Jakko
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2024
- Messages
- 252
With Magic Sculp, I made the canvas cover for the gun shield:
Earlier, I had scrounged up a crew, and because I had the Magic Sculp mixed up and left anyway, I also made a few small changes to them:
From left to right first the assistant driver, an Asuka figure whose pistol belt I cut away and whose coveralls I modified into a jacket and trousers. Then the commander, which is an upper body from MiniArt with a helmet from the spares box, and a little bit of lower body made from the remains of the Magic Sculp because when he's in the hatch it was just a little too noticeable that his body ended at his waist. The driver is from Tamiya with Asuka goggles, and the loader is another MiniArt figure with lengthened trouser legs so his uniform can pass for 1945 Pacific style, so without leggings — it doesn't need to be any better than this because his legs will be dangling in the loader's hatch. His flesh has a base coat of paint from a previous employment opportunity that did not come to pass.
Earlier, I had scrounged up a crew, and because I had the Magic Sculp mixed up and left anyway, I also made a few small changes to them:
From left to right first the assistant driver, an Asuka figure whose pistol belt I cut away and whose coveralls I modified into a jacket and trousers. Then the commander, which is an upper body from MiniArt with a helmet from the spares box, and a little bit of lower body made from the remains of the Magic Sculp because when he's in the hatch it was just a little too noticeable that his body ended at his waist. The driver is from Tamiya with Asuka goggles, and the loader is another MiniArt figure with lengthened trouser legs so his uniform can pass for 1945 Pacific style, so without leggings — it doesn't need to be any better than this because his legs will be dangling in the loader's hatch. His flesh has a base coat of paint from a previous employment opportunity that did not come to pass.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2024
- Messages
- 252
Here's an overall shot of what I have now:
I did remove the tow cable and replaced it by a thinner one, for which I also had to use different eyes:
Because the old cable was threaded through the front and rear clamps and was partly glued to them, I had to cut those off the model. Fortunately, I have a bunch of those from Tiger Models in grey resin, so that was not a big deal.
And now the canvas cover is done, I could continue adding details to the turret:
The lifting eyes, periscope covers and folded-down support for the machine gun barrel are from Asuka, the periscope brush guard dfrom RFM (I think), and the covered machine gun (which is not glued on yet) on the back is also by Tiger Models. To make sure it won't break off, I drilled out the support for it, inserted a bit of 1 mm brass rod, and glued that into a corresponding hole I drilled into the back of the turret. To the loader's hatch, I added a grab handle (not visible), and I need to add some more details to the turret before it's done.
I did remove the tow cable and replaced it by a thinner one, for which I also had to use different eyes:
Because the old cable was threaded through the front and rear clamps and was partly glued to them, I had to cut those off the model. Fortunately, I have a bunch of those from Tiger Models in grey resin, so that was not a big deal.
And now the canvas cover is done, I could continue adding details to the turret:
The lifting eyes, periscope covers and folded-down support for the machine gun barrel are from Asuka, the periscope brush guard dfrom RFM (I think), and the covered machine gun (which is not glued on yet) on the back is also by Tiger Models. To make sure it won't break off, I drilled out the support for it, inserted a bit of 1 mm brass rod, and glued that into a corresponding hole I drilled into the back of the turret. To the loader's hatch, I added a grab handle (not visible), and I need to add some more details to the turret before it's done.
Jakko
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2024
- Messages
- 252
After more peering at the available photos, I replaced the .50 calibre on the back of the turret by a better one:
A very old, already painted one from Italeri
Partly because it's impossible to put the Tiger Models gun in the transport clamp (which isn't on my model yet), but also because that Tiger Models gun is in a special cover with zip etc. while on the well-known photos from Okinawa, there appears to be a simple tarp over the weapon, with that transport clamp over the tarp. (This gun is still loose too, by the way. It's "better" because it will get covered up completely, and for that I prefer to use a part that's as poorly detailed as possible yet still of the right shape and size.)
Making the brush guard over the gunner's periscope was a "fun" job. It's about the same size as the others, but the legs are completely different. For strength, I first drilled holes and glued overlong pieces of brass rod in them:
Next to the turret is the rectangular part that will go horizontally between those legs. After the glue on them had dried, I bent the legs inward and glued the rectangle between them:
Though that sounds far easier than it actually was … If I had better soldering skills, I think I would have done well to solder the legs to the rectangle and then bend them to fit the holes I drilled in the turret. But I can't solder all that well, so I had to use superglue instead. Once that has thoroughly dried tomorrow, I'll cut the legs down to the level of the rectangle.
It may appear like the rectangle is leaning backward, but that's an optical illusion in the photograph. It is actually horizontal relative to the turret roof.
I've also made an antenna:
The base is by MIG, 3D-printed. I drilled a hole into it at both ends: in the top for 0.3 mm spring steel, 52 mm long to represent two antenna sections, and in the bottom for 0.8 mm florist's wire which will go into a corresponding hole in the turret roof. That 3D-printed resin is not a nice material to drill with a bit as small as for the antenna, it's pretty hard and you can only go very slowly.
A very old, already painted one from Italeri
Partly because it's impossible to put the Tiger Models gun in the transport clamp (which isn't on my model yet), but also because that Tiger Models gun is in a special cover with zip etc. while on the well-known photos from Okinawa, there appears to be a simple tarp over the weapon, with that transport clamp over the tarp. (This gun is still loose too, by the way. It's "better" because it will get covered up completely, and for that I prefer to use a part that's as poorly detailed as possible yet still of the right shape and size.)Making the brush guard over the gunner's periscope was a "fun" job. It's about the same size as the others, but the legs are completely different. For strength, I first drilled holes and glued overlong pieces of brass rod in them:
Next to the turret is the rectangular part that will go horizontally between those legs. After the glue on them had dried, I bent the legs inward and glued the rectangle between them:
Though that sounds far easier than it actually was … If I had better soldering skills, I think I would have done well to solder the legs to the rectangle and then bend them to fit the holes I drilled in the turret. But I can't solder all that well, so I had to use superglue instead. Once that has thoroughly dried tomorrow, I'll cut the legs down to the level of the rectangle.
It may appear like the rectangle is leaning backward, but that's an optical illusion in the photograph. It is actually horizontal relative to the turret roof.
I've also made an antenna:
The base is by MIG, 3D-printed. I drilled a hole into it at both ends: in the top for 0.3 mm spring steel, 52 mm long to represent two antenna sections, and in the bottom for 0.8 mm florist's wire which will go into a corresponding hole in the turret roof. That 3D-printed resin is not a nice material to drill with a bit as small as for the antenna, it's pretty hard and you can only go very slowly.
