diablo rsv Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 This arrived in the post a couple of weeks ago and I have been chomping at the bit to get started on it. So whilst I'm deciding on how to tackle the weathering on my Valentine Mk.III I thought I would get this one underway. The kit comes packaged in a nice sturdy box and for change there is plenty of room inside for everything, plus all of the sprues are individually wrapped in their polythene bags. I wish Miniart would follow suit. There are only five main sprues and the instructions booklet only runs to nine pages, the first page is blank and the second has a couple of photos and a little history. With only seventeen stages I'm hoping for a nice easy build.🤞 After first glancing in the box I thought the £55.00 that UK retailers are asking for it seemed a little steep but I guess as long as no aftermarket is required the price reflects the quality of the kit and it seems to be on a par with other new releases. The moulding on this kit at first glance does seem to be first class with no flash or awkwardly placed sprue gates. The weld beads and bolt head detail on the turret are nicely reproduced and its nice to see that the bolt heads are actually hexagonal, although I wouldn't fancy trying to get a socket to fit with those tapered edges. I guess that's a limitation of the moulding technology and to be fair at normal viewing distances they look excellent. There is only a little bit of photo etch, which suits me, and a nice metal barrel. The tracks may well slow down the build though. Border have supplied them as separate links with small plastic pins to be inserted if you want them to be workable, 117 links and 234 pins per side. That could well test my eyesight, dexterity and patience. The are two solid lengths of track provided for the bottom run which could save a bit of time. Three marking choices are provided, two are from the 6th Armoured Division. Tunisia 1943 and the one that is depicted on the box art from the 1st Armoured division. El Alamein 1942. @Mike Starmer pointed out that the box artwork is incorrect, although the painting guide does have the gloss white undercuts shown. One little bonus that comes with the early releases is a nice little cutting mat with the Crusader depicted on it. Hopefully I can get cracking on this in the next couple of days. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 9 minutes ago, diablo rsv said: That could well test my eyesight, dexterity and patience. It would certainly test mine that's for sure, should be another good build though Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Looking forward to watching you produce another outstanding replica. Stay safe Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I know I'm going to gave to get one sooner or later and now you've shown that Crusader cutting matt I guess it'll have to be sooner! What's the point in temptation if one can't give in to it! Looks a great kit btw and who wants loads of pe and a ridiculous parts count anyway!! Cheers 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I'll certainly be following you on this one Wayne. I've still got a couple of Italeri offerings (albeit Mk.l/lls), so it will be interesting to see how they compare. At least you don't have to eradicate that weird step in the forward track guard. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nenad Ilijic Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Kit looks great! Still waiting for mine to arrive. Looking forward to following this build. Nenad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robw_uk Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 very very nice looking kit... plays like a dream in WarThunder sp perhaps I should build one 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 On 2/23/2021 at 12:10 AM, diablo rsv said: if you want them to be workable, 117 links and 234 pins per side Those tracks look really scary but I'm sure they'll look impressive once they're built and fitted by someone with shed-loads of patience and skill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 On 23/02/2021 at 08:19, Bullbasket said: I'll certainly be following you on this one Wayne. I've still got a couple of Italeri offerings (albeit Mk.l/lls), so it will be interesting to see how they compare. At least you don't have to eradicate that weird step in the forward track guard. John. I don't recall my Mk.I having the step even though it is shown on the box art. Although the Border Model is a big improvement I think with a little extra work the old Italeri kit scrubs up quite nicely. I have a feeling Border may kit a few variants based on this one. Wayne 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 On 23/02/2021 at 07:40, Jasper dog said: I know I'm going to gave to get one sooner or later and now you've shown that Crusader cutting matt I guess it'll have to be sooner! What's the point in temptation if one can't give in to it! Looks a great kit btw and who wants loads of pe and a ridiculous parts count anyway!! Cheers On 23/02/2021 at 20:52, Nenad Ilijic said: Kit looks great! Still waiting for mine to arrive. Looking forward to following this build. Nenad 9 hours ago, robw_uk said: very very nice looking kit... plays like a dream in WarThunder sp perhaps I should build one It's my first Border Model kit and so far I'm really impressed with it. I ordered mine direct from China and they were estimating a March delivery so I was surprised when it turned up a couple of weeks ago. I haven't played War Thunder Rob so I don't know how accurately they portray vehicles but I guess armed with the 6pdr gun it could be a quite potent weapon, as long as it doesn't keep breaking down. Wayne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 1 hour ago, diablo rsv said: It's my first Border Model kit and so far I'm really impressed with it. I ordered mine direct from China and they were estimating a March delivery so I was surprised when it turned up a couple of weeks ago. Not helping in resisting temptation! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaastav Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 On 26/02/2021 at 01:21, diablo rsv said: I haven't played War Thunder Rob so I don't know how accurately they portray vehicles but I guess armed with the 6pdr gun it could be a quite potent weapon, as long as it doesn't keep breaking down. Wayne War Thunder is a game that is fun and painful on various occasions. I mainly play Russian vehicles, which are great for bouncing stuff and the IS tanks with the 122 are very potent, however it's volumetrics are drunk most of the time, with shots that should wreck a tank just bouncing off.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEscaleSHOW Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 On 23/02/2021 at 01:10, diablo rsv said: This arrived in the post a couple of weeks ago and I have been chomping at the bit to get started on it. So whilst I'm deciding on how to tackle the weathering on my Valentine Mk.III I thought I would get this one underway. The kit comes packaged in a nice sturdy box and for change there is plenty of room inside for everything, plus all of the sprues are individually wrapped in their polythene bags. I wish Miniart would follow suit. There are only five main sprues and the instructions booklet only runs to nine pages, the first page is blank and the second has a couple of photos and a little history. With only seventeen stages I'm hoping for a nice easy build.🤞 After first glancing in the box I thought the £55.00 that UK retailers are asking for it seemed a little steep but I guess as long as no aftermarket is required the price reflects the quality of the kit and it seems to be on a par with other new releases. The moulding on this kit at first glance does seem to be first class with no flash or awkwardly placed sprue gates. The weld beads and bolt head detail on the turret are nicely reproduced and its nice to see that the bolt heads are actually hexagonal, although I wouldn't fancy trying to get a socket to fit with those tapered edges. I guess that's a limitation of the moulding technology and to be fair at normal viewing distances they look excellent. There is only a little bit of photo etch, which suits me, and a nice metal barrel. The tracks may well slow down the build though. Border have supplied them as separate links with small plastic pins to be inserted if you want them to be workable, 117 links and 234 pins per side. That could well test my eyesight, dexterity and patience. The are two solid lengths of track provided for the bottom run which could save a bit of time. Three marking choices are provided, two are from the 6th Armoured Division. Tunisia 1943 and the one that is depicted on the box art from the 1st Armoured division. El Alamein 1942. @Mike Starmer pointed out that the box artwork is incorrect, although the painting guide does have the gloss white undercuts shown. One little bonus that comes with the early releases is a nice little cutting mat with the Crusader depicted on it. Hopefully I can get cracking on this in the next couple of days. The kit looks very good and the details are great 👍 I like the fact that PE and aluminium barrel are also included! I'm curious to see how your build goes because i never build a Border Kit. Have fun! MD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMS Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 The kit looks very tempted! Looking forward to watching you produce another little Crusader 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaoinas Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 That should be interesting. Will keep my eye on this build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 I have managed to find the time to get started on this build. Construction begins predictably enough with the fitting of the suspension to the lower hull. There is a small tab that can be removed (A) to allow the suspension to move, although I would think that the pivot point (B) would need to remain unglued to allow full travel. I'm not sure why you would really need working suspension unless you were thinking of a diorama. The spring in the arms would mean having to fix the model to the base by screwing through the bottom of the hull. Alternatively you could fix the suspension arms in an animated position. The plastic that Border Model have used is very soft, I don't know if it's the same for all of their kits, and I'm not sure if I like it. I found that Tamiya Extra Thin was a little strong and if pressure is applied to the parts molten plastic would be pushed out of the join. That's fine for parts that need a seamless join but as Crusaders are full of bolted panels where gaps are quite visible it can cause some difficult clean up. Mr.Cement SP is much better adhesive with this kit for where you don't want a seamless join and even then you need to be careful about how and where you apply the glue. There is no flash but most parts do have a seem line to clean up which doesn't take long due to the nature of the plastic. There are a few sub assemblies such as the air filters, stowage boxes and the drivers cab to build and attach to the upper hull, all of which are fairly straight forward. The stowage boxes are designed so that the lids can be posed open however to give the impression that the lids are thin metal the edges have been tapered off which would be noticeable if posed wide open. I would think that photo etch would be a more suitable material. There are clear parts provide for the headlights and spot light and these will need masking for painting. I have chromed the light reflectors with a Molotow pen. The light guards aren't particularly round in section and that wasn't helped when trying to remove the seamlines so I shall probably replace them with wire. At the back it's nice to see that they have included the exhaust outlet that was missing on the Italeri kit along with a couple of small details. So far I am pleased with this kit. The level of detail is very nice and I haven't noticed any glaring errors although I haven't got much in the way of references to check it against. I don't think the rest of the build should take too long apart from those tracks. Next will be the wheels and turret. Wayne 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 That's looking good Wayne. The exhaust is a plus. I had to make one from pewter foil for my Italeri one. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Some very nice detail on that kit, should be a cracking model ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Nice start to this one, looking forward to the next update now! Stay safe Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy J Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Nice work so far Wayne I'll be watching this with interest 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Stonking work Wayne, some really nice details that are really starting to pop with this build, another stunner in the making, really looking forward to seeing this one in It’s final guise mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vytautas Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Good job! Looking forward to following this build. Vytautas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Excellent progress Wayne! It's a relief to know Border appears to have produced a good'un.....I'm not admitting I gave in to temptation now you know but....😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 Evening all. I have put the turret together without any dramas... well sort of, there is a small issue with the main gun barrel. Border provide a plastic and metal option for the barrel but, the metal one is unusable really. It has a prominent step which I haven't seen in any of my reference photos. The barrel is wider towards the mantlet but the transition should have a gentle slope. I also think the metal barrel has too much girth and in fact it won't go through the hole in the mantlet. The photo is a comparison with the plastic option and a metal one from RB Models ( bottom). To use the RB barrel would have required a fair bit of work to get it to fit and look right. The hole in the mantlet is to wide for it and would need replacing with some plastic card. In the end I went with the plastic barrel which I put in a drill to soften the transition and also to remove the seam lies. I did use the RB counter weight with it though. I also used an RB model BESA with some tubing as it has much nicer detail compared to the kit one. The rest of the turret goes together fairly quickly and looks pretty good although I'm not sure if the weld lines are a little too prominent. I will need to check some references and make a decision. Don't be tempted to fit the turret to the hull at this point as once in it looks as though it will be difficult to remove due to the tabs on the bottom of the turret ring. Now that my workshop is up and running again after a little referb I should be able to start thinking about getting some paint on..... and tackling those tracks. On 06/03/2021 at 21:38, Jasper dog said: I gave in to temptation Good man! You won't regret it, it's a really nice kit. Wayne 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Flip Wayne you make it sound as if crumbled like dry Lancashire! Just hope it comes with the cutting mat! Yours looks to have gone together well even with the barrel issues! Hope the tracks aren't going to be a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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