The kit comes with some copper wire but I have some black coated stuff from another kit that’ll look nicer. If I’m smart I should have just about enough to do the whole thing.
I’ve been toying with load ideas, but the hook/shackle is really fragile looking, especially as I accidentally bit a chunk out trimming an unforgivably thick sprue gate.
I may see about gussying up a block of foam. In my brain I’ve made a cargo net out of strips of Tamiya tape but we’ll see how far that gets me.
what’s the back up plan?
Same as always, brute force and ignorance!
In todays “Adventures with Photo Etch”…
Main hull is built and I am moving onto the flight deck tie downs.
There are approximately 137 of the little buggers.
I did a few test ones and this is the closest cut I managed (Not sure if you can see the burr in this pic)
That burr ensured it didn’t fit properly in the hole. See how it is sitting proud.
Means I have to clean up all 137 tie downs 
That’s painful Rory… I wouldn’t want to be doing that mate … Plus side is the flight deck will look great once they are all in situ…
Edit. For really annoyingly small bits of PE, I have just started using a small pair of nail/sowing scissors… I find it helps me follow the line along the PE as I clean it up … And it also cuts it neatly from the sprue.
I use a small pair of scissors too. It makes a huge difference when removing thin delicate parts. You can get quite expensive, ‘purpose made’ photo etch scissors, but mine were in a $5 ‘emergency’ sewing kit from a cheap shop.
I’ll be joining this one with a Trumpeter KV-220 which I picked up around Christmas time. It’s another one in Trumpeters long line of KV vehicles, of which I have many. This one looks nice and simple and shouldn’t take too long to put together, so here goes.
Keep seeing various changes across thier KV’s. Upper hull is a single piece, you get two choices for AA turret, and recycling of a bunch of parts from thier earlier KV-1s.
Have seen both single and link & length track in thier KV’s, luckily we get link & length here. The track run is a bit long after all.
Got to work on it for a bit last night, got most of the turret put together. Real simple stuff, but the rear door is made up of a inner and outer part. The inner part was too big for the opening and wouldn’t sit flat. Some sanding and cutting solved that problem.
Welcome @35thScale_Bro nice start and looking forward to seeing more of this one as well … Not one often seen 
Put a base of flat black from a rattle can on the chassis .
Hull rear is on and will get cracking on the upper hull hopefully tomorrow time permitting.
Primer down.
Also got a coat of anti-slip on the top surfaces. I completely missed this step and forgot it was even there until I was looking at some pics to figure out wires for the lights. As such, I couldn’t really mask properly. Still looks good though and adds to the visual.
Definitely looking the part now. Good move with the anti slip … Which now makes me ask … Do the LAV series have anti slip ? Namely my LAV AD ??
Standard LAV-25 does so I don’t see why the AD version should be any different.
Thanks for that Don… I would of totally overlooked it if I hadn’t seen yours…
Is it the same for LAVIIIs … as I have one in a drawer …?
Yeah but the texture looks a lot finer and more widely distributed. Someone on here will probably chime in with a better answer, but the LAV III almost looks to have it incorporated in the paint rather than being applied in sections like the LAV I/25 platform
Maybe one of these will suit the tastes of the campaigners.
Size on screen
I like the top one. But both look nice.
Thanks again Don👍
Nice designs Peter. I also like the top one, but will go with the flow on it
Hmmm, kinda tough, I like the trumpet and the Trumpeter of the lower one better than just the trumpet of the upper one, but the triangle and VII just don’t look right. 
