Here is my EvilBay cache I have accumulated.



Can't wait to start, I might have to start one early....

Nice stash there Sarge, and all in their original duel-colour glory!

When you get to the Chaffee check the fit between upper and lower hull, I seem to remember a gap at the front if you're not careful (I think mine needed gentle surgery). I'll see if the one my son built is to hand, if so I could post a photo of the problem area.

Does anyone have a preferred method for the rubber-band tracks? I've noticed they can be gently stretched if too tight or dipped in boiling water if too loose, but the boiling water treatment can easily shrink them too much so I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I'm building the jagdpanther at the moment. Initially the tracks were rather tight, but they're now slightly oversize after gentle stretching. My plan is to superglue them at the top to simulate sag and then try shrinking them to fit with a hair dryer. I'll try to get some photos and report whether it works. (I should mention that I'm working with recent Revell re-releases - stretching 30 year old Matchbox tracks might be more risky!).

Cheers all,
John

@naimbrain - John, where have you been hiding? Haven't seen you in the Braille Forum in ages. Someone mentioned that they thought you were on a pilgrimage to Antarctica to find the elusive first albino penguin!

Seriously, glad to see you back amongst the believers in the true scale.




Hmmm, Kevin, I suggest that based on the above quote we institute a Rule #13, The John Hadaway Exemption or Nainbrain Particle Inclusion.

As Revell has 22 of the original Matchbox kits still in production, I suggest we base the rule on that number. The bearer of the above name and or callsign will be required to build or finish 11 kits to qualify for campaign completion. For every derisive comment or complaint by the same about the rule you should add one(1) to the requirement total. Oh, and this rule is amendable at any time without notice.

------------------------------------------------------

Again, a hearty welcome, John. May your participation in this campaign be as productive as it was in the previous. By my records you completed an astounding 11 builds during the Braille Battlefield Cam[aign!.


Cheers,
Jan

I remember this on my Chaffee from 30 years ago, and I filled the gap by gluing a piece of stretched sprue over it, pretending it was some kind of improvised applique armour. This came to mind when looking at Steve Zaloga's build of the whatever brand it is (Bronco I think) new 1/35 Chaffee, and how there is in fact a kind of overlap between the two plates on the nose, whereby the lower plate kind of overlaps with the upper plate, forming a kind of channel / ridge along the front. So I don't know if that is what that gap is about in the MB kit - or is it just poor fit? But it had me wondering, so maybe worth bearing in mind.

Here's what I mean, courtesy of Wikipedia: M37 SPH - a variant on the same chassis, but a nice big photo and the channel on the nose is nice and visible because it has obligingly filled with dead leaves. (If you click on the photo it will get super big, then you can see clearly.

Hi Matthew,
The gap on the Chaffee is definitely a fit problem, when my son built it he said the top just wouldn't fit and left a huge gap. I didn't want to dishearten him by saying he'd made a mistake but I had my doubts... However when I built mine I hit exactly the same issue when dry fitting. I can't remember exactly where it needed surgery, but it did need it, and I think still ended up needing a small gap filled. There are photos of both builds at http://s1122.photobucket.com/albums/l522/John_Hadaway/ They're currently in the 'snapbucket' album though I'd like to move them to a different folder when Photobucket stops being stubborn (hence I don't want to embed photo links that'll break when I move the photos)

Hi Jan,
And so it begins!
Though a challenge of eleven partial builds sounds like a fun sportsman's wager I wouldn't want to hijack The Sarge's campaign. And, bravado aside, I'll freely admit that it's a bit of a con-trick on my part anyway. I have a bad habit of getting 80-90% through a build and then losing interest, so completion of ten plus partial builds actually doesn't involve that much more work than one or two complete builds (with the exception of that Braille Battlefield Faun tank transporter - that was a beast!). I'll leave it to Kevin to decide whether he's happy for our wager to feature in the campaign, and willingly defer to his judgement.

Oh, and Jan, if you're throwing down the gauntlet it's only fair to expect you to match me build for build!!

Happy days!

Cheers
John

PS. Way off topic but I thought I'd mention that Modelzone Southampton are selling Academy 1/48 F-15s at ten or fifteen quid. They're not on their website, but they only arrived in Store today so maybe worth keeping an eye on the website if you're interested. It's a huge amount of plastic for a tenner or the 15 quid versions feature an awesome cartograf decal sheet and small PE fret. And thus my stash keeps growing!

Stop press: The F-15I Ra'am is on the website at £15.

I might just have to build the Chaffee now just to see what happens.

Also, it looks like this campaign will be fun.

What begins? Are you implying that there might be some subterfuge or vendetta at work here? I was merely providing Kevin with edification as to what to expect.




John, consider that we are only trying to help you fill those empty spots on your display shelf that have been waiting for their intended occupants.




While not without guilt in having a few "Shelf Queens" in residence, I am pleased to say that only one of them is of the Matchbox variety. Therefore I must bow to the fact that you are, or must be, the undisputed master of the "Yet to be Finished Matchbox" category. Furthermore, as this implied challenge falls within the proviso of my last comment pertaining to derisive or argumentative comments, your quota must therefore be incremented by at least one or two additional builds. I leave the actual number up to the campaigns fearless leader.

Kindest regards,
tread_geek

I'm in Just ordered the Revell Humber Mk II #3223,I know it's not an orignal Matchbox kit,but that will get me started.Model on,Jeff T.

hello, Hello, I join you. here is what I found this morning (I would have preferred to find the original kit matchbox).
steph

Steph... are you tempted to crack open the box right now and check out the fit at the nose?? Or is that not allowed? Is it meant to be the plate overlap, or does it just not fit properly? I've got to know!!

Nothing wrong with a dry fit, just as long as it is not technically started.

hello,Matthew
I hope these pictures will answer your questions. the base portion overlaps the upper part




steph

Woo-hoo! I knew it! After all these years, finally to know the truth!

Hi Jan,
Tis true, I cannot deny this rather dubious honour! Still it's not like I've got a compulsive problem or anything....



or maybe I have!?

Right then, while I've got the camera out, here's a quick (post edit - "Quick??!!") run through possible projects for this campaign:

My official build entry will probably be the panzer II, still tucked up in it's bag...


Other partial builds (for fun rather than for the ribbon):

Jagdpanther...
This is a current build, I'm waiting for the white oil paint to cure before I can apply decals, weathering, track sag, track paint and base work.


M40 GMC...
A long suffering shelf queen, this one needs wheels painting, tracks glued/tightened/painted general weathering and base work. The tracks are feeling a bit brittle with age so I'll need to be careful when shrinking them. I have to say that the M40 was a real favorite of mine as a lad. That huge diameter barrel just seemed so menacing and powerful compared to other kits in the Matchbox range, and I think my original build was filled with plastercene to make it feel heavier and sit down on the tracks. My friend's little panzer II was never going to beat it in a fist fight, and he knew it!


Panzer IV/70
Building is essentially complete other than side skirts that will be attached after painting of wheels and tracks. This build stalled a few years back when faced with applying camo. Any veterans of the Braille Battlefield might remember my aversion to airbrushing - I thought it was because I'm useless at it, it turns out it's because my Aztec had got really clogged. A work colleague very kindly gave it a complete overhaul recently and reported it much improved, but in the interim I've been working on hand painting spray effect, initially with acrylic which I found quite hard, but more recently with oils which with their slower drying time make the process much easier. This beastie will be a good chance to see if I'm getting the hang of it.


T34...
I over-boiled the tracks on this one, they got so tight that wheel axles repeatedly broke under the strain. I had to reinforce the axles with steel pins before attaching the tracks - hence I don't recommend dipping the tracks in boiling water to shrink them as it's difficult to control. Decals, track colour, weathering and base work required.


Humber Mk III...
I think I spent a while thinning the mud-guards, but otherwise it's OOTB. Decals weathering and base work still to do.


Sd Kfz 124 Wespe...
The Base paintwork was an early experiment in applying acrylic washes and drybrushing. It looks okay on the palm leaves but I think the rocks could be better, I see whether oils can give a better effect. The Wespe needs detail painting, decals, weathering, and tracks tidied up/painted.


Krupp Protze & 3.7 Pak...
Darn, thought I'd already added a windscreen, that's another job on the list! This one needs quite a lot of weathering to get that soft top looking presentable plus decals, a couple of additional small parts and lots of work on the base. I'm fairly new to base work, this was a bit of an experiment and remains a work in progress. I'm hoping some handy hints will emerge in this campaign to help me bring it up to scratch.


Churchill AVRE...
Now we're getting into the more neglected shelf queens. This one was started long ago and I've a nasty feeling a couple of parts may be awol. There was also a molding error on the front upper hull (the plastic hadn't run to the end of the mold) hence the plasticard rebuilding. I was also very disappointed with how the bridge components failed to line up. I'd started scratch building a replacement, at which point the build faltered. Maybe it would be best to accept it as-is and get it finished. Alas, while inspecting it this evening a couple of bits came loose, this may be another kit that was started without washing the parts, in which case it might fall apart in my hands - being an original three tone it'll be a shame if it does. Ah well, we'll see.


LRDG...
Only the Chevvy worked on so far. Once again this kit has been languishing for several years. I seem to remember that the front grill was initially a terrible fit, and it took hours of filing and filling to get it to look half decent. The jeep is still on the sprues as are the remaining parts of the chevvy. I'd particularly like to get this one finished for two reasons. 1) The kit provides a lot of equipment so it'll look particularly 'busy' when completed. 2) This is the second LRDG kit I've started, the one I built as a kid never got finished either (I think because the front grill was such a disappointment).

M7 Priest...
Half built but long buried so I'll have to remember where it's stashed before continuing (hence lack of photo)


Morris Truck, 17 pdr & Jeep...
The picture speaks for itself really, hardly started on the build with lots still to do. I'd also like to build out the back of the building shell as the base has real potential, but the hollow walls and chimney completely ruin the illusion.

That just leaves the unstarted kits. The Panzer II I've mentioned above, other stash items are:

Monty's Caravan...
One that I've never built. This looks like a really interesting subject and a diorama in it's own right!

M19 (Diamond T) Tank Transporter...
I built (and finished!!) one of these when I first returned to modelling, but sadly I didn't know about washing the sprues before starting work so the poor glue adhesion resulted in it falling apart over the years. It's a lovely kit when complete and I look forward to building it again, though on top of everything else it may be too much to include in this campaign.

Sherman Firefly...
I have both an unstarted and a partial build in the stash, though the partial build belongs to my son. It was his first attempt at modelling and unfortunately he accidentally cut the gun barrel into three pieces (he mistook it for sprue). Dad painstakingly reconstructed it using sprue fillets and filing them to shape, by which time he'd gone of it. I'll either ask if he want's me to finish it for him. or build the unstarted one. This may well get built for the campaign as childhood memory suggests it goes together fairly quickly.

M16 Halftrack...
This (and Monty's Caravan) are the only two items in my stash that I don't think I ever built as a kid. It might get built this campaign, though an initial look in the box suggests the tracks may be a bit disappointing - does anyone else have any experience of this kit?

I think that's the lot, oh except just to show that I have been known to actually finish a Matchbox kit...

This one deserves a place in a nostalgia campaign simply because it's the lone survivor from my childhood collection. That paint finish is the 'stick the brush in the paintpot then dab it all over' technique that was greatly favoured in my house on that particular Saturday afternoon in the seventies. I'll never judge it by my current standards because I still remember how proud I was at the time, and that I believe is what this nostalgia campaign is all about!!

Hope you don't mind the war and peace posting, it's certainly got me feeling nostalgic (even if it got the rest of you yawning).

All the best!!
John

To All Matchbox-ophiles,
I had so much fun in the last campaign, so count me in! Just enlisted and now comes the process of browsing through the 'stash'.

Stephen

Hi Stephen, good to see another familiar face back for more, enjoy browsing the stash!

Right then, technical tip of the day: oil paint removes oil paint. My stripey jagdpanther (piccy above in my last post) was looking a bit pristine, and I'd already noticed that applying oil paint over acrylic and then rubbing it off gave an interesting weathering effect (as per the black staining on the rear deck of the aforementioned Mr Stripey). Sure enough an application of dark brown gave a similar effect, but it also removed the white stripes. They'd had a couple of weeks to cure - but obviously not enough. Using oils is fairly new to me, has anyone got any handy tips? My tip is apply the white stripes after applying the dirt (just like I'll have to all over again - that'll be the third time I've painted those strips, guess I should be getting good at it by now!).

Ah well, We learn by my mistakes - which should make me an ace student given how many mistakes I make!

Cheers,
John

My Matchbox armour stash. I do have Revell re-pops but those are with the Revell kits on another shelf.

Better late than never but I finally found my ancient (decades old) Chaffee. I am rather embarrassed by the finish but...time for as overhaul! Never the less, here's some shots of the area in question. I have no recollection of the build but from looking at it, it appears that there were minimal, if any, problems. Yes, it is an original matchbox!







Heavens knows where the base went but at the time I wasn't into them.

Cheers,
Jan

Hello! nice to see familiar names from the previous nostalgia campaign

Am interested, but I just need to know how much flexibility is allowed -- i.e. can I have an allied AFV depicted as a beutepanzer?

Cheers,

Tat

The campaign is out of the box, we are allowing some minor scratch building, but no aftermarket parts. I would think we could allow decals, as it adds to creativity.

Kevin

Hi Jan,
That looks like the final word re the Chaffee fit, your build has the protruding plate, I'm guessing that my problems were because I tried to avoid the protrusion thinking it was bad fit - as always the value of research proves itself.

Re the embarrassing finish, I reckon posting photos of dodgy builds from 'way back then' just adds to the nostalgia element. If you were anything like me back then you had the kit built and finished in one afternoon and to your young uncritical eyes it probably looked pretty darn fine.

Try looking at it through some rose tinted specs, I guarantee it will look much better!

As mentioned a few days back, here's a before and after shot of my oil paint weathering mistake, /I'm happy that the weathering picked out the detail and added some depth, but the white lines are virtually gone...

Before:


After:


I see another night of applying white stripes ahead, at least I'm getting to practice my soft brushing technique!

Cheers all,
John

Thanks Kevin. Definitely no AM parts on my planned build. I've enlisted. Cheers

John, I do wish that I could remember more about the build but alas, it was so long ago. On closer inspection while dusting it off I can state that both the assembly and general finish are actually quite good. By inference that would suggest that the kit went together both well and quickly. At that time I used tube glue and the old Humbrol enamels that used to brush like a dream.




Yes indeed! I believe that my opinion at the time was that if a kit couldn't be finished in one sitting then there was something wrong with it or me. I vaguely recall that I was somewhat proud of how the little beast turned out.




I'll try that within reason. I still have a handful of models from various "eras" and I have tried to leave at least one from each in their original condition as a sort of "time capsule" of my building history. In the same container as the Chaffee I also found a few other Matchbox builds. The most impressive and nostalgic was a battery of four Wespes. Also present were unfinished examples of the LRDG set, a Challenger I and an SdKfz 251. Now if I could only find all the accompanying sprues with the missing parts!

Cheers,
Jan

Hey Sabredog,
One word... STASH!!! That's an impressive matchbox collection you have there!

Hey Jan,



Ah tell me about it mate!
My LRDG kit also has some key parts AWOL, and I'm missing at least one part from the M8 and the ARVE. The latter two I can probably scratch some replacements, but in the case of the LRDG the Jeep chassis is missing.

I got cheesed off with looking this evening and started the M16 kit instead, so rather than reducing the shelf queens there's another in the offing. I've said it before, there's no hope for me!!

Cheers,
John (It's not plagiarism with copying your two beers sign off - I just thought it was time I got a round in!)

Michael

Nice stash, couple of kits I would love to get my hands on. In time, I keep searching evilbay.