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Post by Snipersmudge on May 27, 2019 18:51:18 GMT
Your getting there mate, looks good  |
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Post by Paul B on May 28, 2019 11:04:08 GMT
Hang in there Alex, you're showing her who the boss is  |
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Post by Boots on May 28, 2019 12:12:00 GMT
Yeah hang in there fella she`s looking tickety boo from here  |
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alexb
Glue slinger 
Posts: 687 
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Post by alexb on May 31, 2019 4:57:49 GMT
I won't be finishing mine in time. I do plan on finishing it though. I did get the tracks sorted out.
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Post by Paul B on May 31, 2019 5:52:17 GMT
Deadline isn't a prob ALex . In you own time fella  , but we do still have 31 official days of the GB left |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on May 31, 2019 21:29:14 GMT
Oh okay...that works. I thought it ended on June 1st. I should be done well before that. I'm close to finishing assembly. I'll probably get an update posted this weekend.
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Jun 1, 2019 17:21:33 GMT
I had started the tracks. The top runs had to be tinkered with to get the look I wanted. Meng included pre-molded lengths for the lower runs, going to the drive sprockets and idlers. The pre-molded lengths looked "too straight", the track didn't look natural. I had found a bag of extra KT track links from my Dragon KT. I took the Meng indie links that were supposed to be used for the turret spares and used them to replace the molded lengths. I would use the Dragon links for the turret. The runs are actually two links short but it works with the modified sag. All I had to do was pivot the idler.
By the way, can you identify the part on the sprue with the short molded lengths? That's supposed to be a hull MG barrel.
I'm pretty happy how the tracks look. Getting that sag right is something that L&L tracks are hit or miss on. To be fair, the side skirts would have covered the top runs. The small lower run sections were a bit of a overkill fix on my part. I really could have bent them a bit.
 
Meng has included this little tool to form the large PE covers for the engine deck. It's a nice touch but really wasn't needed. It's a one-trick pony of a tool. The tool is pretty specific to the Meng screens, which look smaller than the Dragon screens. I'd be very surprised if they work well with other KT/JT AM PE sets. Also, the PE is some really nice stuff. It is easy to work with, looks nice, and is a definite high-point in this kit. The tool is to curve the sides to sit on the support frame. You could just as easily placed the PE on that frame and used a brush or hobby knife handle to form it to fit. I would have preferred Meng use the design time to tweak some other bits of this kit.
The rear deck. The panels look really loose, but they fit snug, even without cement they pop into place. For the era and state that I want the KT to represent...it works. I expect it should really pop with paint and weathering.
And the turret. It's just the basic assembly, though I went ahead and added a piece of styrene to the interior for the crew to stand on. I wanted to see how it looked, how it compared to the Dragon KT, and how it fit on the hull with the barrel added. The Meng turret is a bit wider than the Dragon one. I'm not sure which one is right, but the Meng one is going to look even wider with the spare links attached. The turret fit nice and even turns freely and clears the rear deck grills. The gun is pretty nice, for a styrene deal. You do have the option of mantlets. It's not noted which is which in the instructions. The late one has a simpler cast design and has an add-on section on one side for added protection.
Anyway, the assembly is wrapping up. I like how it is looking and it is looking how I want it to look. I should have assembly done in the next few days.
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Post by Paul B on Jun 1, 2019 17:46:11 GMT
Your on a role now Alex . Shame about the mishaps in this kit though, I'd have thought it would be a lot better in this day and age. |
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Post by Boots on Jun 1, 2019 17:46:18 GMT
Thats looking very nice indeed Alex and great work on the tracks  |
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Post by Ian H. on Jun 1, 2019 18:00:55 GMT
Alex, that looks fantastic. Really nice construction, there.
Regards,
Ian
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Post by Snipersmudge on Jun 2, 2019 18:45:37 GMT
Coming along leaps & bounds mate, looks ace |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Jun 14, 2019 1:10:56 GMT
Tanks all. She's coming along...and to honest...she's not looking too bad. She's just been a pain to get her this far.
Assembly is basically done...at least to slap some paint on her. It's been pretty hot and humid here so paint has had to be put off for a good day. 
I was able to get a base coat of sand on, mask, and then olive green. I wanted a mottled green over sand but the humidity was an issue...sputter-sputter. Anyway, I had to settle on a soft-edge sand-green scheme.
 
All dried I started a bit of the weathering and mounting the spare links on the turret. The first stage of drybrushing was done in red-brown. I went with that as opposed to red oxide simple to give it a grimier look. I only hung a few tracks on the turret. I wanted a weary KT and figured running low on spare tracks would look better. Same as the missing skirting and other stuff I am planning.
Tracks were given a heavy drybrushing of red-brown. I'll give it a brushing of dirt and bare steel later.
This build is wrapping up. I found some Hudson & Allen Pine Boughs in a box of farm animals. I bought them back in the 90s and have never opened them, but they still look good. I'll add some of that to the Kittay. I'll see what I have in the way of crew figures. If I don't have any thing that wows me I might just go with a figgies the kit sent and upgrade them later. I really want the crew to be as banged up as their tank. I plan on making my own tow cables. The kit gives you a pair of pre-molded tow cables and a pre-molded track cable. I'll probably have them lose the track cable and maybe one of the tow cables. I'm not going to do IR gear. Beyond that, I'm sort of playing it by ear at this point. I hope to wrap up the tank this weekend. Depending on the crew...that may take a bit longer to call it done-done...but I should make it before the deadline.
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Post by Paul B on Jun 14, 2019 8:01:35 GMT
You got it nailed now Alex  . I like the sound of the shrubs and crew too |
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Post by Snipersmudge on Jun 14, 2019 12:34:08 GMT
Indeed looking very nice from here |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Jun 16, 2019 5:55:19 GMT
Another quick update. All I did was add some more pine boughs. I mainly added to fill out the driver's side and give the rest more body. So much of it was just flat.  
Another thing I did, was dig out the panzer crew spares box. I have decided to covert some figures to a tired, beaten crew.
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Post by Robbo on Jun 16, 2019 19:09:58 GMT
Looking really good Alex
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Post by Boots on Jun 16, 2019 20:15:39 GMT
I like how they look in the top two pics in their natural colours...........have you darkened them or is the lighting making them look a bit darker |
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Post by Snipersmudge on Jun 17, 2019 17:59:17 GMT
Yeap looking good |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Jun 19, 2019 15:42:21 GMT
I like how they look in the top two pics in their natural colours...........have you darkened them or is the lighting making them look a bit darker It's the lighting. One set got the flash, one didn't. I use a Canon EOS on auto and it has a habit of having its own mind when it comes to using its flash. In this case, I am pretty sure the backgrounds had as much to do with it as anything.
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, but we do still have 31 official days of the GB left 
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