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#31
10-26-2009, 08:30 AM
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Use cyanoacrylic glue to stiffen the paper and then sand it a bit, use soft putty and sand it again. Very simple.
It would be great if you could do it right the first time though. When faced with such rounded/leafy/old-MM parts I don't look much at how they will fit together (in a 1,5 mm range anyways), instead I concentrate on achieving nice curve and hiding the cut marks. I don't cut the "triangles" out - just cut one side of them, and then I round the part with a rod with rounded end on an eraser or some other soft material - in such a way that the white part of the triangle hides inside. Then I cut again - and it's a perfect fit. I round the part again with some BCG added, then on sth harder - like cutting mat. I don't have to glue the leaves - the BCG used to soften the card glues them for me  Now, as long as the rounded part is not much bigger than the straight part, I can sand the rounded part down to right dimension (putting the part on a sheet of sanding paper and delicately moving it on the surface - it loses some height but you can achieve perfect fit. If the rounded part is smaller than the straight part I cut a bit of the straight part away making it less obese and then lightly sand the rounded part - for better fit (flat to flat) and for some fine adjustment.The resulting element may not be precise in dimensions, but it's is very clean, "standard" looking. Definitely worth the effort. Last edited by lehcyfer; 10-26-2009 at 08:42 AM. 
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#32
10-26-2009, 04:49 PM
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Future will certainly stiffen the card but I don't know how well it will sand. CA is a possibility but I've found it's almost too good - the card turns so hard that it's a long sanding job. My favourite is sanding sealer - stiffens the card and makes it really easy to sand to a fine finish (not surprising it's designed to do that on wood). The downside with CA and Sanding sealer is that the ink colour changes - but if you're sanding and filling you'll have to repaint anyway.
Typical MM design on the turret - there were hexagonal turrets on early FT-17s - would have been a much better design option. Regards, Charlie
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#33
05-16-2010, 04:36 PM
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Hard to believe, but I'm back at this one, my first ever 1/25 tank. I just realized that this contest is over in a week or two, so I hope to use my fear of deadlines to spur me on to finish this!
There are a few along the way shots that got lost back aways that I can't seem to relocate, sorry. But here's the many pieces I'm hoping will turn into a tank very shortly;  There are a lot of small pieces to the tracks, which is intimidating, especially as I don't quite get how they go together yet. But the turret is essentially finished, except for final patching and paint. It was a lot of work and I made it much worse by using different patching materials. While it's far from perfect, I'm happy enough with it.  This is a big learning experience for me, so please be gentle! Chris
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#34
05-16-2010, 07:19 PM
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As a distraction from the actual model itself, I'm also doing a quick base.
hopefully, it will represent a Jersey lane with some of the Jersey granite wall along the back.  It'll be very simple. It's made of egg carton glued to two pieces of foam core. Much paint to be added. Here's the body of the FT for scale; 
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#36
05-19-2010, 07:38 PM
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I had high hopes of being able to rework the suspension into something a little more accurate, but time and the fates have conspired against me. My schedule is going crazy all of the sudden, so this build will be whatever I can do to get it done in time. My apologies for that.
Here is the completed tank, sans tracks and paint;   As is so often the case with these older MM kits, the fit and diagrams are less than perfect. I'm hoping lots of paint may help to disguise a few shortcomings in the design and build. All that remains is the daunting task of building the tracks. I've started the main plates;  Chris
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#38
05-25-2010, 08:45 PM
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OK, so... I'm calling this one done. There's a lot I'd like to do with this still, but my schedule just won't allow it. I needed to get it done today as it looks like I won't have any time for it over the next few days.
The tracks were particularly challenging for me, a challenge I was not quite up to. Even though they were relatively simple, only nine parts each even with the two rivets/bolts I added, the hand drawn quality didn't help my too hurried assembly. They came out very irregular.  The tiny scene is supposed to represent the German FT on patrol around the Jersey airport during the later stages of the occupation. The "Important Notice" sign is a copy of signs that I know were posted around the airport at the time. I had planned to print and cut the tank markings out of paper, but... well, paint was quicker.  The egg carton "granite" wall was painted with watercolors and I think gives a fair representation of the uniquely colored Jersey "pink" granite, particular to this island.  The tank is built/painted to represent one of the two remaining operating FTs on the island at the close of the war. The most notable difference between the early and later war versions is the absence of the tail superstructure in the later version. I thought it made this one a little more unique, although I'm starting to miss it.   The MM kit is simpler than I had originally imagined it to be. As has been pointed out, the suspension system has been noticeably simplified. This is a pity, as the model would benefit tremendously from a little more accuracy. Still, the kit does build into a recognizable model of the Renault FT Light Tank;     And for me, this is a big deal. It's my first 1:33 tank, complete with separate tracks. I was genuinely intimidated by the kit, both because of all the wheels and tracks and because it's an earlier MM kit. And while I made some major booboos, I got the darn thing done. I'm giving myself a tiny pat on the back and a glass of red to celebrate.  Chris
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