Dragon M7 Priest

[RM6239]

Well with the weather finally starting to cool down, I can get back on the bench and I thought I would visit WWII.



I won't bother with the sprues as it's a pretty old kit and it looks typically Dragon, with some nice texture where texture should be and no flash that I can see.

First page of instructions only had the one wrong numbered part, way down the bottom, D8 is actually A8.



I removed all the parts from the sprue for this first page, cleaned them up and put them each in their own little baggy.



I'll start assembling them all over the next few nights.

cheers
Ross

[SimonT]

Hi Ross - their checking procedures must consist of someone picking the instruction sheet up and putting it down again without actually reading them!

Off to a good start

I have the 374 page technical manual for the M7, TM9-731E

If you want a copy PM me an email address

[Guest]

Or you just get it off the Internet Archive

[Jim R]

Hi Ross
We're just warming up here so glad it's cooling for you down there. Sounds like a nice kit. Instructions up to the usual Dragon standards :rolling:Interesting how different people model. Some remove and clean up a lot of parts - Simon T works like that. I tend to to just remove parts as needed.
Jim

[SimonT]

I downloaded it from some US government document archive - they are no longer subject to copyright and are free to distribute

I offered to send it so that Ross would not have to go looking......

[Guest]

I downloaded it from some US government document archive - they are no longer subject to copyright and are free to distribute

In principle, nothing made for the US government is restricted by copyright, which is very handy for modelling purposes.

I offered to send it so that Ross would not have to go looking......

And I gave a link so you wouldn’t have to go send it to him

[scottie3158]

Ross,
Good to see you back at the bench. I will pull up a chair and watch this.

[RM6239]

Hi Guys

Simon you should still have my email address.
Cheers for the link Jakko.
Jim, I normally do that too but I had time as it was a Sunday, so I thought it would easier during the week.
Welcome Paul, it's good to be back doing something.

After some dry fitting I worked out the easiest way to put the bogies together. This is what they are supposed to look like completed.




I decided to do them in 3 sections.



The bottom piece is turned around and put in the middle of the wheel section, then the left most piece is threaded through hole, very easy to do.

With careful gluing everything that needs to move is still movable.

cheers
Ross

[JR]

Ross.
I always enjoy watching a Dragon build , half the fun is trying to find the incorrect no !
As to removing all from the sprue ! I'd be in a worse state than I get with removing each part as required. :smiling2:
Will grab a seat and follow .
John

[RM6239]

John, I don't normally remove so many parts at once, usually just what is needed for the step I'm on, this was an experiment.

6 little baggies made up.



Back they go into their little baggies.

Next up the Gun, which looks pretty detailed.

cheers
Ross

[JR]

Certainly get your monies worth on those suspension units Ross., Would you do that again with another build when doing a subsection ?
Looking fwd to the gun .
John .

[Steve Jones]

Looks like you have got a lot to keep you going for a while. I wish you all the best and I look forward to seeing it come together

[RM6239]

John, Yes I think I would, each step was kept in its little baggy, so there was no chance of mix up. It was probably no quicker than the way I normally do it but just being able to do them one after another, it seemed quicker.

Steve, welcome mate.

As with any open vehicle, there is going to be lots of construct then paint, then construct again, so I started to put some of the bits together. The gun was a bit awkward to rest so I just went and mounted it to it's base, it shouldn't make painting and weathering any harder.







Priming time.

cheers
Ross

[Guest]

Are you going to drop the floor with the gun in after painting, then? That should at least keep the interior accessible, though I think it would have been easier to keep the gun loose and add the floor into the model. OTOH, the only Priests I’ve ever built have been 1/76 scale

[RM6239]

Jakko, I decided to mount the floor in the body.

Spent the weekend painting various bits and pieces, had to redo the ammo racks as I messed them up.

All the bits.



Sections.












In between building the rest and painting I can start weathering up these pieces now.

cheers
Ross