#97 will be using DML’s kit #6233 and the Eduard PE detail set specific for the /9 variant.
I’ve been wanting to get back to the world of half-tracks for a while now but things kept getting in the way. No more excuses! I started in today on the 251/9 option included in DML’s “3-in-1” kit and work began first with the lower hull and suspension.
Step 1 calls for the installation of the transmission, fuel tank, battery, etc. but all of this gets hidden away once the fighting compartment floor plate is installed, so I skipped it. The only portion of Step 1 that I did do was the installation of the shock absorber for the rear-most swing arm on both sides. That led me straight into Step 2 which adds the 12 swing arms to the hull along with the idler mount and the armored cover for the front hull bottom. The swing arms have a little bit of play to them so I glued them in one at a time and checked each one to be sure they all lined up properly and were level. Tests with some of the road wheels showed satisfactory results, so should be good to go in that department.
Step 3 adds the extension of the hull front that houses the front wheels and suspension. The suspension itself is a multi-part assembly which, if care is taken during construction, can be left fully workable and allow the wheels to not only turn but also flex up and down. The trick to achieving this is to not use any glue on parts C30 and C35. While this does make the assembly a little trickier to manage, it’s worth it in the end.
The rest of the step adds the bump stops to the lower hull. These are nicely detailed and will, naturally, be completely hidden away once the wheels are installed but it’s a nice detail all the same. I also added the final drive housings for the sprockets to both sides even though that’s called for in Step 4. While the step calls for the installation of the front wheels and the inner-most wheels on the tracked portion, I skipped that and will come back to it much later after painting.
Step 4 assembles the sprockets and also calls for the assembly and installation of the rest of the road wheels. I removed all the wheel halves from the sprues and cleaned them up, removing the fine seam on the rubber portions with a sanding twig. The front wheels were also joined together and their seam carefully sanded down and the pattern given some light wear as well. The intermediate wheels in the interleaved system were assembled but all the other halves were left separate to facilitate painting when the time comes.
This is the end of the “common” steps regardless of which of the 3 variants will be built. Step 5 onward will deal with the specifics for the /9 variant and I can already see a couple of areas that will need special attention to be truly accurate.
Dang, you’re buildin’ quick and it looks great so far! Doesn’t look like those roadwheels slowed you down at all.[;)] I’ll be following this build, that’s for sure.
Yippi, on to #97! The 9 variant is a sweet halftrack, I can not wait to see it built, and mg.mikael is right, You really are chewing through these builds! #100 is just around the corner!
Looking good Bill. I didn’t know that with care to front end would move up and down. With thatthe fornt tire could float if you don’t set them with tracks under the rear end. I even had to do the on the 1/72 251 I just started.
Bill this is certainly a change of pace and I know I’m going to enjoy the show[:P]. So can you give us a hint as to what you have planned as far as painting goes? And like Marc said watch those front wheels[;)].
At this rate of construction you’ve got going me thinks that as of Jan. 1st#100 will already have a little dust on it. Hey how about an sdk7/2 for #100[:D]?
Jim, Michael, Eric, Rob thanks for the comments and interest!
Marc, I learned that lesson the hard way as well whenever I built my first DML half-track. Getting the wheels to sit level at the front and not have floaters is a challenge if you don’t take precautions up front!
Jeff, yes it includes a turned aluminum barrel with rifling for the /9. It also includes some nice brass rounds as well as part of the “goodies”.
Thanks as always Steve! I’ve been meaning to do a /9 for a long time now, it’s the main reason I bought the 3-in-1 kit way back when in fact. When Nuts & Bolts released their #21 that kick started me but it had to wait a couple of turns due to other things coming first. It’s been almost a year since I did a half track and almost two since I did a 251 variant, that’s just way too long! [(-D] As far as painting goes, it will be three-tone but haven’t decided yet on the pattern. This type of /9 was the later variant so it will be influenced by that but nothing firm yet. As for the wheels, test fits were already done to avoid any unnecessary use of flotation devices. [:D]
One of my “modeling new year’s resolutions” was to get #100 done this year. I think that’s much more likely to happen now than if you asked me a couple of months ago…the 7/2 isn’t a bad idea for #100 but not likely to happen since I’ve already promised that #100 will be something I already have in the stash. The 7/2 is on my to-get list but probably not for a while given the price its at these days. [;)]
As a side note, due to the 4th of July festivities, I won’t be getting in the usual weekend time but do have Monday off, so the next update will likely come then. Hope everyone has a safe Independence Day weekend!
Wow, Bill, off to a solid start right on the heels of 96, it’s like a bumber to bumper traffic jam through 100, but the traffic is so good looking, i don’t mind it at all.
i have heard about the suspension difficulties with these, although I don’t have one in the stash, I will watch your log closely to see how the issues are dealt with.
Have a fantastic Fourth, see you when you get a chance to post some more progress.
Bill, Tony,, thanks for the comments and interest!
Everyone keeps posting about seeing the fix for the wheels so I thought I’d explain it a little bit more. The fix is actually very straightforward and is a matter of how you assemble the parts in Step 3 for the suspension. Here’s the Step diagram:
The key here is what you do, and don’t, apply glue to in order for the suspension to be solid into the hull floor but still remain fully workable. Parts C30 and C35 are trapped between the curved ends of C20 and C25…do not apply glue there. You need to glue C20 and C25 together, but do it in such a way that C30 and C35 can freely move. The next critical part is C15, this part snaps onto the tops of C30 and C35 and again, no glue is needed here.
You’ve now achieved full side-to-side workability in the suspension but that only addresses one axis, the other axis involves how you attach C10 and C11 together. You want to glue C10 to C11 but NOT to the previously assembled C20 and C25. C10 and C11 have small pins that go into the top and bottom to hold onto the assembly but if you don’t glue them, it will now retain full movement in the other axis. Last but not least, when you install C8, do not glue the end into the lower hull but only apply glue to the front branches of the “Y” to the suspension.
The result is a fully workable front-end suspension that will not “float” regardless of what you do to the rear end with the installation of the tracks and road wheels.
For example, if you test fit the front wheels, you will see that the suspension allows for the rear hull of the body to rest all the way at an angle without pulling up the wheels.
And the reverse is also true…the rear end can be elevated at a steep angle and the wheels remain firmly grounded.
Hope this helps everyone visualize the result and how to achieve it!
Nice choice Bill!..dupes could have used you two months ago on this one! He never found anyone to build the 9 for his 251 GB[V]. My son wanted to join up and build it but I couldn’t find the kit at my LHS and at that time ordering was not an option.
I’l be following along…my son will want to peek[8)] in too…he likes this variant!
Steve, that’s surprising that dupes couldn’t get a taker for this variant! It is one of the ones readily available from both DML and Tamiya, but I guess no one wanted to take it on. Because of the way I build and the schedule I’m often on I don’t go in for the GBs so wasn’t aware there was a gap. Glad to hear you and your son will be following along!
Tony, the big failing in the DML instructions at this point is that it indicates that everything has to be glued. It never shows that some areas shouldn’t be glued at all. Given the way the parts are designed, it is clear that the suspension was meant to be workable but that never comes across in the diagrams.
Thanks Mike and Terry! I’m here visiting with family in Idaho so won’t get back to this one until Monday but expect to get some work done then. The TSA guys just weren’t very understanding when it came to trying to sneak it on the plane! [(-D]
Heck Karl should be looking at this the next time he builds a 251 series halftrack.LOL[:P]
Of course I knew I shouldn’t glue the axis points of the front steering just didn’t know not to glue the end of the “Y”. Now that I know this when I finally start my 251’s I won’t make a mistake.
