LAST OF ITS KIND

[sassgrunt]

No, I don't know either. I talked with his sister-in-law after his passing, and got the impression that his brother would be taking care of dealing with Alpha's belongings. I told her to offer my services if they needed help with that, but never heard anything back. We have a twice-a-year gun show here, and I thought that maybe I'd see some of his models or airsoft guns turn up there; but nothing so far.

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
I like to think that his Brother has a neat little room with shelves and tables and warm lighting. Alphas collection lives there and gives his Brother something fun to remember him with. That's my hope at any rate. Real Friends are rare in this World. Treasure them. I am almost to the point where an exacto does not shake in my hand. Looking forward to picking up my chosen hobby again.
regards,
Painless

[HERMAN BIX]

Good morning,
I like to think that his Brother has a neat little room with shelves and tables and warm lighting. Alphas collection lives there and gives his Brother something fun to remember him with. That's my hope at any rate. Real Friends are rare in this World. Treasure them. I am almost to the point where an exacto does not shake in my hand. Looking forward to picking up my chosen hobby again.
regards,
Painless

I'd like to think so too....................a time to remember we are not 'owners' merely custodians.................

[HERMAN BIX]

72897353-8CF0-4C14-AB74-9D44BF204CAC.jpeg (2.64 MiB) Viewed 1755 times

40E93FC4-F360-4450-AA8E-CBFCD7962FF0.jpeg (2.54 MiB) Viewed 1755 times

E77D85A3-0770-413D-A521-114E2F3C39C7.jpeg (1.95 MiB) Viewed 1755 times

2F20F472-9B7A-4CCB-AE47-7FEEFD019F9E.jpeg (2.58 MiB) Viewed 1755 times

6E1FAECD-6315-49AC-A47C-66EA9EA39D27.jpeg (1.5 MiB) Viewed 1755 times

And now it begins............

Great service from toucan Hobby, arrived well ahead of its projected time and was better than I thought it would be.
The Wife remarked that the tank was bigger than the gun it carried............(hmm )

After a test run, that thankfully confirmed its NOT a gas turbine, onto the bench it went.
Taking a bit of artistic licence based on the picture available, I set about removing the KV-1E parts off it, and then the mudguards.
Again I get the comment that for such money, why wreck it !!
Because I'm a terrible child, always wrecking my toys

When i removed the bolted armour from the sides of the hull either side of the turret, I discovered that there are holes in the sides which are now exposed.
Looking at the period picture these should be hidden by add on plates which were part of what makes this KV2 so odd.
Good thing too as finding these holes was an unpleasant experience.
A bit like finding out you H/L King Tiger hull has a gap if you take any guards off .
Loads of clean up to do on the remnants of the guards, so more green plastic debris spraying all over the area I work in .
Go the handi-vac to rescue me from a "Domestic Flogging"

Its looking better & busted-ass already !!

Oh, and one for the "only in Australia file" 'bouncers' in the suburban streets !
No snow or cold here I can assure you, the things are everywhere

[tankme]

I know the Taigen lower hull armor was pretty easy to remove. All I needed was some plastic rod inserted into the holes left over and trimmed flush. Have fun with the build.

[HERMAN BIX]

I know the Taigen lower hull armor was pretty easy to remove. All I needed was some plastic rod inserted into the holes left over and trimmed flush. Have fun with the build.

The lower isn’t too bad mate, the upper though has a load of gaps on both sides.
I need to close those off and open the engine deck louvers under the mesh to at least let a bit more sound out.
Now the guards are off it does resemble a page out of Panzer Wrecks !!

[tankme]

It was a bit a pain in the butt, but I opened the vents up on mine using a small razor saw. I just ran the tip of the saw back and forth along the vent line until it opened up a small hole. Once a small hole is there the serrations on the razor saw make quick work separation the louvers. After opened I have a bunch of emery boards to sand between the louvers and clean them up. I didn't want to completely cut the louvers out and build my own. You don't really see much of them under the mesh once painted anyway so they don't have to be perfect.

[HERMAN BIX]

They are a p[ain, but mainly because they are smaller than the T34 ones.
i've done enough of those to get the hang of it as have you !!
I will make brass slats and then muck around putting mesh in the frames to remove the solid plastic that they are made in.
Small improvements where i can.

[PainlessWolf]

Herman,
It's coming right along! Those vents are a pain but a nice addition when done right (upside down smoker mounts on upper can be a pain as well ) Following along!
regards,
Painless

[Herr Dr. Professor]

"The Wife remarked that the tank was bigger than the gun it carried." It's a common problem for those of us "of a certain age." As to the 'roos in the yard: are those things mean and nasty when you encounter them? ...anything like a "Salty"?