green. I'm going to be doing a Berlin Mk 10 in the future once I can get my hand on one. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Nice start, as someone else said can't have enough Chieftains! Roger 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 29 minutes ago, Big_Bad_Bill said: I appear to have created confusion. This one will be a vanilla BAOR black and green. I'm going to be doing a Berlin Mk 10 in the future once I can get my hand on one. No, no confusion Bill. It's just that a lot of the parts in the two kits will probably be the same. No doubt some of the sprues will be duplicated, especially the tracks. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 2 hours ago, Bullbasket said: No, no confusion Bill. It's just that a lot of the parts in the two kits will probably be the same. No doubt some of the sprues will be duplicated, especially the tracks. John. Roger dodge. I've come across a couple but it will be easier to explain with a photo once I'm at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I made a similar mistake in that I bought the Mk.5 to do the Berlin Scheme only to find out later that despite Takom showing that option in the instructions the Mk.5 wasn't used there. I managed to buy the Mk.10 Here if your still looking for one. This is my Mk.10 waiting for some texture and paint to be added. I don't know how different the Mk.10 and Mk.11 are apart from engines so maybe it's possible to modify your kit. If you need any detail shots let me know. I was going to do a WIP of the painting of the Berlin Scheme but I got a bit side tracked with other projects. Wayne 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 6 hours ago, DAG058 said: I'll be watching this with interest, you can't be a Chieftain build! If I can point you to my Berlin Brigade build & reveal, it may be of use to use you when you get round to yours. It was probably the most satisfying build I've done, that camo can be quite daunting at first but I was so glad I tried it. Cracking job. I'll be happy if mine come out half as well. I'm into subtle weathering and yours is spot on. I've seen some that look like they are in Basra not Berlin. I'm starting to wonder if I should treat this as a "what if" and do it in Berlin colours anyway. If the wall hadn't come down the Mk 11 would have mad it there eventually. Decisions, decisions... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 1 hour ago, diablo rsv said: I made a similar mistake in that I bought the Mk.5 to do the Berlin Scheme only to find out later that despite Takom showing that option in the instructions the Mk.5 wasn't used there. I managed to buy the Mk.10 Here if your still looking for one. This is my Mk.10 waiting for some texture and paint to be added. I don't know how different the Mk.10 and Mk.11 are apart from engines so maybe it's possible to modify your kit. If you need any detail shots let me know. I was going to do a WIP of the painting of the Berlin Scheme but I got a bit side tracked with other projects. Wayne From what I can see it is they just replaced the searchlight with the TOGs module. I see Mk 10s about now, I've just not got one yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 15, 2020 Author Share Posted September 15, 2020 (edited) I didn't get a chance to do any yesterday. Today I've just maskol'd the clear parts, reflectors and exhausts and cleaned up the barrel. I've encountered a few issues. One large and a couple minor. Large one first: The bottom hull is warped. I wanted to attached the skirts and paint the hull top separately which will make it impossible to fix the warp, especially with the tool bins/mud guards on. I'm in two minds whether to tie a bit of wire across the middle and see if I can tighten it in to correct. The mud guards do cover but it does affect the sprockets. The minor two are firstly, the gun mask: The instructions say to put it on the breach first then slide on the turret top. It just doesn't fit that way so you have to slot it in the turret top and then slide the breach through. The second is the TOGS lens (M2). It seems like you can attach it to B1 and then onto the main assembly, but it doesn't fit inside the main assembly from outside so must be put in first. (Sorry for posting gibberish. Mustn't post whilst knackered.) Bill Edited September 16, 2020 by Big_Bad_Bill Mental note - don't post when knackered. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 15, 2020 Author Share Posted September 15, 2020 (edited) On 13/09/2020 at 14:03, simmerit said: Union flag upside down? 😊 I guess they did the paint job in expectation of grunts driving it 😀 Ignore the finger..... When I painted it I used cheap masking tape which ended up taking off the white first layer with it, so I ended up repainting the whole thing by brush which looks rubbish in places. Hence from a distance which squinting comment. I've since got some low tack masking tape so I don't repeat my mistake. Bill Edited September 16, 2020 by Big_Bad_Bill Mental note - don't post when knackered. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 18, 2020 Author Share Posted September 18, 2020 Latest update. My suggestion for using wire to wind in hull sides - don't do that. It worked but it was the wings not the hull itself so it cocked everything up. Continued working on the hull today. I made hard work of the light guards. I'm not sure why but they took forever. I also attached the splash guard which gives me an excuse to introduce my PE bending tool: I saw the price of the shop bought ones and went looking on youtube. This is a combination of ideas which I fabricated from bits and bobs I had knocking around the house so the grand total of nothing apart from my time and effort. My kind of price. The important thing is the bevel on the front of the hinge which gives enough room to bend to 90 degrees. I use an old blade as the lever. I use my tweezers for smaller parts and this for anything requiring a long straight bend. This afternoon's progress: I've received an AFV Club Scorpion for the stash. I've shocked by how small it is: I've not compared it but it looks even smaller than the Chaffee. The question is, just how good was my eye sight as a kid that I could make the Airfix 1/76 one? Talk about braille scale. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan-o Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Coming on well👍 That Scimitar is a cracking little kit👌 Ivan 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 18, 2020 Author Share Posted September 18, 2020 4 minutes ago, ivan-o said: Coming on well👍 That Scimitar is a cracking little kit👌 Ivan Ta. I'm looking forward to the Scorpion. I've not got the Mk 10 Chieftain yet so it could be a good break between them as I suspect the Mk 10 build will be 90% exactly the same as this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan-o Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Teach me to read what’s there and not what I think I saw 🙄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Your Chieftain is coming together well, looking better with each update! Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_Bill Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, Hamden said: Your Chieftain is coming together well, looking better with each update! Roger Ta. I'm going to try and do more today but the long haired RSM has other plans for me first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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