Improving old kits

[bruce3371]

Hi, I have a number of old Tamiya kits that I made years ago, and I've been thinking of ways in which I can improve them.

The most obvious thing that I can see needs work is the lack of sponson plates in the old tank models. Can anyone give me any hints and tips about the best way to go about retro-actively adding sponson plates to tank models which have already been built and painted (I don't mind the extra work involved in re-painting them if necessary)?

Thanks in advance

Edited May 7, 2011 by bruce3371

[pigsty]

You mean, you've got a built kit, with all the running gear in place, and you want to blank off the undersides of the sponsons? That won't be easy. If you're prepared to lever off the oily bits and repair the damage, it should be fairly straightforward, except that you can't guarantee the damage will be reparable. The only other way that springs to mind is to feed bits of plastic card through the turret opening and glue them in from the inside. If I were doing that (and I'm making this up now) I'd pre-paint the outsides of the pieces of card (to save trying to insinuate paint between the tops of the tracks and the sponsons) and use an old paintbrush dipped in liquid glue to apply it on their tops. Then throw the brush away. Measuring might be a problem. If you want a precise fit - plugging the gaps flush - you'd need precisely sized sections and might need to start with retaining tabs made of bits of square-section rod. Good luck getting them placed right in the darkness inside a tank! Alternatively, if you want just to blank the gaps without too much tidiness, sections wide enough to overhang the top of the lower hull tub would probably suffice.

I should be fascinated to see this in action ...

[Threadbear]

Filling sponsons are a built kit arent going to be easy!! I know that Archer Fine Transfers did do a pdf template for Tamiya Shermans to make out of plastic card and Formations do some as well in resin.

Despite all the stuff that is available for Axis armour, I dont ever recall seeing sponsons fillers for the like of Panthers etc.

You plan is going to be tricky to get a good fit.......

[Mike]

If they're old Tamiya kits with vinyl bushings on each wheel, it should be a simple job of pulling them off to reveal the underside of the sponsons. Then make a template from card or similar and cut yourself a piece of styrene sheet using that template. If there are very few obvious attachment points, use bits of scrap card and rod to provide a string mating surface, glue it in place, and patch paint using masking tape if you're airbrushing. Of course, the underside of tanks is usually covered in mud & grit, so you might just want to smear it all with grot

[bruce3371]

Thanks for the tips guys, I had a feeling it wouldn't be easy to do! I have 4 old Tamiya kits which lack sponson plates; a Sherman M4A3, A Panther Ausf A, An M3 Lee and an M3 Stuart.

The Stuart will be easiest to do as the sponson plates are quite small and fairly easy to get to.

The Sherman I need to do because I am converting it to be a burnt-out load for my Dragon Wagon, and it needs sponson plates because of the daylight visible through the hull hatches, and to match the quality of the job I've done so far with the Dragon Wagon.

The most difficult will be the Panther because of the 'dog leg' towards the rear of the sponson plate.

I'll take some pictures of the progress I make with these and post them here.

[bruce3371]

Here's the 1st set of pictures of my 'Tank Refurbishments'!

The 1st thing I needed to do was to gently pry apart the two halves of the hull, this gives me access to the lower hull.

While I'm doing this, I've taken the opportunity to recreate the familiar 'track sag' found on German WW2 Heavy Tanks. My method for doing this is really simple, I tie the top section of track to the road wheels using black cotton thread!

Next is the hard part; the sponson plates. I'm going to use some of the advice given in this thread, and first make some cardboard templates which I'll use to measure pieces of styrene sheet.

More pictures to follow

[FalkeEins]

My method for doing this is really simple, I tie the top section of track to the road wheels using black cotton thread!

..before glueing the hull on presumably...although I can't see how you do that with your fingers ..or do you use tweezers? anyway sounds like a neat tip ..thanks!

[bruce3371]

..before glueing the hull on presumably...although I can't see how you do that with your fingers ..or do you use tweezers? anyway sounds like a neat tip ..thanks!

Yes, before the hull top is glued back on! As I mentioned in my 1st post, I'm doing this retrospectivley on some old tank models that were built ages ago, when my skills weren't what they are now, which is why I had to pry the top off! I still have to do the sponsons plates before the top goes back on!

And yes, I tied the cotton thread with my fingers! Admittedly it was quite fiddley threading it through the gaps in the track, and this method seems to work better on German heavy tanks, because the overlapping wheels help to hide the thread.

[bruce3371]

I've made a bit more progress on my 1st 'refurb' project.

I've filled in the odd gaps in the rear of the lower hull side, and added the 1st of the spnoson plates. I used old DVD cases, cut up, to provide the styrene sheet for the modifications.

Now I'm a bit stuck. Can anyone tell me if the sponson plates follow the contour of the sides of the hull top at the rear, or are they flat, with the sides of the rear top overhanging?

[edit]Once I've finished the sponson plates, I need to fill in those horrible holes in the lower hull, which were left over from when these were more toys than scale models, and could have motors fitted :-S[/edit]

Edited May 24, 2011 by bruce3371

[alanmac]

Hi

Yes stowage boxes I believe, so you have to follow the shape as it goes down and then towards the back.

Alan

[bruce3371]

Hi

Yes stowage boxes I believe, so you have to follow the shape as it goes down and then towards the back.

Alan

Ok, thanks for that, that's what I thought, but wanted to make sure

[Jaykay]

Hi Bruce, i have done exactly that. I bought the Panther a couple of months ago for a tenner, and the gaping sponsons are a problem. I used plastic card and then a coverage of soil and white glue/water mix. I then over sprayed them with some buff and I think it looks pretty good for this kit. I also drilled out the exhausts, and replaced the periscope holes with plastic card and panzer aces paint. Handles were replaced with fuse wire. I'll try and get some photos up for you to see what you think.

jk