Amusing Hobby Sho't Kal "Alef"

[rbaer]

I really was gonna build this outta the box, and I tried, I really tried. Where I ran into trouble was my OCD with the road wheels. First, the kit:
IMG_4001 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I bought it maybe 18 months ago up in KC and just kind of let it sit, but I've always wanted to build it. Plus, I haven't built a Centurion or Sho't in 20 years, and that was one using a Tamiya kit with an old and crappy resin conversion. So, back to the road wheels: Cents have a couple of stiffening ribs in the wheel itself, and AH doesn't try to do it. AFV Club does, but they're part of a soft plastic tire and I've heard bad things about them, so I passed on using the AFV Club suspension set I picked up somewhere. Here's a pic of the wheel as in the kit:
IMG_4003 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
The inside of the rim is "straight", no ribs. So I chucked one up and cut a couple of grooves, kind of like how I do on Tamiya M48 wheels, and it turned out okay, but not great. Then I had one of those moments. I had purchased a Takom Chieftain Marksman SPAAG, maybe a couple of years ago, cheap, just for the turret. Chieftain and Cent wheels are really really similar, with the big difference being the center cap, and the Takom wheels have the undercut grooves represented by a separate wheel, insert and tire, all plastic. Both AH and Takom use separate center caps. Picture a lightbulb over my head. After a couple of hours, here I am:
IMG_4002 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
The gray wheels are Takom, tan one is my AH home-brewed wheel. I would have popped it off but I lost one of the Takom inserts. After paint they'll look the same, or nearly so. The AH wheels have really big bolt heads, not sure whose part is more accurate. Anyway, it's going together nicely, and I think I can build the rest of it with just what's in the box.

[deafpanzer]

Pulling my chair now. You are just like most of us... we CAN NOT build out of box!!! Good move replacing those wheels!

[rbaer]

Thanks Andy. So, a while after I bought this kit, I saw some metal tracks on eBay, not a bad price and they came with pins, so I ordered some, put them up on the track rack (I do have one) and forgot about them, until I got to the point of thinking about tracks. I had a few of the kit tracks assembled (good stuff btw, easy to snap together and robust) but I decided I'd try the no-name-on-the-box specials from eBay. Dang it, I had two runs of 102 each, what the AH kit instructions call for, in about an hour. Shazam! No flash, they're polished so no burrs and all the pins slide in with my fingers. A little goo on the pin before I slid it in to hold it there and I'm done.
Pins and the first 50 links:
IMG_4006 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
And bang, 102 links on each side with the idlers (adjustable by design!) fully forward:
IMG_4007 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I may take a link out of each side, but they fit great and have normal slack for the Sho'ts that operated in the Golan Heights.

[Joe Rix]

Oh, this is looking real good Russ. Those tracks look great. And, yes, none of us can build straight OOB. At least I know I can't. I was trying to with my Tamiya 1/48 Panther for the Panther GB. Got it mostly together, looked at it and, nope, couldn't do it. I required a few AM and scratchbuilt parts to satisfy my OCD.  Thanks for taking us along Russ.

[deafpanzer]

Tracks are looking good buddy!

[rbaer]

I don't know if this is weird or not but I get a cheap thrill out of metal individual link tracks.

[406 Silverado]

Metal track links?? I've gotta admit...they look the part when installed on the tank with the sagging and all. And the work that you put into those road wheels is marvel all to its own.

Btw...."cheap thrill"......now THAT'S funny.

Lookin' good so far Russ.

[kyledehart5]

Amazing work.

[rbaer]

Aug 10, 2023 6:05:49 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Amazing work.

Thanks, but I have to say your work on the automotive side leaves me gobsmacked.
Joe, that's one of my favorite things about armor, the actual tracks and suspension. Maybe it comes from watching M113's on the test track at FMC when I was a kid, I dunno.

[handiabled]

The tracks look awesome! Watching this one come together for sure

[kyledehart5]

Aug 10, 2023 8:11:43 GMT -5 rbaer said:

Aug 10, 2023 6:05:49 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Amazing work.

Thanks, but I have to say your work on the automotive side leaves me gobsmacked.
Joe, that's one of my favorite things about armor, the actual tracks and suspension. Maybe it comes from watching M113's on the test track at FMC when I was a kid, I dunno.

Thank you. Funny how we are comfortable in our niches. I build a bit of everything but am most at home doing the automotive. I haven’t built any armor at all yet, and looking at great builds like yours helps me to realize how much about this hobby there is still to learn.

[rbaer]

Tanks have really cool power plants....

[406 Silverado]

Aug 11, 2023 8:02:57 GMT -5 rbaer said:

Tanks have really cool power plants....

The Abrams power and drive train are just phenomenal. Lycoming engine with an Allison Gearbox. Just amazing how something that weighs in at 53 ish tons can go 45-50 mph. 

[kyledehart5]

Aug 11, 2023 8:21:27 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Aug 11, 2023 8:02:57 GMT -5 rbaer said:

Tanks have really cool power plants....

The Abrams power and drive train are just phenomenal. Lycoming engine with an Allison Gearbox. Just amazing how something that weighs in at 53 ish tons can go 45-50 mph. 

Fascinating. That’s a beast. I did not know it was a Lycoming. Formerly owned by Indiana’s own Auburn car company and produced the engines for the Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs of the time. Useless automotive tidbit of the day.

[stikpusher]

Aug 11, 2023 8:02:57 GMT -5 rbaer said:

Tanks have really cool power plants....

Unless you're the 19-20 year old working on it some evening in the motor pool when you have better things to be doing... particularly when it could wait until the next duty day...

[rbaer]

Zen and the art of making footman's loops.... I use core tag wire so if the paint comes off later, it looks like the paint came off.
IMG_4014 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Alternately, "Hacking into a big kit part in order to fit an aftermarket part that's not necessarily designed for the kit one has".
Either way, the DEF Models mantlet cover is in and the tie downs on the turret are done. The kit gun tube is okay, next time (AFV Club kit on the way) I'll man up and use an aluminum gun tube if the kit doesn't have one in the box.
To do still is the big long weld bead around the turret top and another two dozen or so tie downs on the storage boxes, yet to be built, that hang on the turret. Then I can mount them and all the fiddly bits. The hull's not done, I just wanted to get the hard stuff on the turret out of the way.

[chromdome35]

Russ, I don't know how, but I missed the start of this thread. When it comes to cutting plastic on an armor build, you are one of the best out there.

I always enjoy your threads because I both learn things and get inspired by your work.

[rbaer]

Thanks Brian. I'm happiest when I'm whackin' and hackin'.
Latest pics show the storage bins on and done, tie downs are smaller and done with finer wire on the lids.
IMG_4016 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4015 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[handiabled]

It's the little details like this that add up to a great finish at the end. Top notch work sir!

[kyledehart5]

Lovely progress. I continue to be amazed.

[406 Silverado]

Dang.....just loogathat detailing!! You continue to amaze me at all of the work that you put into these builds of yours Russ. Outstanding show brother.

You going to the show in Austin coming up in October?

[stikpusher]

Russel, I'm always impressed how you take a solid great kit and then enhance that kit into something truly outstanding. This is another fine example.

[deafpanzer]

You are going to make those rivet counters very happy with those nice rivet additions!!!

[rbaer]

Ah, I'm a rivet count apprentice, working on journeyman status.
Joe, plan is to be there. Come on up.
Humor: I have this posted on Armorama, and late last night it was pointed out to me, with some humor, that I had not redone the handles on the fender bins. Well, knowing that I knew I wouldn't sleep until I did them, so I did, then slept the sleep of the just.

[Leon]

Looking really good with the details Russ!

[rbaer]

Thanks Leon, and may I say welcome back to the new and improved MSC.

[rbaer]

I had a very peaceful night modeling last night, stayed at the bench until my nose hurt from the glasses I wear for close work. Eeek. Hull is nearly done now, and my issues with the AH instructions having vague parts locations is slowing down construction a bit. I'm having to refer to pics more and more. Bummer: The SabingaMartin Cent book I wanted is out of stock. I did however find an old modeling magazine with some good drawings and pics that's on the way, courtesy of eBay.
Pics as it is this morning:
IMG_4018 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4017 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I had some breakage issues with the spare track holders and left side headlight guard. The tracks holders are nice parts but one of mine broke as I cleaned up a sprue attachment point, so I used kit links so I could glue it to a link to keep it aligned. So foul, the kit links are good. The headlight guard was in four pieces, so I was unable to thin it as I did the other side. I thought about scratching it. That's still a possibility. In fact, I may do both of them in .010x.020 strip.

[ogrejohn]

Thats some fine looking work Russ!

[project510]

Aug 19, 2023 9:57:23 GMT -5 rbaer said:

I had a very peaceful night modeling last night, stayed at the bench until my nose hurt from the glasses I wear for close work. Eeek. 

I wear the head band flip down style magnifiers.. But after prolonged use it gives me a headache. I feel dumb for not thinking of wearing regular glasses. Are you using just regular readers? Or something specific? 

Great work so far!

[rbaer]

Aug 20, 2023 0:03:23 GMT -5 project510 said:

Aug 19, 2023 9:57:23 GMT -5 rbaer said:

I had a very peaceful night modeling last night, stayed at the bench until my nose hurt from the glasses I wear for close work. Eeek. 

I wear the head band flip down style magnifiers.. But after prolonged use it gives me a headache. I feel dumb for not thinking of wearing regular glasses. Are you using just regular readers? Or something specific? 

Great work so far!

Thx! I wear regular readers, 2.75 mag for most everything, then an optivisor for the really small stuff, like placing and shaping the bits of .010 x .020 plastic strip on each end of all the footman's loops on this thing.
Question: Looking at your screen name, do by chance you have more than a passing familiarity with Datsun 510's?

Pic below is with the turret basket and a few smaller doodads on. The basket went together easier than I was expecting and the PE fit well. All together it's fairly robust too.
IMG_4025 by Russel Baer, on Flickr