Standing on its own wheels.

With the various wheels mounted to the hull, the amphibious tank can now stand on its own wheels! Because I try to anticipate what may go wrong, like in the future tracks breaking, I tend to glue tank wheels on to the hull using a glue like UHU. It provides a reasonably strong joint between parts but it is usually possible to separate parts in the future without major damage. Using a plastic cement would melt the two parts together bonding them into one piece. UHU on the other hand holds the two parts together without bonding them and given the flexible nature of the glue parts can be separated without damage in the future with some well placed but reasonable force 

Next thing is the tracks which will just about bring this model to the same level of completeness as its partner vehicle in this Panzer Ferry.

Despite having spent a fair amount of time on this model my mind has not been inactive in thinking about other projects. My 00 gauge layout has been developing at, for me at least, lightning speed and I am looking at the next stage. The photos below may show a white strip of card supported by a tub and a couple of bottles but this in my mind is the basis of a road bridge crossing the four railway tracks. 

Imagination is a great thing and I can already see in my mind a finished bridge with scenery crossing the railway and making a great scenic focus point. Now the difficult bit is transforming that imaginative image into reality! Will I produce what I imagine? I will let you know in due course - anything could actually happen!

Matching weathering!

With the second amphibious tank in its stark clean paint work it has been time to tone and weather it down to be sympathetic with its partner vehicles. I have done this using an airbrush and Vallejo Flat Earth paint.

Luckily I think I have managed to match the general level of weathering on the two models.

Next job is to get the wheels on and tracks built. Seems like only a few weeks ago I was doing just that on the other vehicle!

A stark contrast!

Back to the Panzer Ferry and the second amphibious tank is now in top coat! First off the hull was painted grey and then it was time to paint the deck light grey so some masking was required.

With masking in place the deck was painted.

Compared to the first vehicle that was painted in the same colours but has now been weathered there is a starkness but with weathering the two should look similar. However the photo does show how weathering can really tone down a model and make it look more realistic.

 

The various wheels have also been painted. To save having to repaint the tyres on the running wheels I cut a circle out of a handy piece of card using my circle cutter. Luckily the smallest circle that I could adjust it to was just small enough to match the wheels. It has certainly made painting the wheels much easier and quicker - just wish I had done it on the first vehicle!

Wind on the drum!

A day at the Rocks By Rail Museum. However a different day from my normal mowing. Having had the drag line cable snap on me last week as Rob taught me how to operate it I was helping Rob replace the cable. By the time I got to the Museum Rob had the old cable out. It was that rusty it was beyond sensible saving so the new cable in stock was wheel barrowed to the dragline. 

Now a spool of cable weighs a lot and is not the easiest thing to manipulate so we both knew our backs were in for some stress! However we took the opportunity of the boom being down to do a long required grease gun job on the various greasing points.

This is the pully at the end of the boom where the broken cable runs over.

Rob got hold of a large can of grease with a grease gun and we soon had grease flowing into probably dry surfaces.

To make life easier next time Rob used some Red paint to mark the grease nipples.

Greasing done it was time to wind the new cable onto the winding drum which is where I had to do the guiding whilst Rob operated the drum. First though we had to feed the cable along the boom.

One of those pieces of brilliance was that Rob had brought along a piece of heating pipe insulation through which the cable could run saving any snagging on my gloves! Brilliant!

I actually manged to get a smooth run of cable on the winding drum.

So with cable on and then reconnected to the bucket Rob started the machine up....

and all was well!!!!!!!

Flushed with success and in a rush to avoid the start of Storm Agnes we headed back to the restoration shed to put the tools away and I was surprised to see more progress on Harriot the JCB!

Bet there are some greasing points that need greasing on that!

Its a grey day!

I had got to the stage yesterday of being ready for some paint on the second of the amphibious tanks for the Panzer Ferry. As is common with most of my model painting the first step was a coat of Vallejo black primer. This covers well and gives a good base for the top coats.

You will have to excuse my makeshift spray booth!

I have even managed to get some grey top coat onto the underside. Things going well for me!

Ready for paint!

The second amphibious tank of the Panzer Ferry is ready for paint! I have left a few parts off to make painting easier and they will be added once paint has been applied but it is going well - unusually for me!

I have posed the two tans and pontoon together before but getting to this stage shows just what a large model it is.

It will be interesting to see how I pose this on a diorama base. However that is for later. In the meantime I still have a lot to do!

Silent Sunday - nearly anyway!

There is not really much to say other than the deck of the second Panzer Ferry is getting near to being finished! The pictures say more then I can so I will stay relatively silent this Sunday - now that is unusual for Woody! Just don't tell Mrs. Woody o she will want silent all week!

Lets move up top!

Moving up top the amphibious tank I have started the various superstructure parts. It is beginning to take shape!

Doing it again!

Doing it again is what it feels like building the second Panzer Ferry Amphibious tank. It is basically the same kit as the first with a few differences in the superstructure and no pontoon. Whilst build a second near identical kit may seem boring it does have its advantages in that the process is a repeat so it becomes easier second time. Therefore whilst I took about a week to get the wheels and suspension components complete first time around it had only taken three days this time working about the same times as the first time - if all that makes sense?

Anyway here is where this kit has got to.

I need to add some hoops and the propeller then the hull is more or less done and it will then be time to do it again with the superstructure!

Snap!

Learn to operate the drag line excavator was a suggestion made to me and that was one I liked! So todays visit to the Rocks by Rail Museum saw some of my usual vegetational butchery in the morning and then a working lunch learning how to operate the machine.

This is the luxurious seat you operate from and the three leavers in front and the two brake pedals on the floor are the basic controls that allow the cab to slew and the bucket to lift and be hauled in. 

Sounds simple but it takes a clear mind to know which way to use the levers and brakes in coordination. After a while I felt I was getting the hang of it and Rob my tutor seemed happy. Then......SNAP! You can see the frayed cable hanging off the jib about one third the way down. It was obviously rusty to begin with and therefore weak - that is my excuse anyway!

The cable could have snapped at any time but it had to be when I was in the operating seat!

Not only did it have to snap but it has wrapped itself around the drum in such a way that it has jammed itself! 

Even with Rob's skills it looks like it will take a lot of work to repair it! So at the moment it looks like this with the bucket lying away from the boom!

Will it get repaired? Will I drive it again? Will I be allowed to drive it again? Who knows at the moment but I will find out!

Small and big projects!

A day of sheltering from the continued rain and what better place then the Man Cave! Of course I had already done some jobs on Mrs. Woody's never ending list just in case she is reading this! 

I took the opportunity to finish off a few small projects and then commence a large one!

Small projects were related to my 00 gauge layout and consisted of painting the cross beam on the buffer stop and then weathering it and the lamp hut and accessories. My usual washes of dilute black and brown were applied which gives that well worn look.

Once dry the washes had done there job well.

 Once on the layout these small items stood out in a good way! There is something very satisfying in building these small kits.

Big project time is the other amphibious tank to go on the other side of the Panzer Ferry.

Initial work is the tedious making of all the wheels and suspension components. It has to be done but progress looks slow!

However having the hull out I took the opportunity to pose it with the almost complete other tank and pontoon.

When finished it is going to be a big model - especially if I pose a suitable vehicle on the pontoon!