1/35 Dragon Leopold--Build Complete: 89 hours over 21 days!

Looking great so far Bill. I have some pics that are going to be added to my reference topic.

Wow, You really did a lot of work this weekend! Looks really nice.

It came very close to that Joe...but I was able to release my frustration a bit in the dismantling process to get it fixed, so it ended well...I still keep looking at that instructioni step diagram and shaking my head though...I wonder how many other people have made a similar mistake with it or at least spent a lot of time trying to figure out just what the heck you are supposed to do at that point.

wow bill you have more patience than i do. gun would have been launched early in the process i am afraid. keep up the good work.


joe

Day 3 Log : September 6th, 2004

Decided to make the most of my time today and focus on large piece construction in anticipation of going to the LHS tomorrow to replenish exhausted paint stocks of Panzer Schwarzgrau. I'm betting this will be a 3-bottle job before it's all said and done. Everything went along very smoothly, took a few breaks in the course of the day, nothing big...until about 3 pm this afternoon when the fiasco hit.

Errors Found: 4 (1 HUGE/CATASTROPHIC)

---Step 7 has you work on the main body tub/cradle...not really sure why as you don't touch it again until much later and everything you add is just surface details...it's an odd change in mid-stream from the previous steps and has nothing really to do with the following steps...I did it anyway and discovered Error #1. I consider this an error because it's a design flaw...when removing the mold frame pieces from the cradle, the tension is incredible. A 1/2" crossbeam snapped like a twig with the first cut and it wasn't even on the same section. Have to be very careful when removing these.

Error #2: This one is more of a complaing/warning. Parts G32 and G68 are tiny and shown as already on the shell. There is zero guidance on which way they should face and they are not much bigger than specks on the diagram. Took a lot of back and forth to figure out how they should go.

Error #4: Step 8 has you assemble part of the gun elevation/support mechanism. The diagrams are incredibly complicated (needlessly IMHO) and seem to indicate that F44 and F43 should go on the outside of the assembled F21 and F22. This is wrong. F44 and F43 have to attach to each other and then fit inside F21 and F22. Once you get them off the sprue and see they have male/female pin connectors, it makes sense. The diagram doesn't show this though.

And now...for the fiasco you've all been waiting for....

Error # 4: I should have known to be wary after the previous error but everything was going smoothly so I didn't think anything about it. Step 11 has you take the gun barrel assembly from Step 10 and match that up with the breech also assembled in Step 10 and mate that up with the gun sleeve in Step 11. There's just one little problem...the instruction diagrams are again extremely misleading. I studied the diagrams very carefully, did all of the sub-assemblies...including the mating collar from Step 10 to the butt of the barrel.

Exhibit 1: The Instruction Sheet



First big problem...the instruction sheet makes it look like the H sub-assembly should attach directly to the mating collar at the end of the gun barrel. I did this...and it didn't fit, the diameter was off by about a mm. This should have set off all kinds of alarm bells for me but I was too deep into the build...and assumed it was a molding/fit problem. Got out the Dremel, fitted it with a circular grinder...and went to work. Spent about an hour getting it sanded down and fitted...then about another hour using putty/filler to get it set up right and the let it all dry/set up.

Well that was happening, I added the little details to the gun sleeve as called for and then tried a test fit of the sleeve to the assembled gun barrel. To my horror, it wouldn't fit...the mating collar was in the way. This led me to seriously re-examine the other diagrams further on in the instruction sheet...and sure enough the collar is supposed to go ABOVE the gun sleeve...not at the base next to the breech. Had to totally dismantle it, undo all the putty/filler...and reassemble to properly take the gunsleeve, reglue barrel to mating collar, match collar to gun sleeve, etc.

Now go back and look at the instruction sheet diagram. Nowhere does it indicate that the breech assembly should attach directly to the sleeve, but that's what has to be done to make this work.


Steps completed:

Steps 7-11 completed. Completed weathering on 2nd undercarriage and attached to carriage frame. This frame is warped and currently resting quietly under two hardback Harry Potter books to try to get remaining flex out.

Gun barrel assembly completed and ready for painting. Ditto for elevation mechanism.

Total time today: 8.5

Total time on build so far: 23.5 hours

Progress Pics:





Additional comments:

Today's experiences have made me leery of what the rest of the instruction sheet might contain in the way of surprises. Will have to triple check everything going forward to prevent any more of these fiascoes from happening.

normally, I would jump right in, but I haven't seen the kit and have no idea of the breakdown, so I woldn't even begin to know what to guess. i will be following along, though. Good luck and keep a Real Estate Agent's card handy incase your wife starts really mentioning the bigger house

Wow, you're humming along Bill, I'm liking what I see so far. I used to think grey was dull, but over the past few years I really like the look. Keep it up Bill, you're doing well.

Day 2 Log : September 5th, 2004

Made great progress today, lots of time to concentrate on getting the main rail carriages completed and ready for the first round of painting and weathering.

Errors Found: 1
--Step 3 identifies part H42 as the desired piece when in fact you need H43 to complete the assembly as pictured. Caused a bit of head scratching but eventually figured it out. Fortunately the right parts were next door neighbors on the same sprue.

Steps completed:

Steps 2-6 completed. Undercarriage axels and wheels were airbrushed along with the upper carriage frames and platforms. Extensive filling and sanding needed on the carriage frames, especiallly the warped one noted previously. Weathering completed on one undercarriage with the second carriage still waiting for it's weathering job tomorrow. Initial fit of the wheels to the warped carriage show another potential problem when it comes time to fit it on the rails...not all the wheels touch evenly. May have to consider a book stress on the frame to get it to flex out some before the main gun cradle is mounted. This kit is going to be a paint hog for sure...already used up a bottle of MM Burnt Iron Metalizer and 3/4 bottle of MM Panzer Schwarzgrau.

Total time today: 9.5 hours

Total time on build so far: 15 hours

Progress Pics:

First carriage has been weathered on the undercarriage only.

QUOTE: Originally posted by JWest21 Will the pool be for time or will it be for times when you say "Why the (insert explicative here) did I ever decide to built this and a 1/16th T-34 at the same time?" Or will it be how long until space restraints require either an addition to your current home or a new home is needed?

I already knew I was insane, this is just proof to the world that it's true! I already have the display spaces marked out for both the T34 and the Leopold, so rest assured no additions to the house will be needed just yet... My wife is starting to mention a larger house with more frequency though, have to watch that.

Pool would be on total time for the build...I'm keeping a log at my workbench and documenting the time spent on the different activities and will post this up as I work on the kit. Do you want in? So far Eric/tigerman has it cornered with his buck entry guess of 50 hours...

Will the pool be for time or will it be for times when you say "Why the (insert explicative here) did I ever decide to built this and a 1/16th T-34 at the same time?" Or will it be how long until space restraints require either an addition to your current home or a new home is needed?

Wbill,it sound like you have your hands full.I know that you will make it look good.I to have problems with my bishop as far as warping gos.So keep up the good work would like to see it when it is done.Digger

Maybe we could do a pool that involves a kit...not this one of course, but perhaps another Dragon offering...would definitely make the predictions interesting...

Ausf,

Monrad's build is a lot further along than mine. He's got all the sub-parts assembled and dry-fitted and I'm nowhere near to that state and likely won't be for some time. I'd thought about trying to organize a GB around the good 'ole Leo but don't think too many people have it or the space for it, so this is a GB of one with everyone else as spectators as they see fit I guess.

You and Monrad should be grouping this one. I like the outcome so far, will be watching closely. I just received the Dragon 1/144 version on Friday, aluminum barrel and photoetched included. I would love to build this monster though.

Good luck Bill. You certainally have been a busy beaver these days. Sure I'll put my dollar in for 50 hours. Good luck.