Wes
Full Member
Member since: November 2011
Posts: 686
Nov 16, 2011 9:34:50 GMT -5
Nov 16, 2011 9:34:50 GMT -5
|
Post by Wes on Apr 14, 2015 11:25:34 GMT -5
Nice progress Bill. Love how the guns turned out.
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 14, 2015 14:22:39 GMT -5
Thanks Wes and Terry! Appreciate the comments.  |
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 14, 2015 16:49:30 GMT -5
The day of destiny finally arrived. It was time to put the 'Russian doll' hull together and combine all the elements together in terms of chassis, hull, and turret. One last look at all the pieces before the assembly begins!  The hull bottom was slid into place and glued to the chassis first and then the upper hull added to the bottom hull and some strategic rubber bands used to hold it all together while the glue set. I used regular glue for this and added small amounts of liquid glue in different spots that needed a little extra help. The mating surface for the upper and lower hull is fairly small so I had to be sure it didn't shift or flex once the bands were added.  After the glue had set, the bands came off and I permanently added the top deck screen with some small amounts of CA placed along the slight recess molded into the roof.  I'm going to hold off permanently installing the gun mount into the turret until after I've finished with all the hull paint work. I plan to add some more shading and modulation effects and it's just easier to do that with the mount separate from the turret. Now it's on to the rest of the exterior details! |
|
|
|
Post by wing_nut on Apr 14, 2015 21:36:46 GMT -5
Now that's just yummy... all the ingredients nicely mixed like in a good recipe.
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 15, 2015 10:25:30 GMT -5
Now that's just yummy... all the ingredients nicely mixed like in a good recipe. Just don't try throwing it in the oven! Thanks Marc! |
|
reserve
Senior Member
Member since: July 2012
Si vis pacem para bellum
Posts: 2,372
Jul 11, 2012 9:11:45 GMT -5
Jul 11, 2012 9:11:45 GMT -5
|
Post by reserve on Apr 16, 2015 17:46:25 GMT -5
Sweet Bill
Also, smart plan as I think once you get the gun mount assembly installed in the turret you're not going to want to touch it again. It's not the strongest assembly...
Regards,
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 16, 2015 17:50:50 GMT -5
Sweet Bill Also, smart plan as I think once you get the gun mount assembly installed in the turret you're not going to want to touch it again. It's not the strongest assembly... Regards, Mark I hear you there! Every time I had to do a test fit with it, I must have spent a good 5 minutes or more just trying to get it to stay stable between the front and back points...and that was without the guns in the mount adding to the weight. Thanks for stopping in as always Mark! |
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 16, 2015 18:03:09 GMT -5
Now that the hull is finally a single unit, I went back through the earlier steps and started adding or working on all the odds and ends for the exterior that I had deliberately skipped in previous steps to avoid complications or having them knocked off. On the left side I used the hull to help create a 'module' of the stowage boxes on that side and the rear fender so I could remove it all as one piece for painting before it gets permanently installed. The rear fender got its PE brush guard for the convoy light and PE license plate and I added the step bar that wasn't included in the kit out of brass rod.  I also worked on the right rear fender. For some strange reason, Hobby Boss elected to mold the circular brake light as a clear part but it's the only one like that. I annealed its brush guard with a lighter flame and then bent it to shape using the handle of a round needle file. The jack and fire extinguisher that mount to the right rear fender were left off for now so they can be detailed and installed separately. The tread plate step is kit-supplied PE but doesn't have any bend lines, so careful work with pliers was needed to shape it to the supports. I also added the small boxes to the crew access doors and used Griffon PE clasps to create their missing latches. Last but not least, the spare wheel & canvas cover was cleaned up in preparation for painting and install. It's got some nice fabric/wrinkle texture molded into it but also had a mold seam running all the way around its outer edge, so that had to be carefully sanded down with a sanding stick.  Next up will be the front fenders and then more paint work! |
|
|
|
Post by deafpanzer on Apr 16, 2015 21:37:11 GMT -5
Catching up big time here but thanks to FB I was able to keep up with your build during my break. LOL I really like this kit... I have decided it is far superior than the Tamiya kit that I have in the stash. Should I sell it on eBay? LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 16, 2015 21:51:47 GMT -5
Catching up big time here but thanks to FB I was able to keep up with your build during my break. LOL I really like this kit... I have decided it is far superior than the Tamiya kit that I have in the stash. Should I sell it on eBay? LOL All depends on if you've got anything invested in the Tamiya kit? If not the going price on this one is pretty reasonable IMHO. |
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 17, 2015 19:28:17 GMT -5
More progress on the exterior bits today with the front fenders getting their turn. The kit provides the box lids as PE parts that can be posed open if you're so inclined but I decided that I didn't really have a good reason for having one of them open in my dio scene, so I closed the m both up and added their PE latches. The turn signals both had large sing marks in their back sides that needed to be filled with putty but otherwise no issues with getting the fenders and their details together. After looking at various reference photos I decided not to fit the 'cage' around the Notek light. This was a removable light and while the cage was a feature on some Africa 222s, it wasn't a standard/common fitting but more of a unit field-mod type of thing. I also put together the front lower hull guard along with its tow hooks so it can be painted prior to installation.  So here's the group shot of all the fender and exterior stuff that will get fitted to the hull in the coming steps.  Last but not least the front main headlights and horn/siren were added. The clear lenses will get added later after painting. No option is provided for black-out slit covers but I like the look of the glass/clear lenses so will show them 'naked' regardless. I also added a field-mod jerry can rack using left over strip brass from a PE fret to the left rear hull. This will be left empty (the jerry can that Sitting Guy is using in the scene is the can that would've mounted here) and weathered accordingly with some scratching/chipping added once it's painted to match the hull. Another 2-can rack will get added to the right front fender as this is another one of those DAK features that pops up on many 222s but that's going to be a little trickier to build and I need the fender solidly in place first before I can tackle that little extra detail.  Next up will be paint work on all those exterior bits and then getting them situated on the hull. |
|
|
|
Post by Leon on Apr 17, 2015 19:47:36 GMT -5
Great work on all the exterior parts Bill! Looking forward to seeing the paint fly.  |
|
|
|
Post by wing_nut on Apr 17, 2015 20:27:42 GMT -5
All that outside stuff is pretty nice. Gonna look nice all put together.
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 18, 2015 14:59:52 GMT -5
Thanks Leon and Marc! It's got some momentum behind it now for the final push to get it all together and head into the weathering and finishing phases. Almost there!
|
|
desertrat
Full Member
Member since: October 2013
Posts: 934 
|
Post by desertrat on Apr 18, 2015 15:04:11 GMT -5
looking great, the end is in sight, superb.
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 18, 2015 15:07:45 GMT -5
Thanks DR! Doing my best to get this one down the road literally and figuratively!  |
|
desertrat
Full Member
Member since: October 2013
Posts: 934
|
Post by desertrat on Apr 18, 2015 15:18:39 GMT -5
yep, but don't go rushing it now !!!! lol
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 18, 2015 17:25:08 GMT -5
I airbrushed all the exterior components from the last session and set them off to dry. In the meantime I've also been working on the jerry can rack for the front right fender that holds a pair of 40L water cans. This is a field modification that pops up pretty regularly in DAK 222s so I decided to add it using some strip brass from a PE railings fret that I'd used on a ship build a while back. I built up the base portion first to make sure I had the right dimensions then added the top part including a locking strip held in place with a pair of styrene wing nuts courtesy of spare parts from a DML Pz IV family build.  I also wasn't happy with the previous rack I'd added to the hull side as it seemed too thick to be in-scale, so it was also redone with some of the narrower strip brass that I used on the front rack.  Once the paint cures overnight I'll be adding the exterior bits and then doing more paint work to start the weathering process. |
|
|
|
Post by TRM on Apr 18, 2015 19:45:50 GMT -5
That is looking sharp Bill!! I was off a coupe days...not a bad thing, just a bunch f new pics to look over! |
|
|
|
Post by Leon on Apr 18, 2015 20:36:11 GMT -5
Nice work on the jerry can racks Bill! |
|
desertrat
Full Member
Member since: October 2013
Posts: 934
|
Post by desertrat on Apr 19, 2015 3:21:06 GMT -5
nice rack there fella, (can't believe i've just said that!! lol )
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 19, 2015 13:33:25 GMT -5
Todd, that's the spirit! Glad you're all caught up. Thanks Leon! I thought of you and your recent PE building adventures as I worked on these. This is one of those times when hanging on to old PE frets and their scrap brass really paid off...that and of course lots of bending! DR no worries, it could be worse...it could be a Merkava!
|
|
desertrat
Full Member
Member since: October 2013
Posts: 934
|
Post by desertrat on Apr 19, 2015 15:01:42 GMT -5
DR no worries, it could be worse...it could be a Merkava! ummmmm,  |
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 19, 2015 16:35:45 GMT -5
Some familiar lines are finally starting to appear on the 222! I attached all the fender modules that had been worked on and painted over the last couple of days. Some careful paint scraping was a necessary evil to get them firmly in position in a few places but nothing too heavy. I also added the kit-supplied PE rain guards over the hull vision ports and installed the front lower deflector plate.  After the glue had set, some more time with the airbrush got everything matching as it should be.  Next up will be some shading work on the base coat now that all the core components have been installed. |
|
|
|
Post by deafpanzer on Apr 19, 2015 16:41:43 GMT -5
Looking lovely... I have been busy shopping around for a perfect wedding ring for her!
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 19, 2015 16:46:20 GMT -5
Looking lovely... I have been busy shopping around for a perfect wedding ring for her! Don't wait around too long...you might have competition! |
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 20, 2015 18:04:36 GMT -5
Broke out the mixing jars and whipped up some lightened shades of the base coat to start the weathering process. I used Light Gray and created a roughly 70/30 mix and a 50/50 mix. The 70/30 went on first over the base coat and then the 50/50 followed to add more depth and variation. I dropped the pressure down to around 15 PSI and worked in very close to the model's surface to get as tight a result as possible.  After both applications, it's starting to look like a desert finish! The weathering process to come will alter this even further of course, but this lays a solid foundation for that to work off of.   |
|
|
|
Post by wing_nut on Apr 20, 2015 18:11:46 GMT -5
Bill that looks so nice that if I didn't have some projects ahead of me i would have done my copy cat trick for sure.
|
|
|
|
Post by deafpanzer on Apr 20, 2015 18:41:16 GMT -5
Superb painting job!!! Dig the faded look...
|
|
|
|
Post by wbill76 on Apr 20, 2015 19:02:50 GMT -5
Bill that looks so nice that if I didn't have some projects ahead of me i would have done my copy cat trick for sure. So THAT'S the trick! Make sure you're too busy with other things then post up irresistible pics! Glad you like how it's turning out Marc! Thanks as well Andy! I'm happy with how it turned out...mixing your own shades is always a somewhat risky proposition but it seems the Germans were on to something with their choice of RAL color I think. |
|
