Hi all,

Until today I was already in the middle of a build but, dare I say it, I was losing impetus to complete the intended kits and was beginning to drag my heels...a case of 'modeller's block' methinks, , and was looking for an excuse to have a much-needed break. I've never been well known for my Completer Finisher skills, .

I have wanted to build a British Centurion since coming back to the hobby last year, and have been trying to get hold of the earlier AFV Club, Centurion MK.V w/Dozer (kit number AF35106), for some time, without success, .

However, this (see image below) arrived in the post today, and I'm quite excited, . The AFV Club, Centurion MK.III 'Korean War' (kit number AF35303) in all its glory and, what's better, is that I can model it in a combat scenario...so battered and dirty, .



I will endeavour to give a reasonably comprehensive build log, including finishing and construction of a suitable diorama.

And, as the build proper gets underway, please feel free to ask questions, comment, critique, give guidance and/or make recommendations as you see fit...I’m a novice builder so always happy to take onboard the suggestions of others more experienced than myself...which is probably the majority of you, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

The parts come in quite a substantial, both dimensionally and rigidity-wise, cardboard box with slip on/off type lid. The artwork on the front and sides of the lid is both attractive and formative (see images below).







On the inside of the lid the four sides have small images of many, if not all of the AFV Club and Hobby Fan British related vehicles and figures plus, oddly imho, the QE II liner (see image below).



As previously mentioned, the box is quite large, least it is in my limited experience, , approximately 385x245x110mm (15x9.5x4.3"), and contains the following:

7 x sealed polythene bags each containing one sprue of olive drab coloured styrene parts.

1 x sealed polythene bag containing two sprues of olive drab coloured styrene parts.

1 x sealed polythene bag containing two sprues of olive drab coloured styrene parts, one resealable polythene bag of six metal springs, and two separate sprues of poly-caps etc.

1 x sealed polythene bag containing one olive drab coloured styrene part, one resealable polythene bag of six spare track links, two lengths of rubber band type tracks, one metal gun barrel, and one vinyl gun mantlet dust cover.

2 x sealed polythene bags each containing one sprue of clear styrene parts.

1 x resealable polythene bag containing twenty-four rubber tyres.

1 x sealed polythene bag containing one sheet of decals, one length of twine, and one resealable polythene bag containing two photoetched frets.

Also included is one instruction manual and a separate print of the MK. III Centurion box top artwork.

I'm afraid I haven't got the patience to count the total number of parts at this stage, , but will endeavour to do so as I unbag the contents, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Find below some images of the instruction manual and the included print of the box art.

























As you can see, the instructions include the usual background information. The build is spread over 29 steps, through which you need to decide whether you're building either an 'early' or 'late' version...I've yet to decide, ?

There are also 5 marking choices, all of which are plain and uninspiring, imho, . Not sure whether us Brits went in for the more elaborate and exciting schemes that are seen on some American armour of the period...a bit of research is needed methinks...unless anyone can help with some background information relating to colour schemes, ?

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

I have been looking at the component parts of the kit and, as promised, trying to count how many bits and pieces there are, ! I won't swear that it's numerically accurate, but it'll be close, I hope, .

As there are quite a few images I will spread them over a number of bite sized posts delivered over the next few days...so as not to bore you too quickly, .

The image below shows the box contents and how they're separately bagged.



There are somewhere between 524 and 587 component parts depending on how you look at it...I hasten to add that the huge variation isn't down to my bad counting, , I shall explain all in a moment.

If I base my count on the illustrated 'Parts List' included in the Instruction Manual (see image below) there is, according to my count, 524 elements.



However, there is an unreferenced sprue, lettered 'Q' (nb not all sprues appear to be lettered, but I need to double check this). This sprue has 63 parts, hence my variation, 524 + 63 = 587.

Therefore, I'll deal with sprue 'Q' first as I think it will be superfluous to this build log.

I believe that sprue 'Q' (see images below) is for an entirely different model based on a) it not being referenced in the Parts List above,...





...and b) the following observations (see images below). One of the parts on the sprue looks as if it might be a representation of a 20mm Polsten Cannon, the other part looks like a BESA machine gun.



Based on the above I suspect that AFV Club might be intending to release a Prototype A41 (compare the coaxial cannon in the photo below to the kit part above) and possibly a MK. I variant (see images below).

A41


MK. I


I'm no expert on the Centurion, so of course I could be completely wrong (it's often the case, ) and, if I am, I'll apologise now for raising anyone's expectations and hopes, .

If anyone can confirm or refute the above opinion please feel free to comment.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Over the next three posts I intend to cover all those elements pertinent to the build of the Centurion MK. 3. All the bits and bobs referenced below are as shown on the illustrated Parts List (see image below) and as bagged together.



Items A, M, M2, T, and Y (a total of 11 parts) are bagged together and are, respectively:
1x styrene lower hull tub,
1x metal 20 pdr gun barrel,
6x spare styrene track links,
2x rubber band type tracks, and
1x soft vinyl gun mantlet dust cover (see image below).



Item B (not lettered on the sprue), 2x identical styrene sprues each containing 55 (a total of 110 parts) various detail parts, e.g. brackets, rails hooks, etc. (see front and back image below).



Item C (not lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 46 various detail parts that appear to cover the hull top, e.g. glacis plate, driver's roof, turret ring, engine deck and side stowage bins, etc. (see front and back images below).





Item D (not lettered on the sprue), 1x clear styrene sprue containing 23 various detail parts that appear to cover the optics, e.g. periscopes, and vision blocks, etc. (see front and back images below).





To be continued tomorrow, ...

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

The continuation of the parts breakdown pertinent to the build of the Centurion MK. 3. All the bits and bobs referenced below are as shown on the illustrated Parts List (see image below) and as bagged together.



Items E (not lettered on the sprue), R, and T (a total of 146 parts) are bagged together and are, respectively:
2x identical styrene sprues each containing 56 (a total of 112 parts) various detail parts relating to the running gear, e.g. wheels, sprockets, etc.,
2x (nb the Parts List says x1, so either it's wrong, or I have a duplication of parts) soft vinyl sprues each containing 14 (a total of 28 parts) various 'polybush' inserts for the wheels,
6x metal springs, (see front and back image below).





Item H (not lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 26 various detail parts related to the running gear, e.g. track guards, idler/sprocket mounts, etc. (see front and back image below).





Item I (not lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 65 various detail parts related to the turret, e.g. turret roof, base, and gun mantlet, etc. (see front and back image below).





Item I appears to have 2 parts missing as compared to the Parts List (see comparative images below), these seem to have been removed deliberately as the connection point are cleanly cut, and nothing was loose in the sealed bag.





Though similar shaped elements do appear on the Sprue Z parts List illustration (see image below).



At this stage I can only presume that the missing parts are for a different MK. and have been removed by the manufacturer to avoid confusion, however, this view might change as I work through the build.

There is some very nice detail and texture on the turret roof (see image below).



Item K (not lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 4 various detail parts related to the lower hull, e.g. bazooka plates, etc. (see front and back image below).





To be continued, ...

Cheers,

G

Hi all,

You'll be pleased to know that the continuation of the parts breakdown pertinent to the build of the Centurion MK. 3 is almost at an end, . All the bits and bobs referenced below are as shown on the illustrated Parts List (see image below) and as bagged together.



Item O (one of the few that is lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 33 various detail parts that appear to cover the hull top, e.g. glacis plate, driver's roof, turret ring, engine deck and side stowage bins, etc. (see front and back images below).





Please be aware that many of the above parts are similar to those parts already described in Item C (covered in an earlier post, but see repeated image below for qualification).



At this stage I can only presume that the two different sprues allow the building of an 'early' or 'late' variant as referenced in the Instruction manual, however, this view might change as I work through the build.

Item S (lettered on the sprue), 1x clear styrene sprue containing 7 various detail parts, e.g. driver windscreens, and vision devices, etc. (see front and back images below).





Item Z (lettered on the sprue), 1x styrene sprue containing 25 various detail parts related to the turret, e.g. turret roof, base, and gun mantlet, etc. (see front and back image below).





I have already referred to this sprue when detailing sprue I, but at this stage I'm not certain whether the similar parts shared by the two sprues allow for 'early' or 'late' variants or leave certain parts superfluous.

Again, there is some nice detailing and texture on these parts, including 'casting codes', (see images below).





Item R, 24x soft vinyl rubber road wheel rims, (see image below).



Items G, G2, J, and JA (a total of 4 elements) are bagged together and are, respectively:
1x photo-etched fret,
1x photo-etched fret,
1x decal sheet,
1x length of twine (see image below).



The twine is meant to represent the towing rope, I'm not sure, personally, how good this looks (see image below), so might be looking to replace this item.



Think that's all the bits and bobs covered, , so now...

...let the build commence, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

As Mary Poppins once sang...Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start, ...albeit a slow start, .

I have decided to build one each of the suspension system, sans wheels, as shown in steps 1 and 2 (see image below).



My first observation is that the plastic is different to that used by Tamiya and Amusing Hobby (my previous attempts at building), it seems, imho, more brittle, but that might just be my limited experience, .

The sprue attachments also seem quite chunky (see images below).





There are also a number of sink holes that I have tried to fill (see images below).

Before:


After:


To be honest, I later realised that the sink hole above doesn't matter as it is totally hidden when the suspension is assembled...so don't waste your time like I did, .

Before:


After:


Again, in reality I'm not sure how critical it is to fill these as they would only be visible if the tank was viewed upside down.

There are only two number of the first type of suspension (see images below).





Although there are a number of ejection pin marks they're hidden once the assembly is completed (see images below), so don't worry about them, .





Only one more of the type left to construct, . The second type is slightly more complex and totals four number (see images below).









The small hinged arms are quite delicate, so be careful. They're also generally not glued together (according to the instruction) so I'm hoping they stay in place, . The rods that pass through the eyes are reasonably long, and part of me is tempted to put the hot tip of a screwdriver gently to them to form a rivet head. That way the arms will move without the risk of dislodging...I'll let you know what happens.

Only three more of the type left to construct, .

Feel free to comment as you see fit, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

A few corrections to earlier comments, and some further observations, .

In my previous posts I stated that many of the sprues appeared not to be identified by lettering on the sprues themselves...it would now appear that I was mistaken...not unusual, .

However, in my defence the lettering is tiny compared to those sprues I had said were identified by a letter (see images below).

The image below relates to sprue 'E', the 'E' being apparent after the '-' in the part of the code that reads 'AF35100-E'. This lettering is approximately 2mm high.



This image shows an example of the lettering that was originally noted, the letter 'Z' is approximately 4mm high, so twice the size and the surrounding circle is approximately 7mm dia.



In a previous post, I mentioned that the 'polybushes', referenced as Item R (not to be confused with the soft vinyl rubber road wheel rims which are also referred to as Item R) were shown on the Parts List as being a single sprue, whereas, two such sprues were included in the kit. I can now confirm that you will need both sprues as there are only 10x R1s on each sprue, and 12 are needed (see image below)...not sure why they didn't simply mould 12 on one sprue, .



I mentioned in my last post that the small hinged arms are generally not glued together and that I was tempted to put the hot tip of a screwdriver gently to them to form a rivet head so as to reduce the risk of them being dislodged...well I decided to do it (see image below). Whether this is necessary I'm not sure, especially at this stage, however, it's done, so one less thing to worry about, .



Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

I have to own up to being a dimwit, . After all the faffing about over whether to melt the ends of the pins that pass through the small hinged arms I've just noticed when checking back through the instructions that they do actually tell you to do exactly that (see image below).



Well done AFV Club and Doh-me for not reading the instructions properly, .

One thing I did notice is that on the real suspension unit the top arm appears to actually be of a 'wishbone' type that traps the rod between it, as opposed to the way AFV Club has modelled it. However, as it's all hidden by the bazooka skirts, I guess it's not an overly important omission/simplification, .

Apologies for my stupidity, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Today I have been working on the wheels (see image below). The rubber wheel rims are quite a loose fit but are indicated as being glued on (the instructions use a symbol that doesn't appear to be referenced in the 'key', but I think it means use of superglue as it's also used where photoetched elements fitted), however, I intend to leave these rims off until I've painted the wheel hubs.



All 12 wheels constructed (see image below).



As you can see above, and in the close-up image below, the 'hub cap' is indented.



Does anyone know whether these indentations are deliberate moulding by AFV Club, and an accurate representation of the actual element or, as I suspect, a sink-hole that needs filling in, ? If it's the latter it's going to be a pain in the derrière, .

I have looked at a number of online photographs...I'm referring to Centurion wheels, not derrières, just in case you were wondering, ...and they seem to vary from slightly convex, to flat, to possibly even slightly concave (see images below).







However, these the variations in appearance might be an optical illusion...can anyone help please with definitive information, .

Cheers, ,

G

"derrières" also have a significant indentation in the center ....

However, I think that you could answer your own question by comparing the indentations of the individual wheels.
It appears to me that there are variations. An intentional dimple would be consistent across all the wheels, inconsistent dimples indicate sinkmarks.
Sinkmarks appear where the plastic is thicker so that a certain percentage of shrinkage will result in a larger absolute measurement.
/ Robin

Hi Robin,

Your comment regarding derrières made me smile, .

As I said in my post, I suspected that would be the answer, unfortunately, more filling and filing work for me, frustratingly, . Guess I was clutching at straws, .

Thanks for your prompt feedback, .

Cheers, .

G

What you could invest in, if you plan on continuing with model building, is a punch-and-die set.
Small plastic discs are ideal to glue over the sinkmark. The sharp edge around the disc is then filled around with CA-glue. This prevents the CA from spreading where it shouldn't. File smooth when dry.
Sometimes the disc can be pressed down, especially when using solvents instead of styrene cement, sufficiently to create its own filling of softened styrene.

/ Robin

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the suggestion, I have looked for punch/die sets, but the few I've seen seem quite expensive, .

There also appears to be different type...and I'm easily confused, ...so have shied away from taking the plunge in to my wallet...plus it would ruin my moth collection, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Firstly, those pesky sinkholes in the hubcaps have now been filled (see images below).





Not a major undertaking, but time consuming nonetheless, .

There's also quite a bit of cleaning-up of excess material to be done, (see images below).



This initially surprised me as I was thinking of this as a new kit, however, I guess a lot of the sprues have been around for some time as the AFV Club Centurion, in its many guises, has been available for many years. Indeed, on closer inspection, some of the sprues have a 2005 date on them, so almost 15yrs old, which might explain some of the issues.

However, some of the potential cleaning-up can be ignored, such as these 'stubs' on the lower back plate as they are unlikely to obstruct the build and won't be seen once the lower hull is closed-up.



I haven't noticed such stubs on the two Tamiya kits I've built, but they were prolific on the Amusing Hobby kit. I spent ages cutting them off and filing them down but, in reality, it was probably a waste of time for the most part, so have learnt my lesson, .

One other thing I don't like is the way some of the parts are connected to the sprues, . I have previously mentioned that they can be quite 'chunky', but some of them can be awkward, e.g. the sprocket connections (see image below). In my limited experience, both Tamiya and Amusing Hobby had the connections at the tip of the sprocket teeth, so easy to snip and clean-up, whereas AFV Club has chosen to place them on the hub rim between the teeth, thus making them more difficult to remove and clean.



Minor gripes I'm sure, disappointing imho, but to a more experienced builder something that probably wouldn't get a second thought, .

Please don't think I'm being overly damning, overall the lower hull is building in to a well detailed and substantial looking beast (see images below).





I had similar considerations whilst constructing the lower hull of the Amusing Hobby Conqueror, but found that much of what I considered an issue wasn't visible after construction and that the upper hull and turret were a dream.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi G,

Great build log so far! I also got this kit recently to build this winter as an early Mk. 3 with BAOR. Your posts will be a welcome reference as I proceed.

I‘m not a Centurion expert by any means, but it was good that you got rid of those dimples in the road wheel hubs, because I don‘t recall ever having seen that variation on the real article. For my part, I went ahead and got the resin Cent wheels from Accurate Armour to avoid this problem, also to avoid the fact that the wheel rim is molded onto the tire as separate from the rest of the wheel, which would just complicate the painting process, in my opinion.

Anyway, I‘m looking forward to your further progress!

Have fun,

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Thank you for the kind feedback, like you, I'm no Centurion expert...come to think of it, I'm not an expert in anything that readily springs to mind, .

Are you intending to detail your build experience in here? It would be interesting to get someone else's viewpoint.

My aim is to go for a late version in Korea, maybe displayed in some kind of hilltop revetment...subject to finding some suitable images.

Please give me a heads-up if you decide to submit anything.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Whilst I've maybe had a few gripes so far, most of them are probably just nit-picking, however, I have found, imho, one area of concern, .

This relates to what I'm presuming are the bazooka plate support arms...not sure what they're really called.

These project outwards from the lower hull tub between the suspension units. However, whilst their location is clearly detailed, their fixing to the hull strikes me as being weak at best (see images below).

One arm fixed in place:



Their location point between the two-vertical bolted 'straps':



Whilst their location is apparent, the only bond is that created by adhesive on the very thin 'T' webbing of the arm (see image below).



Personally, I think it would have been nice to have these slot in to a 'T' female slot on the lower hub for a stronger bond. I have decided to leave the remaining five arms off until I get closer to the painting stage as I think I'm likely to keep knocking them off with my ham-fisted modelling skills, .

Does anyone have any experience of this that they'd care to share, as I'm fully aware I might be over reacting to a perceived, as opposed to actual, risk, ?

Cheers, ,

G

Interesting kit. I did the Australian MK 5/1 for the MBT campaign earlier this year, and comparing the parts list you have shown above, I think Sprues A-E, G-I, M,R,and T are identical.However I had a Sprue F, whereas you have Sprues K,S,O, G2 and Y (which particularly rankles as that was the canvas mantle which was an Extra I had to buy). Cant help with your latest problem as the Mk5/1 didn't have the side skirts, but I hope you didn't use the poly bushes in the wheels, as they just don't fit the axles as they are too small. I generally found the kit to be okay, but slightly over engineered, and had a tendency to use several parts, whereas the like of Tamiya, or Academy would have used one.

Hi Norman,

Thank you for the information, .

I think you're right regarding the shared sprues, the ones you've identified appear to be those with the '2005' date stamp.

Alas, I have used the 'polybushes', but least I'm now aware that I might have to do some work to get a good fit, so thanks for the heads-up.

Whilst I'm still early in the build I have arrived at a stage that would support your comment about over engineered and multiple parts that could have been extruded as a single component (see image below). Parts C17, 18 and 20 go together to form a towing hook.



Those parts referenced above and are tiny (see image below), I have shown them alongside the tip of a toothpick to give some sense of scale.



They were fiddly to clean-up, fiddly to assemble, and the small bar was very fiddly to remove from the sprue, ...I could definitely sense the carpet monster eyeing up that piece, .

Thanks again for your comments.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi G,

I wasn‘t actually planning to post anything comparable to your blog when I build my Mark 3 - work has me on the run altogether too often - but maybe I‘ll post some progress pics along the way, kind of a blog lite.

In preparation for my build, I ordered the Haynes manual for the Cent yesterday, so maybe that‘ll help when any questions come up, for both you and me.

The attachment points for those supports for the bazooka plates do look a hair flimsy - thanks for the heads-up, I think I‘ll put those on mine right before the plates themselves (i.e. after painting), because you‘re not the only one with fists of ham around here.

And good luck with the tiny parts. The only other AFV Club kit I‘ve built is their M41A3 Walker Bulldog, which was maybe a little overengineered but went together very well, a fun build in any case.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

A 'Blog-Lite' sounds good if you are able to fit it in between your day job.

I'm one step ahead of you regarding the Haynes manual, mine arrived through the post yesterday (see image below).



I haven't had time to see how useful it'll be to my build, but these manuals always make a good read, .

Unless something crops-up beforehand, I intend to fit the bazooka plate arms just prior to priming, just to ensure the best bond between the two mating surfaces.

The over engineering seems to be the norm for AFV Club, I had wanted to build one of their Churchill kits until I read about the complexity of building the running gear...what with discretion being the better part of valour, .

Look forward to seeing your 'Blog-Lite'.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

I have just finished working on 'Step 7' of the instruction manual and would suggest, imho, that anyone building this kit deviates slightly from the sequence contained therein.

The two sets of 'shackles' constructed using parts B13, 14, 30 and 34 are probably best fitted to the lower rear hull plate before the 'deflector baffle', part O24, is fitted rather than afterwards (see image below).



My reason for this suggestion is that the space left after the 'deflector baffle' is fitted leaves very little room to manoeuvre the 'shackles' in to position (see image below)...



...least that's what I found with my stumpy little fingers and lack of dexterity, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

'Step 8', like 'Step 7', is one to watch the possible order you work in, plus I think the diagrams are a tad misleading at best.

I've changed my mind and decided to go for the 'Early' variant, simply because the stowage lockers on the mudguards are, imho, more interesting, .

I first constructed the four elements identified in the instructions as 'G' and 'H', and then removed part O14 as per the instructions.

Part O14 had two large 'stubs' and an ejection pin mark which first needed removing (see before and after images below).





It was whilst cleaning this part up that I realised that the instruction diagram might be misleading. The diagram for the 'Early' variant is middle-top on the instruction stage, but part O14 has four small holes in it, yet the adjacent, top-right, diagram actually shows part C42, the assembly for the 'Late' variant. The 'Early' assembly is shown bottom-right, and this illustrates that four small holes need filling (see diagram below, with 'red' arrow showing the way), .



This is also where I suggest to anyone modelling an 'Early' variant to think about deviating from the indicated path shown in the instructions. I decided to fill the four small holes (see image below) before attaching elements 'G' and 'H', the reversed procedure indicated by the 'green' arrow on the previous image, so as to avoid the risk of damaging said elements.



Hope the above sort of makes sense, !?

Cheers, ,

G