Panzer I Ausf B with Breda 20mm auto cannon continued...

So, it has been a while.

Well, I have managed to mislay the exhaust. So I have made one from some brass rod and some plastic tube. I have added it below, and the rack of jerry cans.

The other missing feature is the aerial trough. I added it from Evergreen 2.5mm H section. The aerial itself is a piece of bent brass rod. Unfortunately it has come up short, so will need to be fixed with some greenstuff.  The Jerry cans have had an additional rack base added from 2.5mm Evergreen strip.

A tow cable was added from brass wire. A hole was drilled in glacis and the wire was added, then additional fixing points were added by drilling groups of two holes and then pushing a loop through. A Rubicon tow cable loop was glued over the end.

A squad of Warlord Blitzkrieg Germans support the Panzer IB.

Rubicon M4A3E8 Sherman IV part three

So this tank is going to be carrying spare fuel and water so the crew is using the blanket shelf to carry the jerry cans. This comprises two jerry cans from the kit sprue and the four can moulding plus two cans from a sawn up four can moulding from the Allied Stowage sprue.

Because the four can moulding is hollow with an open bottom, I used a 6.3mm wide strip of Evergreen strip as a base and glued the cans to that.

This has been placed on the basket carrier to test it. The base plate is then trimmed to fit.

The kit is lacking turret lift rings. These were added using 0.7mm brass rod bent to shape. These were then fitted into holes drilled in the turret sides.

The turret sides will be smoothed where they have been marked by the glue.

The bow machine gun has not been added because it is vulnerable damage due to handling.

Side view.

The upper hull and the chassis are not glued at this point (I keep it separate for painting), hence the gap on the left of the photograph just above the transmission cover joint.

Side view showing the pistol port added but the joint underneath requiring smoothing.

Rear view. The turret ventilator needs to be added. The heavy machine gun cradle is a bit too vulnerable, so will not be added.  The fixing points will be removed from the corners of the bustle.

The infantry telephone box from the Warlord Games Sherman V kit has been added to the rear of the backplate.

Three quarter rear view.

The heavy machine gun  position behind the commander's position made the use of the gun difficult, especially if you want to fire it forward. Later the heavy machine gun was moved forward. I have plugged the hole and will remove the bracket. A replacement bracket will need to be added.

The blanket shelf has been added and the jerry cans have been placed on the shelf. A strap has been added to hold them all together.

Rubicon M4A3E8 Sherman IV part two

So the chassis is now complete. The use of Tamiya  Extra Thin Cement appears to make a lot better bond of the plastic used by Rubicon. The gun mantlet is a bit difficult to assemble, the contact points are rather small if you want the barrel to pivot up and down. Some work was required to blend in the top and bottom halves of the turret body.

The kit has three different suspension options, normal Vertical Volute suspension (VVSS), extended  (duckbill) track with VVSS and Horizontal Volute Suspension (HVSS). This kit is being assembled with the HVSS.

While I was working on the upper hull, I had placed the turret on the lower hull.

I was struck by how it resembled the US T23 prototype.

Rubicon M4A3E8 Sherman IV

So, having bought this way back at Salute  (this year I do point out), it has reached my workbench.

This is a four sprue kit in the slightly larger Rubicon box.

Sprue A is the standard lower hull and Vertical Volute suspension

Sprue B has the M4A3 hull and accessories.

Sprue D has the T23 76mm turret and the extended edge connectors track.

 Sprue E is the Horizontal Volute Suspension

Instructions and decal sheet.

So far I have assembled the basic structure of the turret.

William Killian for scale.

Czech Log fences

A couple of log fences at a museum in the Czech Republic.

Russian Log Fence

There is a discussion on log fences on the Rubicon Forum.

This is a log fence in a Russian museum of period buildings.

Cromwell Tanks - Bovington and Duxford

Cromwell Tank at the Tank Museum.

A Cromwell Tank at Duxford.

Stitched Together - Are you a Gamblin' Man?

A side trip into the nightmares of Malifaux.

The Stitched Together are Nightmare Puppets for the Neverborn Faction.

The Stitched Together are stuffed with a whole range of nasties, so be careful if you enter melee with them, you will get splashed with their Rotten Contents.

Their hooks are rather feeble, but they love a Game Of Chance, are you ready to Gamble Your Life?

I do not have any suitable Masters for these minions, but they are nice figures.

The base colour is Vallejo Khaki, wooden peg feet are Vallejo Old Wood. The metal parts are Vallejo Black Grey. Rust effects are Citadel Ryza Rust. Blood effects are Citadel Mephiston Red, Carronburg Crimson and Baal Red, together with Army painter Red Tone. The body was dry brushed Citadel  Terminatus Stone. Citadel Agrax Earthshade shaded the body.

Another Day, Another Apocalypse...

You would think that being the sheriff of a small town miles from anywhere would be easy.

Except for that Government research facility out on the edge of town, the unmarked lorries, the black sedans, the lights in the sky and the rumbles underground.

The sheriff's personal life may be a shambles, but when the ichor hits the ventilation system, he is there protecting his community with his trusty pump action shotgun.

 Crooked Dice Hero Cop A.

He can keep in touch with his deputies on his walkie-talkie.

William Killian and Andrea (TWD) for scale.

Now to paint up his deputies.

Malifaux - Convict Gunslingers

This is mainly a scale shot for Lead Adventures.

William Killian for scale.

Still some work to go on these.

Warlord K47 M5A5/6 Jackal Walker

On the Lead Adventures forum someone asked about the size of the Coyote Walker.

I do not have a Coyote, but I do have the jump capable Jackal which I understand is derived from the Coyote.

William Killian, a Domari trooper and a K47 Galahad Armoured Infantryman.

It is held together by blutack and is leaning against the liquid poly bottle.

Now I have found it, I might as well start assembly. I just need to find a base.

Here is the box and contents.