OCD Builds.... Research Tanks in 1/35th 8O

[ALPHA]

The build from HELL
Some of you know I bought this 1/35th scale POJ Sherman Firefly from EBAY
...YAY...no one bid against me
you can see it's in wonderful shape

The Barrel is straight

The body alignment is perfect

Wonderful attention to detail with that added after market antenna

Perfect Sprocket placement

Last but not least the outstanding Weathering

Why even the Underside is so well done.. this thing would have modellers standing in AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW..(bummer..to bad)


OK...Contacted the seller...with a little dismay...to express my "EXCITEMENT" ...and of course...got replies as I had thought I would have...The bottom line is....."SHE" said "SHE" thought it was in nice condition ....To which I finally replied...as I knew she was giving me the run around at that point..."Whatever" ...and told her I left a pos for her just because it arrived in a timely manner...(personally ...I think she was glad to get it out of her house lol)

Anyway...Long story short....It is a kit that is going to be used for "research"...for a future Sherman build ...so off to work I went


ALPHA

PS..I knew from the photos it was missing some parts...and thought it wasn't in that bad shape ...SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

[ALPHA]

OK....After about 36 hours of work ...this was a couple of days ago
This is where I was


The gun was glued in the "up" position...found the guy had did that because he had mounted the gun shield upside down...the only remedy was to break the gun shield free and flip it back over...that was after breaking off the gun ...repaired ...now the gun works properly

If you look closely...where I sanded you can see where the guy plugged the lift ring holes....on the other side ...also if you look closely...you can see where the holes are for the lift ring is supposed to be ...they are clearly off ...same with the turret rings...reason I broke one off

Removed all the tools ...there were gaping holes and several imperfections that needed attention


Looks like the tracks were from a Sherman Sherman...and not the ones that were supposed to be supplied with the original kit...did find out later the possible reason the builder did this....think he gave up...as the tracks that were supposed to be on were plastic...individual links that needed assembly ...Also found in the strip down process....the tracks that he did use were glued to the inner fender wells ...this was the solution I found for that issue...used a blow dryer to heat the vinyl tracks...shape them to take up all the slack...then glued a piece of rubber to take up the gap..."IF"...I do skirts...it should take care of that gap...OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE enough yet..............NAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




As she sat three days ago the hull broken apart ...wheels sprokets idlers everything removed...the transmission cover ...comprised of three major components...had to be literally carved off...broken apart..and reassembled one piece at a time to realign the front and rear so it would sit right...one Sprocket was so crooked (I knew what the problem was) I cut it off with a chisel blade ....found the hollow where the pin for it to be mounted...to the hull was not only filled with a glue job that the Heng Long monkey would envy ..but the broken off stem that should have been part of the transmission case was still there in what looked like a three or four time repair attempt ... tried many methods to clear the opening...finally taking out the ol dremel to clear it (should have did that in the first place lol)...made a new pin for the sprocket out of sprue ....and a new "socket" on the transmission case for it to slide into...if I didn't do it this way....I wouldn't have been able to reinstall the tracks...just because of the method I used to fix them
At this point ...it had already felt like I had built the kit ...from kit form ....I could have stopped and just put paint on it...unfortunately ...and the "OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE" part....is I didn't
Did more research ....for this "research" tank....and found it wasn't quite good enough..............for "ME!!!!!"


CARPE DIEM GENTS

ALPHA

[jarndice]

dear O dear O dear, Sir, Forgive me but I do think you ought to make a couple of appointments, in no particular order, Your optician and a Mental Health Nurse, Far be it from me to question your judgement, BUT WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???
It is, and I am being generous CRAP!!! I apologise for the Americanism.
I have just one question, How much did the vendor pay you to take it off their hands? And whatever amount it was not enough.
shaun

[ALPHA]

dear O dear O dear, Sir, Forgive me but I do think you ought to make a couple of appointments, in no particular order, Your optician and a Mental Health Nurse, Far be it from me to question your judgement, BUT WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???
It is, and I am being generous CRAP!!! I apologise for the Americanism.
I have just one question, How much did the vendor pay you to take it off their hands? And whatever amount it was not enough.
shaun

Just hang on there WO1c....there's more to come

ALPHA

PS. She had more tanks for sale...not sure who bought them...but she told me ..everyone was Happy

[jarndice]

I imagine you will be purchasing a 5 litre can of olive drab paint, then immersing the Disaster in the can, before searching out a Skip/Dumpster within which to display the sealed can?
And it's nowhere near April 1st.
Are you really going to expend your well noted and rightly praised skills on this----this waste of plastic?
I wish you good luck.
shaun

[ALPHA]

Now I've not been diagnosed with OCD....but after doing research on what had or needed to be done to make a "credible" GUP Firefly....this is the kit that needs to be followed


IT'S A DANG HYBRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALPHA

PS....It may not be OCD....Maybe it's Anger Management

[ALPHA]

I imagine you will be purchasing a 5 litre can of olive drab paint, then immersing the Disaster in the can, before searching out a Skip/Dumpster within which to display the sealed can?

That probably would have been the "best" prescribed method...

And it's nowhere near April 1st.
Are you really going to expend your well noted and rightly praised skills on this----this waste of plastic?
I wish you good luck.
shaun

A question too late in the asking....about 16 hours more put into it...maybe more lol....Think I need some sort of therapy...or maybe a Hobby


ALPHA

[jarndice]

My apologies, having seen the box top I now understand what your plan is.
You are going to melt down the Disaster and pour the molten plastic into six moulds of WW2 allied infantrymen ,
BRILLIANT!!! I knew you wouldn't let us down.
shaun

[ALPHA]

My apologies, having seen the box top I now understand what your plan is.
You are going to melt down the Disaster and pour the molten plastic into six moulds of WW2 allied infantrymen ,
BRILLIANT!!! I knew you wouldn't let us down.
shaun

HMMMMMMMMMMM...Don't think that falls into the mental state of being OCD ...maybe BiPOLAR...don't think I'm there Yet...as the best I can come close to what you describe there WO1c is this Tamiya cover reenactment

Six figures...........but the tank is still there
Pretty much no cigar for either of us

ALPHA

[ALPHA]

This is where the OCD has brought me to at this time....approx 20+ hours after the first set of photos

Made one new headlight assy....two new upper hull lift rings...the two gadgets that go along side them...fixed the upper area of the transmission cover..and made the antler brackets




interestingly and perhaps with a lot of luck...the antler brackets came out good IMO...had to make them twice...the first attempt I had made them too small..the second time was much better ...and as I said...luckily allowed for clear vision of the headlights

Made one...yes..only one right now....tail light guard out of hammered brass stock


Made six...yes six...because that's all I need ....side brackets


fixed the broken outer gun sight

a few more guards to go...maybe the hatch stop...then maybe skirts...before paint


Think I need an Intervention

ALPHA