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Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
MR conversion sets
Grizzly
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Arizona, United States
Joined: November 17, 2002
KitMaker: 347 posts
Armorama: 223 posts
Posted: Monday, November 18, 2002 - 03:25 AM UTC
Have mt eye on an armor conversion kit from a company called MR models from Germany, and as I have never tried their products I was hoping someone here has and could tell me the quality of their stuff. Would hate to spend the money and get a poor quality product.(again) TIA

Grizzly
210cav
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Virginia, United States
Joined: February 05, 2002
KitMaker: 6,149 posts
Armorama: 4,573 posts
Posted: Monday, November 18, 2002 - 05:15 AM UTC
I have some MR products. What specifically are you looking to buy?
Aitch
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 19, 2002
KitMaker: 138 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:38 AM UTC
I picked up a couple of MR sets at the IPMS (UK) Nationals last week. I looked at a selection of the range and they look to be good resin items - specifically the T-34 1946 turret and the starfish wheels are all cleanly cast with the usual big casting plug, a sort of soapy feel (probably a mould release gel) They are a little softer than the equivalent injection moulded items by Dragon, but they had almost no air bubbles.
On the whole they are worth your hobby dollars if you can do a variant that you can't get anywhere else.
Grizzly
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Arizona, United States
Joined: November 17, 2002
KitMaker: 347 posts
Armorama: 223 posts
Posted: Monday, November 18, 2002 - 01:02 PM UTC
The item I'm thinking of getting is the Syrian Pz.IV conversion set.

Grizzly
Aitch
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 19, 2002
KitMaker: 138 posts
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Posted: Monday, November 18, 2002 - 08:27 PM UTC
Don't know that one specifically, but the MR Models are generally good as I said. But I'm curious, what parts are specific to the Syrian PzIV..? AFAIK the only changes are (possibly) 40 gallon tanks and a Dshk 12.7 mg in an anti aircraft mount Looking at my ref photos I can't see anything extra - what do you know that I don't..?
CaptainJack
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Luxembourg, Belgium
Joined: March 17, 2002
KitMaker: 793 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 12:35 AM UTC
I have that kit and it looks like a really nice conversion. You might want to back it up with documentation however as instructions are the weak point with that firm. Steel Master Magazine ran a good feature on that particular conversion, which could steer you in the right direction.

Cheers,

Jack
avukich
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Virginia, United States
Joined: April 11, 2002
KitMaker: 760 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 12:59 AM UTC
I don't have that particular conversion, but I agree with CaptainJack about MR stuff in general. I have a bunch of their conversion kits aimed at the Zvezda BT-5 as well as some other things and all of them are very nice, but the instructions are quite crappy. Luckily, none of the conversions I have are that extensive.
Grizzly
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Arizona, United States
Joined: November 17, 2002
KitMaker: 347 posts
Armorama: 223 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 02:45 AM UTC
Aitch, don't really know much at all on the tank except for what I read when I found a copy of an old Osprey book on Armor of the MiddleEast and then saw this conversion set in a R&J catalog and thought it would be an interesting change of pace from the traditional Pz.IV's.
The MR item is only listed for 21.00 anyway,and I wanted to know what I would be getting as I've ordered other resin stuff and got a piece of resin just looked like they forgot to cast the part with the resin lump they sent me
So thanks for all your input guy's really appreciate it,I'll pick one up.

Grizzly
210cav
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Virginia, United States
Joined: February 05, 2002
KitMaker: 6,149 posts
Armorama: 4,573 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 03:39 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I don't have that particular conversion, but I agree with CaptainJack about MR stuff in general. I have a bunch of their conversion kits aimed at the Zvezda BT-5 as well as some other things and all of them are very nice, but the instructions are quite crappy. Luckily, none of the conversions I have are that extensive.



Adam--once again you and several other folks point out what should be a universal protest "After market instructions are terrible." I have the Italeri LVT 4A under construction and the VLS aftermarket kit. The instructions are not that atrocious, but they certainly could be written and displayed much more clearly. I will not even get into the Jaguar Sheridan instruction sheet. So, let's form a grass roots organization to bombard manufactures with comments on their terribly expensive kits with their terribly written instructions......
avukich
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Virginia, United States
Joined: April 11, 2002
KitMaker: 760 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 04:01 AM UTC
DJ--I wouldn't go so far as to say that AM instructions are no good unilateraly. Most PE comes with great instructions though I suspect you mean resin conversions and update sets. In that case you should see the instructions provided by Sovereign 2000, Tiger Werke, and Tiger Model Designs. They are all very well written and very well illustrated.

About prices of resin, there is a very good reason for those prices being so high. They are produced in very small numbers (i.e. - not many units to sell to recoup the costs of producing said units), they are for the most part made by hand, resin isn't cheap, making the molds isn't cheap, making the molds & prodcuing the kits is time & labor intensive, etc. I'm not saying that resin isn't overpriced, but I don't think that it is overpriced by the manufacturers, but instead by dealers. Too many dealers try to mark the price up too much.

e.g. - At AMPS, Chesapeake Model Designs (CMD) who imports Friulmodel track into the US was selling sets for $27. Meanwhile across the room another vendor (I think it was Red Lancers, but I'm not sure) who had purchased their track from CMD was selling it for $40. This was a huge rip-off as CMD sells the track sets to vendors for about $18/unit so the markup was 122%! This is outrageous! I have a suspiscion that this is also a contributor to the sky-high price of resin kits. I guess the moral is to shop carefully and comare prices and when possible look at the manufacturers direct price. A lot of manufacturers will sell direct such as Accurate Armor, Chesapeake Model Designs, MR, Commanders Series Models, Tiger Model Designs, Tiger Werke, etc. So go to them direct, if that is an option.
210cav
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Virginia, United States
Joined: February 05, 2002
KitMaker: 6,149 posts
Armorama: 4,573 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 04:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text

DJ--I wouldn't go so far as to say that AM instructions are no good unilateraly. Most PE comes with great instructions though I suspect you mean resin conversions and update sets. In that case you should see the instructions provided by Sovereign 2000, Tiger Werke, and Tiger Model Designs. They are all very well written and very well illustrated.

About prices of resin, there is a very good reason for those prices being so high. They are produced in very small numbers (i.e. - not many units to sell to recoup the costs of producing said units), they are for the most part made by hand, resin isn't cheap, making the molds isn't cheap, making the molds & prodcuing the kits is time & labor intensive, etc. I'm not saying that resin isn't overpriced, but I don't think that it is overpriced by the manufacturers, but instead by dealers. Too many dealers try to mark the price up too much.

e.g. - At AMPS, Chesapeake Model Designs (CMD) who imports Friulmodel track into the US was selling sets for $27. Meanwhile across the room another vendor (I think it was Red Lancers, but I'm not sure) who had purchased their track from CMD was selling it for $40. This was a huge rip-off as CMD sells the track sets to vendors for about $18/unit so the markup was 122%! This is outrageous! I have a suspiscion that this is also a contributor to the sky-high price of resin kits. I guess the moral is to shop carefully and comare prices and when possible look at the manufacturers direct price. A lot of manufacturers will sell direct such as Accurate Armor, Chesapeake Model Designs, MR, Commanders Series Models, Tiger Model Designs, Tiger Werke, etc. So go to them direct, if that is an option.




Adam--interesting as always.
Appreciate your comments.
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