Unspeakable Acts on an unsuspecting Sherman...

[Rob1970]

I don't know whether you've seen the thread yet...

You mean the thread I linked about 3 posts up... the thread I called an "excellent thread"? Yeah, seen that one. Also not doing your Brazilian Butt-lift. Actually going for a full arsectomy...

Also; stealing the quote in your signature as soon as some rivet-counter starts slapping me with facts I already know...

On the subject of slapping, and other necessary cruelty...

We've got hole!


And it's a properly beefed up hole! And as you can see; the posts are saved.


All the edges properly angled, for her pleasure...


The new engine deck minus the frontal deckotomy fits perfectly. After I took a bit off the last deck plate.


And yes, I removed the hatch from the intake. Because I might make the hinges working. Why? Because I can? Also an option; actually making the rear portion of the new deck hinge. I have some tiny doll-house hinges in the mail. So that might happen...

To Be Continued...
TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Patient report #11. Patient is stable after a succesfull arsectomy on the rear quadrant. Patient is resting comfortably awaiting a full graft of a new Gluteus Metalicus.



No complications are expected, possible side effect may occur like needing a new toolbox fitted or having the welds redone.

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have severe psychological scars from sixty years of combat experience with the Carpet Monster, Rob. What I have learned in the past ten years is that cement eats plastic. If it's not too painful, imagine 5 seventy-ish types on a hands and knees search, sure only to find Arthur...Arthritis that is.

[43rdRecceReg]

In leafing through your thread, somehow I missed the generous reference to my build. Thanks
I've been busy elsewhere lately, (although not the 'Twilight Zone'- but in the twilight years, maybe...), and haven't had much time for in-depth thread-leafing.
Following along your dissection trail with considerable interest.
You may yet become the 'Jack the Ripper' of the styrene and ABS world. But, I think that something truly impressive is going to emerge from all the plastic gore.

[Rob1970]

Patient report #12. After a lengthy procedure Patient is stable after a succesfull graft of a new Gluteus Metalicus. Patient is recovering (as is the surgeon...) and awaiting minor cosmetic surgery to aforementioned Gluteus to add some edges. And possibly mudflaps...



In other news... donor parts from Forgebear still lost in postal limbo...

To Be Continued.

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

You may yet become the 'Jack the Ripper' of the styrene and ABS world. But, I think that something truly impressive is going to emerge from all the plastic gore.

Well, I have a bit of a reputation to uphold of doing insane things with cheap kits. Below pictures of an old (and I mean old) 1/72 kit of a P-61 Black Widow. It's the old Frog kit, which has no details on the inside at all... I did my best with scrap styrene and some PE leftovers from other kits...


Radar Operator's station...


Radar itself...







Believe me when I say that after years of doing that, 1/16 scale is a blessing.

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Good news; the hinges I ordered for making the engine deck hatch workable (the large on, not the to the air filter/intake) arrived!!


Oh, and FYI; that's a 5mm grid...

Bad news; using them will either drive me insane, or blind.
Jokes on them tho... I'm already not quite right innna head...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Engineering Brain; "So, you got that Engine Deck from Woz, for the Firefly eh? And, happy with it?"

Mechanic Brain; "Oh hell yeah! It slots right in, no fuss, no muss. I mean... it drops right in. After I shortened it at the front... But yeah, then it should drop right in!"

Engineering Brain; "...and that's why you cut off the air filter hatch, and are making the hinges work..? Because it "drops right in", right?"

Mechanic Brain; "Uhm... yeah well... it's nice, innit? No good having a part with hinges if the hinges don't work? I mean, that's why you have hinges. So stuff... uhm... hinges. But then it drops right in!"

Engineering Brain; "And the rear part of the deck... is also getting hinges... because..."

Mechanic Brain; "..because that's handy, innit? When you wanna do stuff... like feed the smoker. Check the voltage alarm.... uhm... do stuff... But yeah, it should drop right in after that gets hinges... oh bugrit... I've done it again, haven't I?"

Engineering Brain; "Yes. Yes you have..."


Completely rebuild... It's what I do... The only reason I am using the white part is because I can't be arsed to make a negative mold to vacuform a new one... I know, I'm a slacker...


And yes, when it's installed the rear part will hinge up...


The hinges for the rear deck I installed by sandwiching them between layers of 0.5mm ABS sheet. Same was done with the front part. First I planned to keep Woz's part and just carve out space to glue the hinges in, but the Shapeways nylon is a bitch to machine...

It's almost ready to go into the gaping hole in the back of the Firefly. Just needs some fitting, some nuts and handles. The hole of the airfilter hatch will get a metal grid on the inside and a couple of stops with magnets to prop it open at the right angle. And the sharp-eyed readers will notice the lack of filler caps...


Well, working on that...

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Today was a first, ya know? Never -ever- worked with Milliput. And I've been messing about with models since I was about... 9ish? Always used cheap putty...


But I must say, it works very nice. Yesterday I filled the little molds I made of the filler cap with some clear resin (which I "liberated" from SWMBO's hobby stash...) and this morning I popped out the clear parts, and filled the molds again with Basic Milliput. Now all drying on my little USB decal-water-warmer/heatplate thingy.

Still waiting for my parts from Forgebear. Still stuck at customs. Me still grumpy about that...
But that didn't stop me from attacking my Firefly turret!!!


First job; fix the bottom of the commander's turret so I can reuse the posts for the barrel lifter. And while I'm in there I might as well rip out that turret ventilator at the back. That needs to go anyway...


Might have overshot just a teeensy bit with the dremel bit while cutting out the vent. But my dad always said; "Big mistakes are easier to fix, 'cause you got more room to move..."
Tomorrow there will be cleanup of the big hole, and after that it's waiting for the new two-part commander's hatch.


So, onwards with the engine deck. Nuts are on, and the hinges now look the part. Still looking for suitable material for the metal grating under the air intake hatch, and I've been eying a stainless steel colander the missus "rarely" uses...


My therapist told me I needed to get a handle on things. This is the last picture I sent her before she blocked me. Weird...

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

...First job; fix the bottom of the commander's turret so I can reuse the posts for the barrel lifter...

Remember that? That was yesterday... keep that in mind...

Anyway; good news!!! The stuff from Forgebear arrived!!! Commander's hatch, new 30cal for the hull of the Sherman 105mm and metal front and rear lights for the 105 and the Firefly.


So I could get on with cleaning off the rest of the old turret, clean up the edges and fill up the hole of the obsolete vent. And that came out nice. The metal 2-piece commander's hatch drops in nicely...


With some fettling, guestimating and crossing off fingers I started working on the new mantlet. Woz's stuff is nice, but I would have loved some instructions. Found a picture of Woz's work, and it gave me some pointers. A little edge added to the 3D printed part made it snug at the top...


Some crossing of fingers and holding of breath, a little courage and a saw gave me the part for the bottom fixing.


Once fixed with 2-component CA glue it's ready to go into the hull. It works with the inner piece from Heng Long to affix the BB section to the barrel and mantlet.


And yeah, the front shield of the mantlet needs drillin out to accept the barrel and the two... flaps? removed. The hole for the barrel on the inner mantlet needs to be widened too...


...just like the real thing! That kinda tickled me... But when that's done it all fits together pretty nicely and looks the part. The new mantlet is shorter from front to back than the original Heng Long mantlet, and that moves the whole inner set-up including BB mechanism back about 5.8mm

How I know that so precisely? I direct you to the qoute at the top of this post. I'll wait for you to come back here...


Those posts for the gun lifter I so carefully preserved? They needed to move. Backwards. About 5.8mm... And the posts for the BB feeder need to move as well... Same 5.8mm...

I've done the posts for the lifter, and then the posts for the feeder. But not today. Now I need a drink...

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob