Churchill AVLB #2

[Scratchbuilder]

Update,
The 'A' frames are now attached (pics below) and the build on the hull has come to a temporary halt due to a couple of missing parts and the correct location cannot be attained without them. But! Russell at imaco has sorted that problem and the replacements are on the way.
Meantime - I will start on the bridge so that the build does not lose momentum. And also complete the AFV Club part of the hull build.


More later...
Mike.

[Dave Ward]

That's really taking shape now - I made the AFV Club AVRE a couple of years ago - the suspension is a bit of a trial, you only need to mess up one & the whole spring thing becomes pointless!, and unless you have individual working track links is wasted! I'm working on a 3D printed Valentine Bridgelayer, but this has stalled - the equivalent 'A' frame part is proving a pig to print & I've put it aside at the moment. I had considered the Churchill AVLB, but the one piece bridge is a bit too big to fit on my printer, without major surgery. I may tackle the ARK instead;
Are you planning to ballast the hull, so you can display it mid-deployment?
Dave

[scottie3158]

I'm in mate and loving it already.

[Scratchbuilder]

That's really taking shape now - I made the AFV Club AVRE a couple of years ago - the suspension is a bit of a trial, you only need to mess up one & the whole spring thing becomes pointless!, and unless you have individual working track links is wasted! I'm working on a 3D printed Valentine Bridgelayer, but this has stalled - the equivalent 'A' frame part is proving a pig to print & I've put it aside at the moment. I had considered the Churchill AVLB, but the one piece bridge is a bit too big to fit on my printer, without major surgery. I may tackle the ARK instead;
Are you planning to ballast the hull, so you can display it mid-deployment?
Dave

Hi Dave,
Interesting about the Valentine, would this be to 1/35 scale? And the 'A' frame on this build still gave me trouble despite building one a couple of years ago. Got one side one the hinge, but could not work out why the other 'A' frame was twisted. Then I stopped and took a long look and realised that I was trying to fit the outside hole between the two holes on the support frame.
As for the suspension on the AFV Club Churchill, I agree it is a bit over the top, unless you want a running model. And like any other model, you struggle along trying your best not to bin the model and along come two smarta***'s and provide you with an easier way.... or a company come out with a model of the one you spent months scratchbuilding, for example Tamiya and their M113, spent weeks scratchbuilding it only for Tamiya to release theirs, and the same with the Command version, some days you just cannot win.
As for the AVLB bridge, it is so light that no weight is required.
Cheers
Mike.

[Scratchbuilder]

I'm in mate and loving it already.

Thought you would be, chair reserved next to the tea urn....

[Guest]

or a company come out with a model of the one you spent months scratchbuilding

Pick a subject nobody will ever release as a plastic kit. Like German E-series tanks. Oh, wait. Like early-war French vehicles. Hang on, wait … Like the M102 heavy tank … Crap. Like … um … I know! A Japanese superheavy tank! Yes! That’s i… wait a sec …

[Dave Ward]

Hi Dave,
Interesting about the Valentine, would this be to 1/35 scale? And the 'A' frame on this build still gave me trouble despite building one a couple of years ago. Got one side one the hinge, but could not work out why the other 'A' frame was twisted. Then I stopped and took a long look and realised that I was trying to fit the outside hole between the two holes on the support frame.
As for the suspension on the AFV Club Churchill, I agree it is a bit over the top, unless you want a running model. And like any other model, you struggle along trying your best not to bin the model and along come two smarta***'s and provide you with an easier way.... or a company come out with a model of the one you spent months scratchbuilding, for example Tamiya and their M113, spent weeks scratchbuilding it only for Tamiya to release theirs, and the same with the Command version, some days you just cannot win.
As for the AVLB bridge, it is so light that no weight is required.
Cheers
Mike.

The Valentine is to 1/35 - I've blown it up from 1/56 - it's in several parts - left & right tracks, hull & the two bridge sections being the larger bits - the smalller bits include the 'A' frame being the one I'm struggling with! ( Aside from printing the gearbox to 1/19 scale - brain fade )

https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/fdm-pla-3d-printing-with-a-model-making-inclination.40977/page-15#post-689174

I'm still learning the 3D stuff, I only started in January
It's not the weight of the AVLB , but the physical size - my build plate is 220mm x 220mm, which limits things
Dave

[Scratchbuilder]

Announcement - The build is on hold for a short time.
No there is nothing wrong, in fact the opposite.
So while waiting for my replacement parts and getting the Scimitar built, I recieved a request if I could build another AVLB as a commission. So as I have to order another Churchill kit and another bridge kit from HK, I have decided to build the two side by side, although I will only be reporting on my build. So a break will be taken... But I will not be sitting idle - one word Warrior....
More later
Mike.

[Scratchbuilder]

Update,
More info and progress coming later today...
Mike.

[Scratchbuilder]

Long overdue update,
As you may have read above there were parts missing and I was waiting for them to arrive, and in the meantime I got on with other builds and this one got shelved.
So, taking another look at it on last week I set to and demolished it (not litteraly)... I looked at the build and realised that I had in fact jumped the gun, I had failed to add the inner plates for the front track guards but added the launch frame, consequently I could not get the side plates fitted. Plus I was not happy with the centre turret cover. The parts from HK arrived at last (thankyou Russell), and that was the incentive to get going again.
As I said on the 'Doher' build, I have taken a break to sort out the builds that have been started never to be completed... And in my sorting out I came across another Churchill kit for the carpet layer (never to be built), so I looked at one and then looked at the other, looked at what required correcting and set to work... and this is where we are today - started a week ago....

So as you can see the main hull has been completed except for the hatches, a new turret plate has been fitted, a new 'foot' for the launch frame and a new support frame for the hydraulic piston tank.

The rear frame and toolbox are in place, the moulded edge plates that in real life fixed the mudguard to the hull have been removed so that the verticle frames could be fitted.

This is the piston rod assembly and in the center aer the guides that were missing from the kit and caused the delay. If you look at the hull a lot of the side frames/fittings are missing, this is because they were not required on this version - and yes, I was tempted to do the version with the round crew entry/escape hatches...


The launch arm has been assembled and the piston rod/cylander are now in place with the front bridge support frames.
Ah! I can here you say - how do the crew get in and out if the slide frames are stopping the hatches opening fully - they used the sponson escape hatches....
Now for the bridge itself.
Mike

[Jim R]

Impressive progress Michael. It looks to have all fitted together well although I wonder if that is the result of hours of fettling :thinking:

[JR]

Ooh , impressive stuff Wibble.:surprised:
Far to complicated for me, i'll stick to bricks and roof's.

[Guest]

Good to see this one continuing

[scottie3158]

Nice to see this back on the go. Let the magic happen.

[Scratchbuilder]

Update,
Progressing along at a steady pace, although no work yesterday as it was re-fit the vynil at the front door as it had a bubble, more like a hump, so it was on the knees, pull this way, pull that way, snip a bit off here and snip a bit off there. So only managed to assemble one half of the bridge - nearly....

Now as you can see it all goes together very well - that is untill the human comes along and like most of us does not really read the instructions or look at the parts... So from what you see here it all went a bit pear shaped (not the kits fault)...
As per the instructions I started to add the tread plate working from the centre outwards. First section went great, c/a did its job, had to hold it in place for a minute or two. Then it was the left section, c/a, hold, release. Now came the right section, c/a, hold, release. And it was here that the first warning came - finger got stuck to the bridge and quickly removed.... Next section, c/a, hold, unstick finger and onto the final section. This one obviously did not get the memo, went to let go of it and it held, there it was dangling like an errant alien attacking my finger. So tried the release agent, ha! just laughed at it, shook it gently, I swear the grip got tighter. So it was a case of grip and rip! of it came - a small bit of the treadplate remained on my finger. That was removed gently and stuck back where it should have been and left overnight where it is now sitting waiting to have the last bit of attention......
I glued the whole treadplate on upside down, no wonder I had to hold it for the c/a to set..... :tired:
So now I have to cut multiple strips, c/a them to the treadplate, trim and admire....
More later, after I have taken the waterlogged planters of the trestles, moved the trestles under guidance, dragged the planters to the trestles, gained a few hernias lifting them onto the trestles, then lifting them off the trestles to be replaced by another planter untill SWMBO is in her happy place :confounded:
Cheers
Mike.