Project Firefly. (Or "Why We Can't Have Nice Stuff")

[Rob1970]

Your weld beads are quite impressive. Kudos. Better than my work with putty.
have you tried it right on the model rather than laying them down on paper and peeling and gluing?

I did try that, but it is not that easy to be consistent in speed and movement directly on the model. On paper you can have a straight line and follow that, and if you mess up (and that's easy...) you just stop and restart. Also there is a chance of the material not adhering all that well to the model, since that depends on the heat of the extruded filament and the heat of the model's surface and the two melting together. Get too close and you melt the model, because the nozzle is hot enough to melt it.

I am now using ABS filament which is the same material as Heng Long tank bodies. So you can weld them on with a touch of MEK or acetone. If your premade weld bead is too short, just cut it at a 45 degrees angle and mary it up snugly with a new bead also cut at 45 degrees. The MEK melts the two together seamlessly. You can see that on the welds around the hinges. For models from plastics other than ABS you could use CA glue.



These here are beads I pre-made in the inside of a strip of 10x10mm aluminium corner profile, so the back side is actually a 90degree angle. Perfect for inside weld lines.

If I could be arsed I could produce meters of the stuff and sell it... or I could try to figure out how to get my 3D printer to do the same movement... I'd make a bundle that way...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Some more done. At the moment it is a lot of fiddly work, which I've been doing in the small moments I have. Life's been interfering with my hobbies. Don't you hate when that happens?


Front lights and lifting eyes refitted. A lot of measuring, and making a template for the holes, because the 105mm gets the same new lights. Still have to scratchbuild the siren/horn, but I'm not sure which type I will be going for.


The rear got the same treatment. New lights, and some Shapeways stuff in the form of grousers and fire-extinguihsers. I not only filled all the holes for the lights and light cages, but also plugged all the holes for the tools. Easier in one go, and the arrangement of the tools is slightly different on the Firefly.


My preferred method of plugging holes is by making tapered pegs from the plastic in question (in this case ABS), using the right welding glue (in this case MEK) and jamming it in. It seals the hole pretty good, and requires very little in the form of touch-ups if done right. Easier than putty in my opinion. When the solvents has gone off, you can snip the peg flush with the surface and a few strokes with a sanding stick does the rest.


Sometimes the holes isn't plugged perfectly, but hitting it with some MEK to prime the surface and adding a small dollop of ABS goop solves that, again only needs minor swipe with a sanding stick once it's fully set.
Added bonus is the fact that it is all ABS in the end, and a lot easier to get the new holes in the right place without having to worry about your drill wandering into the softer putty.

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

Righto, I got the lights fixed on the Sherman 105mm hull as well, and now it's time to scratchbuild the siren for the Firefly. I've got the metal horn + bracket set from Mato for the 105, but not for the Firefly.

How am I going to do it? Well, I think I'll "Tony Stark" it...



Weeeelll... maybe not in a cave. But with a box of scraps...


Decades of left-overs and failed projects from my model-kits. Sure there is something in there...


A bunch of likely volunteers, varying from the explody kind (I think the blue ones are from the old Matchbox F7 Panther kit...) to the fueley kind. My models were flown by Real Men, who did not need extra fuel!!


I ended up using the fuel tank from a 1/72 Hurricane, together with a quick copy of the front of the Mato siren made from Milliput.


The result is very acceptable...


...and once installed surely looks right. A small strip of ABS as the fence, and that's all the stuff for the upper hull done. Surely... it's not paint time?

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

The (what Heng Long generously calls) welds on the Sherman 105mm still need fixing, so I decided a new experiment with the 3D pen for making weld beads.


I measured the "gutter" that is supposed to be the weld beads on the Sherman, and hot-glued two copper strips to a metal ruler at the same distance. Slipped piece of paper between the copper and the metal to give the filament something to grab on to.


"Jiggling" the tip of the 3D pen between the copper strips and slowly drawing along the channel I created gave me (after some fiddling with the temperature and feeding speed) a pretty consistent weld bead...


Make that "beads". Plural. And this lot took me maybe all of 20 minutes to churn out.


And with them being just the right size to fit snugly into the channels, and made of ABS they just melt in with a touch of MEK.

So yeah, this works...

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

So, I've been distracted by other stuff like going back to work after spending most of the year home after my accident, our street and garden being torn up to add fiber optics to our network and the usual chores. Work on the Shermans has been off and on, mostly tinkering with the electronics and trying to make sense of the wiring.

I did manage to get the searchlight working on the Sherman 105mm version through the slip ring. Turns out that I had a channel going spare (turret MG channel) so I replaced the Dupont plug on the receiver side with the proper TX one and plugged it into the WiFi power channel. So now when I turn on the WiFi power (normally used for the FPV camera) I turn on the searchlight. Nothing spectacular, but it's a nice touch.

I did however got on with some painting. I felt the Sherman 105mm was at a point it could use paint and decals...


Again, nothing spectacular. Some Olive Drab Green, set off at certain points with Olive Drab Brown. I masked and painted the stars, the numbers and "Nose Art" are the Heng Long Decals. A little touch with a bit of ripped sponge with Olive Drab toned down the decals to give a worn look. Might go in with some chipping too, and then it gets a seal coat and I will have my first go with Magic Grime. Exciting times!

I added a little Dutch touch with the orange triangles on the turret. The orange triangle was the Dutch roundel used on aircraft at the start of the war, and Dutch soldiers in Allied service added them to their vehicles and aircraft to show some Dutch pride. Some Allied soldiers with Dutch ancestry also added the little triangle to their vehicles to signify they spoke Dutch. Not sure if anyone on the Sherman spoke Dutch, but they do now!

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[Rob1970]

The Sherman M4A3 105mm Houwitser is done! Spent the last weeks getting her ready, with paint, weathering, a healthy slathering of Magic Grime (Yeah, magic indeed... love it!) and the likes. Quite pleased with the results for my first go at painting and weathering armour, and the Magic Grime works as advertised. Did some chipping with some acrylics, mainly rust colours and some gun metals. Most of the larger markings were masked and painted, altho I did use some of the Heng Long decals and some scraps from my decal leftovers.

I blackened the metal tracks with two rounds of Birchwood Casey Perma Blue paste. Man, that stuff is awesome! First round turned the tracks a dark brown, second round turned them a nice weathered black. A quick tour of the wilderness that is my garden gave the tracks just the right pattern of wear...

Anyway... time for some glamour shots!









Still want to do some stowage, but not sure what. I have plenty of options tho. Also might have a crew, at least a commander and a loader. But that means painting figures...

To Be Continued...

TTFN,
Rob

[SoCalBobS]

You might look at "Value Gear Details" online. They make assorted stowage; boxes, tarps, etc., all in resin.

[Rob1970]

To quote Granny Weatherwax;



Just been having a bit of a building slump, combined with being way too busy with other stuff. And waiting for parts (damn Customs)...

But I'll be back...

[Rob1970]

I've decided to enter the M4A3 into the Tank Of The Month competition over at rctankwarfare.co.uk, and I'd appreciate your vote (if you think I deserve it ofcourse... ) so I took some glamour shots this moring. Win or lose, I'm pretty chuffed with the result either way.

[SoCalBobS]

Great job on the grates!