Old Modeler, new R/C KT build

[dgsselkirk]

Looks Good Michael! Yep that method works vey well and I too have natural chips and pre-weathering on mine too . LOL! Send me KT pics when you do that one too.

[dgsselkirk]

So next on the agenda was finishing off the smaller tow rope mounts, making the tensioner and mounting everything up for fit and form. I must say it looks so much better than the plastic tow rope. It actually is under some tension at the right points! I will crazy glue into the mounts just for added holds but the pics here show it mounted loose and I don't think it will go anywhere but better safe than sorry!

[dgsselkirk]

Here is the test fitting for the cleaning rods and the large tow ropes.

[dgsselkirk]

After I did this I looked at the top of the tow rope/cleaning rod holders and decided I wanted to make them a little more accurate. I wanted to have the rod and a better looking wing nut. So I used my dremel and filed in the top to leave a little pin sticking out and then cut a little piece of copper tube and crazy glued it on. I then drilled a small hole in the outer clamp bar, built a little wing nut with 1mm copper wire (a strand from the heavier wire I used for tow rope)
This is done by flattening one end, split it in half, gently twist it to the proper orientation. I have been trying to figure out how to do this since there are wingnuts on virtually all the large clamps and this works pretty good. These pics are EXTREMELY close up so it does look a little better than what it looks like in the pics.
And of course once it's painted and weathered it will look even better.
I also decided to improve the clamps at the end of the large tow ropes. I carved out underneath to make it look a little better while still leaving the pin to go into the hull. I cut into the top to simulate the hinge. I drilled a hole in the middle of the nut and made one of my wingnuts out of the copper wire and inserted it. Again does look better!
Again all this is done on the cheap!
I know some of you guys must be asking yourselves "why did Dean bother painting when he was going to keep doing more detail?" Well as this is my first shot in 20 years I am tending to jump around a bit and I really wasn't sure how much detail I wanted to put in. I just seem to keep adding things or trying to improve things!
But I promise I am getting near the end of the detailing and then it's on to final paint and weathering... I can't take much more!

[MichaelC]

Looks Good Michael! Yep that method works vey well and I too have natural chips and pre-weathering on mine too . LOL! Send me KT pics when you do that one too.

Just for you Dean. I use the lacquer to melt off the excessive flashing as well on the decal. Thanks again for this great tip !

[dgsselkirk]

Hi Guys,

got a little more work done. Wifey has had me painting in the house. Would much rather be painting my tank!

I decided to make one of the tow rope brackets damaged so it wouldn't be used and that is why one of my tow ropes will run to the back shackle. I really liked the way it came out so took lots of pics! Made with styrene plastic, a small computer screw end cut off and little piece of brass strip drilled and then twisted to represent damage.
Next was scratch building the mounts for the Clevis. I am going to use one for tow rope running to the shackle so I wanted to make one of them open. These were built using copper wire and copper tubing for the thin side and a little bit bigger brass tubing for the fatter side. Thin little brass sheet for the latches and my wingnut method using copper wire. The center wire is long as it will go through the back plate hull and then get epoxied in.

[dgsselkirk]

And here is what they look like with the base coat and mounted! Again using this method of the wire going through the hull and epoxy should make them pretty strong.
Of course were the camo goes over the clamps I will touch up to match properly but I am going to leave the clevis in the base coat and of course chip, weather, and age it.

So earlier page 4 I believe Scott (Eastern Front) had a great shot of a porsche turret on it's side and you can see the aiming foresight post quite clearly so I have added that. See Scott, I didn't forget!
I also decided to see if I could make the cheap Henglong MG look 1/2 decent. I opened up the breach and did some detailing. Not bad! The stock needs to be cleaned up and it will need to be dulled down but I think looks pretty good for a cheap plastic one! That's why I took so many shots! Now will have to work on the mount to detail it a little more....

[hotte8487]

you have some fine details added, good work Dean

[dgsselkirk]

Thanks Hotte,

I'm not close to your class but I am having fun and doing 95% it "home built" keeps it cheap! I think I am pretty much done my mods to the outside. Assemble everything and clear coat this weekend! Yippee! Close to the end! For the moment....

[Dietrich]

[quote="MichaelC"]Thanks Dietrich. I just check the site and I think they are still too big for my liking. Just peeking at the box you have here, it looks like yours are 15mm in diameter which is way bigger than the post still. Does screwing a washer on top of the magnet reduces the pull ?

@ Michael....The magnets are large, but they simply overhang the plastic posts that they are screwed to. The Metal washer that I mean is on the other half of the hull.(For the magnet to stick to )
.
I screw the magnet to the lower hull and screw a washer to the upper hull. When the 2 halves are put together the bottom counter sunk screw is not in the way and the upper hull screw also drops into the countersunk hole. This ensures that the only contact is between the magnet and the steel washer to guarantee an "Iron-Grip"
Alb.