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RickC5

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Posts posted by RickC5

  1. I got their email too, but just couldn't find anything I wanted or needed. OTOH, Squadron also had a big Black Friday sale & I scored a kit of a car I used to own back in the day: a 1964 Falcon Sprint from Trumpeter (or was it Bronco?). Anyway, it ought to be a MUCH nicer kit than all of those Revell/Monogram re-issues.

     

    Yeah, I know, it's not armor--so shoot me! Ha!

  2. My old sprue cutters are dying, and even re-sharpening them only keeps them going a very short time.

     

    So, in your opinions, which sprue cutters are the absolute BEST available, with cost not a consideration? I'm interested in which company and which particular model. It seems some are recommended for small parts, while others seem to be more general purpose. I'll buy TWO pair if I need to, as I frequently work with tiny, delicate parts and likely need a pair just for those.

     

    Thanks for the help. I need it!

  3. Well, my results on this one are inconclusive. I can't say that there were any ill effects but the decals were really old and they never laind down on the edges. That probably says more about the decals than it does the Future overcoat. Other than that they laid down pretty well. I'll try to remember a close up photo later.

     

    Hey Jim, Please bring that Spitfire to the next meeting. I would sure like to see the results. Thanks, Rick

  4. Thanks Guys! I bought a bottle of the MicroScale decal film yesterday at my LHS after another modeling friend suggested it. I haven't tried it yet, but will surely do so on the next older kit I'm working on. I agree that some of those old decals look really thick compared to what's available today.

  5. So yesterday I decided to try & complete some of the partially built kits I have had sittng around--some for many years. Anyway, to my dismay, I discovered that some of the decals were so old that they simply self-destructed when I tried to use them. We're talking 10-15-20 years old or more. No matter how long I soaked them, when I attempted to slide them off the paper, they just "crumbled" into a multitude of little tiny pieces. Suffice to say that I was NOT pleased! Italeri decals were the worst, with some older Dragon decals (1990s) coming in a close second. I finally used some other decals from my stash, but they were slightly oversize for my needs. Se la vie!

     

    Do any of you guys have any recomendations as to how one might save/rescue old decals? Or, should I just toss them when I discover they won't work. Any opinions welcomed--even "build your kits in a timely manner."

  6. Oh man, you guys are reminding me that I really don't like to mess with resin too much. I like resin stowage bits & pieces, and have even built an M31 ARV using the Legend conversion kit for an Academy M3, but that build convinced me that I will NEVER attempt a 100% resin kit.

     

    Now, don't get me started on PE--I really HATE PE and use it as little as possible. Give me a Dragon "Smart Kit" any time.

     

    Maybe my real issue is with super-glue, although I've come to accept that I can't always avoid using it.

     

    Ain't modelin' fun???

     

    Yippee-ki-yay!!!

  7. I hope I don't catch any flak for posting this link, but Sprue Brothers has some pre-Christmas deals that are just too good to pass up, especially WWII armor. Here's the link:

     

    http://store.spruebrothers.com/articles/PreXmas2011Deals.htm

     

    Most kits are discounted 50-60% from the list prices. It also sounds like they may add some more before Xmas.

     

    BTW- I'm not affiliated with SB in any way--I just like a good deal and wanted to let my fellow armor modelers know about this deal if they aren't on SB's mailing list.

     

    Yes, I've already placed my order!!!

     

    Rick

  8. I found that picture too, but was perplexed by the depiction of the large idler (usually seen with the tw-road-wheel option) being used with the three road wheels.

     

    I also found this comment about the kit online:

     

    The kit offers two different style road wheel patterns. Basically you decide if you want two or three outside wheels. Depending on which version you choose depends on the positioning of the torsion bar arms and which read idler wheel is used. I found no photo or drawing reference for the three outside wheel version, most drawings indicate two outside wheels. The most common two outside wheel version does not fit with the referenced rear idler wheel. But the reference material indicates the three wheel rear idler wheel, which clearly will not fit. I choose the two outside wheels with the different rear idler wheel.

     

    I can only assume the builder/reviewer used the small idler with the two-road-wheel version. That's what his photos seem to show.

     

    Hey! Maybe I'll try to build THAT variation. Who could say it isn't correct!!! Moreover, who cares?

     

    Maybe we've squeezed all the available water out of this rock.......

  9. Mark,

     

    No doubt this Paper Panzer business is pretty much a joke & something to be laughed at. This VK1602 is my second Paper Panzer and I only bought it because it looks so much like a mini-Panther. I never built the first one (IIRC, a Maus or something) and just eBay'ed it eventually. But, I'll likely build this one.

     

    I noticed no one will even attempt to naswer my question on ML--likely because those guys frequently turn every Paper Panzer question into a hornet's nest of controversy. At least we have a sense of humor on this forum & can laugh at ourselves. Ha-ha.

  10. I only said that cuz all my online research only showed drawings of the two-outer-road-wheel version. Therefore, most researchers seem to have accepted that version as the "Most Likely to Succeed".

     

    Unless of course you know differently.

     

    I haven't a clue.

  11. I recently bought the 1/35 Hobby Boss model of this "Paper Panzer" and am ready to start building except for one odd thing: The kit instructions show TWO different suspension/road wheel options--one with two outer road wheels and one with three outer road wheels. All online references show only two outer road wheels, with no mention of the 3-wheel version anywhere. Interesting to note that the 3-wheel version actually looks better to me--more like a mini-Panther.

     

    So why the option? Was there some consideration of two versions, or is Hobby Boss just dreaming and did this simply because they could? The difference in the options is the placement of the torsion bars and the interleaving of the various road wheels. Oh yeah, and the rear idler wheel is much larger in diameter on the 2-wheel version than the idler wheel of the 3-wheel version.

     

    If I'm not convinced differently, I'll likely build the simpler looking, two outer road wheel version as that seems to be the more "generally accepted" version that would have been produced.

     

    Opinions? Comments? Any additional knowledge of the VK1602 out there? TIA for any help.

  12. Hi Phil,

     

    We're already home from SL,UT (sorry, couldn't resist--saw this on a mug & a t-shirt). Anyway, we had a great time and I visited Great Models (Web)Store in Sandy, West Valley and MRS.

     

    Great Models was great fun, wandering around in their warehouse, with row after row of armor models. Only negative is that everything is newish--nothing older or OOP. I saw many kits that aren't in our (only) local shop. I think I spent at least an hour in there.

     

    MRS had a bunch of kits, including lots of older ones, but prices seemed high to me. West Valley had a reasonably good assortment of armor, but someone needs to re-organize the shelves. The armor kits were mixed in with the planes and the different scales were all mixed up too.

     

    I did find some interesting stuff to buy, so all the visits to the shops were worthwhile.

  13. Not sure what happen to this kit you received, But IMO Dragon is known for leaving off parts in the instructions. I am currently building a Dragon German Halftrack and sure enough I have found several mistakes in the instructions. Had a major part that went inside the fighting compartment that was left off in the instruction. Figured out where it went about five steps later.

     

    The Dragon kits are nice and come with a lot of extra stuff. So much so that I believe the forget things in the instruction because of it. I still like the Dragon kits, but I will take a good ol Tamiya kit anyday.

     

    Mark has a good link there that should help. Good luck.

     

    Chris

     

    Hi Chris,

     

    I really do like Dragon kits for the detail and lack of pin marks, plus they seem to do lots of research on each model. Obviously it must be easier for Dragon to simply toss in a complete spue of parts when the kit sometimes only needs 3 or 4 parts off that sprue than it would be to make a new sprue or trim off the excess/unused parts. This sure gives us modelers lots of extras for the parts bins. But, when kits cost upwards of $50-75 these days, it becomes harder and harder to justify spending that much money on kits that you just KNOW will have terrible instructions. Dragon needs to take that "next step" and get the instructions right! The glossy "photo" instructions were an interesting deviation for awhile, but were likely too expensive to print and perhaps were not as easy to cut & paste like the blue & black drawings we are now seeing that are full of errors.

     

    If you ever build the Dragon Wirbelwind (#6540), you will eventually discover that the turret ring for the upper hull, part # D-22, should be installed at Step 11, but it mysteriously shows up in the Step 21 drawing without ever being called out anywhere. The turret for the quad 20mm won't sit correctly without the ring in place. Bizarre.....

     

    Rick

  14. Rick,

     

    Sorry about that but I hope this helps!

     

    http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10076666

     

    Hey Mark! WOW! Thanks for the link. I was able to easily print the 3 missing pages I needed (out of 5 pages). I'm sure I could have muddled along without them, but it's nice to know in advance what/how Dragon intended this kit to go together. I added that shop to my favorites list.

     

    I think I'm developing a thing for these German handcarts as I now have six of them. Two from an old Ironside kit, two from the Bronco kit I mentioned a couple of weeks ago and now these two. Interesting to note that the Dragon version is the simplest to build, with no tread (?) on the tires and the least amount of detail. I actually saw one of these carts at a military museum in St. Petersburg, FL this last January. It still had its original yellow paint and was in very good condition and the tires had tread.

  15. Either I just have extremely bad luck with my Dragon model purchases, or Dragon's Quality Control is continuing to slide downhill. Grrrrr..... :smiley13:

     

    Yesterday I received a new kit purchased off eBay. Dragon # 6104--8.8cm Panzerschreck Infanteriekarren--a horse, five German troops, two small carts. The kit was still sealed in the plastic wrap and had a price tag on it from a Hobby Town shop. Brand new--never opened!

     

    BUT, once again the instructions are incomplete. One sheet, tri-folded, printed on one side, but totally BLANK on the back side. So I have instructions on building the horse and 1/2 of the cart(s), but nothing on completing the carts or assembling the soldiers. Not a major issue for me, but WHAT THE HECK is going on at Dragon? Doesn't anyone check this stuff? :smiley6:

     

    I also recently built a Dragon Bergepanzerwagen IV, and once again (just like the Dragon Wirbelwind) the instructions are a mess. Many parts never called out, others which only show up in the drawings, and some totally illogical build steps--like installing the tracks only after all the rest of the model has been completed. I realize some builders wish to keep the tracks off until after they have been painted/weathered, but IMHO, it sure is MUCH easier to install the tracks once the lower hull/drive train has been built rather than wait until all the little easily broken bits and the fenders/upper hull have been added. The final assembled kit looks great, but maybe because I now understand how to build a Dragon kit with incomplete & frustrating instructions.

     

    I figured out what they are and where they go, but does anyone else know why parts P12, P13 & P14 are in these kits? :smiley25: These are unique to the late Panzer IV kits (hulls) and really add some nice detail. There's even a set of them in the PE fret (also not called out in the instructions).

  16. I recently bought Bronco's 1/35 scale "3-in-1" model of the German 2.8cm s.Pz.B.41 Anti-Tank Gun Set, kit # CB35034.

     

    I was intrigued by the idea of being able to build any one of three different carriages for the gun. I was totally surprised to find that the box contains enough parts to build TWO complete guns! You can even build two identical gun carriages (almost) if you wish. The reason I say almost is that while there are enough parts to build two of the small carts (Version 3), the carts are slightly different, and will require some modifications to the gun mounting for the simpler of the two carts. OTOH, you can build 2 Version 1s or 2 Version 2s without any need for modifications.

     

    The kit is very detailed, and contains many small, fiddly parts, but the end result is a very nice model of this early WWII Squeeze-bore AT gun. FWIW- I found this kit on eBay for about 1/2 the "retail" price ($32.00 US) I saw at a LBS in Las Vegas.

  17. As always, these wheels were announced right after I completed my GAZ truck. OTOH, I found the vinyl tires that came in the kit to be ok and I was even able to sand off the mold seam with some very fine sandpaper and some patience. Doubtful I will build another GAZ.

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