Gents, this is a pre-release building of the new TankWorkShop´s conversion kit.

Jay Galbierz, from TWS, sent me this beautiful conversion kit, for a test drive
assembly, in a pre-launch model ...

Canadian Indestructible Roller Device (CIRD), in a Churchill AVRE tank.


For this project, I´ll use the TWS kit, the Churchill AVRE AFV and the Legend AVRE conversion kit (turret)




So, let's start the party...

Building the Churchill: the suspension and his springs...


Putting together


...and:


The AFV Churchill can be build in two versions: A, with an additional armour in the region of the equipment pivots and B, without this armour. As in the picture of Churchill AVRE CIRD this armour is not present, I'll opt for the Type B assembly (without shielding ...)


To prevent warping of the hull of the tank, I lined up the sets of suspension by its top. The springs of the suspension could hide a flaw in this step ...Using a wooden block perfectly symmetrical for this ...


The AFV´s PE:


Well, Lads... these are the first photos and steps ... Today, I continue to build this little beauty !!!...

Stay tuned !!!

Hi Marcus,

I'll look forward to this one. Personally I'd have gone with the Resicast AVRE Set as the turret is still the most accurate of the versions available in resin but that won't detract from the build at all.

Look forward to developments. Hope to start the suspension units of the Mk II this weekend. That should be fun.

Al

Alan, hi...

Big hug !!!

Really, the Resicast turret is better, but as I've had this old Legend´s conversion kit, I decided "cut costs" of this project ...

The main purpose of this blog is the test assembly of the TWS´s CIRD components...and suggestions to improve the product into production...

And seizing the opportunity: In the literature, these devices are said to be used in combat. But no mention where ...

Is that were used in 79th Brigade? The Funnies??

It would be heresy to build my Churchill with the badge of the 79th??

Marcos, you could try asking the Royal Engineers Museum what information they have on the subject. I'm fairly sure they have a staff member who deals with research enquiries, and even if they don't they may be able to point you in the right direction.

Hi Marcos
Just looked in a couple books on churchill AVRE's ,according to one of
them the Canadian C.I.R.D was produced in two size's 15.5ins (0.39m)
for attachment to sherman's and 18ins (0.46m) for churchill's,the
sherman one's where sent to sherman crab unit's as back up but where
not used in combat, the churchill one's where sent to churchill AVRE
unit's but where not used in combat , but they where sent to France
so i think it's safe to mark it up with 79th armoured div markings
Regards Barry

@Sapper 159:
I´ll try this path...thanks for the tip...

@ Grievous:
I think the same...79th rules !!!

regards and stay linked....

Well..new steps:
Using the AFV kit´s photo-etched, detailing the rear of AVRE:


...And an essential complement: a machine gun Besa, from RB Models ... A little gem...



Building the driver´s armour, with the front glacis; I've used, with abundance, welder for corrugating the upper surface of the iddler wheel (notice the whitish plastic) ... Later on, this site will accumulate mud ....


A test drive with the Legend resin turret ... The turret diameter is much smaller .... I'll have to make a graft for the thing work ...



Well...another day, another step...

regards, from Brazil !!!

Hi Marcos

I notice that the Legend Resin turret says for use with the Tamiya kit and that you had to use a graft to get it to fit the AFV Club set? Have you encountered any other fit problems or issues during the build with the other elements?

Jon, hi...

The turret ring is very narrow to the ring of the AFV hull ... I'll have to
scratch something in the Legend´s turret to fit appropriately in this AFV hull.

Follow the next chapters of this novel, here ....

Regards !!!

Well, Gents...new progress...

You must remember that the Legend turret was made
for the Tamiya kit, but the AFV´s hull ring hull is bigger ... For the turret not
keep "dancing", time of surgery ... Cut the Legend turret´s housing... Many pieces of the tower I'll use the AFV...


Using saw:


And my glass/sand-paper board:


Result of surgery:


Cutting the plastic for new turret´s housing:



and:


The Legend turret is Mk IV late, but the CIRD Churchill´s photo is the Mk IV early:



Another surgery for fan roof reposition:


Cut !!!


New fan:


And...


Voilááá....


Plus Frankenstein rules!!!



And the TWS parts has not joined in the game!

regards and...

Happy Easter to all ...
Peace and health!

Lads, the last photos of this weekend:

The turret, 99% done:




And the Churchill, 98% done, too...


Now, beginning the process of cleaning the TWS resin parts ...finally !!!


Next step, build the CIRD !!!!!

Excellent progress and attention to detail Marcos, I'm following this one

Thanks, Chris !!!

I love British stuff...

Keep watching....

regards, from Brazil...

Panzerserra

Hi Marcos,

Nice work on the fix. The MG barrels look good.

Al

Thanks, Al !!!!

Big hug...

Well, another week-end, another progress...

Cleaning all the TWS resin parts...


Making the arms for the rollers devices:


The brackets for the long arms of the apparatus are drilled to align with the part of the chassis. Instead of using the parts of the AFV, I used clothes pins to align the pieces properly


Done:


and...


Soon I'll post new photos ....

Hasta la Vista !!!

Well...new stages !!!

The kit show the two pivots of CIRD´s articulation arms
in resin, very well molded and richly detailed, such as
screw's threads:



But the device is too heavy for these pins in resin ....

I decided to remove these screws and drilling the resin pivots and hull, so as to pass through the hull a metal wire, to stabilize and align the CIRD.
Drilling with a drill of 1.5 mm diameter:



Passing through the hull:


The metal in to the hull´s interior:


...and:



Well...building the frontal "forks"...After this surgical step, while the heart beat returns to normal, we will build the "forks" front of the arms of ICDR:
The springs of the forks I remade with copper wire, because the kit were a bit too thick:


Reinforcing the junction:


...and aligning the forks with arms ... very important detail!


After cut the solid plastic rod (organic in the kit) in the right size:


I finished the CIRD´s build:

A close-up of the apparatus:


Ok...another detail:
While the various stages of glue dries, I'll fix a flaw ( in my opinion...) in this AFV kit .... I hate turrets without locks ... And the AFV turret and hull has no locks ...

I have a trauma about turrets without locks ... One day, a colleague visiting me, grabbed one kit and turned the tank upside down to see the details of the model below ...

CRASH....

... There was a turret at the floor and I promised, this day (and subsequent ones, while fixing the poor flying turret ...) that NEVER leave a turret without locks IN MY KITS!

Here's what I invented to prevent future accidents: I glued a piece of thick "tree" at the base of the tower:


I found the center of the ring at the bottom of the hull of Churchill: drill !!!


A little phillips screw:


and this turret will never fly !!


ehehhehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

The AVRE CIRD ready for Primmer:


...and primmed:




Stay tunned, Gents...

All the best !!

I really enjoy your build thread, keep up the excellent work!

She's looking good, can't wait to see it all finished

Very nice Marcos!

Is it just me or does it always kind of of bittersweet to see all that hard work get covered up by the primer/paint ? Not that the end result isn't excellent and it isn't nice to see it all come together......

@ Steve...
Thanks a lot !!!

@Avelo:
Honestly??
I really like most of the final results.

I do not care to see the paint cover the details of various construction materials ...

What I like is the end result of these materials and efforts.
I use renowned aftermarkets... but I also make my parts with materials not so noble ... as beer cans, wires, plastic parts, etc ...

...and is always a pleasure to see these "things" covered by paint ...

all the best, Gents !!!

This looks great, Very good conversion work there (as always...). And another fun to read blog!

Cheers!
Stefan

Thanks, Stefan...

I forgot one picture: the Archer´s casting marks decal...

I like use this AFTER the primmer...


regards, from Brazil....

Another thing I have to do is to cut the excess
in front of the forks of the apparatus:



Now, it's accelerating downhill !!!!!


Tally HO !!!!!!!!!!

Hi Marcus,

Excellent progress and a very informative build article wtih good practical fixs to the problems you encoutered.

Great stuff.

Al