Jim R
SMF Supporter
Impressive progress Michael. It looks to have all fitted together well although I wonder if that is the result of hours of fettling 
Churchill AVLB #2
- Thread starter Scratchbuilder
- Start date
scottie3158
SMF Supporter
Nice to see this back on the go. Let the magic happen.
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Update,
Progressing along at a steady pace, although no work yesterday as it was re-fit the vynil at the front door as it had a bubble, more like a hump, so it was on the knees, pull this way, pull that way, snip a bit off here and snip a bit off there. So only managed to assemble one half of the bridge - nearly....
Now as you can see it all goes together very well - that is untill the human comes along and like most of us does not really read the instructions or look at the parts... So from what you see here it all went a bit pear shaped (not the kits fault)...
As per the instructions I started to add the tread plate working from the centre outwards. First section went great, c/a did its job, had to hold it in place for a minute or two. Then it was the left section, c/a, hold, release. Now came the right section, c/a, hold, release. And it was here that the first warning came - finger got stuck to the bridge and quickly removed.... Next section, c/a, hold, unstick finger and onto the final section. This one obviously did not get the memo, went to let go of it and it held, there it was dangling like an errant alien attacking my finger. So tried the release agent, ha! just laughed at it, shook it gently, I swear the grip got tighter. So it was a case of grip and rip! of it came - a small bit of the treadplate remained on my finger. That was removed gently and stuck back where it should have been and left overnight where it is now sitting waiting to have the last bit of attention......
I glued the whole treadplate on upside down, no wonder I had to hold it for the c/a to set.....
So now I have to cut multiple strips, c/a them to the treadplate, trim and admire....
More later, after I have taken the waterlogged planters of the trestles, moved the trestles under guidance, dragged the planters to the trestles, gained a few hernias lifting them onto the trestles, then lifting them off the trestles to be replaced by another planter untill SWMBO is in her happy place
Cheers
Mike.
Progressing along at a steady pace, although no work yesterday as it was re-fit the vynil at the front door as it had a bubble, more like a hump, so it was on the knees, pull this way, pull that way, snip a bit off here and snip a bit off there. So only managed to assemble one half of the bridge - nearly....
Now as you can see it all goes together very well - that is untill the human comes along and like most of us does not really read the instructions or look at the parts... So from what you see here it all went a bit pear shaped (not the kits fault)...
As per the instructions I started to add the tread plate working from the centre outwards. First section went great, c/a did its job, had to hold it in place for a minute or two. Then it was the left section, c/a, hold, release. Now came the right section, c/a, hold, release. And it was here that the first warning came - finger got stuck to the bridge and quickly removed.... Next section, c/a, hold, unstick finger and onto the final section. This one obviously did not get the memo, went to let go of it and it held, there it was dangling like an errant alien attacking my finger. So tried the release agent, ha! just laughed at it, shook it gently, I swear the grip got tighter. So it was a case of grip and rip! of it came - a small bit of the treadplate remained on my finger. That was removed gently and stuck back where it should have been and left overnight where it is now sitting waiting to have the last bit of attention......
I glued the whole treadplate on upside down, no wonder I had to hold it for the c/a to set.....
So now I have to cut multiple strips, c/a them to the treadplate, trim and admire....
More later, after I have taken the waterlogged planters of the trestles, moved the trestles under guidance, dragged the planters to the trestles, gained a few hernias lifting them onto the trestles, then lifting them off the trestles to be replaced by another planter untill SWMBO is in her happy place
Cheers
Mike.
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Ha!!!! read the above update, but thanks for the comment.
Last edited:
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
With the resin it was mainly clean up and add filler to the air holes, and as with resin it does have a tendancy to rip at the edges hence the new parts from scratch. But otherwise it is a good kit and in fact one I would reccomend as a starter into resin/plastic conversions. In the Churchill kit you have all you need with spares left over, and in the resin kit as I said clean up and you can end up with a really good conversion.Impressive progress Michael. It looks to have all fitted together well although I wonder if that is the result of hours of fettling
But read the instructions and LOOK
at the parts (see update below)....
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Wobble,Ooh , impressive stuff Wibble.
Far to complicated for me, i'll stick to bricks and roof's.
I can hear you laughing from here....
Wibble..
Damn Olderthanme, it doesn't look like you had a good day with the CA, now did ya!!! I guess it happens from time to time and glad to hear you got the fingers free... Can you save it or do you have to de-bond the plates and redo them Mike? Not too up on the bridge things. She is/was looking good though!!! You'll be okay...
Prost
Youngerthanyou
Prost
Youngerthanyou
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
No real problem Youngerthanme, just had an idiot moment of not looking at the part or instructions. Just got to c/a the side/edge and hold down with masing tape, then clean up and all will be well. Cannot debond as it will mean covering the whole lot, so will cut lengths of half mm strip, c/a that in position and clean up after. Promise I will get second half right.
Prost
Olderthanyou
I know what you you mean Olderthanme...I glued the the rear deck on my Kübelwagen upside down and wondered why the rear seat had a huge gap between it and the deck cover. I started hacking the seat up to get it to fit, when I finally looked at the destructions and saw my error. DOH!!!...Lotsa TET finally got it apart and I glued it on correctly. Be damned, the seat fit fine to the deck now!!! Old age really sucks Mike!!!...
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- Jakko
Is that bridge made from lasercut sheet, like some other parts in IMA kits? The SBG assault bridge I’ve got, has some of those too. (I ask because to a modern eye, it will also look like 3D-printed translucent resin 
)
)
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
But I look at it this way - we older ones are using our experience to make the mistake and then along come the younger ones and go "Oh! that is a mistake I will not make..."
And if you believe that then you really do need the care home....
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Yes Jakko it is from laser cut acrylic sheet and the fit is really good, the second (correct) one I cut out and put together last night in about two hours with no fit problems at all. I would like to see more of the mainstream producers look more into this method and product. And if memory serves me right there was one of the 'cottage' OO railway producers that issued rail carriages in this material.Is that bridge made from lasercut sheet, like some other parts in IMA kits? The SBG assault bridge I’ve got, has some of those too. (I ask because to a modern eye, it will also look like 3D-printed translucent resin
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- Jakko
I haven’t built the SBG bridge because, well … the AFV Club one came out, but the material is very well-suited to flat bits that would be difficult to cast in resin (or clean up when they are cast in resin) and difficult to assemble in etched brass, I would think.
Neil Merryweather
SMF Supporter
The laser cutter is perfect for flat things,much better than being cast in resin in a flexible mould. It's always baffled me how manufacturers employ only one technique to do everything, it's almost like the process comes before the subject, rather than the other way round.
At least we are now seeing some injection moulding manufacturers addin PE where appropriate (admittedly for a fair few years now)
I recognise that cost is a factor obviously but in the case of resin and after market stuff you may as well use the best process. That said, I had a laser cutter in my job but it cost thousands to buy, whereas now the prices have come right down to a couple of hundreds,so maybe we'll see a bit more laser cut stuff appearing in the next few years?
At least we are now seeing some injection moulding manufacturers addin PE where appropriate (admittedly for a fair few years now)
I recognise that cost is a factor obviously but in the case of resin and after market stuff you may as well use the best process. That said, I had a laser cutter in my job but it cost thousands to buy, whereas now the prices have come right down to a couple of hundreds,so maybe we'll see a bit more laser cut stuff appearing in the next few years?
boatman
SMF Supporter
YOU FORGOT ME Wibble lol
chridb
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
No Chris, when they talk about insanity - we just hold up a picture of you.
Wibble.
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Neil, I agree, we used to have cardboard snap out and join buildings, even on the back of cerial boxes. Even now we have a far better product for the railway modeller. So why not do the same with all models that have a flat structure. Imagine a 1/350 carrier deck with all the cut outs required.
Scratchbuilder
SMF Supporter
Update,
The build is now complete, the correction to the mistake with the treadplate is now rectified...
And no! I did not put each piece on seperatly, it was thin strips of 20thou cut about the same width and then c/a used as the cement and when dry went along and cut off what was not required (the gaps)...
As I said the build part is now complete, going to start on the primer and then base coat...
At the left hand side of the bridge tread, it is laid out correctly...
And it dows work, all the way through the launch process. And today is track making day....
Cheers
Mike
The build is now complete, the correction to the mistake with the treadplate is now rectified...
And no! I did not put each piece on seperatly, it was thin strips of 20thou cut about the same width and then c/a used as the cement and when dry went along and cut off what was not required (the gaps)...
As I said the build part is now complete, going to start on the primer and then base coat...
At the left hand side of the bridge tread, it is laid out correctly...
And it dows work, all the way through the launch process. And today is track making day....
Cheers
Mike