251 Halftracks GB 1 October '08 - 8 June '09

No, no, that wasn't a criticism, that was a question!

Can you really not see into the storage boxes once the upper hull is attached (or at least the side with the pin marks)? If not, then trust me, I'm with you.

dupes wrote:

I'm assuming that you can't see those big ejector pin marks in the rifle stowage boxes once the rest of the upper hull is attached...? I have no idea how accurate your radio wiring is...but sure looks spot on to me!

LOL, Im one of those modellers who build stuff for my shelves. Not for comps. I also wouldnt dream of weathering parts that you wont ever see.

As for the wiring. As far as i can see so far its pretty accurate..ish. Theres still a couple of headphones, a speaker and a morse controller to go in yet.

...Guy

VERY glad you decided to snap some pics before closing her up...that interior is awesome, Guy! Tons of good work in there. I'm assuming that you can't see those big ejector pin marks in the rifle stowage boxes once the rest of the upper hull is attached...?

I won't tell if you won't.

I have no idea how accurate your radio wiring is...but sure looks spot on to me!

Well i got home and decided, im either going to get some more of this thing done or bag it and come back to it later. Luckily i chose the former.

My main mission was to get the top and bottom buttoned up. Before i put glue to plastic i had to take a couple of interior shots before it gets hidden totally by the top half.

Well the top and bottom went on and there was a huge gap down the centre of the body on both sides. I tried everything including thinning the 'Bins' insde but still there was a small gap. I went with Superglue in the end and the finished result is liveable with. (Forgot to take a pic of the thing together.]

Oh this may help anyone having probs holding the tracks to paint them. I used a roll of 3" tape with some wide tamiya tape turned back to front on it. Works a treat.

...Guy

dupes wrote:

Looks like you've got a good chunk done, Hermes...what else have you been working on? Bummer about your LHS.

Why don't you just find that photo of my stash I posted somewhere here, and I'll give you the list of what I'm not working on? It'll be quicker

The projects I have worked on in the past two months include my Jagdtiger for the Panzer Aces GB, the base and figures for the Jagdpanzer IV A-0 from the Hunters GB, my ages-old Firefly, and a T-34 for Red Storm GB. And kinda sorta the Henschel I was building for Mud Movers GB, but I started going crazy on the detailing and kinda sorta gave up on finishing it by the end of the year. Maybe the cockpit and engines by then.

[/end off-topic infomercial on my current workbench status]

Hermesminiatures wrote:

Hey guys, some really nice work getting done here! Sorry for my lack of participation, I've been super busy lately.

Looks like you've got a good chunk done, Hermes...what else have you been working on? Bummer about your LHS.

Josh - Panzer Gray should be fine for a base - you're going to muck it up quite a bit with dust and dirt eventually anyway I'm sure.

Lufty - you can do it man! Just sit down and glue some plastic! 

Luftwoller wrote:

I need a plane to do, to ease my frustration. ...Guy

Thnaks guy.  But you better be careful what you say out loud.  last guy the that only heard 3 words after that...

READY  AIM   FIRE

Great work Marc, really coming together now.

Im struggling to get the inclination to do anything at the mo. I know that the top and bottom half of mine is an awfull fit and i cant work out why. I havent been at the bench all week. Doh!

I need a plane to do, to ease my frustration.

...Guy

Hey guys, some really nice work getting done here! Sorry for my lack of participation, I've been super busy lately.

So far I've assembled the chassis and lower hull of my 251, and put together all those fun, tiny tracks. Then I filled all the locating holes for parts I won't use (meaning most of them), thinned the sidewalls down to correct thickness (LOTS of sanding) and added the relevant interior parts from the LionRoar 251 set. I'm waiting to get some sheet styrene on my next trip down south to Madison - my LHS recently closed and I can't justify a 2 hour trip both ways just for $7 in plastic

Should be getting down there next week, after that, the real fun begins - scratchbuilding a functional interior.

Here is one hastily taken, poor quality progress pic:

I don't have any pics as of yet but will try and post some by this weekend.

I did think of a question though. What color will the suspension be? I'm gonna guess black, but i'm thinking it could also be the same gray as the exterior color. Doesn't say anything on the instructions.

Josh

wing_nut wrote:

FastasEF.. didn't Yoda say something like..."There is do or don't...there is no undo." Dupes I am looking at a couple of months.  Got about 60% use of the arm.  Being right handed its a good thing it's my left that's messed up. It doesn't hurt to paint though  Got the gun all done, still need to do the platform.  Interior is mostlt done.  Some dry brushing in the back and a wash still to do.  And WOW what a PITA the PE screen was for thew spent casing catcher

Marc,

Awesome work!!!  I HATE YOU!!!   You, you, you aircraft guycomin' over here and kickin' butt on armor...  Better than anything I've ever done....  Did I mention that I hate you???

Couple of MONTHS? Yowzors. That must have been one big ladder.

Your 251, however, is looking pretty spectacular! I'm guessing that shell-catcher is 6 or 7 individual pieces you have to bend into circular form? Dang.

FastasEF.. didn't Yoda say something like..."There is do or don't...there is no undo."

Dupes I am looking at a couple of months.  Got about 60% use of the arm.  Being right handed its a good thing it's my left that's messed up.

It doesn't hurt to paint though  Got the gun all done, still need to do the platform.  Interior is mostlt done.  Some dry brushing in the back and a wash still to do.  And WOW what a PITA the PE screen was for thew spent casing catcher

Josh - got any pics of your progress we can take a look at?

Wingy - Ouch. what sort of recovery time are you looking at? You know, you should really have your wife handle rough tasks like that...we can't have you getting sidelined from modeling. That would be very bad.

You know, while i'm building, I keep thinking of questions to ask. And then when I come on here to post I find myself answering them before I even finish typing it out, lol.

Mainly color questions but I think so far, i've got it figured out. I have a feeling that when an actual question comes up, it's gonna be along the lines of, "how do I undo this?".

Josh

It's all glued up with CA.    I just boughtthe coolest soldering iron at Radio Shack.  take 4 AA batteries and gets wicked hot and fast.  i'll get some pics of it up later.  I wnat to start soldering these PE sets with big parts like that.

As for the elbow... i was taking a 14' extension ladder off a house for maybe the 5000th time and it looked like there was an outside chance I was gonna hit the guys patio furniture.  Trying to steer it on the way down something popped in my elbow.  According to the doc.... torn tendons/ligmants, pop was more than likely a partial seperation the "popped" back in place.

FastasEF... very funny.  That would be a kick butt project if you really did that

FastasEF wrote:

Started on this thing! Finally picked up the gray I needed and started gluing random parts together ... let's hope it looks like a 251 when i'm done! (Managed to already break some things too, lol). I'll have pictures when I feel they are worthy. This is what i'm shooting for when it's finished: Josh

Id go with metal painted base colour. Fantastic looking work so far Marc. Did you solder the gun together? Bummer about the arm. How dya do it?

Ive just finished assembling the tracks on mine. I now remember why i havent got more of these in my collection.

...Guy

Wingy - that looks amazing! Did you superglue all of the larger pieces, or solder them?

Hey, no worries about "falling behind" - especially if modeling is going to kill you. We've got a few months left. What'd you do to tear tendons in your shoulder???

Work has slowed, sadly, due to pain.  A few eeks ago I tore a couple of tendons in my left elbow and sometime it hurts when I am modelling.  The more the lebow os bent the more it hurts... the straighter the better.  But I am trying to press on.  Can't get too far behind.  Got the gun all done and holy moly this was some tough PE. fragile as all get out.  had to redo  a few parts a few times. Getting all the plates to line up right was rough.  About 45 pieces of PE on the gun.

getting close to putting some paint down on some of the subassemblies

What would the gunners seat be made of?  leather padded? Wood?  Metal?  From the looks of the part I am guessing maybe metal and painted the base color.

As fair as the color scheme I am going with an all dk yellow.

dupes wrote:

What sort of schemes does the Tamiya kit come with?

I'll check and get back with you!

...before I do though, do you know if there was ever the Panzer Gray with red-brown spots or zig-zag" done on the 251's?