I’m starting a new WIP with something I wanted to build for some 20 years. Now I got a present for Christmas and I just decided to go for it (maybe ther is some youth left in me!).
We’re talking about a kit from a Vietnamese company called Hobby Link:
Almost all of the kit are 3D prints, but there is also some metal mesh and some decals:
Already the first part posed some problems, but my enthusiasm let me overcome it. The main frame was warped and straightening it under hot water didn’t work very well:
That’s why I cut off the crooked parts and made new ones from a styrene sheet:
I’m painting some parts with matt black spray paint and this works well to spot the places in which the “grain” of 3D printing is visible. Most supports are already removed, but you can spot some single leftovers here and there:
The tracks have 3D printed pins and go together really well. There are plenty of spare track shoes just in case. Most things are dry fitted at this stage:
And that would be about it for now - thanks for reading and have a nice day
Hello everybody!
My best wishes for you in the new year!
Thanks a lot for your comments and for your kind words!
A small update here:
Working on some surface preparation. On the suspension sides there are some longitudal marks. I marked some similar blemishes on the insides of the parts in the photo below:
I’m going to leave the ones on the insides be - but the ones on the outside were really visible, so I’m filling them.
@NZTankie - thank you so much for posting those pictures! References for the Rome Plow are not easy to find on the net, and the above pictures will not only help me, but also other people building a model of one.
Some mud from the pictures above just has to be seen to be believed…
The engineers and support units, like trans and supply have always been neglected when the armor and others couldn’t survive without them. But a big hunk of iron looks more impressive! Unless you see a tree crusher! Wayne
Hello everybody!
I love the discussion going on here! @Frenchy - I can even hold two beers for you if you keep on posting those photos! They will sure help me a lot, but I’m sure they also will be for other people building this.
In the meantime I’m working on the engine. Out of the box we get a miniature of a Caterpillar D339 Engine. As I plan to show the engine off, I decided to add some wire to it, to make it look better:
A little less on the other side:
Now I’ll try to paint it accordingly. Maybe Wayne could give me some pointers as to which parts could be a little cleaner due to being handled/serviced more often, or which filters could be “commercial” colour.
Thanks again for your great help and have a nice day!
Paweł
Hey Pawel, A number of years ago I contacted a guy named Rick Carlson and he sent me copies of the manual, pictures of the restored one at FT. Leonard Wood plus a lot of other information and pictures from the old Jungle Eaters website. I just dug them back out as they were hidden during my last move. If I can help let me know, as I don’t know when I’ll get around to building mine. Wayne
