Gern's Challenger Challenge

[Gern]

Here we go folks. Pics of box etc.

I'm sure I read that this is a repop of a Tamiya kit. Just out of interest, if anyone has got the Tamiya kit, could they confirm/deny that by comparing the sprues please?

Looking at the sprues, there is more flash than I would expect to see on a Tamiya kit, although there is not enough to be a problem - just a bit of a nuisance. As there is nothing provided for the interior, this will be done all closed up and OOB. I've not decided whether to do the desert version or the NATO one. I'll see what I feel like when I have to make the choice of which parts to use.

Gern

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[Guest]

Yup its the same as the Tamiya Chally 1 Mk 3 - see my thread for the sprue shots that I put up earlier... Will be interested to see how you do this one! This will be my first tracked monstrosity since I came back to the hobby last year, so I'm reading up about tracks and weathering and so on. There is a superb thread over at Britmodeller where someone is super-detailing this kit. He's gone to pretty amazing levels of detail!

[Guest]

Hi Dave nice kit mate looking forward to seeing it done.

scott

[Ian M]

Hi Dave! I nearly missed this one as it was hidden in the jumble, I have taken the liberty of moving the thread into the Challenger Challenge builds forum.

Does look like the Tamiya kit don't it. How was it price wise. I imagine considerably cheaper than the Tamiya one!!!

Andrew, do you have a link to that build on Britmodeler?

Ian M

[Gern]

Hi Ian. Thanks for moving my entry. Just one question though. Where is the thread? I couldn't find it when I looked.

Andy (Boldman) says he reckons this is the Tamiya kit, but having done some work on it, I'm beginning to wonder. There are major fit issues with the side armour supports and return rollers and missing locators for both the drive sprockets and parts belonging on the rear; so there is lots of extra work involved getting it together.

Maybe CCLee have played around with the original Tamiya moulds - I think this was originally designed to have a motor as the inside of the drive sprockets have a hexagonal hole for a drive shaft and the body shell has what look like mounting locators for a motor and gear box. I don't know, but I would be extremely surprised and totally disappointed if I found a Tamiya kit with the kind of faults I have found on this one.

Anyway, as I only paid £8 for the kit - brand new and still shrink wrapped - I'm not complaining too much! You get what you pay for so I'll persevere with it and see how it goes.

Gern

[Ian M]

You had started it in the Challenger challenge chat section if I remember correctly. I found it quite by chance!

The differences in the kit could be alterations or repairs to the tool. Also if LEE use a different formula plastic that could well affect the moulding quality and the fit.

For £8 you got a bargain any way.

Ian M

[Guest]

The kit looks very similar to mine, but the inside of the lower hull is different, so perhaps its an old mould or something. I've had no fit issues with return rollers or drive sprockets.

I can see on mine where there COULD be RC and motors fitted, but its not the same as yours.

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[Gern]

Ian - I agree that for £8 I got no real complaints. If I'd paid Tamiya prices for this though, that would be a whole different story.

Andy - You're right. Your hull is not the same as mine. As Ian says, maybe they had to repair or modify the tooling. Who knows? I see you got your return rollers in place. I'm still deciding what to do with mine. They will not sit straight because the side armour supports push them off line. As you won't see them with the side armour on, I'll probably cut the rollers down and just leave the top part to support the track.

Gern

[Gern]

A bit more progress on this thing - and there is no way that this is Tamiya quality! The similarity between the sprues can't be denied, but there's no way that Tamiya would release anything this poor.

Anyway, having found that most pieces only fit where they touch, and they only occasionally touch in the right places, there's lots of bits of filling to do. Most of it is in small, hard to reach places and it will be difficult to do without spoiling some of the surface details. I have some Squadron White which I normally have no problems with but I find it starts to set very quickly. As I will need to do a lot of fiddling about when trying to fill some of the gaps and clean up the excess, it would be useful if I could somehow extend the drying time so I can clean up without sanding. Is there anything I could add to the putty to slow down the drying and give me more time?

Gern

[Guest]

Gern try this little trick.

knife, squadron putty, cotton bud soaked in nail varnish remover (WITH acetone, the acetone free stuff won't work)

Put the putty into the joint as normal, then swipe the soaked cotton bud over the putty, it should start to remove it while keeping it wet. Ovbiously don't scrub too heavily or it'll get dug out of the joint, but it is a great way of preserving detail by cutting down on sanding.

HTH

Stuart

[Guest]

I should also say - the squadron stuff can be "thinned" with nail varnish remover and I THINK with cellulose too, but I can only vouch for the cotton bud trick, I've not tried thinning the filler.

STuart

[Ian M]

Top tip that Stuart. I will have to give it a try. Just have to get some nail polish remover first as the misses don't paint her nails!!!!

I hope you don't let it get you down Gern, there is loads of time, so take your time.

Ian M

[Gern]

Thanks Stuart. I knew you could remove putty with nail varnish remover - I had just forgotten. Doh!

I'd like to call it a Homer moment, but it's more likely to be the onset of senility!

I'll try what you suggest. If you don't hear from me about it, you'll know it worked.

Gern

[Guest]

Either that or you'll come hunting me down for nackerin your kit lol!!!

Na jokin aside I've done it loads with Squadron green and it's ace!

Stuart