Ron does a UNIMOG

[spanner570]

This is my entry for the April/June G.B. Truck and load.

It's a 1/35 Revell UNIMOG. Masses of bits but mostly underneath!

The load (Such as it is) is on the sprues and consists of a couple of oil drums and some jerrycans.....All a bit boring I know, but last night at around 2am, I came up with a nice idea for a dio. So for this rather plain and uninspiring kit, all is not lost.

Two months to do it, so plenty of time.

Cheers,

Ron

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[Guest]

Hi Ron welcome to our little band, i like the unimog be in teresting to see what you come up with.

scott

[spanner570]

Scott, this is a Revell kit....I've just made a start on it. For the sake of your sanity, don't get this one!

I don't mind cleaning up, making bits fit, even filling, to me that's all part of the game. But not every single piece, large or small.

It really is atrocious. Every piece has an 'overspill' of plastic around the edges, even the bloody gear stick!

Still let's not be negative....What I have in mind for it will serve it right for proving to be a pig to build.....lol

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

I know the kind of kit you mean, Ron. Too many times I've found a 1/72 vehicle I'm looking for, but the only company who manufactures it one of the smaller, rarely heard of ones. Only after purchasing do I find out why no-one has mentioned them before, and 90% of the time it's for the reasons you've mentioned. Not too long ago, I had a go at building a BA-64 from Ace. After painstakingly trying to reshape pieces, make extensions for bars that weren't long enough and generally make the thing look passable as it's real life counterpart, I found that the top of the chassis didn't even come close to fitting with the bottom half. Needless to say, it went straight in the bin.

Look on the plus side. At least your one is 1/35 scale

[Ian M]

Nice choice Ron, I was thinking of getting one of these. ( I seem to have a thing for modern German things at the moment). Shame to hear that the kit you have is a duff cast. I will be asking to open the box before I part with the green stuff for that one.

Welcome to the build young man!

Ian M

[Guest]

Scott, this is a Revell kit....I've just made a start on it. For the sake of your sanity, don't get this one!I don't mind cleaning up, making bits fit, even filling, to me that's all part of the game. But not every single piece, large or small.

It really is atrocious. Every piece has an 'overspill' of plastic around the edges, even the bloody gear stick!

Still let's not be negative....What I have in mind for it will serve it right for proving to be a pig to build.....lol

Cheers,

Ron

If i know you Ron mate it'll come out looking like a tamiya fresh from the box.... you'll get there keep pluggin away. As you know i had a 1/24 P51D Mustang from airfix like that so i know what you mean, Good LUCK.

SCOTT

[spanner570]

Thanks for the comments boys....

Greg, being 1/35 it's all the more plastic to clean up!lol

Ian, please avoid this kit. Full Stop. The plastic is green, very soft and proving very difficult to clean up, leaving a constant burr. It's similar in a way to the 1/72 polypropylene (soft plastic or whatever) figures and we all know what a pain they are!

Scott, you're right, I won't let it beat me, it just narks me having to do all this unneccessary extra work 'cos it's a bum moulding.

Cheers all,

Ron

[Ian M]

Hm. Did you buy it in a shop or over the internet? If it was a shop I would of gone and had a look at another one. If that was 'normal' I would bring the one in from the car and ask for an exchange. Fit for purpose and all that. It really sounds like the one you have is a reject. Bad plastic and bad casting. There might even be a connection there....

I have just built their Gelanderwagon and thats about the same vintage and the plastic was fine in that. Good old hard green plastic.

Ian M

[spanner570]

Hm. Did you buy it in a shop or over the internet? If it was a shop I would of gone and had a look at another one. If that was 'normal' I would bring the one in from the car and ask for an exchange. Fit for purpose and all that. It really sounds like the one you have is a reject. Bad plastic and bad casting. There might even be a connection there....I have just built their Gelanderwagon and thats about the same vintage and the plastic was fine in that. Good old hard green plastic.

Ian M

It was from my local model shop.

I suppose I could have taken it back, but as I went into town on the bus (around 10mls) Good old free bus pass! I just couldn't be bothered retracing my journey.

Your mention of hard green plastic is certainly not the case with this kit, so summat's wrong somewhere! Perhaps the fact that it was in the sale for under £8 could explain it, although in fairness, the shop would have no idea it was a gash kit....

Not to worry, upwards and onwards!!

Ron

[Guest]

Keep on trucking! You have more patience that I do!

[spanner570]

A quick update for you.....

I nearly 'Fell at the first' with this, or the kit did anyway, but I will persevere and finish it!

The chassis is now complete. What a complicated piece of equipment, it looks that fragile the real thing could be put out of action just throwing an empty bottle at it!

Here are some shots of it..

Cheers,

Ron

Just found out when I tried to fit the wheels...I have the left front step in the wrong place ( see plan picture) Happy days!!

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[Guest]

Ron me old mate thats good progress so far keep at it and you will win through.

scott

[spanner570]

Fitted the wheels and completed the cab. Well, almost!

I have just tried to fit the front windscreen....It fell right through the cab frame, nowhere near a fit. Even the securing lugs on the 'glass' hardly touch the frame!

I tell you fellas, this is one bloody awful kit. Avoid it at all costs, please!!

It's very close to .22 in the garden time. I'm going to turn my back on it for a while and decide it's untimate fate.....

Cheers,

Ron

[Ian M]

Serious case of a friday afternoon kit that one.

Almost makes me want to look at one my self, just to see if you were unlucky or the kit is naff.

From what you have built so far the detail looks quite good. As for Unimogs breaking if you threw a bottle at it, it would have to be a bloody big bottle. If you want my unprofessional opinion, the only truck that could out live a Unimog is a land rover. And not one of the new arty farty ones, a real one where the only tools you ever needed was an adjustable spanner and a hammer!

You could always do a dio with it parked in a tree and make a driver figure hanging out the opening where the windscreen once was......

Ian M

[Guest]

Hope you do'nt bin it Ron, maybe some time away from it will bring some new ideas for a fix