Last blast, let's go out in a blaze of glory! Weekend Group Build the 2015 Edition.

Ok, halfway there.  In the paint shop now but I took some pics beforehand.  I have to say that this has been a very enjoyable build.  I was worried with the parts count (330 or so) but it has gone together fairly quickly.  A word of warning.  The instructions with this kit are quite vague.  If I were not paying attention and followed the instruction sheet, I would have glued all the moving parts solid.  Fortunately I was awake enough to see the poor directions and save many, many contributions to the swear jar.  Anyhow, my progress thus far....

Thanks lewbud! 

Reporting in at 6:30 PM, 22 hrs into the build.  The interior took much longer than I anticipated, probably because this is the first major open top AFV I've build in a long time!  Didn't realize how much planning needed to go into this to get the interior done.  Anyhoo, here's the interior:

The gun was was actually finished first and was easy enough, but I had to wait until the turret was complete to install it.  Pretty simplistic, but can't ask for much more with this kit and quick build:

Assembling and installing the turret was a major pain.  I had to fill major gaps on the turret front after installing the gun and then the mantlet didn't really have anything to mount to.  I had to figure out a way to hold it on and also redo the MG port...it was way too big.  The way the turret attaches to the hull plate is also a PITA.....you have to sandwich the upper hull plate between the turret top and the turret basket.  Trying to do this without glueing either turret part onto the plate was dang near impossible, compounded by the extemely slim areas to need glue.  In my frustation I broke one of the plate sides

But this worked in my favor!! I realized that with the plate broken on one side I could just glue the basket to the turret without worrying about the plate in between, let dry and then slide the assembled turret onto the plate through the gap created by the break! Here is the assembled turret/plate:

Here it is ready for the little bits!

Whew!  Time for some dinner before another round at the bench!  Goal tonight is to complete assembly and get a basecoat of OD on her before hitting the sack!

caveman, the SA-6 is looking good!  Glad to hear it went together nicely for you!  I commend you for tackling a 330 pc kit for this 48 hr build!! 

Thanks for the kind words.  The Greyhound is looking quite nice.  One thing I didn't have to worry about was an interior or I wouldn't have tried this kit.  In retrospect, I wish there was some interior details because this model has many, many hatches that could be posed open to show it all off.  Lots of potential for any scratchbuilders out there.

Here is my entry this year. The Tamiya Fieseler Fi 103, more commonly just called the V-1. It came with a Meteor kit, a nice little extra. I started rougly around 23:30 local time (EST)

Construction going quickly. Just snapped pictures as I went. Here all in one post.

Ram-jet face and intake cowling.

V-1 looking good ajd!

Got the base coat on last night but too tired to take pics.  Used MM spray can OD, but hue will change when weathering applied.  Took the pics this morning just after I started with some shading.

Tires base coated with a mix of Tamiya acrylics...sort of a dirty dark grey

Well guys, that's 48 hours and I'm calling her finished.  I have to say I have a new found respect for those of you who put these individual link tracks together.  Drove me bug nuts!  As I said before, this is destined for a diorama so I didn't fix and plumb the missiles as they will need to be removed.  I will post a better picture, and a proper one of the Forger for the front page.  But for now, I'm beat.  Keep at it guys, there is still a few more weekends........

Yay! More armor! 

Looks mighty fine caveman, great indy links and sweet weathering for the quick build!

3 hours to go and I'm coming down the home stretch!  I'd probably be done by now if I didn't have to go to work for a couple of hours this afternoon .  Decals on, just need to do a wash on the glossy upper hull and paint the last few details!

unfortunately, my phone bit the dust today, so the research it took to decide what to replace it with, along with actually going to get it took the better part of half a day away from me. I'll see what I can do about getting done in time.

Sorry to hear about your phone adj.  Yeah, getting a replacement is definitely time consuming.....when I switched carriers/phones last month it took about half a day for me too! 

Calling another Weekend Madness build done!  That's five in a row now (2011-2015)!

Complete this one with half an hour to spare (gulp!).  Its a pretty old kit with soft, clunky details and the decals were almost unusable, but I managed to snap them into shape (sort of!).  Basecoated with MM spray can O.D. but shaded and highlighted with Lifecolor acrylics and used Flory Washes (Dark Dirt and Black) for weathering. 

And the glamour shot with clock and some liquid celebration!!

My hat's off to lewbud, thanks for hosting this fine GB!!  If I have time I just might give it another go.....

Bufflehead that's a neat looking wheeled thingy you got there! I like it slot.

Well I have a coat of primer drying in the V-1, and the dolly painted as well. I haven't downloaded photo bucket on this new phone yet, so I will just give commentary till I get that taken care of.

And now the RLM 71 is drying over the RLM 76.

And this build is toast. Paint was a disaster. Tried to make up for lost time yesterday with shortcuts today, and it bit me. I might try again before this is over, but I highly doubt it.

Question. If I cut the main components off the sprues of a kit to dry fit and make sure there are no major fit issues first, is that allowed? Or does my 48 hours start when I cut the first part off the sprue?

I have a couple of old Hobbycraft kits that are pretty inaccurate, but easy builds I could display in the "back shelf" that I could try to build for a re-do.

I had wondered that myself AJD, but I'll leave it to higher pwoers to advise :)

I didn't jump into another build last weekend, I really needed a weekend off, but I have completed the 2nd Spitfire that I commenced on my first build weekend.

That makes three completed in three weeks.

Cheers

Tony

and the three of them....

Tony, you should change your handle to "Spitfire"

Again, another fine looking spit Tony, you can never have enough Spitfires.

ajd3530

Question. If I cut the main components off the sprues of a kit to dry fit and make sure there are no major fit issues first, is that allowed? Or does my 48 hours start when I cut the first part off the sprue?

I have a couple of old Hobbycraft kits that are pretty inaccurate, but easy builds I could display in the "back shelf" that I could try to build for a re-do.

 

You can cut them off the sprue, but no cleaning up the attachment points.  You hit them with a file or sandpaper and you better be off and running.  Front page is somewhat updated.  Tony, your Spits look great.  Who's up for Round Four?

Holy cow I shouls have looked in here a LOT sooner! Some great work in here! And not simple kits like I thought that I would see.

I think I can get 48 hours to have a go on my days off this week...

I've been telling myself all week not to do this. At the opposite end of the performance spectrum to the Spitfire XIXs I have been building is the Bf 108. I've got the old Heller 1/72 one, and it's a nice old kit. It was originally released in 1976, the year I started modelling :)

I've got the 1979 boxing, which I also built back in the very early 80s. I built it in the desert scheme on the box art back then, this time I'll use some Printscale decals to finish it as a Nord 1000 Pinguin. It fits in nicely with this thing I've got going for German aircraft in post war French Service.

It's 10.40pm Friday evening here, a bit later than I planned but I'll at least make a start tonight.

Wish me luck !

Cheers

Tony