Novice Centurion tank builder

[davidwilkins]

Hi folks. Finally made the decision to start (I shipped the Managing Director off to Paris with her friends for a few days. Win-win!!)

After following fellow blogs and advice, I have copied a few ideas (hope you don't mind) see attached photos.

I would like to thank you all for the advice I've had on the forum. It gave me the confidence to make a start.

I've enjoyed what I have done so far. I've made mistakes, but I've enjoyed learning from those errors and then putting them right.

Keep you posted.

[paul&robinmargle]

Hi David,

Glad you felt inspired to make a start. Because I'm building with my Dad we keep each other enthusiastic, been going six months now (and I can give all the boring jobs to him ).
Are you doing a British version with the extra armour?
Good luck with the project.

Robin

[Adrian Harris]

Looks like it's coming along nicely

> I've made mistakes, but I've enjoyed learning from those errors and then putting them right.

The thing to remember with this forum is that no-one ever posts pictures of their failures, so everything always looks so darned professional

I know with the things I've made, there are quite a few attempts which went straight in the bin , but as long as they were a step in the right direction, it doesn't matter.

Adrian

[davidwilkins]

Hi, Robin & Adrian

Thanks for the replys.

My aim is to build a British MK6 based on the AFV 1/35 scale kit. I try to read all the posts on this forum on my lunch breaks in work, and have been following yours Robin with great interest.

[davidwilkins]

It has been a long time since I last gave a update but I have made some progress when I have felt well enough, although a lot of time has been research and trying to decide what upgrades that I can attempt.

Hopefully, now I am feeling a bit better, I will be giving more regular updates on my progress.

My last year has not been in vain however. I have spent a lot of time researching and taking photos. In March, I went to RAF Cosford where there is a Mark 6 (I believe). They say its a Mark 5 but looking at it, it is up gunned and up armoured. This is where I got the measurements for the skirt stays and mud guard brackets.

Regards

David

[Christoffer Ahlfors]

Hello David!
Are you sure you are a novice? This is looking far too good for that!
Sorry to hear about your health problems. Such things are always so sad, especially when they get in the way of doing the things you love. My best wishes for the future!

I like your double weld seams - the best looking I have seen!

Cheers,
/Chris

[davidwilkins]

Hi Chris

Thanks for kind words. Yes, definitely a novice but I try to be a perfectionist. What you don't see on the blog is the amount of scrapped parts in the bin with all my other attempts. This the first time I have tried to work in metal and to work on a tank. My only other model building experience was model battleships with wood and plastics.

Regards
David

[Paul Morris]

Hello David.

Looking dam good from what you have shown us well done indeed.
Cheers Paul.

[davidwilkins]

Hi all

Paul thanks for your encouragement.

I have decided to try and make some modification to the exhaust systems after viewing the centurion at RAF Cosford, this is my effort so far.

Regards

David

[davidwilkins]

Hi

I have been adding some details to the rear hatches and fitted them onto the hull of the tank. There are few more details to fit like the locking bolts to the transmission hatches. I have had a few attempts at making them but without much success.

I am enjoying this new project and it is very rewarding when you make parts and they all fit together although it would be nice to have very small fingers when doing this. When I buy another model (I have had permission from my other half, AKA the Managing Director) I will do more research and build a specific type so I have a solid reference point.

I am building a MK6-LR. I am on a steep learning curve on tank history and is it proving interesting reading. However, one of my frustrations is all the slight differences on the same MK of tank.

Regards

David

[davidwilkins]

Hi all

Have made some more progress and it is starting to look like a centurion tank now. I recently visited a model engineering show and found a UK supplier for small headed metric bolts (Bruce Engineering Polly Models) so I have changed some of the BA bolts I used on the exhaust shield to metric and it looks better. The bolts are expensive but are good quality.

Regards

David

[Stephen White]

David, judging by this evidence, the thread should be called "Expert Centurion Builder". Thanks for your inspiring photos. The overall impression is stunning but it's the small details that stand out. For example, I'm just doing the transmission decks and I see you've done the various fittings which were for the (never used) wading kits. It's great to watch, so thanks for taking the trouble. More trips to Paris for the MD?

Stephen

[Kevin Hunter]

Hi David, great to watch your build which is most impressive.

Several of us are building versions with the up-armoured glacis and will have to deal with the front mudguard brackets issue. I managed to get a reasonable result by altering the kit brackets but agree they are tricky!

Keep it up

regards
Kevin

[davidwilkins]

Stephen, Thanks for your encouragement but I do feel out of my depth on tanks I did not know what the modification I did on the transmission hatches where for, so I have leant a bit more now.
I do consider myself lucky that the MD gave me permission to buy a lathe and milling machine to make these modifications, there are some very skilled people out there who have built some outstanding models without the use of such tools.
I like the way you are installing your motion packs, I hope to start fitting mine soon but I am very apprehensive about this as electrics is definitely not my strong point.

As regards a trip to Paris for the MD, the reply was what do you want for that tank now.

Kevin, Thanks for your encouragement, as regards to the mudguard I used 1mm thick brass plate. I do not have a sheet metal folder so it was a case of a vice and heavy lump of metal and a large hammer, and I am pleased with the end product.

Regards

David

[davidwilkins]

Hi all,

Progress has been very slow since my last update due to orders from the boss to get some maintenance done around the house, this was supposed to only take two weeks but ended up taking five weeks things just take longer to do now.

Anyway back to more important jobs like building a centurion tank, I have gone back to some of the jobs that I skipped passed as I was stuck on how to make them at the time. These parts are still proving challenging to make but I am making progress so I am pleased that I am moving forward.

Regards

David