Hi Everyone,

This is the final interim build log before I start the two 1/16th Kingtiger projects. I am building a Tristar Sd.Kfz.222 with a Lionroar update set and Aber Photo etch floor tread plate and replacement MG34 machine gun barrels.

In case you are interested I purchased the Lionroar Kit from Airbrushes.com and the Aber parts from Historex.

In the past I may have been conservative on paint schemes, well not so much this time. I am planing on a DAK vehicle that has seen alot of service based in Tunisia during 1943.

This is a standard shot of the Tristar model box art for those who do not recognise the German vehicle model designation:



Unfortunately it does not have an engine or a internal floor tread plate pattern.

This is the detail of the Lionroar kit LAS35006. Its supposed to be for a Tamyia model but I like to go against convention !



This is the first Lionroar PE set that I have bought, and I am very impressed with the quality of the kit and even the packaging:









This is a very nice looking upgrade set and I really look forward to getting building. The 20mm gun barrel is 3mm too long according to PMMS but I think that I can live with it. I really dont want to spend another £15 buying another barrel.

As I said unfortunately the Tristar kit does not have a tread floor plate ingraving on the hull interior and I have to add one so I purchased an Aber Engrave Plate PP03 and a 35L-70 MG34 barrels set. I have used these on my last two projects and they are really stunning.



Thanks for looking

Steven

Damn that's a lot of PE o.O

Interested to see how you get on with that.

N

Always loved the 222. Looking forward to seeing how the PE fits on the Tristar

Hi Steven. Going on previous threads, expectations are high. Looking forward to seeing this progress.
Have this model as well, but bought the Black Dog resin stowage and TWS resin wheels with chains instead of going the etch route. I wanted a faster build and the stowage gives more effect on the painted model than etch (personal opinion).

Nice little kit!
I always wanted to build one and I'm curious to see how this Tristar is.
I'll be following your tread mate!
Cheers

Hi Steven,

Wow...seeing that much photoetch makes me a bit nauseous and i dont have to put it together. Steven, i do admire your tenacity my friend. i will be following along. best of luck man!

Gary

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the comments !

The first 2 images show the completed suspension and chassis for the 222. This section should come with a health warning. There are dozen of ejector in holes to fill, mold seems to clear and gaps between parts. It is not up to current ultra fine quality of Dragon or even Lionroar. I am impressed with the level of detail that it shows but the pain of cleaning up the parts makes the build slow and frustrating.

This is the standard kit part and I have yet to decide whether to add brake wiring, I dont have to make that decision quite yet





The next image is a test fit of the hull on the chassis.



The next images are of a stowage box. This was a chllenge to put together with all the different angles but looks quite good. Interestingly Tristar have left this stowage box out of their kit so I am adding a little detail.





Thanks for looking

S

Like this build very much; awaiting next installment.

Steven, Mason and are both looking forward to this as it goes along!

Hi Steven,

Looks great already! i have my notepad and pin at the ready, so bring it on man. this is gonna be awsome Steven.

Gary

Steve;

Looking good!

About that "added" storage box... the kit is supposed, I think, to represent a mid-production (maybe a later mid, from what I see) car. Many of these did not have that box installed, but placed the jack down into that available well-space, as seen in many pics from DAK days on to 1945. So, I suspect that Tristar was trying to capture that look.

The Germans often populated the rear fender-tops with gascans, and putting that jack down into the hole opened another can spot.

As some did have it installed, and others did not, you are good either way. I just completed a HobbyBoss 223 funk car (built on this same 222 body and version, but with the modified top, smaller MG turret and frame, rod and stern antennae) and went box-off - with the jack squeezed down into that hole - came out looking pretty spiffy, to me! (and a little different from almost every other build I've seen - the full box load seemingly much more popular-, BTW). Just saying, of course!

I'm looking on with great anticipation!

Cheers!

Bob

Hi Everyone and thank you for all the comments.

I managed to stop fighting the Reaper Invasion fleet long enough do do a little moddling, actually a lot of moddling. I have been working on the stowage areas of the 222 and soldering took a very long time.

Something critically important when making multiple solders on a model is the use of a heatsink, I used a copper coin to draw some of the heat away from the PE and this proved quite effective. All in all what you are about to see took about a week to make, after work obviously.



I added the clasps to the largly completed stowage box seen in the last update. I like to polish the PE before painting them to get rid of any rubbish



This is the simgle most compllicated PE I have ever made, comes in multiple parts and nothing is glued. There are probably 30 seperately soldered components on this section each trying to spring apart when you are trying to solder something else.





Everything opens and closes just like the real thing !

Approximate position on model



Thanks for looking

Steven

Good greif steven! your just too da*n good at this. if i had a plane ticket and you had some spare time what would you charge to teach me to solder like that? i promise i wouldnt make off with one of the 1/16 KT's!
Seriously, you are a talented fella Steven. well done!

Gary

Working hinges! WOW!!!!!!! So sweet looking Keep up the great work

Absolutely STUNNING. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build.

That is amazing PE work! Blown away. Cannot wait to see what you do next

What sort of soldering iron do you use? Just a regular hardware store one? Nice work too btw - can't wait to see some paint on it.

Good progress Steven. Impressive soldering skills as usual.

Hi all, and thanks again for the kind comments

The soldering iron I use is the Iroda Solderpro 120, a gas soldering iron. Its not bad, the techniques, the right flux and solder are more important than the kind of soldering iron though and I will run through my techniques in the very next post along with a guide on creating opening hinges.

I have been spending alot of time on the front fenders and I am pleased to say that they are just about there. Again the complex shape mean that thay are difficult to construct. I have also added a brass front suspension screen - i guess the real thing would have been made out of some light armour plate. The I have soldered one of the hinges down as I plan to show the other one open and slightly battle damaged.

Everying you are about to see is soldered, I have not used glue at any stage.









I had to drill several holes in the PE to accept the width indicators, the open hole will be wired up to the Notek headlight at some future stage.





I have to polish the brass at every stage. Any kind of foreign object, left over flux or solder will mean that the primer will not attach correctly.

The next couple of images show a text fit on the 222, you can also see the suspension armour. One of the towing attachments has fallen off. I have it safe !





Thanks for looking !

I am looking for feedback, would you like me to document fully the creation of the rear fenders in detail ? dont want to add all the detail if you are not that interested ?

Steven

Steven - Thats just too freakin good man. You just got it!!! whatever "IT" is, you have IT in spades! Bravo!

Gary

I,ve been playing ME3 lately too- first time I have played the series and am enjoying it.

Re the 222- wow that PE is insane- this will look tops once done- Reminds me I need to learn to solder

Steven, for Mason and my sake(s) please show us the detail on the rear fenders...you are educating the old and the young...as usual

Steven, yes I would like you to document fully, yes I would... as would many others... I did drop a big hint to you about that in my PM.

Hi Everyone,

And thank you for the kind comments. This is going to be a big two part update part one looking at soldering and part two on ammunition and ammunition cases. As you know the SdKfz 222 carried two main guns the Flak 30/38 20mm main gun and a MG 34 machine gun. There was also provision for a MP40 but we will get to that later in the build.

Part 1

I can only comment on how I solder and it seems to work well for me, others reading this post may have other techniques that are superior but this is how I muddle along.

First off I use a corrosive flux. It's a white crystaline substance that can turn brass green in a few days if not properly cleaned off with Tamyia thinner and eats through paint. I clean the soldered brass with Tamyia X-20A thinner, then with brasso making them all shiny (brasso is a metal polish that can be picked up in the UK just bout every where) however brasso can leave white residue so I clean that off with more X-20A. I spend an hour soldering and two hours cleaning sometimes. Also brass oxidises in the air so before I paint I use more X-20A again. Painting on oxidised brass = rubbish paint work.

Oh, the flux is really toxic so you don't want to breath it in when you are soldering. I get lazy and hold my breath, but when the baby is born in May I will have to get creative on how I get rid of the air contaminates.

The soldering iron that I use is an iroda solder pro 120 and it works fine for me. A word of warning you have to get high quality butane, the stuff used for refilling lighters is full of other non-combustable gasses and is quite unsatifactory. I never let the soldering iron touch the metal, I always let the super heated air melt the solder.

I always use lead solder, silver solder's melting point is too high and the brass gets red hot and the solder does not liquify.

What we see below is a completed and unassembled stowage box for the rear fenders. Hopefully you can get some idea about what I do.



Metal folding can be really hard and I use a Mission Models Etch Mate 3C to assist me. The next image shows the box in the right shape but it has no strength.





I have painted the flux onto the brass with a very small amount of solder and super heated the air over them with the soldering iron. The solder melts and runs along the seams of the box. Note the colour of the metal, I let it get too hot and as a result it adopted a rose tint. The more solder you add the more you have to clean off at a later stage.

I added the hinge to the bottom of the box by holding it in position with tweezers and added the flux and solder.



The above image shows the box placed together with the hinges in a V shape, I add a 0.3mm brass rod on the bottom of the V and fold the teeth over it one side at a time



and the result after the metal polish treatment:



Part 2 to follow..............

S

That's some fantastic PE work. Will be a shame to paint this.