I recently finished work on the Emhar model, which had been neglected ever since I started on my 1/16 project, which some of you have followed.
I had stopped working on it when I realized the well-known issues this kit has. To begin with, I wanted to use it as a blueprint base for the 1/16, but luckily I gave that up very soon. But I felt sorry for the little model and decided to soup it up with some of the knowledge I had collected upon my research for the "big one". It is far from perfect and certainly pales before Luca's current build. Worst of all, I never cut out the rear mud chutes, as I had cemented the body already before I knew these existed and then it was too late. I could have tried to cut them in afterwards - but the plastic is rather thick and the result would have looked disastrous. Had I did this when the sides were still separate, I could have cut these out with my jeweller's fretsaw and the result would have been ok. Too bad.
So, here goes... Even when I started on the model as a landships noob, I saw at once that the kit's guns are a sad affair and as I am a happy owner of a small lathe, I turned some Lewis guns to replace them. The front gun bearing ball is a BB gun pellet from my Panther V tank .
The missing rear armour plates were derived from scaling down the ones on my 1/16. The bolts are simulated by pressing a needle point into the sheet metal from the back. Important to use a hard underlay so that the metal doesn't warp and the point doesn't puncture the material. The brackets were soldered onto rear armour plates and then glued onto the model. I also corrected the "Excellent" exhaust pipe, the lids in the storage box and the petrol cap lid.
Unditching beam rail supports. I also supplied the missing front anchor.
I made the unditching beam rails from L-profile brass, which is a a bit tricky to bend into the right shape without warping. Making it red hot and then quickly cooling it in water helps as this makes brass quite soft. The following photo looks bent...it is. The right side plates of the model were quite warped, I had to put a small block between the petrol tank and the side to correct that as well as possible - but it still shows. The fitting quality of the Emhar kit is not that good and I had a job clamping the body parts together when I cemented them.
Paintwork.. I certainly need to get more skillz with this (Andy's 1/15 Renault FT makes me green with envy ). Having seen Lodestar III, I tried to recreate the varied brown tones on it. I mixed some Tamiya browns to get as close as possible to the basic tone. I airbrushed it with this and then used a brush with a varied mix of the base tone. Somehow I just cannot get the proper grasp of inking the indentations and lines. I seriously need to find out that trick. I chose "Intimidate" as subject, sadly the serial number is unknown, as far as I could find out. I did my best to paint the name on. She ought to have spuds as well, maybe I will put some on some day.
I made the unditching beam from wood, with postcard paper for the steel reinforcements.
So far, thats it. "Intimidate" could be the basis for a fine diorama, as there is that film of her with the soldiers plodding alongside while she is pulling some artillery piece, absolutely caked with mud.
My problem is, I have a million pending projects - and no space left to exhibit such a diorama let alone have the time to make it. Maybe some day, if I win the lottery and need not work anymore
I could have tried to cut them in afterwards - but the plastic is rather thick and the result would have looked disastrous. Had I did this when the sides were still separate, I could have cut these out with my jeweller's fretsaw and the result would have been ok. Too bad.
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). Having seen Lodestar III, I tried to recreate the varied brown tones on it. I mixed some Tamiya browns to get as close as possible to the basic tone. I airbrushed it with this and then used a brush with a varied mix of the base tone. Somehow I just cannot get the proper grasp of inking the indentations and lines. I seriously need to find out that trick. I chose "Intimidate" as subject, sadly the serial number is unknown, as far as I could find out. I did my best to paint the name on. She ought to have spuds as well, maybe I will put some on some day.
