Rollcall- Unfinished tank projects

[Lert]

I think all of my tanks are unfinished ...

Leopard 2A6 needs weathering and new tow cables.
JagdPanther is in pieces and needs weathering and detail work.
Thinking of redoing my KV-2 after the JP, electronics also not working right.
StuG is .... closest to being done, I guess?
Pz IV has no electronics, needs more wathering.
Sherman needs detail work.
6x6 truck needs weathering.
4x4 truck needs windows, detail work and weathering.

[43rdRecceReg]

I posted this picture not long after joining this forum, and after giving praise to Andrew and Dave for supplying me with this little lot, my first two purchases from them both. You have to laugh, I only went on Dave's site to purchase a Russian tank commander.

I did fancy having a Sherman. . . .

But since I saw some of the builds, Frank's in particular, I got a shine for Sherman and Pershing builds.

This little subject matter lot has now grown. Another three heng long Shermans, a couple of mato Shermans and three pershings, also a Taigen Sherman, but that's not for the chop. I think I may have also bought chassis for the two hulls in the picture along with various other parts and a shed load of plasticard.

Wow, it looks like you really have been bitten badly by the Sherman bug, Mick. I see that Louis has quite a few too: a complete squadron, I think, and they're also complete He doesn't do 'unfinished', only 'unbuilt'.
The 'whole' one on the left of your photo has a bit of bubble-wrap sticking out of it, and it looks like the beginnings of frilly knickers. Yes, if anyone could kit a Sherman out in frilly pants, it would be you.

[43rdRecceReg]

And of course, just when I think I have it under control, the postman left this an hour ago.

Well, the only way to deal with that problem is to do what Major Major Major did, in 'Catch 22', when confronted in his office with something needing his attention: he jumped out of the back window, and ran for it!

[43rdRecceReg]

I think all of my tanks are unfinished ...

Leopard 2A6 needs weathering and new tow cables.
JagdPanther is in pieces and needs weathering and detail work.
Thinking of redoing my KV-2 after the JP, electronics also not working right.
StuG is .... closest to being done, I guess?
Pz IV has no electronics, needs more wathering.
Sherman needs detail work.
6x6 truck needs weathering.
4x4 truck needs windows, detail work and weathering.

Yes, ...but does it leave you a frustrated man (with flask half-empty), or someone with lots of good things to look forward to (flask half-full ) ?

[Lert]

Yes, ...but does it leave you a frustrated man (with flask half-empty), or someone with lots of good things to look forward to (flask half-full ) ?

Bit of both tbh. Frustrated depression gets in the way of enjoying a hobby, but quietly content in the knowledge that I've still got lots of hobby ahead of me and aren't running out.

[43rdRecceReg]

Yes, ...but does it leave you a frustrated man (with flask half-empty), or someone with lots of good things to look forward to (flask half-full ) ?

Bit of both tbh. Frustrated depression gets in the way of enjoying a hobby, but quietly content in the knowledge that I've still got lots of hobby ahead of me and aren't running out.

Good answer

[43rdRecceReg]

Looking at some of the mind-boggling caches of boxed and unbuilt models, reminds me that it's always wise to check the contents of boxes received. The contents may not be complete; a component (gearbox, turret motor etc.,) may not work properly, or bits may not fit in the way they were intended to.
I learned this the hard way a few days ago, when I finally got round to opening the Torro StuG 111 I bought from rctank.de, late last year. It was bought to be a cheapish runner, and then to be the upper-half to an upgraded StuG 111 project resting on Taigen's well-produced and reasonably priced Pz 111 metal (alloy, not potmetal) chassis
Only when I took the StuG out of its box did I notice the floppy barrel. Yep, on further investigation, it really did have 'brewer's droop'.
I took it apart, and discovered that the airsoft gun elevation lever was broken. In fact, most of the white operating flange/stub was missing. I checked, and it was nowhere in the box, nor even in the StuG itself. This meant it had shipped from China with a broken barrel; and that it must have been packed with a broken proboscis, as the product arrived from Germany fully sealed ('as new').

Torro StuG 111-broken airsoft gun elevation flange

Ooops, if you're unfamiliar with it, it's here:

Busted Gun elevation lever

Thus I began rummaging through my burgeoning cupboard full of tank bits, and nearly started an avalanche
I surfaced with this BB elevation motor, as it looks the part, and is meant to be for the StuG as well as its principal target- HL Sherman..

Torro gun elevation motor- with wrong operating lever

Unfortunately, the stub that slides along the captive channel on the gun is just too short. I began to think of modding it, or making one of my own- but then I remembered I have another StuG 111 upper hull I bought with a view to fitting Airsoft in my StuG IV project. More of that later.
As luck would have it, this gun had the right fitting.
You have to be very careful when removing these circlips, as one twitch can send it into the blue yonder.

Removing Donor StuG 111 elevation arm..

Refitted to the elevation arm, it looks like this:

Torro StuG 111 BB- elevation Motor fixed

and refitted to the upper hull:

StuG 111 airsoft elevation unit refitted

Here's the StuG 111 with the proud proboscis it was intended to have...without a wee blue pill
So..the lesson is, make sure you get what you've paid for.

StuG 111 -fighting fit with pert pointy bit

[Dark46]

Ki g Toger still needing parts before paint

[jarndice]

I wont bother listing all the builds still waiting for my attention But I found I am the proud owner of a 1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster kit number MA 120 as well as a 1/48 Monogram Boeing B 29 it transpires that the Lancaster kit is a rarity and the B29 is long out of production But Hannant's still have Eduard Photo-Etch "Big ED" upgrade sets and only £60 to £ 70 per upgrade set.
I also discovered I own a Revell 1/48 Rockwell B1 Swing Wing Bomber,
It might be only 1/48 but the box is way bigger than some of my 1/16 Armour and as none of these aircraft actually fly and just gather dust it really makes me wonder why I bought them, it does not help that we only have girl grandchildren.
I think putting off these particular builds could take me past the happy day I get my celebratory telegram from Her Majesty.

[43rdRecceReg]

I wont bother listing all the builds still waiting for my attention But I found I am the proud owner of a 1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster kit number MA 120 as well as a 1/48 Monogram Boeing B 29...

I think putting off these particular builds could take me past the happy day I get my celebratory telegram from Her Majesty.

Hmm, that will probably be 'His Majesty', Shaun, by the time those beauties spread their winds.
It's always gratifying to own collector's items. Whilst my house is currently being overrun by an invasion of Tanks and tank related tools, I still have room on my walls for limited edition prints, by up and coming British artists.
Those wall spaces will remain armour- free zones... well,.... that's what I promised myself, anyway. That's getting to be a hard promise to keep! (Not really- I love great photographs and landscape paintings).