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Modeller Build Logs
Char B 1 bis |
| By Michael Bedard | | Started: | Jun 17, 2006 | | Updated: | Apr 20, 2007 |
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Well I finally got the Tamiya Char B in hand and I am anxious to get it started. At the start of this BLOG there are no aftermarket kits available for the kit. I will, oh is it possible, build the kit out-of-the-box. Paul sent to me a reference book written both in French (for Ontario Canadians) and English (for all of us south of the border).
My ambition with this build is tom see if there are any quirks about the kit and show how I build up a kit. If any after market kits appear after the build is started I may add them.
It never fails for me. When I spend big bucks on a resin kit, avoid starting it and then finally decide to build it a plastic kit comes out. I bought MB Models Char B back in 1989 at an IPMS national. I held on to it until about 1992 and decided to start it. It has been sitting around since then waiting to be finished. Each year in January I go through my stash of kits and list 'to do' for the year. Well I decided to pull out the ole MB kit and make it a 'to do' kit this year. Wouldn't you know it, Tamiya (of all companies) comes out with one in plastic. To start out this BLOG I have posted what the MB kit looks like and at what stage it is. Well a Char B is on the 'to do' list but I'm pretty sure it won't be th MB Models kit.
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| Hull Details | Sep 28, 2006 |
Several little details have been added using reference from magazines, Internet research, Trackstory book and other modeler’s models. Details shown here are:
A. Opening of mud chute on side sponson. I did this after the model was assembled by first drilling several holes then shaping the hole using a sharp hobby knife. The final shape was formed using needle files. The mud scrapper has also been repositioned. I have decided not to add the inner rivets and scraper because they are pretty much hidden by the tracks.
B. The 75mm gun mantlet is a cast piece along with the bolted section. There is a very small gap in this piece and it was filled and fathered together with the bolted part using epoxy putty (Magic-Sculpt in this incident). Also notice the ‘pig’s tail’ lifting hook made of brass rod.
C. There is a gap that has been filled in the driver’s hood as the actual tank has a single cast piece. This part has also had cast-A-Coat added to give a cast texture. A small vision slit was also scribed on the side that is missing.
D. Screws on the top and casting numbers added to the driver’s hood. At this point I had already made the screw heads using a punch and die set with scribed pieces for the screw heads. I used Lion Marc screw heads on the turret. The Lion Marc pieces are much easier to use and more uniform. Casting numbers were scrapped off Tamiya sprue trees.
E. Spare P.E. fret was used as the bracket for the optional spare headlight.
F. Small handles were added to the rear of the main headlight using small Evergreen rod and cyanacrylic thick glue to create the rounded ends.
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