Go for them, Peter!


PP:If I'm facing such dilemma, I will always prefer the vehicle, that served in my country's armed forces.But that's me,

Angel count me in! Been looking for something to pull me back in to armor modeling. (Softskin in this case.)

Sometime ago I picked up a Wespe Models, full resin, Dodge T202 (VC-1), prewar half ton command car. So far I have only done some initial clean up of the resin castings and added some extra underbody detail. (As I am always wont to do!)



I am very fortunate to have a fully restored vehicle just a few blocks from my home! This car won "Best or Show" at the MVPA Nationals a few years back!

The VC-1 4x4 vehicle was literally the beginnings of the now famous Dodge "Power Wagon" line.






All photos copyright 2005 - Michael Koenig - All rights reserved

Glad to have you on board, Mike!
Hope this build brings your armor/softskin-modeling juices back again,

Благодаря ти

Trying to decide if I would be able to scratch build a cloth top for the VC-1 using thin plastic sheet rather than paper or foil ?*?*?*?

Yes Mike, you can!

I've done this in more than a dosen of occasions.
Mainly napkin plus white glue, but a friend of mine used fine fabrics once and it looked very convincing.
I've also tried with the paper used to wrap shoes in shoe boxes.It has it's pros and cons.



Edit: Plastic sheet?How would you construct the ever present folds?Epoxy? Or some other filler?
Seems hard to me, but not impossible.Certainly not!

Everything on that cloth top is stretched so tight it almost has the appearance of rigid panels. I think I could get closer to the correct look using self supporting formed sections of thin plastic sheet rather than tissue or cloth.

With tissue or cloth I still have to provide something as an armature to form and support the finished shape.

Also with plastic sheet I think I could work just a little bit of sag into the sheet in-between the roof bows.

Perhaps we will see.

For this campaign, i will be building the Silver Fox UAV from Black Ops Models with a Legend Robot controller in a small vignette

I have 2 kits, one with the original launch rail, one with the launch rail on the packing case and several bits and pieces:

Nice choices Mike and Goof.

Mike, I did this once, a long, long time ago (in a land far away ) but not on such a long piece with no supports. It was for a canvas hood on a truck that had hoop supports. It was fiddly, but I first taped the sheet out over a piece of ceramic tile offcut with sufficient styrene overhanging the tile to be a side panel. Using a hair dryer and a separate tile to keep the heat only along the edge of the plastic, I gently heated the styrene so I could push it down. That gave me a flat side and flat top with a gentle curve at the join (the shape of the tile edge).

I did the same for the other side. Then I trimmed each side to the basic shape I needed.

Using offcut wood blocks I made up a frame where I could slip a couple of paint scrapers between blocks. These stuck up where the support hoops for the canvas would be. Putting the styrene over that and gently heating the styrene I then pushed some wood dowel between the blades to form the droop. Then did the others.

Applying more heat on the sides and I formed some subtle 'waviness' to the styrene sides between the scraper blades. Then I trimmed it all up to fit the cab and supports.

I was going to try and do the rear panel as one, but ended up doing it separate as the curve folds were impossible as a one piece.

Obviously the trick is controlling the heat and keeping as much heat away from the model or parts you want to remain flat as you can... and it might take a few attempts to get it right, I think 3 were sidelined before I got what I wanted.

Maybe it looked good in my youth too

I REALLY like that idea! I will try and incorporate it into the build !*!*!*!*!*!*!

Got my resin clean up done last night to the main body (it was already fairly clean right out of the box) and shot some primer onto it!

Would it be possible to shape a mold of modelling clay, shaped like the inside of the canvas with ridges for the support bows or maybe even position the support bows on the mold first and then build up the canvas with tissue paper on the mold. When everything has set the canvas is removed from the mold. Maybe cover the clay with some cling film first so that there is no risk of the mold/clay sticking to the canvas. Also protects against oil residue. Sag and such is easy to shape in the clay and then there is plenty of time to work on individual creases since the tissue paper is supported by the clay and will not collapse due to weight et.c.
Never tried it but it ought to work, sort of like the mold for a vac-form without the heat and the stress.

With a plaster mold it should be possible to vacform as well ...
/ Robin

Nice choice, Goof!

Good advice, Peter!
Mike's challenge led me to think about the same method- styrene on spot thermo-forming by carefully applied heating.

And big progress, Mike!
As I see it- you'll show your take on the cloth top challenge pretty soon.I would also like to take a look at that underbody work of yours

The underbody is just about ready to show.

Hi All,

Is there still time to register for this campaigne? I am new to the forum, though have been watching and learning from you all over the last years. I would like to submit the Tommy War 18 pound cannon with trailer:
Thanks & kind regards,

Caspar

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/Campaign_-_Resin_II_first_picture.JPG

We are just getting started, go to page one, there is a post near the bottom with a link to enlist.

Caspar,
Welcome to the Campaign.

I love artillery pieces and I'm glad you choose to build one.
Should you need any help, please feel free to ask,

Wanted to get these photos up much sooner but the bead rolls across the bottom of the floor pan are proving far more fiddly than expected. They are just being held on with Future Floor Wax so I do two rows and then have to wait for the watery fluid to dry. Makes for slow going and still not finished!





So far to the underside I have added:
- Running Board Supports
- Front Radiator Cross Member
- Main Chassis Cross Member (at Rear Leaf Spring Forward Mount)
- Battery Box
- Main Engine Shaft Crank Pulley
- Engine, transmission and Transfer Case Drain Plugs
- Front and Rear Differential Drain and Check Plugs
- Floor Pan Bead Rolls

Still to add:
- Fender Braces
- Clutch access Cover Plate
- Possibly Fuel Line and Brake Lines as well

Looking good Mike. Zipping along.

Robin, that sounds like a reasonable idea. Sounds a lot simpler than what I did back then.

In case anyone else might also be working on this Wespe resin kit of the T202 here is usable artwork for the prewar military license plate.

I have corrected the perspective and cleaned up the colors for use on the model. I suggest reducing the image size and printing out on your home printer using photo grade paper.

Mike-The Chassis Guy!!!

Mike the detail and chassis guy!

Some test-fit shots of ZIL-130:



I intend to add some scratchbuilt details to the chassy.

As I look, you're almost ready. One painting and ....