I must say I am in total awe of your build I have never even attempted photo etch. This Build is fascinating to follow, and it has given me the go-ahead vibes to give some photo etch a shot. Thank you and well done.
Tinydog01
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Thanks @Tinydog … very kind of you to say so and also thanks for checking out this build and that it gives you some confidence to try some PE on some of your builds.
I class my PE skills as totally middle of the ground and there are some real PE wizards who sho their skills here who far surpass my mediocre attempts.
All I would say about PE and its use is going on from the few posts above. PE is subjective in how its used and how much use it is on a kit. On this build, I am going a bit more above and beyond as it represents my last Cheiftain ride before we switched to Cr1.
As it stands, from the Voyager PE set i got for this kit, I am realistically only going to use about 10% of the PE from that set as The actual kit comes with a decent PE fret that would be fine for most builders and even from that, I will only end up using about 70 or 80% of it. This build is almost done now regarding PE and I only have a few parts i still need to use and heres whats left over …
PE left over from Voyager set.
PE from the kit.
When you think about using PE, have a look at the PE part and the kit part … is one better than the other ? Is the PE so intricate that you are never going to get it to function correctly ? or can you use bits from the PE set to enhance the kit part like I did with the spare smoke grenade boxes ?
Also, make sure you have some decent thin nose pliers with a nice straight edge to bend/fold the PE or I use a small steel ruler some times. Mostly I use fine nose tweezers to bend the parts. Using a decent piece of safety glass or hard flat even surface to bend / fold the PE helps.
Some people solder their PE, but I just use CA glue, either liquid or gel depending on the part. And sometimes, to help bend bigger /thicker parts, it helps to anneal the part first.
Lastly, I would check out the kits PE fret if it comes with one. Sometimes they are all you need.
I have built Trumpeter and AFV Club LAV’s and Strykers and they supply nice little PE frets that are great if you haven’t used PE before as the parts although just basic bits like exhaust shields or boxes etc are great for beginners to use and try for the first time as test beds.
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Turret is pretty much there now … Minor details to add like handles and tie downs and the upper cupola and GPMG mount …
Bin hasps are on rear bins and Comd side bin, which also has a padlock fitted.
And fitted a small disk under the MRS shroud to be the mirror and will be painted Molotov chrome
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Brilliant details John. Just gob-smacking.
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All those added details are excellent Johnny!
Now I’d be ashamed to revive my old post about my OOTB build. 
Olivier
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Matt @SSGToms & Olivier, thanks chaps for the continued support and high (although undeserved ) praise. It is nice that people enjoy looking in on builds and staying on the ride to watch the progress … And Olivier, none of your builds have anything to be ashamed about … thy are all always excellent and have show class finishes !!
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I admire your meticulous work and attention to all the little details. On the one hand I am envious that I don’t have that much patience with the small stuff and tiny PE. On the other hand I think your 
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haha … cheers DV … its a very line … sometimes I think I am nuts for doing it …
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I don’t think you’re nuts doing it- frankly it’s great to see all the detail progressing in the build. The pad-locks are probably my favourite little addition thus far!
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Outstanding work so far Johnny. Reminds me of all PE from my Accurate Armour Chieftain. Excruciating at times but worth the pain. Mostly lol
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Thanks to both Karl and Richard for checking in… I’m looking forward to my D Day Churchill… I don’t think there is any PE on that on
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Every time I check here for updates on this one John, I’m even more impressed than before. A truly gob-smacking build so far. Great advice on the sensible uses of kit and aftermarket etch too. I’m displaying at Tankfest today and intend to show my colleagues this thread. I know they will be impressed also!
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Thanks Terry, and hope tankfest goes well. Really need to get up to one.
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Echo all above comments this is superb modelling 
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Thanks Ivan, thats very nice to hear and appreciated. It keeps the mojo going for sure.
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Like most people say, your builds are allways a treat to follow, and there is nothing mediocrate about your PE skills… fantastic detailing again, and it does show you know a lot, no very very much about the Chieftain, I don’t know half the names of all those parts that you are mentioning… can’t wait to see the finished build 
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You are nuts…but that was an issue long before this build and what lead you to this point. She is looking like a great little build.
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Thanks Bert, very kind mate and nice to say.
Ryan, you are totally correct buddy … to get this nuts has taken a lot of effort and dedication over the years 
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Lovely work Sir!
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