Hope you get sorted and that everything turns out OK.

Al

Quick pre-New Years update.

I thought the worst was over after the suspension...was I wrong.

The hull went together. The driver's glacis, like most everything, was way over-engineered. It's really easy to get things out of square. Not to mention, parts like to pop loose because there's limited surface area to cement.


Rear skid trenching thing. It actually went together pretty good. Because of this, I figure RPM decided to go bonkers and provide a styrene chain with each individual link being molded separately.


Turret time. Each panel of the turret is a separate molded plate. Fit is questionable. The top hatch does not fit. After trimming, it split and will require fixing before paint.


Turret coming together. I decided to fit it on the chassis. It doesn't fit. I removed a detail add-on (see arrow)and it barely clears. Just another "wtf" moment in this kit's build.


More turret madness. The Hotchkiss MG mount does not fit and I basically had to make a new on. I also had to trim down the mantlet a lot so the turret roof plate would sit.


I've got a few added details to add, like the kit's PE. I'm probably going to be really sparing when it comes to the PE. I should start painting and adding mud...lots of glorious mud. When I think of WW1 I think of the mud of the trenches...so I'll be using the mud to cover some of the warts of this kit...including the tracks.

I might pull the ICM German figures out tonight and start on them. I'll need them at least started to start planning the layout of this thing. I'm favoring a group of German troops crossing no-man's-land and walking past an abandoned FT-17.

Hey Jeremy, Sorry to hear you're stopped.
Everybody,
Alan, I was looking forward to your build as always.
Simon, Clean, nice work as usual.
Dick, That's cool! I've got nothing else to say it's that cool!
Everybody is doing all this cool stuff and I'm doing a mundane Emhar Mk IV. Female at that.

I did get the kit put together before Christmas but our vicious Indoor Attack Tiger (our 3 1/2 lb. runt cat) played with it while we were in Houston for Christmas day. It works out OK though. The rails along the top looked overscale to me and I planned to replace them anyway. So I'm going to replace those, fix some details on the hull, scratch a crib, and use the Model Cellar Tracks I bought for this years ago.
Sounds like a plan anyway.
Charlie

Thanks guys, and I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year

Alex: I think that you will have a sharp looking kit with the old style turret on it when you're done. You're experience is reminding me of the old BT-7 kit I've had on my workbench for a while. My favorite part, so far, was when the liquid cement flowed out of the hull panels and melted the nearby rivet details

Charlie: Nothing wrong with the old Emhar kits, I still have their Whippet sitting in my stash. The Model Cellar parts make the Emhar kits much more enjoyable to work build.

Hi Charlie,

The Emhar kits is the only game in town in 1/35 scale. I believe it takes a bit of TLC but I've seen great results.

I recently picked up a copy of Hayes Great War Tank (Owners' Workshop Manual) for the Mk IV. It should make for an interesting read and failing the appearance of something new and exciting probably lead me down the Emhar route.

Look forward to the build.

Hi Alex,

FT is looking good so far.

Cheers

Al

Thanks guys. The old Ft-17 kit is pretty bad. Even by the standards of the day, it was pretty bad. However, it was typical of eastern European kits of that period. It's a tricky little kit that will make you appreciate just how good we have it nowadays.

I couldn't agree more about the bolted turret. It looks so Great War-ish. For this one, I'm taking the artistic approach. I really want to focus on some of the attributes that I think of when I think of WW1. Mud, blasted terrain, and new tech. In this case, the tank.

Anyway, I've got the tracks setting up right now. I decided to glue the horrible little creations straight onto the rollers and add a layer of mud. I think I am going to brush paint the camo on. For some reason it just seems like the way to do it. I still have to start on the figures. They look quite nice.

Hi Alex,

Look forward to developments.

I'm close to starting my 6 inch Howitzer and this morning I got notification that the Resicast Ford Ambulance is back. Some pics of the re-tooled kit just released.





My order is already in as it seems I'm on a bit of a Ford Fest these last few months.

Cheers

Al

Alan,
That ambulance looks pretty sharp. I'd love to see more WW1 era stuff in styrene.

Well, I un-clamped the tracks and one run just fell off. I ended up getting the stapler and securing it that way. I testing some mud ideas right now. I'll probably just mix up some really thin Celluclay and go with that.

Hi Alex,

Maybe as it's the 100th anniversary this year we will see some more styrene kits, in the mean time I'm up and running with the 6 inch howitzer and I've ordered up the ambulance for later in the year.









I'm running the build as a separate blog and also in the big guns campaign as I've done the Ford T already for the campaign.

Cheers

Al

Alan,
I'm trying to diversify my modeling interests a bit...in other words get away from all things dunkelgelb. I'm not a fan of resin so I'm limited to styrene. I'd pull my hair out trying to put the field gun together.

I saw in Squadron's monthly mailer they are pushing Emhar's line of WW1 tanks. I'm not stumping for them, but if anyone needs a tank for this one, you might want to check them out. I really don't know if they are really good deals or not.

Well the mud job on the FT turned out pretty good. I'll try to get some more work done before posting any pictures.

A good deal is a relative term, especially with the Emhar kits. But they are a good challenge that can produce good results.

Celluclay is a wonderful tool for old WWI tracked kits. I know I'm going to have to go that route with my Tauro A7V when I get around to building it, especially with the missing track link.

Alan, you always bring all of the cool resin toys to the table, and good quality castings to boot!

Hi Alex,

I prefer styrene myself, but often the kits I'm interested in are in resin, especially the WW1 items. Much has changed in the plastic world, there are far more British plastic kits around than ever before, in fact it's hard to keep up at the moment, just not that many in plastic.

The 6 inch is a reasonably straight forward build, not too many parts although working with resin is a different experience.

The French also had some of the 26cwts they got from the British



I'd like to do a WW1 tank at some point, I have the FT 17 on route hopefully later this month, the original disappeared in transit, but I'd like to do a Mk IV or V maybe a Whippet.

Time will tell.

Got most of the build of the gun done this evening, just some tools and a sight to add, some pics tomorrow.

Hi Simon,

The Resicast offerings are hard to beat and resist

Cheers guys.

Al

Hi folks,

Pretty much done with the build of the gun, the exception of one wheel rim.



Al

Weellll, nothing a few ozs of gellignite wouldn't fix, anyway.

A rumour has come my way (and I stress I have no proof of this at all) that there is a Mk IV or V in the works from one of the "big boys", and if so, I will heartily rejoice.

The Emhar kit, however, is pretty much rubbish from one end to the other. The shape of the rhomboid is off, the sponsons are off, the tracks are appalling and all the rivet detail is simply wrong. From 5 yards back it looks like a tank but looks less like one every inch you get closer to it.

If you want an accurate Mk IV, you're better off scratchbuilding one and using the Model Cellar tracks.

Oh, for an accurate Mk IV in styrene!

Paul

Mud time.

Celluclay and white glue. I mixed it thin so that it would run down the suspension and coat the tracks. Thicker clumps were added to the suspension to show where it had built up over time.


Dried.


Painted with base coat of dark tan and added a dark wash. Painting the mud first is a bit backwards but it's as much of an experiment as anything. I think it's going to work so I'll just have to paint around the mud.

I'm actually surprised that we are seeing new-tool styrene kits of French tanks first. I would have thought that a MK IV or even V would have been just as likely as the FT-17, and more likely than the St. Chamond or especially a subject such as the Char 2C. I'm wondering when a new A7V and Whippet will come around...

I agree with the accuracy issues of the Emhar WWI tank kits Paul, but they are certainly still buildable and can make a decent enough representation. You're pretty much in the same boat with old RPM and Tauro kits.

Charlie: How are the new rails coming along?

Alan: That's a respectable looking base, does it sit flat?

Alex: Don't be afraid to sling some more mud on the tracks. Remember, there's nothing but mud out there in no-man's land!

Even after reading all the slurs against it, I couldn't resist trying the Emhar Mk.IV myself. Paul, I'll at least take your advice and attempt to find some Model Cellar tracks.
Thanks,
Sean H

Hi Jeremy,

There is a little edge around the outside, that you may or may not need to remove depending on how you mount the base. Some camo on the gun.



Cheers

Al

Oh, absolutely, in fact the Tauro A7V is an absolute horror and nigh on unbuildable.

And yes, I'm also rather baffled that there is a Char 2C before a Mk IV. It may be the World of Tanks factor, I dunno.

Paul

Al, The 6" Howitzer is looking excellent,

Alex, great job with mud, looking forward to seeing more progress.

On with Tiger, and a bit of progress on the Salmson.

The length of the rear Tripod legs as per the template in the instructions is too short, overlong lengths of prlastic rod have been cut & fixed in place, slightly out of focus in the background is the Salmson's ensgine all painted.



Railings fitted to the two lower platforms and the bridge deck has been painted.



Everything, including the all three funnels fully banded up now test fitted to the hull.



Si

A bit more progress today, The railings have been painted, along with the rear tripod legs, and the searchlights fitted to the platforms.



The compass platform has been painted and fitted along with the foremast, and funnels sprayed white, they will be masked to create the white bands the ship had on her funnels up until just after the Battle of Dogger Bank.



Si

Hi Simon,

Many thanks, your build is moving along. I doubt I could work at that scale. Hats off to you.

Cheers

Al

Thanks Al,

1/350th isn't too bad, I used to build in 1/700th, but I cannot see that good any more.

On with the forward superstructure, the Foretop has been shoehorned onto the top of the tripod.



Painted up, the canvas screen around the top has been painted good old XF55, the canvas dodgers on the railings on all three levels have been recreated with white glue. these in turn will be covered with splinter protection.



Unfortunately the Combrig kit is lacking in bridge detail, only a compass binnacle is provided, using the Kagero 3D book on her near half sister HMS Queen Mary to make something of quite a large space. Fortunately I have some spares from the Fine molds Nanodread Japanese bridge equipment set to assist.

here being painted.



More soon.

Si

Simon,
I like your work on the ship.

I'm not a big ship builder, though I built a few back in the day. said, I've always liked the destroyers, but have probably built more aircraft carriers than any other ship class. I built the old Revell (or Monogram) USS Constitution. A couple of Battleships. I wouldn't mind trying to build some of those again.

Any recommendations on a good floaty thing to build?

Hi everyone, long time forum reader but this will be my first post... As a lot of other people i'm coming off of a really long (+10 years) beer & girls induced modeling hiatus

My name is Johan. Living in Stockholm, Sweden.

This campaign caught my eye since i was working on this little Airfix mk.1 female tank and i thought to myself "what the hell, maybe i should join!"

Only problem is i don't have any photo with a date stamp for my entry... The best I can do is the date on the photo which is 12/11/24. Not sure if this is a problem?

Either way, here is the kit. Straight OOB and probably with about 200 glaring errors