ERIC - Nice start.  Those boogies are small but well detailed.  Like the real springs.  You say my kit is busy, mine does not have 500 parts

Thanks for thinking of those tracks but yes, have some here.  $10 dollars!! Thats much better than what I had to pay   Would be nice if Dragon put out some French armor!  If they did would defiantly buy them!

Hi guys   : )

A long night and a long day.....LOL

here are some pics of how it went after 12:01 AM... I am POOPED....please, the lighting and focus isn't up to my personal standards , but I had so much fun and want to show you where I am at... some of it looks a bit messy (where the rivets have been added along the sponson, I marked placement in pencil and it got ugly after the glue was applied)... you can see I am building details of my own to augment this fine Tamiya kit... it goes together like a dream.

there has been alot of measuring,cutting off incorrect parts ,drillling holes in the turret and drivers turret that will get slotted screws,each sponson needs about 40 rivets, I plan on adding casting numbers ect, and many many more things.

when I look at my pics it looks like almost done, but, I guarantee I am gonna need the whole 5 and a half months complete... just got a good jump 

So anyhoo... It looks a lot better in real life than my hurried pictures.. my next batch will be better and planned better...........I gotta hit the rack soon....5:30 for work comes to fast

Char B1 bis...... Day one

tread

Some nice work out of the gate there Tread!

Whoa. Slow down Tread. Give us older chaps a break eh?  At this pace, you'll be done in a week!

Jc,,   great choice of aircraft,  agree with Tread too,,, nice history lesson to boot

Cliff,,   at least you got your box opened,,, I only took a peek at mine. The Nemrod figs should work great (in my opinion),,,  I've used that brand and really like them.

AndyT,,   awesome lookin double-winger,,,   another great a/c choice

Eric,,,     so very sorry about your loss. I've had pets all my life and it is a real heart-wrencher when you lose one,, I know.                       Good start on the bogies...  I hope to get rolling soon on my build too.

Rob,,    now I have to go and get a cookie,,,         in the shape of a Somua,,

Tread,,    dayum!,,  that is a great jump on that Char B,,  excellent

I have not started anything yet,, but I am in the blocks (so to speak).......   nothing special, but here is what I am looking at,,,,

Pz I command vehicle...   The box are on this is great!....  luv it

An idea for some figures...   not bound by anything yet,,  plenty of thoughts stirring

And a set of spiffy Friuls,   just for fun.....

Hope everyone is good, and I am looking forward to getting into this build.

"Talk" to you all soon......................

Bill

Eric: Sorry to hear about your cat, lost our twelve year old dog this spring. Amazing how they can make an impression on your life.

Tread: Wow, I need to get some more done on my Char B, I'm already waaaaaaaayyyyyyy behind.

BIll: I've looked over the Nemrod and I'm not sure where they rate on the figure quality scale but they look really sharp to me. Btw: you've got some great stuff there. Dragon does some fantastic box art.

Cliff

Gamera

Eric: Sorry to hear about your cat, lost our twelve year old dog this spring. Amazing how they can make an impression on your life.

Tread: Wow, I need to get some more done on my Char B, I'm already waaaaaaaayyyyyyy behind.

BIll: I've looked over the Nemrod and I'm not sure where they rate on the figure quality scale but they look really sharp to me. Btw: you've got some great stuff there. Dragon does some fantastic box art.

Cliff

You aren't kidding Cliff. Gut wrenching right now. Every one that I lost in my family and even a couple of friends, happened at the spur of the moment. This, i actually have to prepare for. I don't know which is worse?

I hope to have at least the bogies done tonight, because tomorrow I will achieve nothing. Still deciding on the interior. 

Heya Cliff  :  )

On your Char,in step 12, part B17 is a really poorly made part.  When you fit it,you will see it sticks way above the track return deck .  this is incorrect ... you have to refashion the part to fit flush, but also take care of the fit of the grab rail below it.  Maybe yours is OK... I spent A LOT of time getting mine to be OK. Along with that part you have to refashion  the rain hood that is molded to it

Just a heads up.. every thing else is great :  )    ... if ya can , let me know how yours is when you fit it.

thanks man

talk to ya soon

tread 

tigerman

Whoa. Slow down Tread. Give us older chaps a break eh?  At this pace, you'll be done in a week!

Hey Eric :  )....

Man those bogies look great !   If I could pick 2 more kits I would like to build it would be your Hochkiss and Rob's Souma.... I am fallin' in love with these French tanks..... when you are burnt out from the Hotchkiss, do yourself a favor, build Tamiya's Char.... it practically builds itself for ya.... but don't worry .. I have a LONG WAY to go to get mine where I want it.

see ta tomorrow... gotta get my zzzzzzzzzzzzzz's

tread

Tread, What a start!  She is looking great!  It all looks good but really like the brackets around the antenna mast and the addition around the view copula.  Belive you said in a earlier post but how did you go about applying the bolts?

Hey Rob  :  ) 

if you are talking about the rivets on the sponsons (?), they are rivets cut off an old model and reglued...except for sizes that are too large, all my small Waldron punches are shot.... they don't look great in the pics , but they are good ... pics after primer... in the distant future... will show them better... still have to do the left side. they are 

.028" and match the kit rivets pretty well.....after the rivets are cut off, you stick a brand new #11 blade squarely and lightly in the middle, dip in shallow liquid cement, and apply,,, ya get ONE shot.... if miss placed, let dry over night and then cut it off  ... go back to step 1... lol

nite nite

tread

tigerman

 

 

just noticed , those bogies actually work dont they ?

PANZERWAFFE

Hello everyone, its time to get started  

First though, the lady of the house helped celebrate the begining of the build with some homemade oatmeal shortbread cookies

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, cookies !

Tread , thats down right beautiful already !

I see Jdice has infiltrated our thread like so many others. What a clown.

No, Shell they really don't. I think it's for accuracy.

I did get all 6 bogies finished, so I consider that a decent start.

Well you might as well get the tediouse assemblies done first Eric . They look good . I havent even looked at my Pz.1 yet ................sometime this week .

Hello ,

before to go at work

Very good starting of this Gb .

To Rob :

There are known inacuracies in both the hull and primarly the turret from my research.  I can see the inacuracies in the hull but myselfdo not see the significant flaws in the turret.  Have found a Graham Tetley turret (the recomended turret) on Ebay but because of the cost rising on this build have decided not to purchase it.  Have not decided if I will replace the Heller turret with an extra Tamiya one?  More to come on this later in the build.  This is the Heller turret

rob , blitz are a set for the Somua . The price is 28 euros.I think it's very expensive.

http://www.blitz-kit.com/fiche-produit.php?ref=35JM%204010&cat=conversion

Jc

jdice1980

I sincerely apologize to you tigerman. You were one of the only high post count individuals who actually contributes something to the forum, and you and I had nothing but amicable interactions. In my insanity rampage I just posted here having forgotten you are the originator. I know my actions following the original issuance of my manifesto really disappointed some people. I can’t blame you for your reactions to my neurosis and I have no ill feelings toward you personally for them. I will remove my insanity from your thread. It is a GB I really wanted to jump in on; before my forum suicide.

 

 

Apology accepted. I take pride in forgiving others, as I hope in turn they forgive me when I make an ass out of myself, and believe me, I've done it more then I care to say over the years. 

I also take pride in making friends that others wouldn't consider being friends with. I suppose some of that comes from my upbringing. 

I had to jump in before the Opening Day ended!  Unfortunately all I had time to do today was open the plastic bag for the sprues and smell the styrene!

Actually it will be a month or two before I can start the A13.  Gotta finish 3 builds for one other GB and start two more for another!  YIKES!

Oh and Eric, my condolences to you and your family on the passing of your feline family member and friend..  I've had to put down a couple of furry friends myself so I know how you're feeling.  The good thing is that she lived a nice long kitty life filled with !   

Thank you Ernest and everyone else for your nice comments.

I do look forward to seeing what this Bronco kit has to offer Ernest. I have yet to see one built up. Yours will be the first review I've read on it also. Should be cool.

Tomorrow will be a long day.

Tread: Thanks for the warning, so far no fit problems.

I've been building this one outta-the-box so far. Just spent way too much time gluing little metal bits to a Dragon M46. Hoping to spend most of my time on the complex paint scheme on the Char B.

Hey guys

Sorry I didn't pop in yesterday - was busy with the family.

It'll be a while before I get a start on the 222, but I'll keep tabs in here to see all the progress that everyone is making. I'm really excited about the diversity of stuff that will show up in this GB. It should be a great time.

Keep up the good work and, uhhh, who ate the last croissant??!!

Ernest:

I think you'll find that Bronco A-13 Mk III quite a nice kit, if it's anything like the Bronco "Panzerkampfwagen Mk IV (744(E)) A-13 which I built this year! That one turned out to be a box jam-packed with awesome styrene which went together into a really cool-looking build - I found the molding and detail just superb - LOTS of great detail. Also lots of tiny fiddly bits... so if you are ham-handed... and /or have deep plush carpets...  From what I can see from box art and reviews, your kit probably shares a great deal with the one I built - aside from your's evidently has yinyl tracks...   The "Panzerk..." kit came with fine indy-links, but this was maybe a special case in that this "beute" version had Pz. II tracks fitted on as replacements by the Germans, and Bronco accommodated accordingly.  Having not dealt with the Mk III nor with Bronco's vinyl tracks for same.... I suppose I would "default" to getting an indy-link set, as I like that approach.  I look forward to seeing this jump out onto the posts!  Bet it will be COOL!

Bob

As pretty much everyone knows, today was the day I had to put my cat down. I won't bore anyone with the details, but I did a thread in the Odds & Ends in hopes of righting the ship as we say. 

Might hit the bench tomorrow. Lots of stuff to still take care of.

Condolences Eric, it's a hard time I know but you will pull through so chin up mate.

Cheers

Ebay and the post office both say my kit was delivered today. I will pick it up later this afternoon.

Thanks Darren.

Andy, get a crackin.

I hope to get something built later this afternoon or early evening. Still haven't decided on the interior.

Hey guys, questions if I may?

I understand the Char B's turret was one solid cast piece. Should it have a rough pitted texture like a Sherman transmission cover? I've looked though some of the information that JC helped us with but can't really tell from the photos.

And I'd thought about drilling one or two small craters in the front armour plate to represent small German AT gun (20 and 37mm) hits that failed to penetrate but I can't find any photos of such and am worried it will just look silly. Any opinions? The more I think about it the more I think that they'll look overdone and not doing it.

One picture I found in a museum appears to show a rough texture.

As far as rounds, they can be overdone, so I'd be careful. It's plausible that pea-shooters like the 37mm bounced off them. They had a thick hide. Were you placing the Char in a dio? Otherwise I wouldn't do it.

Eric: I was intending to do a dio of the tank and a German 37mm AT gun. Though at the point-blank range in a dio even the 'door-knocker' could be deadly.