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Voyage to the Centre of the Lee - F..F..F..F..F..FINISHED!!!


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9 minutes ago, PlaStix said:

That really is very impressive Bertie! Awesome modelling! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

 

It looks quite unremarkable to me because I've been looking at it for so long. It's nice to hear that its ok, thanks.

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I've been fastening fragile pieces to other fragile pieces. It's not something that I'm particularly good at, what with the shaking hands and dodgy vision so before I drop the whole thing and wreck it, here's a few in progress snaps. 

 

It is a swine to photograph!

 

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It's curious that as kits have steadily become more complex over the years, my ability to make and paint them has been steadily declining. I passed the crossover point on the graph a few years ago and I can see (though you probably won't) a gradual deterioration in the standard of the models I make. I'm neither downcast not disheartened. It's something that happens. I believe it's called 'time'. Accepting the inevitability of it means that I can still enjoy things like this; I simply look only at the good bits. 😄

 

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6 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said:

I believe it’s called “time”.

Accepting the inevitability of it means that I can still enjoy things like this; I simply look only at the good bits. 😄

 


 

I have the same issues, but with women. 
 

 

 

Ba-Dum… Tishhh…

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Well I think it looks wonderful!

The views peeping through the cut outs really sell it.

 

On your comments about general decline in ability,  it's a funny old thing....

My models, I think, have improved  (imo any way!) since moving into armour, however that also coincided with joining BM, correlation perhaps? That said the eyesight isn't what it used to be.. :hmmm:I'm sure the fingers aren't as dexterous as they used to be, seem to fumble with things more these days, and as for women, I get told off just for looking, good buts or otherwise!

 

Atb

Darryl 

 

 

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11 minutes ago, Jasper dog said:

I get told off just for looking, good buts or otherwise!

Nice Freudian slip there, Darryl 🙂 

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3 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Well I think it looks wonderful!

The views peeping through the cut outs really sell it.

 

Thanks. You really get an idea of how cramped a tank is when you've built one of these.

 

3 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

On your comments about general decline in ability,  it's a funny old thing....

My models, I think, have improved  (imo any way!) since moving into armour.

 

That's because we can usually cover up the dodgy bits with mud!

 

2 hours ago, JeroenS said:

@Bertie Psmith Your model looks wonderful, those views into the interior are rather nice! I really can't see anything wrong... 

 

Thank you. It's the usual builder awareness problem. Only I know how far short of my ambition this fell. Trying to be objective, it's a remarkable kit and I think I made a reasonable job.

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This morning I finished painting the tracks where they wrap around and you can see between the pads. I also dry-brushed highlights over the otherwise clean exterior of the thing. I wanted it's strange angular shape to be apparent. While doing this I noticed the pistol port cover missing from the turret. Too late, too late! I have declared it completed, so I won't be bothering with any more changes, otherwise I'd never fish.

 

With the photography session that make the total time spent on the kit a whopping SEVENTY FIVE HOURS! It feel like that many weeks. I'm really pleased that it's over, although I've mostly enjoyed it. It's a good kit, if not a great one, and well worth a couple of months of your time.

 

Right then, here are the glamour shots.

 

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It's clean, at least on the outside, having been repainted by the museum staff quite recently. They even painted the metal parts of the track.

 

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The fit of the flat pack hull was good right up to the last pieces. Note the gap above the big gun, and the slightly crooked glacis. I'm sure this is not a kit issue but entirely down to me; I was tired of it and rushing at the end.

 

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@edjbartos and @Blade2009, you may be interested to know that I made the tracks in a full circle before I painted them. I'd left the idler off and slipped the tracks into place first before inserting the idler. The idler has an eccentric mounting axle so you can rotate it to set exactly the tension that you want. It was tons easier than trying to make an invisible joint when the track was on the tank. It won't work if you have the track guards or sand shields on though.

 

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The engine is a beauty. I skipped the big stowage boxes but I liked the little 'fanny packs'.

 

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It would be a sin to cover that up.

 

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The engine access doors give very little access.

 

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The cut in the sponson shows the place where the horizontal fuel tank would go. The black square to the front of the space is a cutaway into the inner, vertical tank.

 

Lower hull cutouts reveal some sort of pressure vessel? and the ammunition for the 75mm gun.

 

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The idler reveals its bearings. It still rotated, until I glued it last night.

 

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Roadwheel and return roller sectioned for instructional purposes.

 

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Here you see the back end of the gearbox, directly below the driver's seat.

 

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That's the breech end of the 75mm. It's the one part that's almost impossible to see even with all of my cutaways. I'd have to remove the turret to see it again.

 

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The drive sprocket showing the final drive extension inside it. 

 

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The driver's seat is the brown thing in the centre. In front of that are the steering handles and above it, the scratchbuilt instrument panel rear details. I think it was the only thing I added to the kit.

 

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Here, we are looking into the turret basket, home for three men, commander, 37mm gunner and loader. They must have been very good friends! The black thing on the floor is, I think, the turret rotation motor.

 

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Looking down into the turret, that's the breech of the 37mm. You can see the highlighted edges of the hatch. That was this morning's dry brush treatment.

 

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Home for six sweaty men. The three already mentioned in the turret plus the driver, the 75mm gunner and his loader.

 

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There are two Thompson guns inside and a crate of drum magazines. They also carried three MG tripods for using the .30 cal MGs dismounted. You can see the co-axial MG on the right. Actually, this tank only had that one machine gun. The other two were not fitted to the Australian Lees.

 

(More photos to follow. I'm saving at this point.)

 

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Six crew members and six water canteens.

 

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Looking down into the driver's position we see the gearbox and the differential. The cast U shaped thing is the blanking plate for the two .30 cal mgs which were not fitted.

 

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Looking down into the rear of the seventy-five. Note the screws, not rivets, holding the small hull plate on. This plate was removeable and was where the gun came out if it needed to be replaced.

 

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Another one of the turret. I left that 'casting' seam in place but now I think it's a mould seam.

 

They had a shedload of ammunition for the 37mm, stowed in every available place.

 

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I made the aerial from brass rod. In the driver's compartment you see the instrument panel.

 

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Dropping down to the engine bay again, that's the steel fuel tank inside it's armour protection. The other bit that I added to the kit. The white thing top right is the vertical fuel tank. This is why there are so many filler caps on the back of the M3/M4 tanks.

 

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These pipes run all the way round the engine and are the fire extinguisher discharge pipes. They end in four horn shaped outlets, two of which are just visible behind and below the big silver air inlet pipes.

 

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Those rectangular things are the engine fire extinguisher triggers, one for each bottle. 

 

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The radios were to the left of the driver. The turret gun is the blurred line in front of them.

 

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And finally (phew), there's the other tommy gun. Behind it are a pair of quite large shelves for rations and crew kit.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed your walk around the M3 lee tank. Refreshments are available at the cafe and please visit the gift shop on your way out where you can purchase model kits of this remarkable machine.

 

Good bye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

That looks outstanding Bertie with the cutaways and all the inner details painted. Certainly a different take on it and I think you’ve done a cracking job.

 

2 minutes ago, diases said:

You, Sir, are wonderfully mad.

Excellent work, and a good way to show the best from these full interior kits.

 

Cheers

Paul

 

 

Come back, there's more!

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That’s fabulous Bertie, you have made a wonderful job on a complicated model. The cut outs that you have made just show how much detail there is in this kit and you have exposed everything to perfection. Well done....👍

 

Ed

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24 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

That looks outstanding Bertie with the cutaways and all the inner details painted. Certainly a different take on it and I think you’ve done a cracking job.

 

Thanks Bigfoot, I do like to be different.

 

23 minutes ago, diases said:

You, Sir, are wonderfully mad.

Excellent work, and a good way to show the best from these full interior kits.

 

Cheers

Paul

 

Thanks Paul, I do like to be mad.

 

5 minutes ago, edjbartos said:

That’s fabulous Bertie, you have made a wonderful job on a complicated model. The cut outs that you have made just show how much detail there is in this kit and you have exposed everything to perfection. Well done....👍

 

Ed

 

Thanks Ed and thanks for all the encouragement you have given to me throughout this 40 days in the wilderness!

 

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