Post by stikpusher on Jul 26, 2020 23:39:09 GMT
I started this kit probably a decade or so ago, perhaps a bit longer. I had assembled the suspension and then tried fitting them to the bottom center pieces. And I think that I sidelined it over fit issues. Fast forward several residential moves and my wanting to eliminate my backlog of sidelined builds. Add to that our Zoom online build of shelf queens and I had said I would join but never started a build for the “World At War, 1939-1940” GB over on FSM. Lastly I am nearing the finish line with my M46 build and I felt like gluing together more plastic on an armor project, without actually starting a new kit.
So first up last nite was a bit of filing, sanding, and trouble shooting to assemble the lower hull. Then quite a bit of coaxing and pressing to properly position the upper hull shell. Once I had that done, assembly started to move smoothly and quickly. The plastic itself reminds me of the styrene used by Airfix, being on the softer side. While drilling out the co axial machine gun barrel bore, i dinged that up and ended up replacing it with some Albion brass tubing- great stuff! I also drilled out the main gun tube bore and worked on the fishtail exhaust openings a bit. But I am planning to keep this as Out Of Box as possible to help it move quickly. After about four hours work last nite the main construction was done...
I still have lots of little bits to add, seam filling and clean up, and then I’m going to add some texturing to the armor, as the hull and turret was cast armor not rolled armor plates. I can’t wait to get to painting on this, as the French had some really good looking camo schemes on the early war armor.
So first up last nite was a bit of filing, sanding, and trouble shooting to assemble the lower hull. Then quite a bit of coaxing and pressing to properly position the upper hull shell. Once I had that done, assembly started to move smoothly and quickly. The plastic itself reminds me of the styrene used by Airfix, being on the softer side. While drilling out the co axial machine gun barrel bore, i dinged that up and ended up replacing it with some Albion brass tubing- great stuff! I also drilled out the main gun tube bore and worked on the fishtail exhaust openings a bit. But I am planning to keep this as Out Of Box as possible to help it move quickly. After about four hours work last nite the main construction was done...
I still have lots of little bits to add, seam filling and clean up, and then I’m going to add some texturing to the armor, as the hull and turret was cast armor not rolled armor plates. I can’t wait to get to painting on this, as the French had some really good looking camo schemes on the early war armor.
