John Masters Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 I think I'll try to squeeze this one in. It says 'Finnish Army' on the box... No decals...I might try to hand paint something...not sure I'll get to the anti-aircraft gun...I'll give it a go! Sprue tomorrow... --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 .... and another build...you really are having fun. An interesting choice as well, quite an unusual looking truck with the armoured front to it. Looks like they "borrowed" the AA gun.....Desert colours? Good luck with this....I managed to catch the start of a build for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 An interesting combination. Looks like the truck was one of the ones modified in Leningrad in the second half of 1941 and then captured by the Finns. IZ Trucks Leningrad I would have expected the gun to be Panzer Grey in 1941, but the more I research these things the more I find exceptions so who knows? Either way, I'll join up and follow this one, your builds are always worthwhile Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 Thanks for that link @Foxbat. I have bookmarked it for further research. Meanwhile, back at the bench... I will start here... All the parts need careful removal from the sprue and then even more careful cleaning of flash, little blobs of plastic that don't belong, etc...Yes...it's one of those kits. But it all came together alright. Next up...the wheels...yikes! Flash city. And I made a small error, due to enthusiasm more than anything else. I don't need all the wheels they have supplied. This mould is obviously also for the AAA GAZ truck with four sets of dual wheels...but I forgot that and started cleaning them all up until I realized I had too many! 😆 There is some detail in there... Once cleaned. they looked much better. If you're wondering why they are white, I gave them a light dusting of white primer. It makes it easier to discern detail from flash. Let's look here now... Yikes again...easily cleaned... And together. The required some finessing and blue language but it looks ok. So far, so good. I have been contemplating colour schemes and I might skip the elaborate camo on the box top and go for the basic Soviet Green. I will hand paint some Finnish markings in blue or something maybe. Mud and dust, yes... --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted December 6, 2021 Share Posted December 6, 2021 Whoops, flashy kit you have there. Especially those wheels, that must have been tedious. But good result so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 1 hour ago, JeroenS said: that must have been tedious. But good result so far! Thanks. It wasn't bad. A form of meditation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 A fair amount of assembly has happened. The cab onto the chassis; the rear 'wooden' truck box is together; and the supports that go beneath the box onto the chassis. All of this required a fair amount of fettling and cleaning before the pieces fit properly. Note that the two cross beams are not the same. The notches in one are closer together than the other because the chassis is not a right angle. It narrows slightly as it goes forward, if that makes sense. I.e., make sure to attach part 55 in front of part 53. And here I am now...I daubed a bit of PPP around the edges of the cab and sanded it a bit. I'm about ready for some final bits of assembly and maybe some paint. --John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reini Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Good job on tidying up the parts. Starting to look like a finished product soon Will you do the gun too or just the truck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 8, 2021 Author Share Posted December 8, 2021 Thanks @reini I will try to get the gun built but the SAAB comes first. If I can be industrious before Christmas it’ll happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 9, 2021 Author Share Posted December 9, 2021 I've sprayed the Russian Green (whatever that is...!) on the truck and Have attached the headlamps. I painted the inside silver and have added a dollop of Revell Clear to it. It'll dry clear, as we know. Wheels... Front bit... I'm about ready for the final assembly, markings and weathering. --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 @reini wanted to now about the FLAK gun... Yikes. Lots of flash. Soft, semi brittle plastic, impossibly small parts (with flash)...So I guess the answer is 'yes'...I will build the gun. I still have 15 days until the GB ends after all! I became so engrossed with the process that I built quite a lot of it before I stopped and took some pictures. OK, I also had to go out and meet some friends for the local pub quiz last night (my team won). Drilling, sanding, filing, clamping...Fettling to the Nth degree. I cleaned up and assembled the guns, with their magazines. That was tricky, especially the barrels which were flashy and still are not perfect. I also assembled the centre piece that holds the guns on place, with the sighting mechanism, the seat...etc...I'll see what it all looks like today and how to proceed. I think I will paint this Panzer Grey even thought the box art has a more Afrika Korp look to it. --John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 The truck is essentially finished. I just need to add some camo, markings and weathering. I am thinking of painting a splotchy whitish grey camo. What do you all think? --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 Fettle, fettle and more fettling on a rainy weekend...I am building the FLAK gun in components. Then I will paint the components and assemble them. The instructions say 'Sand'...Could it be that along worth all the tropical 109 Gustavs, the Finns also received AK surplus? I imagine anything is possible. OK. I'll go for the desert look. Anyway...2 hours of sanding, trimming, filing, sanding some more...at one point I had two hobby knives, a pair of snips, two pairs of tweezers, one multi-side sanding stick, cocktail sticks, and four metal files all on the bench. Madness. CA and regular cement...insanity. The guns and extra magazines are painted gunmetal but not photographed. And the end result. All ready for paint. --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaCee26 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 That is really something I have to check... Where is my book about Finnish army wartime vehicles??? Cheers, AaCee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 This is coming together quickly. I predict a gallery entry by Sunday evening. Vallejo Air Sand (Ivory)... Tires need some rubber, assembly, etc... I used some of the sand colour on the truck as well...and some darker brown. I like it. --John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 8 hours ago, John Masters said: Sand'...Could it be that along worth all the tropical 109 Gustavs, the Finns also received AK surplus? The German Panzer yellow had nothing to do with the Afrika Korps, it was adopted after , I think, the first summer in Russia when it was found that the Panzer grey stood out like the proverbial against the sun bleached grass of the steppes. AW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 11, 2021 Author Share Posted December 11, 2021 7 hours ago, Andwil said: the first summer in Russia when it was found that the Panzer grey stood out like the proverbial against the sun bleached grass of the steppes. Aha! That makes sense. Thanks AW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 Really nice work John on an unusual subject. You have done a great job of cleaning up all the parts, there was almost enough flash to make another kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 On 12/11/2021 at 8:46 PM, modelling minion said: Really nice work John on an unusual subject. You have done a great job of cleaning up all the parts, there was almost enough flash to make another kit! Thanks Craig. After attempting to assemble the FLAK components, I made an executive decision to abandon that element of the kit. It was just not coming together well. I think it was a case of poorly moulded plastic with too much detail...See for yourself.I am very unhappy with both the kit and my handling. So there. The truck, on the other hand, looks fine and I have added some stuff in the back. What I have done is order the Italeri German small cannon set from the LHS and it should arrive here mid-week. It has a FLAK 38 and from what I have seen online the plastic is better, a better kit. I might cannabalize some bits from the current gun, but for the most part it is going in the bin. Still plenty of time in this GB... --John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Really sorry to hear that you have had to stop building the Flak 38 John, especially as you were so close to completing it but I completely understand as sometimes you need to draw a line in a build when it gets too much like hard work. Hopefully the replacement by Italeri will be better quality. I like the selection of stores in the back of the truck, very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Probably the right decision John. Looking at the parts on the sprue, it was clearly quite a poor mould. Frankly I think it was something of a minor miracle and great skill that you got those four guns off the sprue without them breaking into two or three pieces. AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 7 hours ago, Andwil said: Frankly I think it was something of a minor miracle and great skill that you got those four guns off the sprue without them breaking into two or three pieces. AW Well...one barrel did snap, but only after it was off the sprue and I was trying to clean a bit of sprue gate off the piece. Thanks for the vote of confidence, however! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 A good decision. I thought you managed to clean up the parts very well but seeing it all together now... it just doesn't look anywhere near convincing. The Italeri version must be better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 On 12/13/2021 at 9:13 AM, JeroenS said: The Italeri version must be better! I hope so! I am picking up the kit today at the local courier. I'll get into it later, I hope. From what I have seen on line, the pieces are simpler and moulded better. Here are the instructions. https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/0/6/7/110067-77-instructions.pdf The kit also comes with a couple of soldiers and some extra bits. I think, since the Finns used German-looking uniforms, I might use one of the guys. I'll throw the MP-42 in the back of the truck. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 Here's the cannon trio from Italeri... The pieces I'll be using... Pretty simple instructions... Pretty quick work. There was some flash but it was easily sanded/trimmed... The figures are moulded pretty well too. I may use one or two. -John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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