48009 M-7 Priest

[Troy Smith]

 

This was given to me after having been won at the club xmas raffle. Thank you Russell.

 

Turns out it had been started, and is missing the base.  But is under 25 %

 

50620005 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

50620006 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

British camo  scheme is wrong, but the British markings are correct,  and I have a copy of the camo pattern diagram for this courtesy of @Mike Starmer  which is is what I'm intending to do.

 

I have a couple more on the go, but am briefly stalled on the Comet, and need to make decisions on the Hurricane.

 

Cheers

T

[JOCKNEY]

It's always great finishing off a previously started kit.

Really pleased this GB has offered the opportunity to complete this one, best of luck.

Cheers Pat 

[Rabbit Leader]

A nice win there Troy and we are glad you’ve brought this one to the GB table. Happy to include this one as yet another half start as the less Shelf of Doom kits we own may go someway to improving the environment… well you never know! 
Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[Troy Smith]

I have been doing stuff....like spending an age making up some 'Light Mud' paint,  redoing bit if the model that were not well assembled, which was a pain,  and being rather confused about where bits go.... Those instruction really make you work hard. 

 

Did find my very ancient book PSL book, dated 1977,  on the Lee/Grant, tied in with the 1/32nd Airfix kit, that I forgot had a Priest conversion...I was looking for something else in it....

 

And has a helpful pic, plus looking online, trying to work out how the gun mount and shield were supposed too align and look.... 

 

50620094 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

dreadful photo,  sums up how it's been ....not at all clear!

In the pic are  the book, the interior floor that cracked when being broke apart to be adjusted, which then got rescribed,  bottle of light Mud, some applied to wheels, and yes, only those... the others are another colour in the disruptive patter.n. and various other bits, including the drilled out barrel, and bits on the gun mount. ...aas well as random bottle of micro sol, some mini drill bits, and some tiny novelty mini clothes pegs from a pound shiop, probably for bits of paper as they had little butterfiles glued to them, modified by  superglued bits of those rubber bands posties leave lying in the street so they can grip small bits... . Think of it it as a 'where's wally' exercise and I'll do a better pic later

 

Oh, and assembled the pulpit,  I can see the kits were really designed with tube glue in mind, this in particular has an awful lot of butt joint rather vague positioning.... when aligned properly its great, but working out where what aligns to what has been trying.....

 

Mostly posting this as it's all been a bit of a chore, and feels like a lot of effort for very little results, hence lack of updates,  but think/hope it should start running more smoothly now. 

 

 

[Daniel Cox]

I'm sorry this build has been a bit of a chore Tony. That said I like your progress and am enjoying your build of it, since I built/butchered that kit when it came out back in the day.

[Troy Smith]

A clearer view

50620095 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

the fight compartment floor does not have any locators at the front, and can float about, as I spotted on another build.  The book shows the raised front is level with the sides.

Get this wrong, and it would affect the gun height.

The gun shield on the mounting is also very vague,  it's snapped off since this.... I may well mount the gun, an the use the front panel to help align the gun shield. 

I also found this comment...

  

On 10/01/2022 at 21:08, klr said:

I've built this three times over the years, the last just a few years ago. My recollection is that the gun and shield is a difficult sub-assembly to build, and to fit. Also, the floor is a bit tricky, and might need some support between it and the base of the hull. The 50-cal mount also needs a bit of attention. Having said all this, it's still a very nice kit though.

All very true....

 

 

Still searching about has led me to find a couple of interesting points

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235041135-british-m7-priest/#elControls_3096972_menu

"The 6th A.D. Priests were repainted from their delivery scheme of US Olive Drab No.9 at African base workshops.  The exterior was a base colour of Light Mud with a pattern of Black over that.  The pattern A/191 is specified in MEGO. April 1943.   The interiors remained Olive Drab. "

 

 

One of the  vehicle Matchbox provide decals for is this

IWM caption

A Priest 105mm self-propelled gun of 12th Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company), 6th Armoured Division, 17 May 1944.

 

see

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235102793-colours-of-a-priest-105mm-self-propelled-gun-of-12th-royal-horse-artillery-honourable-artillery-company-6th-armoured-division-17-may-1944/

 

Thanks for reading...

[IanC]

Matchbox's vague instructions are all part of the charm. I think....😄

 

But nil desperandum.. It'll look good in that Light Mud and black disruptive scheme. 

[Troy Smith]

Not been feeling this...   I know I keep moaning about it being a slog,  it very much a case of refer to a photo for quote how and where things are placed.  Really not helpful when you need to align different parts, say the gun mount/gun lock in relation to the front plate...

 

Anyway,  since the last pic.... progress.

 

Ammo bins, gun trail legs,  and coat of OD inside,  as @Mike Starmer kindly told me they stayed OD internally. 

 

Also, bit at the back, exhausts and rear plate., and rear tool boxes. 

 

Light Mud on relevant wheels, blue-black on the others,  it will make sense when the scheme is shown. 

 

Gun has had a coat of Light Mud, and on to of the the other paint jar is the gun lock.

 

Driver seat fitted, this need a bit of strip plastic to hold it level, as it was just a peg and a much bigger slot...

 

50620101 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

 

Moody arty shot.... basically as the camera didn't like dealing with sunlight and the bits not lit up....

50620103 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

Wheel clipped off, cleaned up and tyres painted, with only one being dropped.. a short sentence describing a long job... the brown plastic is very brittle and lost a couple of drove wheel teeth    

 

Had to do some filling around the transmission cover, as it had gaps one something that is a casting, as can be seen in the photo of the real thing above.

 

The white inside the front plate has now had more coats. Again another bit of info from Mike Starmer, they were gloss white here.

They also had white underneath the front and under the gun barrel, for countershading.

 

Tracks got a coat of my new track mix, 2 parts XF-72 Japanese self defence force brown, (a surplus colour, I had hope from online pics it might be of use making Dark Earth) to 1 part XF-84 burnt iron, which is too dark, but vaguely metallic,  may need a bit to Titan Gold... tank tracks are Manganese steel,  and a are brown grey with  pale gold metallic on the worn bits...

 

Not visible here is that the gun mounting is now fitted, this required using the front plate to align it, and make sure the rear lock was in the right place,  none with very positive locators, though the gun mounting had a peg. 

 

So, I'm now looking at some touch up and then adding front plate.   I may well then do body camo and decals, and then the wheels,   I'll se how solid it all feels.  Paint and decals will make a big difference.

 

Moaning aside, it's overall looks like what it is supposed to be,  just not much fun to do..  

 

With hindsight, it would have been a good idea to have done a simple project  as well, like the Skyhawk, which should be a simple build with a interesting paint job.  

Still got my Comet to finish off  as well. ..... 

 

Thanks for reading.

 

cheers

T

[Troy Smith]

A bit of progress

50620104 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

Added the dashboard,   and slightly better shot of the insides.  in the background can be seen as the shell cases to be added, I though they were just shells, but seems that have a outer case which was black or dark grey.

 

Later on I oil washed the insides,  and finally added the front.   This really felt like progress at last, as the main body is now done. 

 

50620106 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

There is a gap under the gun front armour I don't think should be there, but as I moaned earlier, it was hard to tell where it should go.   Also added some plastic card scrap round the 'pulpit' to fill some gaps, and a strip of styrene above the transmission cover, as this seems to be there on all the photos.  I'll add some 'bolt holes' if I can find my beading tool.

Some gaps got filled with SG/Talc mix, and you can see Mr.Surfacer on the drive wheel covers.  

 

A quick check later and bit more Mr. surfacer and it should be paint time,  so hopefully this should be done soon.   The pain scheme is maybe the most interesting thing as well. 

 

Thanks for reading

cheers

T

[Troy Smith]

13 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

and a strip of styrene above the transmission cover, as this seems to be there on all the photos.  I'll add some 'bolt holes' if I can find my beading tool.

Found the beading tool,  and just eyeballed the holes.  

50620108 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

and now resplendent in Light Mud...

 

Another coat and it's SCC14 blue black disruptive pattern time.   

 

thanks for reading

 

cheers

T

[Troy Smith]

3 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

it's SCC14 blue black disruptive pattern time.   

Which in this case is Tamiya XF-85 Tyre black.  along with a printout of the official scheme for the M7.

50620110 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

needs another coat and touching up,  and the gun doing, but now no longer feel like this is going at a glacial rate.

 

Thanks for reading.

[Troy Smith]

On 24/04/2022 at 15:03, Troy Smith said:

but now no longer feel like this is going at a glacial rate

famous last words....    I did get wrapped up in some paint mixing, and other distractions.

 

So, having been trying to get one with the Skyhawk, I also tidied up the paint, which was another coat of the Light Mud, and another of the black, and then decal time.

I did test one, but the red/white/red I did first broke up a bit, so I used some Microscale Liquid Decal film,  dabbed Kleer where they were to get, and applied with water/kleer,  probably should have used some hot water.  One other of the red/white/red flashes broke up a bit, and the yellow circles with the 22 on them are off centre but if I ever find more I could replace them so on they went. 

50620200 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

I can see some careful work with a fine brush on some of the decal slippage and touching up the damaged flashes,  but as long as this is done by the 5th I'll be reasonably happy. 

 

Thanks for reading

Cheers

T

 

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Troy

I wouldn't get too concerned about the decals I imagine the original markings would have been pretty scuffed when it was in service.

It's looking great mate 

Cheers Pat

[Troy Smith]

On 31/05/2022 at 23:12, JOCKNEY said:

I wouldn't get too concerned about the decals I imagine the original markings would have been pretty scuffed when it was in service.

It just bugged me.  I did touch them up, the red that matched was gloss,  I also went round some of the white printing  misalignment slippage.  Fortunately I still seem to have the muscle memory of doing this, so went OK.

anyway, a coat of matt varnish round the upper hull,  light mud touch up behind the running gear, and then another fiddly assembly job.

50620208 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

Also did the tracks, which are a mix of Tamiya XF-84  burnt iron and XF-52 dark earth (useless as dark earth)  and more touch are needed.

 

50620210 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

in this you can see the white underside counter shading.    running gear should set up over night, and hopefully tracks on. 

Thanks for reading

cheers

T 

[Troy Smith]

Great I though.   Touch paint on the running gear,  done, no problem....and put the drive wheels and tracks on.....

 

Now it seems that the running gear maybe a fraction leaning in....  but the track are fairly rigid, and don't conform that easily,  but slipped them over the wheels, wiggled the drive wheel in, and the a strain to get the wheel peg in the hole...  should not have used TET, as the peg snapped off  due to some fairly firm pressure....

OK, so too it off, drilled out a hole in the wheel, and one in the body,  and got some 1mm brass rod.  and used superglue.  

 

Forewarned, so the other side I just went to straight to brass rod soloution,  which is OK.   Have a panic about which way round the tracks go.   Then when putting on wheel, drive wheel split into 2 bits, and I'd not drilled far enough in, and then a series of annoying problems, drop wheel bit, find track is one wrong way round, lever bit off, crack inner wheel,  or something like that, I'm not even sure of the order now, it was blinkin' annoying to say the least, as I though this would be simple, not load of modifications .... there was a brief moment of  fantasising taking a hammer to it....   in the end, some tube glue to hold the outer wheel section in place, as superglue was not doing it,  and any misalignment is what it is...  plus more paint touch ups.... Amazed no serious paint damage was done, very glad of that protective matt varnish...   

 

Looking  at it now the way to have done it would have been to attach the inner wheel half to the body, getting a good firm join, and then add tracks, and the outer wheel section....  or have fixed the rear sprocket wheel last.   

It was maybe the final bite from this.....   

anyway, here we are, with clothes peg holding the other wheel one while the tube glues dries... 

50620215 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

It look OK, but as I have moaned before,  it's not been a fun build... part of the reason I had a bit of mojo loss,  doing the Skyhawk and not getting bogged down in that has helped though.

I could do another build of the same kit which would be a lot easier as i now know the pitfalls, some maybe because it might well have worked better with more tube glue , as that would have been the main glue used.... and also the original Matchbox tracks has a but more give, the ones in this put a fair amount of strain on some thin plastic... 

 

Thanks for reading, 

cheers

T

[BluesModeller]

I think some of these kit designers have a real sadistic streak and just want to torment us!
 

Looking like a little gem despite the issues you’ve had.  Will you be creating a base?

[Troy Smith]

On 04/06/2022 at 03:35, BluesModeller said:

Will you be creating a base?

Maybe someday.... this one has been test and not that enjoyable.

 

After a load more faffing about, I made a push to get it done.

 

It's not been weathered, and I may well do later.   

 

I'm calling this done for now. The white was specified in the painting instructions for countershading.

 

50620270 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

50620269 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

50620268 by losethekibble, on Flickr

The shell tubes were cardboard, with grey cap with details.  I even found a photo of one which had been for sale.

 

50620264 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

50620272 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

 

Thanks to @Mike Starmer for help on colours.

 

Thanks for reading

T

[JOCKNEY]

Congratulations Troy, looks the business 

Cheers Pat 

[Wulfman]

Great build !

 

Wulfman