1/35 M76 "Otter"

[RAFF-35]

I'm not sure if you've found a use-case for your build yet, but the French polar expedition used several M-76's

[Jakko]

Those are M29C Weasels, not M76 Otters Takom has released an Antarctic version of their Weasel kit, though not a French one:

You cannot view this attachment.

Beware of the suspension on this kit, though. It's not for the faint of heart

[zenrat]

I've got one of them.  I haven't dared open the box.  I'm scared of all the tiny parts (it's a Takom kit after all) escaping.

I think it would make an excellent ice cream van, coffee wagon, or (more boringly) taxi.

[Old Wombat]

I've got one of them.  I haven't dared open the box.  I'm scared of all the tiny parts (it's a Takom kit after all) escaping.

I think it would make an excellent ice cream van, coffee wagon, or (more boringly) taxi.

Antarctic Ice-cream van. 

[Steel Penguin]

telling the 2 apart is quite simple as well,  one is weaselly identified, the other is otterly different.  BADUM TISH!!

[PR19_Kit]

Where's the 'big groan' emoticon when you REALLY need one? 

[Wardukw]

    

[Captain Canada]

Very cool. I had never heard of this machine before. I like it !

[Old Wombat]

Where's the 'big groan' emoticon when you REALLY need one? 

Not an emoji/emoticon but: Here you go, Kit! 

[frank2056]

I'd make it an Antarctic build if 1) I had properly attired figures 2) this kit wasn't so de-motivational.

Yesterday, I spent at least an hour trying to get these four pieces of PE right. Of course, they moved just before the CA set, so I had to remove them and try again, which bent the PE quite a bit. I finally had everything to the point that they were on and the damage could credibly be blamed on wear and tear:



Looking closer at the left corner, I noticed that it had split a bit. I used pliers and tweezers to squeeze it back together before adding more CA into the gap:



I applied the CA, squeezed... and one of the panels started popping off. Sign. So I peeled all four off and removed as much of the CA as possible. These are the four pieces of PE that really needed fold likes, since the location has to be exact... but no, you have to guess, with predictable results.

 I'll add some bolts to replace the missing ones, maybe a loop and call it a post-war mod. The tools (shovel, pickaxe, extra handle and head for the pickaxe) all have tiny, thin PE belts to hold them in place... I'll find some other way.

The rest of the day was spent attaching tiny handles to doors (the contacts are all flat, round and sub-millimeter in diameter). Hopefully I can finish most of the construction tomorrow. Then fill in some of the gaps and prep for painting.

[Old Wombat]

Oh, happy daze! 

Stick with it, mate! You'll win out ... Eventually!   

[buzzbomb]

Hardly a happy carefree build... but you will get there  

[Rick Lowe]

Would scoring the pe with a point make enough of a groove to act as a fold line?

As to replacement straps - Tamiya tape. 

WRT the Weasel, the Monogram one is much easier to build, though just a few decades older...

Kit, that comment's more worthy of a double face-palm! 

[Wardukw]

Frank mate PE can be a right bane sometimes..even the simple bits can suck massive farts...been there many times ...it's one of those things the easier it gets the more you drive ya self crazy playing with it .
A good quality medium CA glue works for me best ..it sets rather quickly and holds parts nicely .
Keep at it bud ..you'll beat the bugger 

[Jakko]

I've got one of them.  I haven't dared open the box.  I'm scared of all the tiny parts (it's a Takom kit after all) escaping.

You are rightly scared. I've built almost two so far, and the first one was very much a learning curve. See this thread on Missing-Lynx for the way I would recommend you build the suspension — do not attempt to follow Takom's instructions for this, because if you do, nothing will line up correctly.