Mk1 gun carrier scratchbuild

[ColonelKrypton]

Your wheels do look good in spite of whatever flaws you may think are there. Same too for the engine and drive train - it really does look the part. Well done, your execution of this model and all of it's bits and pieces is an excellent example of the art of scratch built model making.

 

I constantly struggle with trying to make something perfect. From time to time I still get caught up in the notion but I have gotten much better keeping that demon at bay. There is much written on the subject of excellence versus perfectionism. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/tracking-wonder/202112/pursue-excellence-not-perfection

 

cheers, Graham

[The 3rd Placer]

Dude you are a craftsman, we are our own worst critics.

 

I shoot for 85%.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Excellence vs perfection!?!?!🤔

 

I’m generally struggling to get beyond ‘rough-as-guts’ 😱

[xebec]

We get completely invested in every microscopic detail, and know and remember every tiny flaw, even on a relatively straightforward kit build. In the end though, what matters is what it looks like built and painted, and this is going to look fantastic. 

[ColonelKrypton]

38 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

I’m generally struggling to get beyond ‘rough-as-guts’ 😱

 

Steve, you are far too modest.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[Model Mate]

Thanks all - I'm really not too bothered about the wheels being slightly different; they're already not exactly 100% accurate anyway, and good enough for me. Once it's had a coat of paint, weathering and so on, and has sat on a shelf for a bit, I'll have forgotten all about the inaccuracies. There's bound to be something that bugs me about it in the future (there always is that " I could have done better" issue/regret), but I don't think it'll be the wheels anyway. At the moment, my weakest part of this build is the figures, so I really must get back to them and have another crack.

[Model Mate]

With the gun wheels done (for now) I’ve moved back to the main lower hull. I rivetted the inside faces with 0.8mm balls for the larger ones and 0.4mm solder balls for the smaller ones on the cab sides. These were a bit of a faff, as they were hard to get to in some cases, but at least they stick reasonably well. I can see from the photos that a few of the bigger ones on the floor (which I did a while ago) have pinged off, so they'll need replacing.

 

Before commencing with the remaining sea of rivets on the outsides, I finished off the running wheel axles and their associated bracing plates with 0.2mm silver wire to represent the U bolts that clamp them in place. This was an exercise in tedium; so much so that I’m actually looking forward to more riveting! Firstly I needed to drill a series of tiny holes for the wire and got through nearly a whole box of drill bits. Then gluing the wires in place. You know superglue….. it either sticks like sh*t to the proverbial blanket, or like oil to water i.e. not at all. Guess which approach it took for this job – yep, the latter. Eventually I got them all in place, but they need trimming back, and I’ll have to retrieve my surgical scissors (very small spring-handled) for that job.

 

The same axles and brackets are fixed to the inside of each track run. There’s no way I’m going to go through all that, so I limited it to just the axles and plates for the very front and back in case they can be glimpsed in the future, but omitted the U bolts. As luck would have it, I saved my aborted earlier attempts at the gun sled rollers, and these (cut down and with the white plastic collars removed) were perfect for the barely visible inner axles.

 

Next up is fixing a few angle brackets to the “shelves” behind each cab and then completing the riveting (of course). Man, this thing is big! My previous WW1 rivet-covered projects have been fairly small in comparison, but this beast is an absolute rivet-fest. Then I should finally be ready for primer.

[ColonelKrypton]

Every step brings it closer to completion and yet more fabulous detail to take in .

 

Looking good.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[Model Mate]

Sticking with the lower hull, I added the extended running boards(?) and some support brackets for the flat plates that run from the cabs, and that completes the side gubbins – hurrah! I wasn’t sure if the flat boards were wood or metal. From photos, they appear to be rounded off to a degree, which in my mind implies timber, but they also seem to be painted the same colour as the overall vehicle and could be steel, so rather than use coffee stirrers (which might have been too thick anyway) I went with plastic card.

 

I retrieved my surgical scissors from my boat where the new model-making den is progressing nicely – I can’t wait to move in and have everything at hand at last! These enabled me to trim the U bolts on the running gear.

 

Right, nothing for it now; I just need to knuckle-down and get riveting. I got my toothpick, TET and rivet supply assembled, had Lovely Brian Cox telling me all about the planets on the TV and got stuck in for an evening of rivet-sticking. As with a lot of repetitive tasks, you soon start to pick up the knack and get faster at the job. I ended up smearing a line of rivet holes with TET, picking up a dozen or so balls on the end of a saliva-moistened cocktail stick and dumping them roughly in place, then nudging each of them into position before a final drenching in more TET.

 

 

I know that my particular rivet method results in around a 10% ping-off failure rate, and handling will make this worse, so they need to be sealed with primer as soon as practical before I lose a load of them. I’m also un-naturally keen to get some primer on just to be able to have a “stand-back and admire” moment to feel I’ve achieved something worthwhile after all this numbing tedium. I completed one side, including the opposite inside-facing perimeter track rivets. These (as with the axles and bracing plates) were only carried a short way into the dark recess of the belly of the beast. I don’t mind making fun, scratch-built gubbins like engine parts even if they’ll never be seen again, but if I can get away without doing these blasted rivets in hard-to-see places I will!

I’m now considering spraying primer on this side before carrying on with the opposite one, but maybe I should just have another similar evening session first hoping that I don’t suffer too many losses on this side in the process (Brian’s fast running out of planets though - I'm at Neptune already!).

[matti64]

50 minutes ago, Model Mate said:

Sticking with the lower hull, I added the extended running boards(?) and some support brackets for the flat plates that run from the cabs, and that completes the side gubbins – hurrah! I wasn’t sure if the flat boards were wood or metal. From photos, they appear to be rounded off to a degree, which in my mind implies timber, but they also seem to be painted the same colour as the overall vehicle and could be steel, so rather than use coffee stirrers (which might have been too thick anyway) I went with plastic card.

 

I retrieved my surgical scissors from my boat where the new model-making den is progressing nicely – I can’t wait to move in and have everything at hand at last! These enabled me to trim the U bolts on the running gear.

 

Right, nothing for it now; I just need to knuckle-down and get riveting. I got my toothpick, TET and rivet supply assembled, had Lovely Brian Cox telling me all about the planets on the TV and got stuck in for an evening of rivet-sticking. As with a lot of repetitive tasks, you soon start to pick up the knack and get faster at the job. I ended up smearing a line of rivet holes with TET, picking up a dozen or so balls on the end of a saliva-moistened cocktail stick and dumping them roughly in place, then nudging each of them into position before a final drenching in more TET.

 

 

I know that my particular rivet method results in around a 10% ping-off failure rate, and handling will make this worse, so they need to be sealed with primer as soon as practical before I lose a load of them. I’m also un-naturally keen to get some primer on just to be able to have a “stand-back and admire” moment to feel I’ve achieved something worthwhile after all this numbing tedium. I completed one side, including the opposite inside-facing perimeter track rivets. These (as with the axles and bracing plates) were only carried a short way into the dark recess of the belly of the beast. I don’t mind making fun, scratch-built gubbins like engine parts even if they’ll never be seen again, but if I can get away without doing these blasted rivets in hard-to-see places I will!

I’m now considering spraying primer on this side before carrying on with the opposite one, but maybe I should just have another similar evening session first hoping that I don’t suffer too many losses on this side in the process (Brian’s fast running out of planets though - I'm at Neptune already!).

I know the feeling, you can never trust rivets until they are  firmly  held down by a nice coat of paint.

 

[Model Mate]

Resistance is useless.......!

 

While I had the rattle can out, I squirted the doors and seats.

 

 

On the rear of the cab it looks like the rivets have disappeared a bit - could be glue, or more likely over-enthusiastic primer. I may need to sand that back and redo them, but I'll wait till the primer is fully dry; it may not be so bad. Those tiny 0.4mm balls are easy to obscure. 

[ColonelKrypton]

1 hour ago, Model Mate said:

I’m also un-naturally keen to get some primer on just to be able to have a “stand-back and admire” moment to feel I’ve achieved something worthwhile after all this numbing tedium.

 

The side view pictures are really nice. I am not sure about getting some primer to be able to admire your work - to my eye, at this stage just before primer, it looks really nice, almost a shame to have to cover all that detail work with primer. 

 

Remind me again what is TET?  I know it is a solvent but the tiny grey cells are coming up empty this morning.

 

cheers, Graham

 

 

 

[Model Mate]

Thanks Graham, I love it when the primer covers all the mis-matched bits and bobs, but yes, there is the threat of softening detail with hastily applied, too-thick primer (which I am guilty of!). 

 

TET = Tamiya Extra Thin.......

[ColonelKrypton]

Just saw your pictures after a bit o primer - it really does look good.

 

We have a good way for adding round head rivets be it Tichy Train styrene rivets or acrylic nail caviar or solder balls but what is there that can be used for those conical head hex rivets that are also found on some of these AFV's?  Large ones are easily enough made from hex plastic rod with the head shaped using a conical cup burr and they are even large enough that a simple mold can be made and cast in resin but what the smaller ones?  That is more of a rhetorical question - it is just something I have been fussing over of late.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[ColonelKrypton]

Just saw your pictures after a bit o primer - it really does look good.

 

We have a good way for adding round head rivets be it Tichy Train styrene rivets or acrylic nail caviar or solder balls but what is there that can be used for those conical head hex rivets that are also found on some of these AFV's?  Large ones are easily enough made from hex plastic rod with the head shaped using a conical cup burr and they are even large enough that a simple mold can be made and cast in resin but what the smaller ones?  That is more of a rhetorical question - it is just something I have been fussing over of late.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[ColonelKrypton]

9 minutes ago, Model Mate said:

TET = Tamiya Extra Thin.......

 

But of course

 

cheers,

[Model Mate]

2 minutes ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Just saw your pictures after a bit o primer - it really does look good.

 

We have a good way for adding round head rivets be it Tichy Train styrene rivets or acrylic nail caviar or solder balls but what is there that can be used for those conical head hex rivets that are also found on some of these AFV's?  Large ones are easily enough made from hex plastic rod with the head shaped using a conical cup burr and they are even large enough that a simple mold can be made and cast in resin but what the smaller ones?  That is more of a rhetorical question - it is just something I have been fussing over of late.

 

cheers, Graham

 

Hmm - I've not noticed any hex-head rivets on my builds, but that could be that I'm just not looking hard enough, or the fuzzy photos I've got don't show them (ignorance is bliss!). I've used a fair bit of hex rod on this build where there are obviously bolts rather than rivets and they seem to look ok. Rounded hex heads though..... Yes, I guess just softening the top (sanding or burring - if that's a word) would do the trick.

[ColonelKrypton]

I have noticed them on later Great War vehicles other than British, notably French, German, and others. Perhaps more common on between the Wars AFV's. I never really noticed them before until I started closely and once you see them then you can't see them anymore

 

cheers, Graham

 

[Bullbasket]

There are some builds on here which I drop in and read through every now and then, and sometimes, as in this case, I'm gob smacked at the level of detail that's been incorporated. All I can say is, brilliant. Great work.

 

John.

[Model Mate]

1 hour ago, Bullbasket said:

There are some builds on here which I drop in and read through every now and then, and sometimes, as in this case, I'm gob smacked at the level of detail that's been incorporated. All I can say is, brilliant. Great work.

 

John.

Thanks John, much appreciated comment! Sorry it's been a bit slow of late, but hopefully I can pick up the pace a little.

[Milan Mynar]

Great continuation of an excellent building.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Awesome work! A difficult but really worthwhile subject.

 

I can’t believe you are going to have a modelling room on board your boat! 
 

 

[Model Mate]

Thanks Steve, I had a little model-making bench on my old (narrow) boat, but the new one will be a big step up - I can't wait!

[THEscaleSHOW]

On 07/09/2022 at 11:19, Model Mate said:

Sticking with the lower hull, I added the extended running boards(?) and some support brackets for the flat plates that run from the cabs, and that completes the side gubbins – hurrah! I wasn’t sure if the flat boards were wood or metal. From photos, they appear to be rounded off to a degree, which in my mind implies timber, but they also seem to be painted the same colour as the overall vehicle and could be steel, so rather than use coffee stirrers (which might have been too thick anyway) I went with plastic card.

 

I retrieved my surgical scissors from my boat where the new model-making den is progressing nicely – I can’t wait to move in and have everything at hand at last! These enabled me to trim the U bolts on the running gear.

 

Right, nothing for it now; I just need to knuckle-down and get riveting. I got my toothpick, TET and rivet supply assembled, had Lovely Brian Cox telling me all about the planets on the TV and got stuck in for an evening of rivet-sticking. As with a lot of repetitive tasks, you soon start to pick up the knack and get faster at the job. I ended up smearing a line of rivet holes with TET, picking up a dozen or so balls on the end of a saliva-moistened cocktail stick and dumping them roughly in place, then nudging each of them into position before a final drenching in more TET.

 

 

I know that my particular rivet method results in around a 10% ping-off failure rate, and handling will make this worse, so they need to be sealed with primer as soon as practical before I lose a load of them. I’m also un-naturally keen to get some primer on just to be able to have a “stand-back and admire” moment to feel I’ve achieved something worthwhile after all this numbing tedium. I completed one side, including the opposite inside-facing perimeter track rivets. These (as with the axles and bracing plates) were only carried a short way into the dark recess of the belly of the beast. I don’t mind making fun, scratch-built gubbins like engine parts even if they’ll never be seen again, but if I can get away without doing these blasted rivets in hard-to-see places I will!

I’m now considering spraying primer on this side before carrying on with the opposite one, but maybe I should just have another similar evening session first hoping that I don’t suffer too many losses on this side in the process (Brian’s fast running out of planets though - I'm at Neptune already!).

 

One of the best scratch builds i have ever seen!

MD

[heloman1]

Coming together very nicely...

 

Colin