Rare Medium Tank M3 variant, from a MiniArt kit

[Jakko]

With rivets and tracks, it’s really just a matter of starting and doing a bunch until you’ve had enough, then going away and doing it again later on … The AFV Club tracks are certainly better to build than the MiniArt ones that came with the kit — I think I said it before, but one set of those per lifetime feels about enough to me

 

[Jakko]

More rivets:



This is pretty much the whole front done. Now I can get on with building the rest of what needs adding, and of course putting plenty more rivets on there too …

 

[adt70hk]

Jakko,

Rather you than me with all those rivets
...that may take some patience.

just had a thought, it's not the Canal Defence Light variant your doing?

Andrew

 

[scottie3158]

Jakko,
Nice work on the rivets

 

[Jakko]

Rather you than me with all those rivets
...that may take some patience.

It’s not as bad as I had imagined. Just punch out a bunch of rivets, then stick them on the model, and either repeat or call it a day for now Though I’m glad I’ve got this part done so I can continue with the rest of the model — I really didn’t want to build everything that needs rivets before adding them. Better to split these kinds of things up so I don’t go crazy.

just had a thought, it's not the Canal Defence Light variant your doing?

I might be … or I might not Stay tuned for more …

Nice work on the rivets

I’ve been making them with the punches I bought after you told me about the RP Toolz rivet punch, so I have to thank you for showing me a simple and relatively cheap way to get domed rivets of regular size

 

[Jakko]

This vehicle needs an extension built between the superstructure and the left rear stowage bin:



This is just four bits of plastic card, cut to size after measuring the model. I deliberately made the top too large:



This is so I can trim it to size after the glue dries, which is easier than trying to make all plates the right size before assembly.

 

[Jakko]

By now I’ve made a start on the super-superstructure this tank has. First two pieces of 1 mm plastic card to act as internal bracing and to make sure I get the shape right:



After that I cut an 0.5 mm plate for the roof:



I’ll add walls around this after, because it’ll be easier to get everything to line up with the roof in place, rather than put the roof on at the end.

 

[Jakko]

After the roof, I built corners from 5 mm plastic tube, because they need to be rounded, and then added side, front and rear plates from 0.5 mm plastic card. I bevelled the edges that go against the tubes, so they fit better, but I’ll have to fill the seams with putty later.



Like before, the side plates stick out above the roof, so I can trim them to size once the glue is good and dry.

 

[Graeme C.]

Looks like a rather different version of the M3 Jakko, I've no idea what it actually is!

 

[Tim Marlow]

I’ve been stumped for ages. I’m starting to think it’s the Army Surplus special from wacky races.....

 

[Jakko]

It is a rather different version of the tank than you might expect … All will hopefully become clear eventually, though do keep guessing!

 

[Jakko]

Looking carefully at my one reference for this vehicle, I realised I had made a mistake. The left side needs to overhang the hull side, not be flush with it. No way would I want to take everything off and begin again — far easier to just build a bit of an extension and blend it in with some putty and filing after.

I started by sawing a length of the tube I used for the corners in half, lengthwise. This wasn’t all that easy, but I managed by clamping it in a modeller’s vice (the open ends of the tube against the jaws, not the sides of the tube) and sawing carefully through one side. Then I put it in with the other side up and repeated, ending up with two almost equal halves.

Those halves, I glued to 0.25 mm plastic card so I could stick the half-tubes on the corners, and then added 2 mm square rod at the top and bottom:



All that then remained was to cut a new side plate and stick it to the outside:

 

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
That's worked well and better that a total rebuild. Whatever it is is coming on a treat. If you have only found one reference photo then it's very rare - perhaps a one-off
Jim

 

[GerryW]

Completely lost me! But interested anyway

 

[Jakko]

That's worked well and better that a total rebuild. Whatever it is is coming on a treat.

Thanks, it seems like it worked about as well as I had in mind Now to trim the new parts to size and add a good deal of putty to all those joints …

If you have only found one reference photo then it's very rare - perhaps a one-off

I have more than one picture, but only one reference that they’re all in But it was almost certainly a one-off, yes. I can’t think of any reason why more than one would have been built, anyway.

 

[GerryW]

Armoured, but no weapons? A Pope mobile maybe?

 

[adt70hk]

On a serious note.....how about an obscure Russian mod to one they received...... On a less serious note, a mobile platform for Monty to address the troops from in North Africa.......or on a ridiculous note a mobile stage for entertaining the troops from.......

I still have no idea....

 

[Jakko]

Armoured, but no weapons?

The weapons will come later. Fairly soon, in fact. I hope.

A Pope mobile maybe?

Yes, this was specially converted for Pius XII from a vehicle of the Swiss Guards Armoured Brigade in 1943, in case the Italians decided the Vatican had been leaning too much to the Allied side, what with being equipped with American tanks and all.

On a serious note.....how about an obscure Russian mod to one they received......

Nope, sorry, not Russian.

On a less serious note, a mobile platform for Monty to address the troops from in North Africa.......or on a ridiculous note a mobile stage for entertaining the troops from.......

I still have no idea....

I can tell

 

[Jakko]

The corners are finally done to my satisfaction, having had to fill, file and sand them about three or four times due to the putty shrinking a little more than expected.

 

[Jakko]

Continuing with doors on the sides and a further structure on its right front:



The doors need hinges and everything needs plenty more rivets, but not before I build some more things whose exact shape and size I’m still trying to work out.