Steve Jones
Steve Jones Scale Modelling Site
Nice to see you beating this one into submission Mr T.
SimonT - Hobbyboss 1/35 Russian T-18 Light Tank
- Thread starter SimonT
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Removing material from the turret bustle will affect the rivet positions and also the side hatch location - I think I shall be leaving it as is. This one was never intended to be a rebuild and the AnimalGB is nearly upon us
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- Jakko
Yeah, it’d be a pretty major job for such a little correction. It’ll be easier to lower the high part of the engine deck a little, I think, for anyone who wants to open up the gap between deck and turret, but is it worth the trouble?
It would of course have been easier to mod it and the suspension before construction but of course until you fit the turret in place or try to fit the tracks it looks fine
Anyway with the turret ring shim in place there is now clearance and it doesn’t look stupidly out of proportion
Anyway with the turret ring shim in place there is now clearance and it doesn’t look stupidly out of proportion
Jim R
SMF Supporter
Hi Simon
Glad the shim has made it 'look' ok. Every model has it's compromises.
Jim
Glad the shim has made it 'look' ok. Every model has it's compromises.
Jim
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That’s always the thing with building models, isn’t it? You spend ages correcting things and then nobody notices your hard work because they don’t know any better 
Unless it’s Tigers or Panthers, when someone will come along and say, “That wing nut was only put on with serial number 1532747, and yours is clearly much earlier because it’s got two bolts here.”
Unless it’s Tigers or Panthers, when someone will come along and say, “That wing nut was only put on with serial number 1532747, and yours is clearly much earlier because it’s got two bolts here.”
cleaned up and added the six pairs of wheels to the front suspension unit
a new set of rivets to the tail skid top plate
and some bolt heads to the hinges on the rear panel
not a lot done but at least it is going in the right direction for a change
Steve Jones
Steve Jones Scale Modelling Site
Nice additions. Was the turret ring easy to do. Is it layered or cut from one thick sheet of plasticard?
front return rollers assembled and installed both sides
front access hatches installed after a bit of a fight as the fit was hopeless - the door edges overlapped by 1mm rather than meeting edge to edge
had to sand them down until they fitted together
stuck the first two lengths of track together then clamped them in the track vice to keep them straight while they dry
Jim R
SMF Supporter
Hi Simon
Glad the hatches now fit. When you get a poorly fitting kit as fast as you sort one problem you create other fit issues further down the line. The track jig does look useful. Presumably it is adjustable for different tracks and scales.
Jim
Glad the hatches now fit. When you get a poorly fitting kit as fast as you sort one problem you create other fit issues further down the line. The track jig does look useful. Presumably it is adjustable for different tracks and scales.
Jim
John - no, not you. There is a definite problem with those hatches. Even after fettling them they are not a perfect fit to the triangular armour plates at the top edge.
Jim - on some of my chop and go builds there is definitely a knock on effect with one correction leading to another problem. The Tamiya Panther A and Stug IV builds were particularly bad for that as the kits were so skewed in the first place. This one though is a new kit and the problems are just that, they are not the result of me chopping things about. The hatches are just too wide for the aperture in the hull
The track vice is MasterTools made by Trumpeter - I think I got it from John at the site shop. Cost about £28 if I remember rightly but it is very well made with a nice anodised finish
Undo the big black knob you can see in the pic and it slides open to about 35mm so should be good for most links
I have found the best method is to just glue the links together holding them in your hand then place in the vice and clamp them so that it keeps them straight as the glue dries
If you need to get curves/sags in for the top runs and ends just remove before the glue totally sets - at least the links should be lined up
First time I used it I put the links in the vice dry then ran glue across the joins but capillary action drew the glue under all the links and they melted into a bit of a blob and lost all the detail plus they stuck to the matt surface of the tool and had to be prised off
It is of course just a big clamp so you can use it to hold things other than track links - I used it to clamp the road wheels in line the other day
Jim - on some of my chop and go builds there is definitely a knock on effect with one correction leading to another problem. The Tamiya Panther A and Stug IV builds were particularly bad for that as the kits were so skewed in the first place. This one though is a new kit and the problems are just that, they are not the result of me chopping things about. The hatches are just too wide for the aperture in the hull
The track vice is MasterTools made by Trumpeter - I think I got it from John at the site shop. Cost about £28 if I remember rightly but it is very well made with a nice anodised finish
Undo the big black knob you can see in the pic and it slides open to about 35mm so should be good for most links
I have found the best method is to just glue the links together holding them in your hand then place in the vice and clamp them so that it keeps them straight as the glue dries
If you need to get curves/sags in for the top runs and ends just remove before the glue totally sets - at least the links should be lined up
First time I used it I put the links in the vice dry then ran glue across the joins but capillary action drew the glue under all the links and they melted into a bit of a blob and lost all the detail plus they stuck to the matt surface of the tool and had to be prised off
It is of course just a big clamp so you can use it to hold things other than track links - I used it to clamp the road wheels in line the other day
Thanks Simon.
Your links look a nice and tight fit.
I was going to ask about gluing them in the jig and what happens to the base with the glue, this is one reason why I glue on the chopping board the glue doesn't stick to it. Need to think about making one with a board and a router cutting the slots out. Would need to get some bolts and knobs.Can see this taking place.
Your links look a nice and tight fit.
I was going to ask about gluing them in the jig and what happens to the base with the glue, this is one reason why I glue on the chopping board the glue doesn't stick to it. Need to think about making one with a board and a router cutting the slots out. Would need to get some bolts and knobs.Can see this taking place.
scottie3158
SMF Supporter
Simon,
Looking at the suspension and rollers it all looks very flimsy, I don't know how robust it would have been on the real thing.
Looking at the suspension and rollers it all looks very flimsy, I don't know how robust it would have been on the real thing.
John - yes the links fit together pretty well really. Hold two together, add a drop of TET to the join and push together.
The tool is metal so they wouldn't stick normally but the anodised finish is ever so slightly rough - the melted links gripped on to the finish - doesn't dissolve or anything so the links can be prised off once the glue dries
I found it easier and less damaging to just hold the links together and glue
Scottie - it is very flimsy in plastic, hopefully not so much when made out of steel. Certainly seemed to be belting about in the YouTube footage
Track on one side completed
I made it in three removable sections - a top run, bottom run and a front curved section around the idler - however given the fragility of the suspension I decided to glue it all together so that the track can help support the wheels
I won't have the problem of fitting once covered in paint either
bottom run done on the other side - hope to get the rest done tonight
The tool is metal so they wouldn't stick normally but the anodised finish is ever so slightly rough - the melted links gripped on to the finish - doesn't dissolve or anything so the links can be prised off once the glue dries
I found it easier and less damaging to just hold the links together and glue
Scottie - it is very flimsy in plastic, hopefully not so much when made out of steel. Certainly seemed to be belting about in the YouTube footage
Track on one side completed
I made it in three removable sections - a top run, bottom run and a front curved section around the idler - however given the fragility of the suspension I decided to glue it all together so that the track can help support the wheels
I won't have the problem of fitting once covered in paint either
bottom run done on the other side - hope to get the rest done tonight
rtfoe
SMF Supporter
Hi Simon, I'm just happy to see it at this stage. No doubt the additions were minimum but I see you had a hard time with it...lack of solid reference being the source.
The tracks I think have given the kit a premium look.
The front of this tank configuration looks like a carry forward design to the later BT's.
Cheers,
Richard
The tracks I think have given the kit a premium look.
The front of this tank configuration looks like a carry forward design to the later BT's.Cheers,
Richard