I decided to start getting the crew members ready for the Churchill, I had a bit of luck as a well known seller had just bought a collection and I was able to obtain a Terry Davis figure plus all the kit to dress another figure. Steve McEvoy kindly gave me a figure who will become the mortar loader.
I know the camouflaged coveralls were not widely used, they were however introduced in 1943 and there is some evidence of their use in late 1944 even if it was as a sleeping bag. The main thing is I like the look of them and it adds a talking point.
After a bit of a lull I managed to get the exhaust deck connections completed and profiled. So, apart from cutting the lengths of pipe, that's most of the components ready for assembly. I still need to add the M2 studs and nuts onto the pipe joints, then reprofile the pipes as on the Churchill they are a mix of sizes and the last section of pipe goes down at an angle to the exhaust box. Following Steve McEvoy's advice I have obtained some 10mm clear tubing which I am hoping to insert into the exhaust system from the deck connection to the exhaust outlet. This should give a decent flow of smoke rather than it wafting about and oiling up the deck.
I will be repurposing the exhaust shields supplied with the kit. The legs will be removed and studs/nuts used as per full size. The rear cover is attached to brackets on the sides of the exhaust boxes.
I need to address the way I am going to fit the mudguards, I doubt it will be the full set. The weekend at Cobbaton really highlighted how much grass and straw the tracks pull up and carry onto the track slides. Although I have already reduced the slide height and skimmed the fixing bolts I think I will leave the middle section out of the mudguards.
I have now added most of the M2 studs and nuts to the various flanges. The top ones required to hold the exhaust shields in place will be added once the exhaust system is bolted in place. These need some M2 tube spacers and a two holed plate that supports the shields.
Just one photo to show the studs and how I have positioned the flanges. They are simply held in place with super glue before having the rust texture and effects added.
I have spent the morning getting the alignment with the deck correct before epoxying the parts together, very little leeway to ensure the grommet seals correctly. Now cutting the pipes to the correct lengths so it's starting to look like an exhaust system.
I have epoxied the first pipe and flanges in place having finally got the connection aligned and working correctly. Pleased with it so far but it did require a bit of reprofiling where the smoke pipe runs under the deck. This allows me to remove the deck with the smoke pipes disconnecting once the nuts are removed on the front bosses. I will get the studs level with the top of the nuts so they look more like bolt fixings. I can now start on the rear pipes and exhaust boxes which should be a lot quicker to complete.
