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Saturday, September 30, 2023

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 

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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. 

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

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!

Friday, September 29, 2023

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.

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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!

Thursday, September 28, 2023

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.

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

With masking in place the deck was painted.

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

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.
 
Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

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!

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,




Wednesday, September 27, 2023

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. 

Rocks by Rail Museum

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.

Rocks by Rail Museum

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

Rocks by Rail Museum

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

Rocks by Rail Museum

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.

Rocks by Rail Museum

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!

Rocks by Rail Museum

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

Rocks by Rail Museum

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

Rocks by Rail Museum

and all was well!!!!!!!

Rocks by Rail Museum

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!

Rocks by Rail Museum

Rocks by Rail Museum

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






Tuesday, September 26, 2023

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.

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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!

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry


Monday, September 25, 2023

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!

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

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!

Sunday, September 24, 2023

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!

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,


Saturday, September 23, 2023

Lets move up top!

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

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry


Friday, September 22, 2023

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.

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

Dragon  Kit 6625 Panzer Ferry,

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!

Thursday, September 21, 2023

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. 

Rocks by Rail Museum,


Rocks by Rail Museum,

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!

Rocks by Rail Museum,

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! 

Rocks by Rail Museum,

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!

Rocks by Rail Museum,

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!