Ricks' Ramblings

[Rick Lowe]

Cheers 

[zenrat]

 

It says something that the Soviet Union captured so many Pz IIIs that it was feasible to create the Su76i.

Good job.

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks, Fred.

The basic chassis was still perfectly serviceable, and what with all the captured ones there wasn't a shortage of spares.
AFAIK they kept the longer 50mm-gunned Pz3 in service, as long as the stocks of ammo held out, but the older, shorter gun 50mm vehicles were first up on the chopping block.
Though this is all from memory, trying to recall the articles I last read a while ago.

[zenrat]

What you need is...

...TANK ENCYCLOPEDIA!

[Rick Lowe]

I didn't know I did; but now I do... Cheers. 

[Rick Lowe]

Another one I've posted previously, but I'm reposting it here to keep them all in one place.

So there was a certain Christmas Present required for a certain Brother-in-Law...

Hasegawa 1/200 P-8A Poseidon, OldModelsDecals markings.

Build was straightforward, no surprises or issues... other than size; I normally deal in 1/72. (Or 1/35.)
So lots of fiddly little aerials, lumps and bumps.
However, I used the technique of snipping a piece of the runner off with the detail, making sure it was firmly attached and snipping the excess off after it was good and set.
The spike at the tail end was supposed to be a butt join; not a great idea, the way things go with me, so I drilled a hole and glued in a piece of paper clip.

The instructions would have you drill where a sensor lump would go and leave it off, in order to mount the stand receptacle, but no.
I drilled a hole elsewhere on the underside and glued in a section of tube for the knitting needle I would use for the support rod.
(I love these things for that purpose; cheap, plentiful and easily worked).

Paint was a base of spraycan white and a brush coat of Vallejo Light Ghost Grey.
Transfers were OldModelsDecals, from Jays Model Kits in Invercargill.

The model got a clear coat of Pascoes Long Life Shine, which is the replacement I use now that Klear is no longer on the market.

The transfers went on well, snuggled right down without even setting solution - except on the engines, I had to use some to get the warning triangles to conform over those pesky blisters...

They weren't without some issues: a few are oversized and were replaced with paint, and I managed to pull a couple off with my fingers, while holding the model to put others on... again, I painted replacements.
The engine hub swirls (whatever they're called) were never going to work for me, so they are paint also.
The odd sensor window was painted black, rather than using the transfer.
I also got to a point at which they were just getting too darn small to see and put on neatly, so I called it 'Enough'. (and IMHO too many small stencils makes the thing look too toy-like, anyway.)

There were also some issues with the markings instructions, but nothing too terrible and I was able to figure most things out in the end.

The model then got a coat of artist's clear matt varnish.

Base is a turned wood hemisphere, label base is a cardboard box I made up for the label to go on.
Painted craft store black, with a coat of the same artists' matt varnish.
A layer of cheap felt was glued to the underside.

Aaand - done!

Model was appreciated by the recipient, which was the main thing: Result! 

You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.


And a shout out and BIG 'Thank you' to Phill for sourcing the kit for me, and the very reasonable price he charged!

[NARSES2]

That came out well sir   

[Old Wombat]

Nice! 

[zenrat]

Sweet.   

Are you sure it's that small?   

As the hooker said to the police commissioner.

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks fellas.

Fred -  ya got me, it's actually the 1/72 model... 
IIRC, about 6 X 8" so yeah, not large.

[Rick Lowe]

Mal's Pistol **sci-fi**

From the TV series 'Firefly' and the Movie 'Serenity'

One of my Sisters is a huge Firefly (and Nathan Fillion) fan and I was looking for a way to make for her, his pistol as a Christmas present.
Getting the hexagonal barrel was always going to be the biggest hurdle, so after considering and rejecting various ways to make one, the idea went back into storage.

Then I found a brace of toy clicker guns that had hexagonal barrels, so they were purchased and work could commence.

There were plenty of shots on the net and I grabbed a few as reference and got going.

After cutting away the bits that weren't needed, I basically broke down into separate shapes the bits that would need to be scratched and added other shapes to them to get what I needed.
Most construction was from flat sheet, but there were a few kit parts I used; a couple of random small wheels on the rear sight and the water tanks from Tamiya Hanomags for the knobs that are under the barrel, with knitting needles glued into them and running back along the body into holes at the rear – this was to stop them from breaking off, as they would have had they had only been butt-joined on.

I added a few lead nail heads into the grip and rear part of the body, to give it a bit of heft.

The grips' shape was adjusted and then it was filled with quick drying 2-part builder's epoxy and filed to shape.

Then the rest of the rough bits were filed to shape and sanded smooth, and painting commenced.
I used a spraycan undercoat and then spraycan Brass for the metal bits and brushed on enamel brown for the grip, with other browns drybrushed on for a grain effect, then a varnish over to stop the paint coming off with handling. Finally a quick black wash to age it.

Sister was happy, and I still have a spare for another project.

Of course, now I find that there are a few downloadable printables out there, but there weren't at the time and in any case I hadn't discovered 3-D printing, or that my local library has printers.


You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.
You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

[zenrat]

 

[Old Wombat]

As another "Firefly", "Serenity" & Nathan Fillion fan, I approve of this build whole-heartedly!   

[Charlie_c67]

Shiny!

[kerick]

Shiny!

Very shiny!