IJN Ka-Mi with floating pontoons Cyber-Hobby #6699

[Neo]

Hello dear colleges! I'd like to show you one of my latest builds - IJN Ka-Mi. I will try do describe all works o model. I have a lot of materials about this tank, which were collected by pieces from the net. So if you will need additional information - welcome! Model from Cyberhobby is well but have some mistakes with hull and pontoons,especially pontoons...

So...Let's start. 
I have started with a boggies. They are good and correct. So we should just assemble them. We just need to fill some wholes with putty.

That's how they look on a model.

First problem was -welds. Dragon decided to do a welds instead of us. Not bad,but why all those welds are situated in places where 2 or more parts of the hull should be glued with each other!? Even little amount of model glue melt those welds. So the main problem is a weld restoration with Tamiya Epoxy. than I have looked many photos with Ka-Mi welds I decided to make all the welds by myself. It wasn't easy but it should to be done.
Here are some results. The welds on Ka-Mi shoudn't be on hull. They should be on the level of the hull. And after looking on many Walks I think it was some kind of soldering, not welding, becase welda are too accurate.  


I will continue a little bit later with pontoons.

  

[dierk]

Nice work on the weld beads! I love your attention to detail. Keep it coming Artem.

[Leon]

Nice work on the welds Artem!

[Neo]

Next stage is a front pontoon. Unfortunately front pontoon has several mistakes. Cyberhobby gives us early version of the pontoon with hole for the machine gun. There are some mistakes in dimensions of the pontoon bottom and angles of low plates.
For comparison. I didn't fix it because it was to difficult for me. So in fact we need to scratch whole front of the bottom and then make a side plates with correct form and angle. On the photos from Kubinka museum we can see late type of the pontoon. So it doesn't matter because dimension and form are common. 

So then I tried to reconstruct all the welds on a backside. They were missing. By the way welds on the pontoon should be not such accurate as welds on a hull.

I've decided to replace handhold from the kit. New one with welds.

The main work were with bottom and valves.


And some other details

 To be continued...

[Leon]

That is some awesome work Artem! Looks really good.

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 8:57:13 GMT -5 Leon said:

That is some awesome work Artem! Looks really good.

Thank you,Leon! Tried to do my best. 

[reserve]

Fine work here sir. Dragon/Cyberhobby kits are usually pretty good but many are full of instruction errors and dimensional mousetraps; you never know what you're gonna get until you open the box.

Your attention to detail is most noteworthy

Regards,
Mark

[Tobi]

Excellent work Artem and also very interesting as I plan to build this kit myself one day!
Haven't I seen your model last autumn on a different page already?

[wbill76]

Nice work on this unusual subject!

[dierk]

Stunning work Artem!

[John Everett]

Beautiful. TAK 4NCTbl!

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 10:42:05 GMT -5 reserve said:

Fine work here sir. Dragon/Cyberhobby kits are usually pretty good but many are full of instruction errors and dimensional mousetraps; you never know what you're gonna get until you open the box.

Your attention to detail is most noteworthy

Regards,
Mark

Hello,Mark! You are absolutely right! I have bought Ka-Mi to build OOTB. I have thought that kit will be correct. But.... It seems to me that Ha-Go that I have bought either will have surprises too.  
Thank you for you attention to my work!

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 11:07:50 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Excellent work Artem and also very interesting as I plan to build this kit myself one day!
Haven't I seen your model last autumn on a different page already?

Greetings Tobi! I am very pleased that you like it, but most interesting will in the next posts  I have two build logs with Ka-Mi. One of them on Armorama, second one on Russian Panzer35 forum. So this is the third one and here will more information than on Armorama.

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 11:53:52 GMT -5 dierk said:

Stunning work Artem!

Thank you Dierk! You have an priority to look at my latest news

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 11:11:38 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Nice work on this unusual subject!

Thank you! To be true I am very sad that only few modellers pay attention to a Japanese tanks.

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 11:58:01 GMT -5 John Everett said:

Beautiful. TAK 4NCTbl!

Thank you John! Sorry but I don't understand what you have written in Russian.

[deafpanzer]

Amazing work especially the weld seams! Looking forward to many more updates...

[Neo]

Jan 15, 2016 15:31:42 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Amazing work especially the weld seams! Looking forward to many more updates...

Thank you Andy! More updates will on Monday. No photos on home PC.

[Neo]

I'll continue. Rear pontoon. Not such bad as front one. I have made some modifications. 
I have substitute bolts.

Some welds were added on a places that may be seen on assembled model.

Cyberhobby has made a valves on a rear pontoon. Unfortunately they were wrong, so I made them by myself alike on a front pontoon. But this time I have used some PE parts from the kit.


Then I've decided to rework marine steering wheels. They were extremely thick! They were made from brass. Closer look.

And photos on final place.


Some modifications of the wheel control system.

[dierk]

Another stunning update Artem!

[wbill76]

Doing a great job enhancing the details on this one.

[Neo]

Dierk, Bill, thank you! 
I've decided to put some additional photos.





And some photos of the air intake.

[dierk]

Nice!!!

[noname]

Great details. I always thought these were neat rigs. Great weathering platform.

[adt70hk]

Artem

Sorry I'm late to the party - but I'm glad I've found it!! The attention to detail is amazing!!!

Bookmarking this one!!

Andrew

[Neo]

Dierk,Andrew,noname, Thank you!
Today I'd like to show some hull details.

[dierk]

Your attention to detail is stunning!

[adt70hk]

I think dierk's summarised your work very well!! It is amazing!!

[Neo]

Thank you friends! Soon I will post photos with turret. I've tried to make an interior there.

[Leon]

Absolutely stunning work Artem! Your detail work is fantastic.