tread @ Eric  :  )

cograts man ~ now git to work!....I am so happy for you

tread

wing_nut

 

treadwell:

 

 

I am really looking forward to your ' take' on this fine model. 

 

 

 

 

So funny you should say that since I spent a part of the day today looking up your posts on your progress to see what you're doing Don't be surprised to see some (read that "most") of your improvements on mine too.  I want to do a 3 color schemes.  Ya can't do a Char and not do that scheme.  Way to cool looking. Question... Did your kit come with any kind of marking diagrams?  Mine has nothing at all other then the drawing on the box.

 

I found this list of things on another site.  Maybe you've seen it already but just in case...

 

 

 1. Wiring for the radio cover from behind the turret to guard and then to antenna pot.

2. Add straps with buckles to tool holder.

3. Headlight cover knob 

4. Use 62 links not 61 for tracks.

5. Add weld bead around turret joint, lifting hooks and rear chain hooks.
(i think this is actually a casting seam & not a weld bead)

6. Add six bolts on top of commander’s turret.

7. Add extra lifting hook on the commander’s turret.

8. Add six bolts around the gun mantle.

9. Add Pig’s Tail lifting hook on gun mantle.

10. Add bolts around the commander’s turret.

11. Casting numbers on turret (I have not seen any photos of this).

12. Add oval plate with two bolts on rear deck.

13. Add 5 bolts to the engine deck.

14. Fill in seam on the right of the driver’s front plate.

15. Casting numbers on drivers hatch ( I have not seen a lot of this,so check references).

16. Eyehole in drivers hatch periscope.

17. Turret Anti-Aircraft mount slit in the side and a hole on top.

18. Add missing bolts on the top of the sponsons around the track runner guides 

19. Open up mud chutes on top of sponson & add mud scrapers next to the chutes

20. Add three lifting hooks to cupola ( not all B1's had this feature , so check your references )

21. Radio Aerial pot needs detail added

22. Silencer covers need mounting brackets on to the trackguards

23. Chandelles need securing straps added

24. Replace the rivets on part A6 with latches


Remember not all tweaks will be applicable for every B1 bis as they were built at different factories ! 

Comments re: above fixes

 

I'm not sure if these are covered in the Chars-Francais site but here goes some more:

For early hulls, the round access point that the center bottom of the crew door is much wider diameter

The commander's cupola can use an extra lip at its bottom edge, with bolt heads about 3mm apart around it.

Check your references but some driver's front armor had an additional thickened central part.

Scribe in the driver's right side view slit.

Use the tow chain storage diagram in the Chars-Francais site. Very valuable!

I disagree with 6 & 8 above. These bolts are RECESSED screw heads and not proud rivets. I did mine with a jeweller's beading tool. There are recessed screw heads on the top of the driver's front armor too.

As for the six bolts around the hull 75mm gun: they were sometimes left as holes. Either drill them or add rivets.

 

 

 

I think ya got the whole list and one I hadn't heard about.... Char francais has all the camo schemes and I have a few other links I will put together for ya , but right now I gotta run to work for a few... 

talk to ya later for sure

tread

P,S. ask Jc (Vit 13) if he would be kind enough to send you the PDF articles he sent me... I don't know haow to send them.... gotta run ... I'm late !

Thanks everyone. It's a 180 from what I used to do. I wish it were old hat by now, but the learning curve is high. Need to get past all that.

Congrats Eric, I know it's been a tough search for you. Think of it as a chance to learn something new, meet and interact with new people, and broaden your horizons all at the same time. It's always a risk when you tackle something outside your comfort zone but I have no doubt you will roll up your sleeves and get 'er done! Good luck with it and pop in when you can!

Tread, whatever links you put together, when you have the time,  will be greatly appreciated.  And thanks for the tip on the PDF's. I will ask him if he can send 'em

Bonjour Marc ,

i send you the link now

Jc

Well I'm just posting to let everybody know I'm still alive, I do check in every day on the phone but trying to type replies on an iPhone is killer.

Boyd you are really off to a great start. Those figure sets look great.

Eric the tracks look great on the renault.

Stickpusher the bottles and other stuff really adds character to the stowage of the UE. and good luck with those older bikes.

Bill that is some very delicate work on the panzer I. loks good so far.

Marc, i am glancing through your correction list for the Char, sorry its late at night and I must get back to it at a later date, thanks for taking the time to post such a helpful list.

Terry.

Vt.13 if you could would you also send me any links etc or anything relating to the Char B. it would be appreciated.

Well on with my kit.

The basic hull

An area roughly the thickness of the armour taped off as a guide line.

The holes drilled.

Pieces of stretched sprue glued into the holes. these were trimmed to the same lenght when the glue dried.

A soldering iron was used to shrink the sprue and the heat domed the srpue on contact.

The little mud chute guide just a couple of bits of evergreen.

The casting effect on the mantle and some bolt heads, i think these should be fasteners, but I'm not sure.

The pigstail hook is alright just a little difficult to photograph.

The ariel base probably wrong but it will do me at theh moment as I have no other reference.

Well thats just about where I'm at at the moment.

Terry.

Whoah, talk about a comprehensive list of Char improvements! Copying and pasting now...any way I can also get in on the even-more-complete PDFs that are flying around?

Speaking of awesome paint schemes - had to get a second kit for the stash because I couldn't make up my mind how to do mine. Heh.

Terry,,      thanks,  and that is some excellent work on the hull             very nice!!

Off to a good start Terry, welcome to the races!

tigerman

Well good news and bad. The good news is I got a new job. The bad is that I will have little time to build. I guess I'll take it.

Eric, CONGRATS!   To win your customers, just throw in couple of things for free such as Zimmerit and three toned camo...

Very nice job Terry.

Check your mails.

The best link i think it's char-francais.net

Tigerman (eric) , very happy to you for your new job .

Jc

Thanks guys, we'll see. It's consuming work. I'm very worn out mentally and physically.

Terry, the Char is shaping up very well.

The start of the Char rapidly approaches.  But something weird has happened.  I was rooting around in the pile-o-crap on the side of the bench because it was getting a little to precarious and looked as if it would topple at any moment.  At the bottom of said pile I found the Aber PE set for the Char 1 bis.  I haven't a clue when I bought that set.  And why would I buy a set for a model I didn't even own yet?  I can't begin to guess how long that was there but that pile has been growing for a long, long time.

wing_nut

The start of the Char rapidly approaches.  But something weird has happened.  I was rooting around in the pile-o-crap on the side of the bench because it was getting a little to precarious and looked as if it would topple at any moment.  At the bottom of said pile I found the Aber PE set for the Char 1 bis.  I haven't a clue when I bought that set.  And why would I buy a set for a model I didn't even own yet?  I can't begin to guess how long that was there but that pile has been growing for a long, long time.

Wing_nut

Immediately following AMPSEast, I did a complete 'bench overhaul'. I had many a, 'Hey, where'd that come from' moment.

Looks like this one was pretty timely for you!

Alright guys, I hope to do some work on the 222 tonight. Pics soon.

tread @ Boyd

 looking forward to more pics !

tread @ Marc... yeah ya lucky ba.... oh I suppose it could happen

tread

PS I'll get some newer pics up this week  :  )

And as it turns out... I didn't know I bought the right one too  Had no idea there where wide and narrow fenders  I have the narrow set which is what is needed for the puzzle camo vehicle.

Now if I could only find a winning lottery didn't I don't remember buying...

wing_nut

Now if I could only find a winning lottery didn't I don't remember buying...

You and me both brother.

BILL - Nice work.  Like the sprue work for those small holes on the fenders.  Like how you got long PE strips on.  Had put these on before and remember them being kind of a pain.  Yours look nice and straight and the back section lines up good!  The remainder of the suspension is coming along nicely.  Friuls look great, you like that small stuff.

BROWNIII - 222 is looking good. Glad to see your going too put an interior in.  Insides of these vehicles look cool and your right, be nice to see something in there.

ERIC - Congratulations with the job!!!!  Thats great news and I know you will be outstanding!  I'll take the one with the zimmerit

The Hotchkiss is Fantastic!  Tracks are real nice!  I know Those tracks could be a bit of trouble but you made it look like a snap

TERRY - Man, great start.  Always enjoy watching your work.  Look forward too see what else you have in store for her.  I've used styrene rod as you have before but never with heat.  Did you actually touch the iron to them or just get close?

STIK - Excellent looking with the gear added.  The bikes are really nice and look forward to there paint.

SOMUA

Painted some more on the skirts and added the tracks.  After fitting the top portion again, found the front glacis join was incorrect. Where the two pieces met the bottom section should have a noticeable protrusion, an under-bit.  So built up the area with some styrene and putty

sanded

Molded on bolts were removed and then added some better looking bolts all the way around the vehicle.  Attached the fenders

Exhaust was drilled out and PE brackets

Had too add some styrene strip and putty between the two halves in the rear to fill gag.  This still needs sanding.  Also had to cut the bottom bolt attachments off.  New ones will be added later when the two half's are permanently together.

Started construction on the cargo boxes.  Still need to make two more and then add the straps for them.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Eric: Best of luck with your new job, gosh I hate having to start all over learning the ropes again but I'm sure things will work out fine.

Will: Good luck!

Wingnut and Terry: Nice looking work!

I feel bad now, I finished paint on my Char B1 and put the decals on this weekend- I only did about 1/3rd of the modifications to my kit and I don't feel like going back and repainting anything. I'll try to get photos up somewhere around the middle of the week, starting to add the mud and grime soon.

Rob,

Nice work on the detailing effort on the Somua. Out of curiosity, where did you source the bolts you're using as replacements for the kit parts?

Bill, the bolts are from the Dragon German railway gondola.  The rail car I'm building is the one with the high box sides but the kit had also came with the plates for the short medal sides which are now spare.  These extra parts were full of large bolts and thought they looked the part for the Somua.

Thanks for the comments guys, Jc got the mail with attachments thannnnnnnnnnnk you very much.
Eric good luck with the new job.
Rob the Somua looks killer you have me convinced that I must add casting numbers.
Gamera some more pics please I would love to see her decalled, from the last pics you posted it looked brilliant.
Now here's a dilemma, I have some pics of the Char B and I don't own the copyright they are just things I downloaded. I don't mind sharing them but posting them here might upset some people, if any body wants them look me up on facebook Terry Burke same avatar and I will share or mail meterry35@gmail.com and I will send you my photo bucket details, btw Marc I think you already have my details from the T34.

Terry.


Sent from my iPod

Hello

Terry  : you're welcome .

Rob : excellent your somua .

Ok today i received from canada the motor for my breguet 693.

Because in the box , i have that

The smer kit is the old heller out in 1966. This mould has the same age that me

Jc

Thanks again all, it's early, we'll see.

Rob, that Somua is looking great. Love all the little fiddly details you're adding.

Eric,,    keep a good attitude,,  wishing you the best, hope things keep looking up.

Marc,,      FATE!

Rob,,   thanks,,   I agree,, small must be the flavor of the month with me these days.      The Somua is looking great!  Tracks, fenders, bolts, etc. etc.,,,   excellent.

Gamera,,   feeling bad about finishing?    nahhh,,,   Good luck with the weathering,,,  will be looking forward to some pics of the Char B1

Jc,,    good luck with the 1966 Smer....  

I had a little issue with the Friuls and the idlers,,,    non-fit!

Nothing super serious though,, a little sanding and a little more sanding and the fit was there....

With this complete I will start working on blackening the Friuls...    in the meantime I needed a little break, so I figured I would work on an easy portion,,   jerry cans.

While they are not very difficult there are 5 pieces per each can.

Cleanup wasn't too bad and they went together fairly well...  other than the mounting pins for the PE being off considerably...   I just cut them off and eye-balled the PE / can halves "sandwich".

Wether I use them for this project or another,,   they are pretty nice renditions.

Not much more to post for now.....   will get into some meat of the build soon.   I am waiting on a Verlinden interior detail set....  no frikkin mail on Columbus Day.

Til next time..........

Bill

Glad to see the corrections for the idler were simple enough. The jerry cans look good.

I got my second run glued together and am waiting an hour to attach to the tank. After reviewing my first side, I'm stuck with keeping it on, which means, I'll have to paint them on the vehicle which I've never done before. This should be an adventure.

Thanks Eric

(am sure the adventure will be successful.......  all the best)

Hi guys :  )

here is where I am at now, I have been working on the radio area, rebuilt the radio cable bar to be an inverted piece of  ' U ' channel , I have molded in the 75mm gun mantlet added a few more casting  numbers, re -re built the driver's cast hood....the square box in the left rear has to be cut off to add the radio output isolators  and you can see pretty well the pigtale mantlet hook.. as you can see all the cast pieces so far have recieved a little ' texturizing ' and are painted gray...... cut the bolts off the mantlet and drilled .016 holes... thought it looked better...building the brackets that hold the radio cable cover were a pain....these are rough pics... will refine the pieces before paint.... I build like a snail going backwards....sorry the pics are kinda repetitive, but thats how it is for me ..I must have modeling OCD....oh yeah... on the 4th pic you can see the right hand vision slit missing from the kit.... I scribed that in also...may have mentioned that in an earlier post ?.. anyahoo....

tread