00 FD 96 John's Main Contender

[Richard Goodwin]

You may have already thought of this but you could have a proper weld on both the belly plate and back plate joins instead of simulated welds. My boxes were tacked on the inside then a weld bead run down the outside to fill the corner and give the finish.

[John Clarke]

Yes Richard, I'll have it welded on the inside if that's what you saying, Stephen White has cut 'steps" into his hull plates to simulate some weld lines. Very hard to do, away from the natural model joints.

[John Clarke]

I've finally got started getting the welding jobs done, I can then start putting the hull together permanently.

Costs are starting to mount up though, so far I've had to fork out for three kebabs and a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi max.

They'll need a little tiding, but bouncing into objects won't be so much of a worry.

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[Stephen White]

Good result John, worth every shwarma. Much neater too than my effort with the brazing rods. It's worth doing it properly though, to a bottom tuck and give it a nose job. Now if only we were paid plastic surgeon's rates.

[Richard Goodwin]

Nice one John!

[John Clarke]

Shwarma, thats bit up market Stephen! Three dirty Donna's and they'd better like it. I might chuck in some salad because it's veganuary, but that's all their getting. (Pepsi's free with orders over £15.00)
I'm not made of money.

I've got to back off a little on the sanding down of the rear end. Like my dad used to say "if you rub at it too much. it will fall off"
Fine words directed at me while I was sanding down a rotten wing on my first motor car.

The nose jobs coming, but the Michael Angelo masterpiece on your front end will take some matching. Keeping the belly vee and the shaped section at the base of nose is a head scratcher. P38 is coming to mind, a bit like my first car.

[John Clarke]

The last of the boxes have been welded. I added a small plate to the angle boxes to close the void area on the extension, giving the appearance that inside space is complete.
The long box lids have had a piece of plate fitted one per end which will be shaped to cover lip later, the same goes for the flat lids, welding all the lid corners to complete.
Quite a long job to get done, glad that's over.

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[John Clarke]

I had hoped to be carving up the hull getting it into shape for painting etc.
But something came up that needed sorting. The track links

So to try and prevent unforeseen circumstances, I decided to clip the horns by approximately 2.5mm This will knock them out of scale a bit. No worries they are out of scale in the first place.

The end result in my opinion "worth it"

Will clipping of the Horns alter their performance? Of course it won't!

They are too good for that!

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Now it is a long winded job and because I went a little further shaping each and every horn, I'm only half way though at the moment.

Sitting in the cold garage on a dark and dank day, I tend to get a little philosophical using the power file (what a great invention) waiting for the inevitable "Pink" as another worn out sanding belt fly's across the bench.

What pickles my noodle "would anyone have questioned the model link horn height had it been 15 mm high"

Chieftain never fails to generate more questions, different shaped horns on different tanks, different manufactures?, different specifications? or just good old wear and tear.

Onwards and upwards.

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[Manny Leung]

On the 1/1 scale chieftains it looks like the track horns are pretty close to the return rollers centre also, I wonder if they have the same issues?

[Richard Goodwin]

There's a lot of work there John! It would be useful methinks if Armortek posted a picture of just how much material was left on the rollers!

Eeany Meanie Minie Mo or something like that

[John Clarke]

Hi Richard, someone will take one of the return rollers off sooner or later on an un-clipped track I'm sure, even if it's just inquisitiveness. If they post a picture, that sir, is another question.

I found an old picture of my 1/5 Chieftain with the turret removed, the detail is sparse, but the rear deck forward is flat to allow turret clear it as Stephen White mentioned. Another mod duly logged.

On the bright side the Taranis receivers have arrived, Hurrah, though it was a close run thing looking at the customs declaration.

Now does anyone know if the red boxes are available yet, he said dribbling with anticipation. Still don't know if there's a flashy co axis machine gun plug output connection, another mod on the turret to do.

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[John Clarke]

The track mod has been completed and their safely stowed. They'll be no grinding, churning or gurning. and not a hint of the "lumberjack song" as they quietly go about their business. (hopefully) A light coating and wipe down with WD40 will keep them ready for their big day.

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The fabled red boxes arrived the other day with the usual world famous fantastic packaging from Armourtek.
It has to be resilient to the "up and under" the "lofty lob" and the "conversion" into the back of the van by the dextrous handling of our illustrious post operatives. Obviously looking forward to the 6 nations tournament about to start at the weekend.

I'll be studying the instruction's intently first! Come on Taranis you can do it.

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I've begun making those thing's nobody see's, there's quite a lot of them on Chieftain. Some I'll make (easy one's) some I'll cleverly ignore (hard one's)
Beginning with round plate on the hull belly. Simple disks, marked up using a eight sided star printed from the net, drilled tapped with simple center mounting screw mounted behind the plate. Drilling 8 holes into the hull for each little plate would be upset me.
T do list, Make another.

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[John Clarke]

Found a bit of scrap 8mm alloy plate the other day. Thought "I know what I can make with that".
I cut roughly the scale size and then beat the crap out of it with a hammer. Then fettled with a mallet until it sort of match the belly plate vee.
That nice little bit of scrap 8 mm plate was going to become the belly plate engine bay inspection hatch.

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Filed the plate flat on raised side, then carved out a rectangular recess about 1.0 mm deep on the nice new flat side. A small piece of 2.0 mm alloy plate was then shaped to look like the inspection hatch panel in the recess. Fourteen 1.5 mm holes drilled and tapped M2 (not forgetting the two jacking bolt holes, I think mine are unique being a mirror image, still there there )
Dropping the real plate must have been weighty fun if you'd got to catch it when the last bolts came out.

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This thing was beginning to look like Swiss cheese with all these holes in it, so I cut all the M2 bolts down and filed them flush. Then hid two M3 countersunk screws behind the inspection plate, so it could be mounted easily to the belly plate, like the other round inspection hatches made earlier with a single hidden M3 countersunk screw.

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During this time cut out four 5 mm thick alloy plates to represent the four jacking plates, cutting and filing slots into the wedge'y shaped pieces. Not sure how mount them yet, but single M2 countersunk screw and glue seems a simple choice.
The screw plug at the front of the belly plate completes the funiture set.

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I want file the side plates level with the belly plate and the front and rear plates are going flattened to look like there's no side plate showing at either end too. Lots of holes to fill where the belly plate attaches to the side plates. Once done I'll dress and paint the belly plate.
With all these fittings and the wedge'y belly plate I'm going to make simple wooden front wheeled dolly frame to raise the hull off the deck while building her up, it will also double as device to easily turn her from one side to the other on the bench.
Now if it would just stop raining/snowing B&D workmates ready outside.

[Phil Woollard]

Nice work!

[John Clarke]

Don't laugh too much. and I don't and won't except any responsibility for any ventures associated with this idea. if someone has had a similar idea, Respect.
We've heard of the table top turn table, introducing the "light weight" Lazy Johnny.
The table top turn tables are good, but you need swing space, if it's on the lift table it will make life difficult to use the lift table with another model having to remove the build.
Space for me is a premium in the garage. The lift table and model takes up a lot floor space in the middle of the room, especially if you wish to walk round the model. My lift table is very heavy and only likes going forwards and backwards, turnings hard work and up against the wall is awkward.
So we have this wooden contraption which allows easy 180 degree turning on the bench. You'll still need some strength (and a medical truss maybe) to swing the model round single handily. But the 180 can be done quickly and fitting supports once in the position required. Painting the belly plate can be done early on, adding padding and felt to the out riggers to stop rubbing on the belly plate vee. The Model is off the deck for testing and once completed, lowering can be done in stages under the tracks (not like jenga) and the lazy Johnny can disposed of or cut in half for a nice little LC build. Pointers show lifting handle and support blocks

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