Soviet D30 Howitzer + Ural 370D

[KalebB]

She's starting to get there! and the bends look close enough to me

[RangerNeil]

She's starting to get there! and the bends look close enough to me

Thanks for the kind words!

Did some more tonight - but - not good news!!

First up - the back body is almost completed. Its about 95% there, just needs the folding troop seats added which I think will be best done after the body is mounted on the chassis.


So I carried on with the front of the vehicle - headights, side's, more teeny tiny PE. There are 5 minute little handles, got them all on, started gently painting - and two came off!! So I put them on a piece of paper to make them obvious and carried on - couldn't refit them immediately because the paint was sticking to the tweezers. The cocktail stick is to give a sense of scale.


Once the lights were done and some of the final sub-assemblies were done I went to refit them. Only now 1 is missing! And Trumpeter, rather shortsightedly, don't give any spares.
Right now I think my only option is to omit both......

Then REAL disaster struck!
I went to fit the rear cab glass into the cab - and its gone!! I took it off the sprue a while ago to make sure it fit whilst assembling the cab, put it back in the bag with the clear sprue, haven't touched it since and its not there any more!!

Anyone know what Trumpeter are like in getting replacement sprues from because thats the only way I can see of replacing it

Lights are now on inc. on the cab roof using PVA which is being left to dry overnight

[digger303]

missing parts I know it well.

[KalebB]

Rather unfortunate series of events! Luckily the handles are such a small detail hopefully it isn't super noticable, as for the Glass...can't say how reliable Trumpeter is on getting spares

[RangerNeil]

Ural is now about 95% completed. Front lights, light guards and wings are all on. Back body is now mounted onto the chassis. Troop seats are mounted in the back body.

Just need, now, to:
* Apply the decals and give the body a coat of satin topcoat,
* Fit the windscreen, door glazing (and the rear screen at some point if I can get one from Trumpeter - emailed them last night but they are shut till Feb 1st for Chinese New Year),
* Do something about the rear bumperettes,
* Work out how to connect the trailed D30 to the Urals hitch.

I - think - I will have to finish it with the doors open as the closed fit is ruddy awful.

[DRUMS01]

Wow Neil, this has fought you all along the way. Glad to see that you fought through the issues.

The finished truck bed looks fantastic and nice job dealing with the PE.

As for the windows, if Trumpeter does not respond favorably to your request perhaps you can cut some windows out of clear Xerox overhead projector plastic (?). I know it's worked for me in the past and crystal clear too. It can become a challenge when applying to compound curved surfaces but flat style windows should be no problem. As for the handles, you could perhaps make the set by bending wire, using the one you have left for a pattern ?).

This is going to look real nice towing a piece of artillery. Any plans finalized for the stowage in the truck bed?

Ben

[KalebB]

Not terrible idea to leave the doors open, it'll give a chance to see the sparse but interesting drivers compartment

[RangerNeil]

Another bit done tonight. Decals are on the doors, wind screens and door glass pieces have been masked off and the rubber surrounds painted on plus the vertical 4BO Green sections.


Those rear bumperettes were straightened out and reformed to something much, much, closer to the sketch in the instructions. They have now had the first coat of gloss black.


Thought I'd see how it looked with doors open.




Not too bad I think.... I've done pretty much all I can now until a can of silk top coat arrives - which Amazon think will be January 30th...

So the next question becomes how do I join these so the D30 is actually trailled?


Murphys immutable laws said that when I needed them the battery in my digital calipers had gone flat so accurate measurement is out till I can get a battery tomorrow. What I am thinking is slicing the top of the Urals hitch off along the moulded join line for the opening jaw, drop the D30 ring in and then stick the upper jaw back on.


First though I need to make sure I don't need to put a drill through the hitch to open it out - which brings us back to the calipers and flat battery....

[digger303]

There's always something.

[KalebB]

As digger said, it's always something eh? Great work so far Neil

[RangerNeil]

Realised today I didn't actually need the calipers providing a read-out. I just needed to close the jaws on the ring, lock them, then find a drill thats a snug fit between the jaws. So I did, fed the drill bit through the jaws then sliced the upper jaw off with a very sharp knife. Checked the fit - found the moulded hitch dididn't have the rounded jaws of the real thing but a few minutes work with sandpaper fixed that. A coat of gloss black, allowed to dry, then refitted to the tow eye and the top jaw stuck back on. Jobs a good 'un!!

Photos are of the successful trial fit.




Now waiting for the silk top coat to be delivered - can't do anymore till that gets here. Amazon still say Feb 1st.

[digger303]

That's a bit of a wait, but there is other stuff to go on with I guess.

[RangerNeil]

Bit more progress...... The glass is in the screens and doors. The doors are slightly curved so needed to be clamped. I'm not sure the PVA will hold to be honest, I might need to redo with CA tomorrow. The D30 is dry fitted and won't be permanently fitted until the doors are on and I am happy with the Ural.

[digger303]

Fairly banging out 3 kits all at once......2023 is looking productive.

[RangerNeil]

Fairly banging out 3 kits all at once......2023 is looking productive.

Clearing the decks for the bomber and sci-fi builds mate...

[cor]

Thats looking very nice.

[DRUMS01]

Did you ever get the front windows? From what I can see, after some hard work the kit is turning out nice.

Are you going to tidbits to the truck bed?

Any figures for this part of the build?

Good work on a challenging build.

[RangerNeil]

Did you ever get the front windows? From what I can see, after some hard work the kit is turning out nice.

Are you going to tidbits to the truck bed?

Any figures for this part of the build?

Good work on a challenging build.

Many thanks!

I have the front windows for the cab, and the doors, its the rear window I'm missing. AFAIK the Chines are still shutdown for Chinese New Year. Fortunately the rear screen is fitted from the outside so as/when/if it turns up it will be an easy fit.

I'm looking out for the ICM set of boxed 122mm ammo for the D30 (bagged charges and shell as opposed tothe one piece shell +brass case) to add detail to the back of the Ural. Unfortunately its now out of production so VERY hard to find. If all else fails I'll go for the Miniart set (#35068) just for the stencilled crates.

I'm thinking maybe I will put the driver figure that was too big for cab on the troop seats in the back, maybe fudge up a manual or a map in his hands then find a couple of normal standing figures up by the cab.

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Very nice coupling, the gun and the truck look good!

I have the J sprue from the Trumpeter M-30 WW2 russian howitzer with 2 crates - 4 ammo and 4 loads. Maybe i could post you if you wish, i'll not use this parts.

[digger303]

These any good ?
https://plastic-models-store.com/122mm- ... arketplace

[RangerNeil]

These any good ?
https://plastic-models-store.com/122mm- ... arketplace

Cheers Digger - they will do duty nicely, one set ordered.

Moving back to the firing D30 - the upper surfaces now have a coat of silk varnish. Just need to flip it over when its dry and do the underside. Then the tyres go on and its finished.
Spent a frustrating yet productive period after this sorting out the sandbags .
Frustrating because at frequent intervals adding a new bag made the assembled wall promptly collapse.
Productive because I finally got the wall to stand. I think it looks OK as regards height and the curve around the gun but if any one thinks it should wrap further around or go higher feel free to say!!






So - that leaves finding a suitable medium to cover the base, getting hold of a saw to remove the gun crew from their bases then placing the gun and positioning the crew before assembling the sand bag wall permanently then painting/weathering it and placing it on the base too....

With gun satin coated and tyres fitted.....

[digger303]

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

[digger303]

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

Any decals with them ? and what breed are they ?

[RangerNeil]

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

That would be great - thank you very much. Can I give you something towards them and the postage costs?

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

Any decals with them ? and what breed are they ?

No decals for the shells but i'll take a look at the box, see if there is some. And it's from Trumpeter M-30 russian howitzer.

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

That would be great - thank you very much. Can I give you something towards them and the postage costs?

Only the postage costs, i hope you don't have to pay export fee (thanks the EEC and their "smart" rules! ).

[Tomcat64]

Wow these three have really cracked along nicely since I last looked in.

The truck looks great, and as Ben mentioned it might be worth seeing if you can fashion a replacement rear window out of acetate or the clear plastic blister packs that some accessories come in. It looks like it'll be mostly hidden behind the spare wheel so might not need to be perfect?

Nice work getting the towing gear all hitched up too

[RangerNeil]

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

Any decals with them ? and what breed are they ?

No decals for the shells but i'll take a look at the box, see if there is some. And it's from Trumpeter M-30 russian howitzer.

Very nice base for your gun, "pictures are better than words" so this is the sprue i can give you if you're agree :

That would be great - thank you very much. Can I give you something towards them and the postage costs?

Only the postage costs, i hope you don't have to pay export fee (thanks the EEC and their "smart" rules! ).

PM sent - again many thanks!!

[RangerNeil]

Another step forwards - the sandbag wall is now all one piece-ish (the end bags in the base tier feel like they want to do their own thing....) and have had a coat of khaki paint. Once dry tomorrow it will be wash time to weather them... .
Found some diorama sand on, of all paces, Amazon so that will be here Monday.
We are - slowly - getting there.....

[ForeverPlasticKits]

The color of your sand bags is really cool! And the loads sprue will be arrived (i hope!) very soon!

[RangerNeil]

Brown wash appplied to the sandbags. I am thinking it may have gone too dark but I'll let it dry and see how it goes tomorrow.




Doors and mirrors are now fitted to the Ural and the D30 is permanently connected to the Ural. Just waiting for the crates in the back now . And a slightly longer display board.

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Both look great, i like them, the paint is very good!

[RangerNeil]

And the firing diorama is now nearly done. The answer found via YouTube to the loose sand was hair spray!! D30 is placed as are the figures. Just awaiting crates to finalise this and the Ural build.
I was wondering how to seperate the figures from their moulding bases - then I remembered the little power tool I got from Hornby came with cutting disks - worked like a charm. Just needed a sharp knife and sanding to finish.

[digger303]

Cool

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Very cool!

[RangerNeil]

OK - I am calling the build of the Firing D30 finished. I'm quite pleased with the way its turned out - athough CA struggles to hold the various parts in place.....

All comments are welcome.









Meantime work continues on the towed D30 and Ural. Rear screen is in now as are the crates on the load bed. Just need to sort out a decent base and a canvas cover for the breech.

[digger303]

D-30 builds up nicley and the base set in the sand comes up well.

[Tomcat64]

Nice work on the emplaced gun - the chipping worked really well.

Great result

Looking forward to seeing the Ural finished off as well

[BigWall]

They're all looking great!

[RangerNeil]

Found a larger base board today and took a damp cotton bud to the weathering pigment so I am thinking there are just 2 jobs left to do:
1) Add texture to the base - probably a mud and grass effext.
2) Experiment with tissue paper and PVA glue to create the canvas transit cover over the breech area.

This is todays result:

[digger303]