Ron does a UNIMOG

[spanner570]

This is my entry for the April/June G.B. Truck and load.

It's a 1/35 Revell UNIMOG. Masses of bits but mostly underneath!

The load (Such as it is) is on the sprues and consists of a couple of oil drums and some jerrycans.....All a bit boring I know, but last night at around 2am, I came up with a nice idea for a dio. So for this rather plain and uninspiring kit, all is not lost.

Two months to do it, so plenty of time.

Cheers,

Ron

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[noble]

Hi Ron welcome to our little band, i like the unimog be in teresting to see what you come up with.

scott

 

[spanner570]

Scott, this is a Revell kit....I've just made a start on it. For the sake of your sanity, don't get this one!

I don't mind cleaning up, making bits fit, even filling, to me that's all part of the game. But not every single piece, large or small.

It really is atrocious. Every piece has an 'overspill' of plastic around the edges, even the bloody gear stick!

Still let's not be negative....What I have in mind for it will serve it right for proving to be a pig to build.....lol

Cheers,

Ron

 

[Greg147]

I know the kind of kit you mean, Ron. Too many times I've found a 1/72 vehicle I'm looking for, but the only company who manufactures it one of the smaller, rarely heard of ones. Only after purchasing do I find out why no-one has mentioned them before, and 90% of the time it's for the reasons you've mentioned. Not too long ago, I had a go at building a BA-64 from Ace. After painstakingly trying to reshape pieces, make extensions for bars that weren't long enough and generally make the thing look passable as it's real life counterpart, I found that the top of the chassis didn't even come close to fitting with the bottom half. Needless to say, it went straight in the bin.

Look on the plus side. At least your one is 1/35 scale

 

[Ian M]

Nice choice Ron, I was thinking of getting one of these. ( I seem to have a thing for modern German things at the moment). Shame to hear that the kit you have is a duff cast. I will be asking to open the box before I part with the green stuff for that one.

Welcome to the build young man!

Ian M

 

[noble]

Scott, this is a Revell kit....I've just made a start on it. For the sake of your sanity, don't get this one!I don't mind cleaning up, making bits fit, even filling, to me that's all part of the game. But not every single piece, large or small.

It really is atrocious. Every piece has an 'overspill' of plastic around the edges, even the bloody gear stick!

Still let's not be negative....What I have in mind for it will serve it right for proving to be a pig to build.....lol

Cheers,

Ron

If i know you Ron mate it'll come out looking like a tamiya fresh from the box.... you'll get there keep pluggin away. As you know i had a 1/24 P51D Mustang from airfix like that so i know what you mean, Good LUCK.

SCOTT

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for the comments boys....

Greg, being 1/35 it's all the more plastic to clean up!lol

Ian, please avoid this kit. Full Stop. The plastic is green, very soft and proving very difficult to clean up, leaving a constant burr. It's similar in a way to the 1/72 polypropylene (soft plastic or whatever) figures and we all know what a pain they are!

Scott, you're right, I won't let it beat me, it just narks me having to do all this unneccessary extra work 'cos it's a bum moulding.

Cheers all,

Ron

 

[Ian M]

Hm. Did you buy it in a shop or over the internet? If it was a shop I would of gone and had a look at another one. If that was 'normal' I would bring the one in from the car and ask for an exchange. Fit for purpose and all that. It really sounds like the one you have is a reject. Bad plastic and bad casting. There might even be a connection there....

I have just built their Gelanderwagon and thats about the same vintage and the plastic was fine in that. Good old hard green plastic.

Ian M

 

[spanner570]

Hm. Did you buy it in a shop or over the internet? If it was a shop I would of gone and had a look at another one. If that was 'normal' I would bring the one in from the car and ask for an exchange. Fit for purpose and all that. It really sounds like the one you have is a reject. Bad plastic and bad casting. There might even be a connection there....I have just built their Gelanderwagon and thats about the same vintage and the plastic was fine in that. Good old hard green plastic.

Ian M

It was from my local model shop.

I suppose I could have taken it back, but as I went into town on the bus (around 10mls) Good old free bus pass! I just couldn't be bothered retracing my journey.

Your mention of hard green plastic is certainly not the case with this kit, so summat's wrong somewhere! Perhaps the fact that it was in the sale for under £8 could explain it, although in fairness, the shop would have no idea it was a gash kit....

Not to worry, upwards and onwards!!

Ron

 

[Boldman]

Keep on trucking! You have more patience that I do!

 

[spanner570]

A quick update for you.....

I nearly 'Fell at the first' with this, or the kit did anyway, but I will persevere and finish it!

The chassis is now complete. What a complicated piece of equipment, it looks that fragile the real thing could be put out of action just throwing an empty bottle at it!

Here are some shots of it..

Cheers,

Ron

Just found out when I tried to fit the wheels...I have the left front step in the wrong place ( see plan picture) Happy days!!

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[noble]

Ron me old mate thats good progress so far keep at it and you will win through.

scott

 

[spanner570]

Fitted the wheels and completed the cab. Well, almost!

I have just tried to fit the front windscreen....It fell right through the cab frame, nowhere near a fit. Even the securing lugs on the 'glass' hardly touch the frame!

I tell you fellas, this is one bloody awful kit. Avoid it at all costs, please!!

It's very close to .22 in the garden time. I'm going to turn my back on it for a while and decide it's untimate fate.....

Cheers,

Ron

 

[Ian M]

Serious case of a friday afternoon kit that one.

Almost makes me want to look at one my self, just to see if you were unlucky or the kit is naff.

From what you have built so far the detail looks quite good. As for Unimogs breaking if you threw a bottle at it, it would have to be a bloody big bottle. If you want my unprofessional opinion, the only truck that could out live a Unimog is a land rover. And not one of the new arty farty ones, a real one where the only tools you ever needed was an adjustable spanner and a hammer!

You could always do a dio with it parked in a tree and make a driver figure hanging out the opening where the windscreen once was......

Ian M

 

[treyzx10r]

Hope you do'nt bin it Ron, maybe some time away from it will bring some new ideas for a fix

 

[spanner570]

O.K., I have had a quiet word with this kit explaining the alternatives....One involving a .22 air rifle, the other a more pleasant ending. It chose the latter!

So here is progress thus far:

As already explained the windscreen was ditched as totally useless. Also, there were no windows for the doors only sort of quarter lights or rear cab windows with the kit.

You will also see there are no 'Lids' to the storage boxes, these will be used later.

I have painted the Unimog in the colours of the I.S.A.F. which used this vehicle in Afghanistan. I will be doing a diorama shortly depicting an incident in a little village on the road from Kabul to the I.S.A.F. base of Bagram.......

The truck is brush painted in Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics and the bits in Humbrol Enamel.

I have done some basic weathering streaks whilst I was painting the model.

The first picture shows the model in the green plastic with the wheels/ chassis painted. The second set show the vehicle painted, ready for the decals and proper weathering.

Thank you for looking.

Ron

Sorry, should have said the doors are just pushed in for the pictures and are not fixed.

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[Centurion3RTR]

Hang on a mo, Ron is doing a vehicle and it has wheels too lol. Nice build so far though mate.

Have fun, John

 

[Ian M]

Well it might have put up a fight but it looks like you gotten the better of it Ron.

Ian M

 

[CDW]

Quite a nice little model really (if you ignore the build problems) and you seem to have the patience of a saint .... it would have been the .22 option here

Whats the plan for the windscreen ??

You said it fell through as it was too small for the gap???

could you not edge the screen in some small guage "piping" to fill it out a bit, or maybe be a little constructive with some filler around the cab area to build up the gap a tad?

 

[noble]

I knew you'd beat it into submission Ron nice one, this is looking good so far roll on the diorama.... oh and don't forget the bucket lol. Oh Ron if you want a windscreen, then drop down to the local train or bus station and ask for a trio or solo ticket wallet they give them away these make good windscreens.

scott