Eric: Hey you're not far from being ready for paint, she looks great!

deafpanzer

Skit- Your tiny people mover is looking real great especially the trailer and stowage!   I'd hate to be caught inside that because it doesn't look that easy to get out quickly. 

Eric- Great process so far!  I have to agree about missing parts showing up especially when you are in process of scatchbuilding a replacement.  Just like you I would just take a break and come back next day and I'd find it right away. 

The thing is, I heard it hit the matt. Okay, I didn't panic. Figured it was still on the matt or nearby. Nothing. I moved everything and still nothing. The next morning I was down on the ground with the flashlight and lo and behold I found it. It bounced the other direction and I must not have checked it carefully enough.

PANZERWAFFE

Stik, really nice looking an interesting.  Pin marks yes but looks like they were easy to get to and fill.  Do you often assemble the tracks on before painting?

No, I have never done that before. I always have painted the suspension and tracks before I assembled those. Jim Wechsler, who is a member of the local AMPS chapter here, showed his method for assembling first and them painting afterwords at one of the meetings. I figured this would be a good kit to try it on.

The ejector pin marks on the trailer and cargo shelf were the only slow down points in assembly. On the shelf I sanded them out completely, and on the trailer, filled and sanded them away. Each was time consuming for a different reason. The first for the various grits used to remove, then smooth. The second in waiting for the putty to dry. Paint  base coat will be done in a short while here.

tigerman

deafpanzer:

Skit- Your tiny people mover is looking real great especially the trailer and stowage!   I'd hate to be caught inside that because it doesn't look that easy to get out quickly. 

Eric- Great process so far!  I have to agree about missing parts showing up especially when you are in process of scatchbuilding a replacement.  Just like you I would just take a break and come back next day and I'd find it right away. 

 

The thing is, I heard it hit the matt. Okay, I didn't panic. Figured it was still on the matt or nearby. Nothing. I moved everything and still nothing. The next morning I was down on the ground with the flashlight and lo and behold I found it. It bounced the other direction and I must not have checked it carefully enough.

Amazing isnt it .I have a cement floor under my work bench .That should make it easy to find fallen parts right ? NOT! I,ve cant believe what i find down there ...............yuck ! Having two dogs and their hair helps hide the small parts .Sorry guys , dont try to visualize it .................

Man before you know it stik, Eric, and Carl are going to be slinging paint! Nice work so far guys on your builds.

Lookie here... A CLEAN (-ish ) bench!!!

WOO-HOOO, I'm back in the fight!!!

That's a good space Boyd. All i would need is a computer and mini-fridge and I could live there.

tigerman

That's a good space Boyd. All i would need is a computer and mini-fridge and I could live there.

I don't have the fridge, but I do bring the laptop down there. Problem is, being in the basement, my WIFI signal is not strong enough to have reliable internet. Still, I can throw a DVD on...

Don't know if you caught it, but the 222 is on the bench in that shot. Progress, fellas! Progress!!

Totally cool Mr. Treadplate !!!! . Did you brush or spray the Mr. surfacer ?

Looking great Tread, though I'm not surprised. You're always very meticulous.

Well, I ran out of luck. I lost a little light or whatever it was on the rear engine deck area. It was inches from target when it just leapt out of my fingers. Ain't (sorry Doog) no way i'm going to find that!. This kit is over engineered in some areas. 

One of my fenders didn't have any holes drilled for a tool. I will cut the pins off the bottom and glue it flat, because I'm not sure how far the fender will go in.

I think I might sell my little tanks after playing with this guy. I'm going to need an E-100 after this.

Shellback

Totally cool Mr. Treadplate !!!! . Did you brush or spray the Mr. surfacer ?

ha ha the joke is.... it is not MR Surfacer!.... I used decanted auto motive primer brushed and dabbed and stippled on.... I did the bottom 2/3 of the turret that way, then lightly sprayed it to blend it in.... I forgot to mention you have to add a bit of lacquer thinner to the decanted primer so it bites a bit better into the plastic and slows the drying.

On the engine covers I used stippled acrylic (Vallejo)...as the result is a much finer cast look....I noticed the plastic used on this Tamiya model is very soft.  the Testors glue I am using is too strong... I wish Tenax was still available in Ct.

tread... Havin fun

Tread- I am loving what you have done to the Char!   Please PM me your mailing address so I can send you my unbuilt kit... there is no way I can do any better. 

tigerman

Looking great Tread, though I'm not surprised. You're always very meticulous.

Well, I ran out of luck. I lost a little light or whatever it was on the rear engine deck area. It was inches from target when it just leapt out of my fingers. Ain't (sorry Doog) no way i'm going to find that!. This kit is over engineered in some areas. 

One of my fenders didn't have any holes drilled for a tool. I will cut the pins off the bottom and glue it flat, because I'm not sure how far the fender will go in.

I think I might sell my little tanks after playing with this guy. I'm going to need an E-100 after this.

Hi Eric  : ) 

Dude I am surprised you even try to use your fingers!....On small parts I very lightly 'skewer' the part with a sharp #11 .. touch it to a little pool of liquid glue so it transfers and then touch and hold it to the part being glued to... works well with the smallest of parts !

don't use yer fingers !

tread

tread

Pz. 1 . Back after filling gaps and then removing the filler to make gaps again .....................huh?

Panzerbob pointed out that filling the gaps betwwen the hull and upper stucture was a mistake .Also there is a bolted angle plate on the side of the engine deck . After a thin coat of paint to check for flaws i'll add the bolts .

deafpanzer

Tread- I am loving what you have done to the Char!   Please PM me your mailing address so I can send you my unbuilt kit... there is no way I can do any better. 

 

Hi Andy :  ) 

Don't kid me man , I've seen your work.....Excellent... as a matter of fact I was just over at the stugGB  looking at your figures.. ! top notch!

tread

treadwell

Shellback:

Totally cool Mr. Treadplate !!!! . Did you brush or spray the Mr. surfacer ?

 

ha ha the joke is.... it is not MR Surfacer!.... I used decanted auto motive primer brushed and dabbed and stippled on.... I did the bottom 2/3 of the turret that way, then lightly sprayed it to blend it in.... I forgot to mention you have to add a bit of lacquer thinner to the decanted primer so it bites a bit better into the plastic and slows the drying.

On the engine covers I used stippled acrylic (Vallejo)...as the result is a much finer cast look....I noticed the plastic used on this Tamiya model is very soft.  the Testors glue I am using is too strong... I wish Tenax was still available in Ct.

tread... Havin fun

Ahhh ,you knew what i meant . Anyway the results look good , i was going to say they look great , but since you laughed at my question ..............................

Shellback

Pz. 1 . Back after filling gaps and then removing the filler to make gaps again .....................huh?

Panzerbob pointed out that filling the gaps betwwen the hull and upper stucture was a mistake .Also there is a bolted angle plate on the side of the engine deck . After a thin coat of paint to check for flaws i'll add the bolts .

Hi Shell :  ) 

How did you do such a nice job ' un-gapping'  your model with out ruining the  (dare I say it ? ) treadplate ?  looking closer, is it P.E.?

tread

treadwell

Shellback:

Pz. 1 . Back after filling gaps and then removing the filler to make gaps again .....................huh?

Panzerbob pointed out that filling the gaps betwwen the hull and upper stucture was a mistake .Also there is a bolted angle plate on the side of the engine deck . After a thin coat of paint to check for flaws i'll add the bolts .

 

Hi Shell :  ) 

How did you do such a nice job ' un-gapping'  your model with out ruining the  (dare I say it ? ) treadplate ?  looking closer, is it P.E.?

tread

P.E. ? You joking me man ?????  No. Its virgin Italeri gray plastic . I layed a #10 blade flat against the plastic treadplate and pulled the blade backwards . Cool huh ?

Hey Shell... Buddy... :  )

I didn't laugh at your question... I just ran out of mr surfacer.. How could you have known?   It looks the same... i over came... I adapted. . I will never use mr. surfacer  again.

You buy a spray bomb and decant part into a little bottle and then you get 2 products in one for half the cost.

next time you need cast texture, try it .. it works awesome... and if you build to thick or make an error, it just sands off with 800 or 1000 grit

you could even build it to the thickness of a corndog

tread

Hey Shell ... if it came back apart that easy, it must not have bee filled good enough !

see ya tomorrow

tread

Ok , you didnt laugh . Just jerkin your chain Treads . I've done the texture thing with Testors glue and stippled it while the plastic is bare . I like your idea though  . I think i do ...............not sure ..............just sayin ..............ok . Never mind .

Tread- Thanks for looking at my figures in Pz III GB.  I am glad you are doing this first because I have learned a great deal from you about the Char.  Mind if I ask what reference book are you using because I haven't gotten one yet.  But JC sent me a 30 pages file about Char and I thought it was GREAT so I may not buy a book this time.

Carl- Your little Panzer is looking real good too!

treadwell

Hey Shell ... if it came back apart that easy, it must not have bee filled good enough !

see ya tomorrow

tread

Ok , stir it up and leave . It didnt come apart Treader . I used C.A. . I only cut a shallow groove .

wbill76

Man before you know it stik, Eric, and Carl are going to be slinging paint! Nice work so far guys on your builds.

Paint slung this afternoon

Base coat of Model Master French Khaki Green applied...

Cool !

A little late now Tread. Yah, I was stupid, but I managed to get a similar piece on the other side.

Stik, you're just flying thru this build. Paint already. Nice.

Hey Eric, your little Hotchkiss is sweet looking, size isn't everything.  Hope you find the part.  Someone should train a part monkey that stays under our work bench so that he can find and hand the parts back to us.  With paint coming soon did you decide to stay with the two tone olive, brown scheme?

TREAD - Your B1 is is really nice!  The texture is perfect, interesting how you did it.  Had went back to your earlier post and READ where you had said you drilled out those holes on the turret and copula. I should pay a little more attention  

STIK - Good to see some color   Will be tuned in to see your method of painting the tracks and suspension.  Have yet to be brave enough to try a complete build then paint.

CARL - Fill, seperate make up your mind man.  Nice fix, looks real good.  Like the angle bracket

Much happier with this turret.