DML Grille H Smart Kit WIP *COMPLETE Pics p.9* 05-03-09

Modeling Subjects Armor
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Some more progress to post about today, normally I also get some time in on Friday nights but since yesterday was my birthday, I was a little “distracted” shall we say. Picking up from last weekend’s update, I did some more browsing of reference photos and decided that the prototype photo that didn’t have the sliding portion of the air intake was in the minority, so I went ahead and added the slide along with the tiny locking wing nut. Looking at those same photos, I noticed that the reflectors weren’t present so those were removed and the points where they were glued carefully sanded down to remove the marks left behind. The presence of the extra raised screen on the intake seems to be a 50-50 proposition though…so I still kept that one off.

I also noticed that back in Step 5 I had missed the installation of parts F50/51 which are additional side supports for the fighting compartment. These are shown already installed in place in that step and have number call-outs but I overlooked it since it’s the step that installs the fenders and the rear hull plate.

Steps 13 and 14 deal with the assembly and installation of the various tools and gear on the fenders and includes overhead diagrams showing the layouts for both the left and right sides. I removed all the tools from the sprues and cleaned them up but will not install them until after I’ve painted the exterior and before the fighting compartment sides are installed. The tools all require PE straps to be added, that will be done after they are painted as well. The tools are all “standard” Pz38t tools but the layout for the pick and shovel in particular are where the biggest changes are. The shovel blade is too thick to fit where intended against the rear hull side, so it was sanded down considerably to thin it out and get it down to the right size. Curiously the fender layout on the left side overlooks the large crowbar, part K1, but in Step 15 it’s shown as already installed, so you have to be watching or you’ll miss it.

I also constructed all of the spare track runs using the provided Magic track links. One run of 7 for the hull nose, one run of 2 for the right rear fender, one run of 5 for the right front fender, and one run of 4 for the rear fighting compartment exterior. The end links were drilled out using a #74 bit in a pin vise to simulate the missing pins and open holes on those links. Some of the links had raised ejector marks that required clean-up while others didn’t, so not too much work required there.

One of the biggest let-downs for me in the tools department was the jack block. This one comes off the B sprue and while the instruction diagram shows it as nicely detailed with raised bolt detail for the binding straps, the actual part looks nothing like that. With the exception of the small wing-nut in the center, the part is devoid of any detail. I added the missing bolt heads using the leftover K18 bolt heads and created some wood grain pattern using the tip of a #11 blade and a magnifier.

Rounding things out for these steps was the assembly and installation of the jack and the front Notek light. The jack assembled without any issues but I had a major problem with the kit-provided PE retaining straps. The bend lines are extremely fragile and once bent, don’t tolerate much movement/handling before coming apart. I found this out the hard way with the first strap while attempting to fit/adjust it…it fragmented into 3 different pieces while test fitting, so I had to scrounge replacements from my PE spares bin. These were added to the PE bases using CA gel and then bent to shape to secure the jack in place.

The Notek light base was installed first to the fender bracket using Gator Grip glue. Then the base of the Notek was added with the same glue, carefully positioning it in the correct forward position. Once dry, the hood/lamp portion was added using liquid glue to complete the assembly.

I stopped work here because the next sections are the fighting compartment sides and I wanted plenty of time to work with them in individual sessions, so that will be on the agenda for tomorrow’s efforts.

Total Session Time: 4.75 hours

Total Time to Date: 19.5 hours

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i personally find that your build rate is far to frantic,if i can use that word.i guess i say that not just for the pace but to build at this pace and have them all show the quality and professionalism that you do is astounding.do you have a workshop full of kebbler elves?[bow]

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First off…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

As usual, very instuctive and nice work. Nice job on the jack block adding some detail.

Rounds Complete!!

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Greg, thanks for the comments! Sorry, no elves here…Biffa’s got the market cornered there, I can’t match his benefits package at his tank factory so all the good ones are taken. [(-D]

Mike, thanks as well! The jack block was a real letdown for sure…when I saw it on the sprue, I couldn’t believe this was in a DML kit. Even the Alan jackblock for the Grille M I built a while back had better detail! [(-D] A little resourcefulness though and voila! [;)]

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Happy birthday! Did you get any new kits??

Nice job on the build so far I hope to see more soon.

[:)]

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[bday]Bill! Shorter of breath, and one day, closer to death…lol! (“Time”–Pink Floyd [:-^])

LOL!

Just kidding–hope your day brought some good surprises in plastic!

Those jack blocks are always a disappointment–I can’t think of one kit manufacturer that does them right. Looks like you made a silk purse there?!

Keep it goin’! Looking fine!

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Happy birthday Bill [bday] mine was monday the 23rd i hope you got something nice i managed to do quite well myself, the build is looking very cool i am still following with much interest.

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First of all [bday] Bill!! Hope you had a great birthday.

Secondly nice lookin’ interior on your Grille so far![tup] Though I’m sorry to hear the jackbox was such a bear, but it looks like you fixed it up nicely.

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[bday]

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[bday] to both Bill and Ron. Wish you guys the best.

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Thanks guys for the Birthday wishes! I didn’t receive any kits (my wife knows about my stash inventory so she doesn’t bother) but did receive some cash to spend which promptly went towards getting the missing volumes in the Panzerwrecks series that I didn’t have and a Tristar interior set for another 38t project in the (distant) future.

Happy Birthday to you as well Ron! March is a big month this year. [;)]

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I tried to make the most out of today’s efforts since I know I won’t be able to do any work on this next weekend due to a business trip to Fiji that requires me to leave on a Saturday in order to arrive on a Tuesday…got to love the International Date Line!

My goal was to get the interior of the fighting compartment completed and I met it but it took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I started in on Step 16 which is a monster of a step with lots of sub diagrams and parts to deal with for the left hand side. The first order of business was to remove several unnecessary molded on locator marks as directed in the instructions. The little box that highlights them in blue misses a couple though, so you have to check carefully to be sure you’re getting them all. I did this for both sides and used a micro-chisel on some of the harder to reach ares while the rest were removed with a #11 blade. I should also note that you have to be very careful removing the sides from the sprues as the tops in particular are very thin and it’s easy to gouge them if you aren’t paying attention.

The first item of importance was dealing with all the various and sundry radio gear and power/transformer equipment. Since I intend to wire these up using 0.5mm solder, the appropriate holes were drilled out using a pin vise while the actual wiring will be added later after things are painted and installed. The instructions contain an error in the call-out for the intercom box, it’s labelled RA48 when it really is just RA8. I was originally going to use part F85 (it’s hidden on the F sprue but there if you look closely) but it tweezerpulted into oblivion, so I had to use the not-for-use part F1 which is designed for the Grille M. The wire has to be re-bent in the opposite direction but otherwise is the same. The radio rack is an exercise in patience to assemble…it’s a two-part styrene assembly with a 3rd PE insert to hold the smaller transformer, but each of the styrene parts has 7-8 nodules or sprue attachment points that have to be cleaned up…and since they are very fragile, a new sharp blade will serve you best here. The frames were assembled and the PE insert added alone instead of attached to the transformer as the instructions would have you do it.

The rack was then installed into position and all of the various gear dry fit to insure it would all play nice together. The smaller transformer that sits on the PE insert had to be sanded down in order to fit into its allotted space. This is a direct result of these parts being reused parts (the RA and RB sprues are generic radio parts) instead of parts specifically designed for the rack they go into. Otherwise everything else fit tight but manageable. I added the solder wiring to the antenna junction box and the intercom box before installing them into the side and left plenty of wire to work with which will be cut down later after painting and the radios are installed. I opted for the PE rain guard for the radios but the instructions are a little vague on how exactly it’s supposed to install. The PE part doesn’t have a bend line etched into it, so I used pliers and carefully introduced the slight angle that it needs in order to sit properly and flush with the top edge of the side.

Next I installed all the various boxes and the gas mask container to the front areas as called for with their locator marks. The gas mask PE mount is more complex than it needs to be…it’s 3 parts, one for the base, one for the curved holders, and a 3rd for the strap itself. You end up stacking the three parts together and then strapping the container in place and all the detail is hidden as a result…the only benefit from this approach is if you want to show the holder empty. The three shell holders and rack were assembled and I opted to show these empty since it would be extremely tough to paint the rounds once installed and in place. The kit only includes enough parts to show one side or the other empty, but not both, so the right side will have the full racks. Construction of the racks is a tricky exercise, the instructions just show the holders already attached to the racks and then the rack installed into place. I got around this by first gluing F24, the front rack bar, in position without attaching the round holders. The holders were then glued into F25, the rear rack bar, and then glued into place. I used liquid glue to position the “free” ends of the holders into the slots on F24…getting a level and properly angled rack in the process.

I deliberately left of the small seat cushion and the MP40 holder since they would get in the way of adding the radio equipment and completing the wiring, but they were cleaned up and set off to the side for later.

That finished up Step 16, so it was on to 17! This dealt with the right side and the first order of business was to assemble the 12 charge boxes. 10 required the molded on top and bottom ridges to be removed while 2 only required the bottom removed.

The boxes were then assembled into 2 stacks of 6 each and installed into position. The right stack ends up being taller than it’s supposed to be judging by reference photos but by removing 2 rivets on the bracing panel I was able to get it to sit virtually flush with the top of the superstructure side. The left stack sits at the proper height, so not sure what the cause is other than the dimensions on the boxes are incorrect. They don’t have to be off by much…just a fraction of a mm each to produce this kind of compound error…but it’s there.

The 4 shell racks were added as well…and aside from the instruction diagram, no guidance is provided on their location. I added the first and then the fourth to set the distance and then spaced the second and third as evenly as possible to get them into position. Each shell has a prominent seam that runs top to bottom, so this had to be carefully sanded down with a sanding twig to remove it.

The PE glass block holder was bent to shape and installed in position along with the retaining strap but I decided not to add the block itself as I think it looks better empty. The gas mask container was also added with the MP40 and seat cushion also left off on this side for now.

While looking around on the floor for another part I found the missing F85…but since I’d already wired up F1 and glued it into place, I just snipped off the wire portion and swapped it out with the wire portion on F1…that way it had the right height and spacing and wouldn’t require any further modification like F85 would’ve. I also added the rearmost braces, F34, to both sides and test fit them to the hull to be sure they were in the proper position and angle. So, the results of today’s efforts…

Total Session Time: 7 hours

Total Time to Date: 26.5 hours

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I managed to sneak in some rare non-weekend bench time this evening and put in some effort with Step 18. I thought this would proceed smoothly but hit a snag in relation to the large 6 round box that mounts to the engine deck. I followed the instructions guidance in attaching the PE frame to the underside but when I test fit it to the engine deck immediately realized that there was a size problem.

In checking the layout in the MBI book, the “feet” of the mount are placed with the rear foot just ahead of the rear engine hatch hinge and the front foot 2 rivets behind the front engine hatch hinge. In reality, the frame doesn’t position there at all…it’s too large…so I flipped ahead in the instructions to see what the diagrams showed.

In Step 19, the front of the box is shown virtually flush with open edge of the lower compartment right above the bulk head to the engine compartment.

Again in Step 20, looking from the rear, it shows one foot just ahead of the rear hinge but the front foot is on top of the front hinge.

This confirmed to me that the DML design of both the box and the support frame have it too large vs. the MBI photo. To accommodate this, DML moved the box forward in the installation to be flush with the bulk head…but it’s not the right position. To address this, it’s necessary to position the rear foot behind the rear hinge and not in front…and then the front foot can be positioned in the proper 2 rivets behind the front hinge position…after you remove the rivets of course. Rivets needed to be removed for both the front and rear feet to mount cleanly to the hatch and in the proper position. Once those were out of the way, I installed the box into position. The PE details for the side latches were then added along with the PE handles. The perforated side tray was also added along with the little triangular “wing” PE extensions for the hull sides.

It’s also worth noting that DML got another small detail wrong…the small box that mounts on top of the ready round box is mounted on some small shims to make it sit level instead of slightly angled…I noticed this after I’d already glued it down and didn’t want to pry it up and go through the sanding and cleanup from already being glued down to elevate it a fraction of a mm to replicate the look, but it’s something for others to be aware of should they choose to add this little detail. I left the commander’s seat off for now to better facilitate painting and detailing, it will get added later on. Same thing with the cleaning rods which are supposed to peak out from under the large ammo box and of course the compartment sides have been left separate to facilitate their painting as well.

Total Session Time: 1.75 hours

Total Time to Date: 28.25 hours

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Sorry for the belated birthday wishes, Bill. Happy birthday.

This looks to be a pretty complex build, but your work, as usual, looks like it belongs in a clean room. Very neat, very orderly and helpful WIP, as usual.

Have a safe trip to the South Pacific. See you on the flip side, I’m anxious to see paint on this one.

Bill

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Also bealted B_Day wishes to you 2. cash is a good gift. I like getting goodies ofr the kits I already have.

Excellent progress Bill.

Doog… way to depress a guy[;)][:D]

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Bill, thanks for the b-day wishes and comments! Going to the south Pacific is always interesting…nothing like a 12 hour ride in coach to make you appreciate domestic flying! [(-D] This one’s getting close to the paint stage, just need to build up the gun and the front superstructure plate and we’ll be ready to paint the interior at least.

Marc, my wife and I worked out a great system a long time ago…I don’t try to buy her clothes and she doesn’t try to buy me model stuff. [;)] What we do is provide the funds and then share the shopping experience together so that it’s not an isolated event. Works great for us and avoids the feigned “oh you shouldn’t have” type of reactions to gifts.

I agree that Doog certainly has a way with words…but the alternative to celebrating another birthday is pretty grim, so I’ll take what I can get! [(-D]

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wbill76: Just jumped in on this thread…Sorry if you already hit these topics. OOB?!..should be juicy! This is “similar” to the last build…do you have an intentional theme going? What’s your camo’ plan/strategy?

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Steve, similar to the last one in the sense that it’s in the 38t family…something I very rarely ever do in terms of back-to-back subjects to avoid burnout even though I love the 38t family, so this is a rare exception! I was asked to review this kit for Armorama and I have a personal policy that I will build whatever I review in order to provide a full account/evaluation of the kit and not just rely on the in-box look. That means the build immediately (or as close as possible) follows the In-Box Review to evaluate fit and assembly. So, the timing worked out and here it is on my bench. [;)] As far as camo/scheme, I’m really liking the cross-hatched olivegreen over dunkelgelb pattern that’s featured on the box-art for a Kursk vehicle but have to think through the execution on that one first. Thanks for dropping in! [;)]

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First Bill let me wish you a belated Happy Birthday.

The build is coming along great! I’m very impressed with the level of detail in this kit.

But at the same time I’m a little disappointed with the inaccuracies that you have managed to skillfully overcome. I really think with how much were being ask to pay for the “high end” kits that there shouldn’t be so many issues with shoddy instructions and inaccurate parts.

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Thanks for the belated wishes Steve! Have to agree with you about instructions in particular…if DML would spend just a fraction of the time on improving their instructions as they do in hyping their CAD drawings, it would be a dramatic improvement! Still, I’ve kind of resigned myself to knowing that anytime DML produces a “hybrid” vehicle like this that takes parts from previous kits there’s going to be labelling errors and wierd instruction gymnastics that result as well as other errors that will have to be dealt with. One of the more comical, and harmless, errors in the instructions is the picture of the pickaxe…it shows the molded on mount pins in the line drawing as being turned up to the sky when the actual part doesn’t have any molded on! Things like I’ve encountered with the ammo box and positioning are not so harmless though…the box really is too big and they compound the error as a result instead of just correcting the size like they should have. [;)]