Get yer kits out.

Celebrity modelling now?

Famous model builders

 

Some lovely models on show here. I used to do Airfix etc as a kid, dabbled with Tamaia tank models also - I have a Tiger gathering dust in drawer behind me, and a very unfinished Panzer MkIV kit maturing nicely somewhere nearby.

These days I tend to model large-scale trains (I have some track down in the garden) however the weather and a very painful shoulder mean that I don't do much of that any more. In fact I am more-or-less limited to making and painting my own figures in 1:22 scale, some examples of which you can see here:

The Scampington & Chipside Garden Railway - The Who's Who!

If you are sufficiently interested in my layout, there are other pages to navigate to from that page.

Clive

 

Now, Clive, that is what I call a labour of love! Whoever still hasn't clicked the link please do so

 

Well done Clive that is brilliant thanks for sharing with us.

Regards Michael.

 

Some lovely models on show here. I used to do Airfix etc as a kid, dabbled with Tamaia tank models also - I have a Tiger gathering dust in drawer behind me, and a very unfinished Panzer MkIV kit maturing nicely somewhere nearby.

These days I tend to model large-scale trains (I have some track down in the garden) however the weather and a very painful shoulder mean that I don't do much of that any more. In fact I am more-or-less limited to making and painting my own figures in 1:22 scale, some examples of which you can see here:

The Scampington & Chipside Garden Railway - The Who's Who!

If you are sufficiently interested in my layout, there are other pages to navigate to from that page.

Clive

Hello Clive

excellent work

 

Clive,

Excellent work on your railway.

I have to admit that this last year my garden railway has been sleeping and I have concentrated more on my Military modelling.

I bought a Dragon 1:6 Bren Gun Kit last year and finally got around to putting it together.

It doesn't look too good until you paint it and then it looks like Bren Gun, which incidentally was, according to my father, his favourite weapon in Italy.

Some photographs attached.

Regards
Tom

 

Some lovely models on show here. I used to do Airfix etc as a kid, dabbled with Tamaia tank models also - I have a Tiger gathering dust in drawer behind me, and a very unfinished Panzer MkIV kit maturing nicely somewhere nearby.

These days I tend to model large-scale trains (I have some track down in the garden) however the weather and a very painful shoulder mean that I don't do much of that any more. In fact I am more-or-less limited to making and painting my own figures in 1:22 scale, some examples of which you can see here:

The Scampington & Chipside Garden Railway - The Who's Who!

If you are sufficiently interested in my layout, there are other pages to navigate to from that page.

Clive

Excellent work, Clive. Your layout and figures are absolutely top-notch.

Cheers,

Neil

 

I recently ordered a few bits and pieces from Armorpax and took delivery of the package yesterday lunchtime.

A white metal kit of the Browning .50 Cal and .30 Cal Machine guns, plus mounts for a Sherman Tank (.50 Cal) and Stuart Light Tank (.30 Cal) and a few resin Ammo boxes for both.

I the distant past I have normally soldered white metal kits, but found it tough going trying to source low melt solder here in Berlin, so used Superglue instead.

The white metal castings were very well produced and required minimal cleaning up prior to dummy run dry assembly.

I then made rapid progress assembling the gun and started on the mounting, which is a little more complicated as quite a few holes have to be drilled and kept in line so that the gun can be held on the mount by two pins.
The support cradle can elevate on two large pins and is held in the horizontal position locked by a pin under the cradle.

The ammo box holder fits like a glove on two dovetails just like the original and although I have not yet assembled the resin ammo box and white metal lid, I have placed a Dragon box and linked ammo inside for effect.

The chain I already had in my workbox and cut three pieces to attach to the pins for retention security.

I am more than pleased with the end product, even before painting and took a few photos.

They are not good quality, but shows you the details in general.

It is around 27 cm long and is quite heavy now when assembled.

Regards
Tom

 

Thank you for posting Tom

regards
Clive

 

Thanks Clive.

Regards
Tom

 

Just to update, I have spent a little time assembling the .30 Cal yesterday and it is almost ready to mount on the Stuart Turret, but requires the cutting out of the original support holders.
At the moment I concentrated on fabricating the Sherman Pintle on the commanders turret ring.

I sourced some plastic tubing and it was a nice fit for the .50 Cal support that mates in the pintle.
Using a close up photo of the original I cut the tube to size and filed the outer profile of the ring from the tube base.

It is a reasonable fit and I used epoxy resin to glue it in place.

I used a 12BA cheese head screw and soldered a handle on the cheesehead which look's similar to the clamp used on the photograph I used.

There is a groove at the lower end of the support shank that enables the shank to be locked in the vertical position by the handled pin mentioned above.

I drilled a hole through the tube and the pin locks the gun support shank in place inside the support pintle.

Still some way to go before I paint, but I am pleased with the progress.

I have attached a few more photographs of work to date.


Regards
Tom

 

Some brilliant work here, Tom. Keep it up.

cheers,
phil

 

Thanks Phil,

I also require a little help as to the correct colour to paint these two pieces.

The supports etc are usually painted the same colour as the hosting vehicle, but was the weapon itself just left as it left the factory with a metallic gun metal colour.

I have seen models painted just matt black for the metal surfaces and wondered which was correct as non of the photographs in my books are good enough to tell.

Regards
Tom

 

Is this page any help to you, Tom?

phil

 

Phil,

Thanks for that, although not the American Browning M2, I am sure that the metal process produced the same type of finish on most weapons.

Regards
Tom

 

Just proved how little I know about weapons. I thought in a book about Canada, UK and France, it might be a Commonwealth weapon.

oh well, back to the badges.

cheers
phil

 

Phil,

The M2.50 Cal was so successful it was used by the Americans and Allies under lend lease.

Not sure if they were ever manufactured under licence by Commonwealth countries.

Modifications over the years and the current weapons look extremely similar to the WW2 version!

Regards
Tom

 

Almost finished the project and have the wooden handles to paint on the .50 Cal.

I was given a tip on Friday evening from a fellow modeller and he suggested painting the guns matt Black and then grating the carbon from a pencil head and applying it to the surface.

I used cotton buds and it seemed to go ok.

I tried this today and I think it looks the part. Comments welcome.

I painted the cradles olive green and then fitted the MG's.

Photographs of the two weaopons attached.

Regards
Tom

 

Got a winner, Tom