My Beaut Aussie Cent

[davidwilkins]

Stephen, Great video and the sound track is brilliant. The video also gives an idea of how a gun stabilization system would look like if it can be refined.

Regards

David

[Stephen White]

To complete the cupola hatch, the head cushion was made from an artificial leather material called Rexine, which was developed in UK in the 1920s as a cheaper substitute for leather upholstery. It found its way onto military aircraft and vehicles, indeed my old Army Auster aircraft had Rexine map pockets in the doors. It was also used for the paw pads on Teddy Bears......

Rexine has a distinctive pattern which I decided to replicate with the thermoplastic clay, CX5.



CX5 comes in solid blocks but with gentle heat from a paraffin lamp or heat gun, it transforms into a soft clay or even liquid. It can be sculpted, smoothed or cut. Its only shortcoming is that it can be a bit fraqile when cold and can chip or break, until protected with a layer of paint.





I then used UPOL High 5 High Build primer, stippled with a short bristle brush to simulate the Rexine finish. The piping was replicated with soft wire. Superglue softens the CX5 and the wire can be pressed into the clay to adhere.





The images from the modern restoration of 064 in Australia show a light green colour similar to the external finish but I recall most contemporary vehicles having a darker, brownish tint:









Regards

Stephen

[Kevin Hunter]

Clever stuff, and another nice detail.
Kevin

[Stephen White]

Next the commander's X10 mag peri-binos AKA "Binoculars, periscopic, AFV, No 2, Mk 1/1" if you're into military jargon.





These were relatively straightforward to make from brass, aluminium and acrylic rod.















Regards

Stephen

[Frank Breitenbach]

Hello Stephen
Like every time:Excellent!
Regards
Frank

[Dave Backway]

Good afternoon Stephen,

Your level of detail is outstanding and must take a great deal of research and creating. Whilst busy trying to complete my 25pounder and limber for the Model Expo at Bovington in February, I'm also researching details for the turret of a Centurion and was wondering where is the best place to obtain detailed drawings?

Regards

Dave

[Stephen White]

Dave, I did a post on Cent references here:

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewt ... =23&t=3795

The best drawings come from the Illustrated Parts List, much of which is copied in the Canadian book I mentioned. Sadly, the MVCA website I mentioned has closed and with it a host of pics of ARN169064's restoration. There was also a treasure trove of photos on a series of websites run by Col Filtness but again, I think they're defunct.

Good luck, what are you intending to do with the Cent turret?

Regards

Stephen

[Chris Hall]

Sadly, the MVCA website I mentioned has closed and with it a host of pics of ARN169064's restoration. There was also a treasure trove of photos on a series of websites run by Col Filtness but again, I think they're defunct.

Stephen -

If things have ever been on the internet, they're seldom lost forever. Have you tried the Wayback Machine ? (http://archive.org/web/). If you can remember the original website address, and the last time it was available, you may find that everything you were after has been archived somewhere. It's worth a try .....

Good luck !

Chris

[Dave Backway]

Good evening Stephen and Chris,

Thank you for the link to your earlier post, which I have now spent some time reading. Lots of good information and book recommendations, some might find their way onto my Christmas list.

My wife asked the same question with regards what am I going to do with the turret. I will spend some time researching and then more time detailing and finishing, before mounting and displaying. I hope to use this opportunity to develop my detailing and finishing techniques/skills before, sometime in the future, investing in a complete tank.

Chris, great website, which did allow me to review the website Stephen listed, however unfortunately it was not possible to view the attached documents.

Many thanks

Dave

[Stephen White]

Blade Vane Sight No 9 next. This sight was provided to give the commander a quick method of laying the gunner onto a target in azimuth quickly and simply. It had much the same function as the birdcage sight on the Comet:



It consists of a base, a spring-loaded parallel linkage, pivoted to the base plate, a twin-blade fore and back sight and a groove cut in the top link which was luminous.







It could be folded flat or used in two positions, partially extended for viewing through the episcopes and fully extended for sighting over the open cupola:





Construction so far:



Twenty nine individual bits so far and counting:







Looking through the back sight to the fore sight:



More to follow.

Stephen

[Günter Gäbelein]

Hi Stephen,

I like your details. Always rebuilt perfectly.

[Adrian Harris]

Exquisite work Stephen.

Looks, and probably operates, just like a Swiss Army Knife

Adrian

[Stephen White]

Next bits of the Swiss Army Knife, the handle and the top spacer:





Michael Rinaldi, in his books on "Tank Art", talks about keeping things "in scale". I take it to mean that you can copy the real dimensions and the thing just doesn't look right. I've also seen this in Gerald Wingrove's excellent books on car modelling.

In this case, I've re-made most of the blade vane sight at least twice, as the first time around, it indeed didn't look right with the real dimensions and in one case, the geometry didn't work, ending up not being able to fold it fully flat without the top spacer being at the wrong angle. I think it's now acceptable:







Regards

Stephen

[Adrian Harris]

I love the fact you think it's 'acceptable' when the rest of us still can't work out how you made it

Adrian.

[martin pitcairn]

Are you sure that you are not building a full size and just pulling our collective legs.
This must be the standard for all builders to follow ! Just on a different planet......


Martin