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Rhomboid ramblings


06/24

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Had to take the car for it’s MOT today, so enforced day off, spent it working on the rather neglected Renault FTs. Replacement springs from beading wire (and resin from Blast Models on one)

 

51081923871_48d5fb980f_c.jpg1/35 scale by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr


51081923816_efd2dd9642_c.jpg1/35 scale by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

The postie brought an exciting packet, various The Bodi figures who will be repurposed for the first quarter of the 20th century.

 

51081227153_41767bc4cc_c.jpg1/35 scale by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

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So I have three Renault FTs to build, the two under way and the TSF as well. Each track run is 32 links, so 6 sets of links, each needing the mould stub sanded away. 192 links later, and I really don’t like the black plastic, it’s hard on the eyes! A word of caution for anyone following in my footsteps, the rear bogies are handed. Despite trying to follow the instructions as closely as I could, I still managed to get one wrong. That meant an anxious few minutes wriggling it out of the frame, and refitting, and of course one set of wheels escaped. All sorted now, but could have been avoided.

 

50997334489_9d49995421_c.jpg1/35 Renault Ft by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

50997334549_c1c011b5ab_c.jpg1/35 Renault Ft by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

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On checking, I got it wrong on two out of the four, and opposite sides at that, so it’s definitely my error and not anything in the instructions. At least hopefully I can avoid repeating myself on the third kit!

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18 minutes ago, Pig of the Week said:

We live and learn, hopefully !

The black does seem a weird colour to do tracks in...

Especially as it appears they were grey in real life!

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It feels pretty much like kit plastic, not tried gluing it yet to see how it responds to Tamiya extra thin, I have some tiny numbers to add as casting numbers to the track so will find out when I try to fit them.

 

32 links is very loose on the suspension, but 31 does not fit, so I suspect I shall have to glue the track runs in place.

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On 29/03/2021 at 17:46, Pig of the Week said:

the Renault looks a very rivetty thing, and quite "steampunk" at this stage, be interesting to see it evolve.

 I like the little oval makers plate on the main suspension beam (at least I assume it's a makers plate) Very steampunk and very cool. :)

 

 Matt

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Yep, big cast brass makers plate “RENAULT BILLANCOURT”. Although I’m fascinated by the big British Rhomboids, the FT really was the success story, and served for many years after WW1, through campaigns in the east of Europe, and on to serve at the start of WW2.

 

I have half an idea to finish all these vehicles in a fantasy “liberation of Ruritania” style, as a representative of the various wars of national self determination fought across the remains of the German, Russian and Austrian-Hungarian empires. I believe war surplus US Model T ambulances were shipped east at wars end, and the FT served the Poles in their war with Bolshevik Russia, so neither would be implausible, and as the Mark Iv was produced in greater numbers than any other contemporary British tank, it’s not beyond imagining that they might have been “lent” too. The later Mark V served both white and later red armies I believe.

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23 hours ago, 06/24 said:

The later Mark V served both white and later red armies I believe.

 Well, Wikipedia says that 70 Mark V's were supplied to the White Russian Army by Great Britain, and then 'some' were captured by the Red Army, how true that is I have no idea to be honest ;)

 

 Matt 

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They even had a couple of "lozenges" looking rather battered in Berlin at the close of play 1945

...apparently brought back from Russia to Germany as a triumphant display item earlier in Barbarossa. I'd guess that likely most of the 1919 Brit "aid to white Russia" kit ended up with the Soviets

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An essential trip (Mrs 06/24’s COVID jag) gave me a chance to do a little WWI memorial.

 

On the night of 2 April 1916,  one hundred and five years ago today, two Zeppelins, L14 and L22, attacked Edinburgh, dropping bombs across the city. One fell on the Castle Rock, another fell in the Grassmarket, landing among the onlookers gathered to see the spectacle. The bomb exploded outside the White Hart, which was severely damaged. In all 13 people were killed across Edinburgh and Leith, the youngest a baby, killed by a bomb at Bonnington. #RIP

 

51089929609_ec493dc937_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

51090664260_025f9e627b_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

51090399363_455d99eb3e_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

51089855716_f9f910657d_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

51090663920_61ac2ae7b2_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Maybe by this time next year I’ll be able to have a pint and a dram in the ‘Hart

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1 hour ago, 06/24 said:

I do want to. How cool is that!

 

Meanwhile, back on planet almost sensible more figures:

 

51090398713_f9426f0a1b_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

and more progress on the second FT

 

51089854706_3ef5ecf1c2_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr


51090663510_654a41f4d2_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

I thought you might like the lil' tank-car ! :)

Those figures look very crisp in detail...esp. the chap with the petrol can.

Are you going to weave all these into a single diorama ?

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That’s certainly in the back of my mind. The chap with the can is one of the Bodi figures, the slightly exaggerated stance is because he’s designed to carry a jerrycan. His leather jerkin had to have a pocket carved off, and embroidery was removed from his cuffs, so that with a replacement head he looks like an AEF driver (perhaps, at least in my eyes). 

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