some weeks ago I got a MasterBox Mark I Male for a good price and decided to build it immediately. The building process was fast but I did some modifications, mostly based on Helen's plans and renders here on the board.
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First I opened the mud holes between the rear horns and improvised the wheel and inner plates with some styrene sheet:
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The rear bar holding the large wheels was rebuilt using some 0.25mm styrene with 0.6mm holes:
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This is the kit part of the lifting mechanism:
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I rebuilt it from styrene sheet and stretched sprue, too, after adding the radiator filler:
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The gun shields got the openings for the telescope:
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This is the final appearance before the tracks were added:
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I was unhappy with the rubber tracks, and not wanting to spend a lot of money for replacements, I pressed the rubber into plasticine and cast them from a thin layer of resin:
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Before glueing them to the track frames, a strip of styrene was glued into the groove, adding some space between the tracks and the frames, especially around the idler wheel:
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The resin tracks were used in sections and individual track links cut from the strips. I'm aware of the fact that they needed to be longer and overlapping, but it was a compromise. After adding some mud it should be ok I guess:
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I plan to build a little diorama to go with it, and painting might take some more time.
Thanks! Paul, I think it was a 0.6mm or 0.7mm drill, I just took what fitted to the diameter of the plastic part, not looking for accuracy in this case.
Thanks Helen! I hope to make progress in the Christmas holidays. I'd like to build the scene seen in the picture below as a diorama, but I'm not looking forward to convert little EMHAR soldiers to the poses needed.
Nice work. You and all other builder of this kit might want to check the book "The Tanks at Flers" on their first actions. Some did not have the wire neting on top and at least 2 had stowage boxes on the X frames of their steering wheel tails.
Thorst, I have just refreshed my article on improving and correcting the shortfalls with the MasterBox Mk1 steering tail. I realise you have completed yours but thought you might like to see what else can be done to get it right - for the next one you build.
Happy New Year.
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Regards TeeELL
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional.
I've bumped the thread as you can see, hope it helps. I've a thread on the grenade canopy as well, search TeeELL. I don't want to bump that thread as well until I add new information to it.
__________________
Regards TeeELL
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional.
Hey, now in this moment I`m building the same kit...
For more details I want to use NH Details etch parts, MR Models upgrade set and JS Resins tracks including grouser spuds (the spuds can be used on Mk IV later)...
I also will create a diorama by using W^D-figures (British tankers and maybe some infanterie)...
That's a good question! Given that the first set of twenty grenade roofs were built and sent to France over a period of three days, I would have to imagine that the mesh was simply a readily available fencing material. Note that the segments of mesh were not trimmed to fit the roof, and overlapped the edges.
 
