M7 Priest scratchbuild

[blimp]

Hi Alwyn - Here's some checker plate for ya - http://www.scalelink.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh00 ... l#aSL32F31 - The 1/32nd stuff is best . Blimp .

[AlwynTurner]

Thanks Blimp, I'll get some ordered. It looks just the job although they don't say how big the sheets are. I should be able to get away with 1 sheet though, it's just for the gun deck. Alwyn

[blimp]

Hold on . I've got some here ( sheet No sl32f31 ) - It is .2mm thick (.008" ) 72mm wide x 203mm long , there is a plain edge about 2.5mm all around the outer edge so the etched area is 67mm x 197mm . . . . . a sharp pair of scissors , job done !

[AlwynTurner]

Real progress at last! I hit a bit of a 'modelling block' but seem to be over it now. Barrel, cradle, and mount now together but a very long way from finished. The gun shields need to go on before I can continue with the tank body, and then real progress can begin.
Full left slew

Full right slew and max elevation

Better views of the gun


and top view

Still got a huge amount to do on the gun and a lot of tidying up but I needed to get the gun mounted so the body build could continue. I did thankfully remember to drill a hole in the bottom of the firing block for the muzzle flash wires to go through, woke up in the night and thought of that one - sad person!
Things will hopefully move along now! Alwyn

[tankmad]

Looking good keep up the good work
Stevie

[AlwynTurner]

At last significant progress. The shape is now becoming recognisable and already feels like a 'tank'.





The worst is over I think, it's like trying to do a jigsaw where you get the picture off the front of the box, four corner pieces, and you have to make the rest of the pieces yourself and colour them in! Now lots of detailed build with fiddly bits and pieces, what fun!? Alwyn

[PainlessWolf]

Alwyn,
Functional Styrene. You are a past Master in the art.
regards and following along,
Painless

[EddyK]

[mcevoyi]

I love this build ....

Just superb ...will keep watching

[AlwynTurner]

Some progress but it all gets a bit fiddly now. Managed to find an old bottle of cod liver oil capsules in the cupboard that were out of date and the bottle was an exact size fit for the pulpit - lucky huh! Took a lot of pruning and shaping but it fits, the metal ring on top is the top rim of a pepsi max can - waste not want not! The bottle was polypropylene so even getting superglue to stick to it was fun.

Did the gun carraige front armour and that was interesting - it's not just getting the curves right but I then had to go back and prune the body so it would fit and slew properly, still it's now together and looking better

Well onward and upward. I won't get much done now until next week as I have been scheduled to go to sister in law for Easter ! Alwyn