Nice choice. I have this kit in my stash, so I will follow your build with interest. I build the tracks on the Takom WWI Schneider tank. The tracks were very time consuming but in the end looked great.
Looking forward to hear your judgement on these tracks in your kit.
I was worried because the instructions show track assembly in a dark gray shade which hides the details. Only the first plate is tricky. You can glue all the left (long pin) connectors onto the plates. You donât glue the first right connector in place (or you could just use Micro Liquitape) but it has to be there to thread the long pin of the next track plate through. Then you glue the right connnector into place on the second track plate. This serves to hold the long pin in place. At this point, you can thread the long pin of the third track through the holes and glue its right connector in place until the last (36). At this point, you can thread the long pin of the first through the holes in the last and finally glue the right connector into place.
Takom should have made the track assembly diagram 2 or 3 times larger.
I did the first 3 links. I had some trouble getting the right connectors in place. They actually arenât glued in place yet.
Glued the driverâs cupola together.
Another cupola glued. More parts removed, including rollers. Added one of the roof flanges. Unfortunately, itâs in the wrong slot. Oh well. To clean them up, I suggest cleaning up the bottoms, gluing them into their slots, then cleaning up the tops as they are quite âbendyâ when unsupported and liable to breakage.
Glued the gun barrel together.
Added some ribs to the top and cleaned up the gun barrel. Also did gate cleanup on the front plate. The gates are quite prominent on the front and close to rivets.
Later I added the final 2 ribs. Youâll notice the tops of the ribs need cleanup. Once they are glued into their slot, they will be able to take sanding much better,
I also glued the front door together (inner and outer sides) and will add it later today.
Side door and ventilation hatches added.
Iâm feeling good about being able to finish my Schwimmwagen for one campaign, that I decided to give some attention to the St. Chamond. Glued the rear roller supports to the bottom plate.
Added what appears to be axles, but actually are a secondary attachment to the drive sprocket hub. There is quite an amount of play and I assume they should stick straight out, something which my wonky vision canât really get right.
I also started on another assembly for the suspension (I assume). This is so not like any other tank Iâve made!
Did the other side as well. Might join them to the bottom plate.
Well, I got halfway there but found one side was blocked by the shaft in the rear. You can see it on the far side in the previous image. I took a razor saw to it and cut away enough to move it to the correct standing and glued it in place. I then glued the other suspension mounting just to make sure it fit.
Basically this was step 21 in the instructions, adding rails D15, D16, and plate E35. Later I noticed a small gap between the bottom plate and the rails I just added. âI wonder if this is going to bite me later?â. I didnât have to wait long, just the next step when I tried to add part A10. At first, I wondered where to put these. If you look at the lower rails (D13 and 14), they have little holes that a peg on A10 goes into. Then I tried to fit A10 on and thatâs where the gaps got me. The top of A10 is supposed to go over the bottom plate. I tried to flood the joint with glue and bend it to my will but failed. My next step is to open the gap in A10 to fit.
Made another mistake on trying to put the track together for the other side. I think the Modeling Gods are telling me something. So, I will bow out of this campaign.
You could build the kit with thrown or removed track for maintenance.
I donât do dioramas. I might be able to save the track by making what was the first link into the second, but that risks breaking the hinge pin. However, there is more wrong than the track. There are a lot of alignment problems with the suspension parts.
I will probably still work on other steps, but more with the view of finding new problems or using said subassembly on a future try.
Takomâs Saint Chamond is pretty high on my want list. After reading about your problems, I did some quick research. The difficult nature of the suspension is mentioned in every article and video I looked at. I was genuinely surprised at the flimsy, complicated nature of the running gear. It is unlike any tank suspension I have built. Perhaps watching a YouTube video of someone else wrestling with the same problem would help clarify the matter, allowing you to make another go at construction.
If the frustration level is just too high, put it in a box and shove it in the closet for another day. This campaign runs another 6 months so maybe your will to continue will replenish before time runs out.
I have build Takomâs Saint Chaumont, and had little problems with the running gear. Only with the tracks. I managed to assemble them after figuring out how exactly to do so, but they twisted somehow. Looking from the front, the vehicle seems to lean to the left (although it doesnât) because of thisâŚ
The Takom Saint Chamond was one of my ârecovery buildsâ that I did while recovering from being hit head-on by a wrong way driver. I was on pain and muscle relaxant meds for my back, and initially I blamed the drugs for my consternation and difficulties with the suspension. Just getting it to hold together was a huge accomplishment; getting it to align was impossible. (Should I have been twirling X-Acto knives in my drug impaired state? Probably not, but building models so long itâs just second nature, so I said sureâŚ) I got so frustrated with the suspension on the kit that I put it aside and proceeded to build a Meng Rolls Royce armored car, which went together beautifully, only to discover later, when I was sober, that the entire body was skewed 4mm to the right from the frame.
Anyway, once off the meds I enthusiastically revisited the Saint Chamond suspension. I can do this. Stupid pain meds. I took everything apart and started over. On a piece if glass. With machinistâs angles. Tamiya Extra Thin Quick Setting so nothing drifts out of place. I still failed to get it all square and in line. In a fit of rage I took the ultimate drastic step and did a wall check; I binned the kit. The next day I ordered a brand new one (the old parts were too melted out) and it sits waiting for me to take up the challenge again. I know I can do it, no problem, Itâs just got a stigma to it now.
Thanks to all who are reporting on this kit (takom st chamond). Do any of you have experience with the Mk I or Mk IV takom world war I kits? I have been intriguedâŚ
@SSGToms Oh dear. (Quietly edits the wish list, moving Takomâs Saint Chamond down a few (dozen) lines.)
This is very probably crazy talk butâŚHorror Boss Saint Chamond?
@phil2015 I own Takomâs Mark I Female with the steering tail. According to one build review, the cab is too narrow. Later versions of the tank had wider tracks, necessitating a more narrow cab. If I recall correctly, the rest of the model is pretty good. I am considering building it for this campaign (instead of the ICM Model T ambulance I signed on with).
No, I would still go with the Takom.
Well, I wasnât going to participate in this campaign, but I decided to do it anyway when looking for a new kit to start.
I have no idea yet for a dio yet, but will surely come up with something or the other.
So, I will build it stand-alone for now. Will be nice to see it next to the Austin I build earlierâŚ
