Churchill
#1
Thread Starter
Churchill
I have always wanted to build a Churchill, but the suspension and road wheels looked like a bad dream to me. I finally decided to try it in small steps to see how it would go. I got some of the big parts done and thought that maybe I should build one side at a time so that I could build the opposite side without the mistakes and modifications I experienced building the first side. I have built the first side two or three times so far, but I think the second side will go faster. I started this project on July 17th and this is as far as I have gotten. Then all I will have to do is build the other side and all of the stuff between the two sides, plus the trailer. It's going to be the Crocodile version (someday). This project is a big pile of little scratch built parts. What you see is around 400 individual pieces. It made me wish I had a 3D printer. I think this project is going to take some time to finish.
At some time in the future I am considering painting this tank with one of these spray paints. Has anyone used them? Any suggestions for another appropriate color for a Churchill?
Tamiya TS-9 British Green Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
Tamiya TS-61 NATO Green Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
Tamiya TS-5 Olive Drab Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
rex
At some time in the future I am considering painting this tank with one of these spray paints. Has anyone used them? Any suggestions for another appropriate color for a Churchill?
Tamiya TS-9 British Green Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
Tamiya TS-61 NATO Green Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
Tamiya TS-5 Olive Drab Synthetic Lacquer Paint.
rex
#5
Thread Starter
I used styrene plastic sheet and assorted shapes made by Plastruct and Evergreen, some resin castings I made and a few details that I got from an HO train site. The track and road wheels are from Mato. The track is from their Jagdpanther, I had to buy two sets of the track loops to get enough for the Churchill. The road wheels are from their Walker Bulldog (they are the track return rollers) and I had to buy 24 of those and turn them down 2 mm on my lathe to get the spacing right. That took me 3 hours to do all of them.
rex
rex
#6
Thread Starter
#7
Thread Starter
#8
Oh gawd... now he's building a Churchill. I don't know whether to admire you or hate you.
One armored vehicle I think ALL OF US want.
(just kiddin' ya 'bout hatin' ya)
Jeff
One armored vehicle I think ALL OF US want.
(just kiddin' ya 'bout hatin' ya)
Jeff
#9
Thread Starter
A String to pull it, or a Stick to push it
rex
#11
Wow Rex. Mine wouldn't look that good even if it was a kit with instructions. I always thought that was a crazy suspension system for a tank, scratch building it would drive me crazy.
#14
Hi, I think Chris has already made a plastic sheet kit and DKLM is planning to do a metal one in 1/16. It would be interesting to see how you do the suspension - many tanks are based on this hull after all.
For much of the WWII you will get a close match with TS-5. I use TS-9 on my post-war Centurion for the bronze green tone.
For much of the WWII you will get a close match with TS-5. I use TS-9 on my post-war Centurion for the bronze green tone.
#15
Oh yeah... the A43. Now we're talking about MY favorite Churchill version.
Building one of these will require a larger, wider hull... plus I think only 7 or 8 of the 'prototype' were made, so it was not a standard production vehicle. It IS an interesting read if you guys find the time.
Still... the Black Prince looks like a Churchy mated with a Centurion.
Jeff
Building one of these will require a larger, wider hull... plus I think only 7 or 8 of the 'prototype' were made, so it was not a standard production vehicle. It IS an interesting read if you guys find the time.
Still... the Black Prince looks like a Churchy mated with a Centurion.
Jeff
#16
Thread Starter
rex
Last edited by Rex Ross; 08-03-2016 at 08:36 AM.
#17
I vote for the four man machine gun. That's cool!
#18
Thread Starter
I knew the second side of this would be faster to put together and it only took three days of bench time ---- not two weeks. I knew what to do and what not to do, so It was more of an assembly project than a scratch building exercise. I'm glad this part is done. Now all I have to do is fill in the middle part with a top, bottom, front, back, sides, turret and trailer.
rex
rex
#20
Thread Starter
As I finished both sides of the track suspension of my Churchill, I sat there and looked at everything to make sure I didn't miss any minor details. That was when I noticed an incredibly horrible, dumb thing that jumped out at me and told me I am a senile old coot who knows a lot of cuss words when he makes a mistake. The armored side plates did not extend out far enough to allow for the proper installation of the fenders over the tracks.
The width of the track on a real A22f is 22 inches. The track I thought would work for my toy project is from the HL Jagdpanther, and it is about 26 inches, in 1/16 scale. Since there was no way to cut the track down a bit, I figured this was close enough and thought I had considered and compensated all of my parts dimensions to deal with that, but I was dead wrong. I was really bummed out. It might not have been that noticeable if I didn't do fenders, but I wasn't happy with that. I wanted fenders and the only thing to do was redo the armored side plates. Soooooo - I carefully cut, sawed and chiseled off what I could manage to salvage and will spend all day fixing things up.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
rex
The width of the track on a real A22f is 22 inches. The track I thought would work for my toy project is from the HL Jagdpanther, and it is about 26 inches, in 1/16 scale. Since there was no way to cut the track down a bit, I figured this was close enough and thought I had considered and compensated all of my parts dimensions to deal with that, but I was dead wrong. I was really bummed out. It might not have been that noticeable if I didn't do fenders, but I wasn't happy with that. I wanted fenders and the only thing to do was redo the armored side plates. Soooooo - I carefully cut, sawed and chiseled off what I could manage to salvage and will spend all day fixing things up.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
rex
Last edited by Rex Ross; 08-08-2016 at 06:30 AM.
#21
Well, we ALL experience a slight cringe factor when creating is involved. At least it was caught before it went too far along and even at that rate... there's more that's RIGHT than wrong and it will still shine on.
Jeff
Jeff
#22
Thread Starter
Jeff ---
Making mistakes really doesn't bother me - I'm an expert at that. it's the work it takes to correct them that bites my butt. There are a lot of things where a few millimeters really doesn't matter, at least if it doesn't show, but this detail was critical in order to look right. The armored side plates only needed to extend out passed the track edge 1 or 2 mm for fender clearance. I needed to bring those plates out about 4 mm to get that clearance. That worked out ok.
rex
Making mistakes really doesn't bother me - I'm an expert at that. it's the work it takes to correct them that bites my butt. There are a lot of things where a few millimeters really doesn't matter, at least if it doesn't show, but this detail was critical in order to look right. The armored side plates only needed to extend out passed the track edge 1 or 2 mm for fender clearance. I needed to bring those plates out about 4 mm to get that clearance. That worked out ok.
rex
#23
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: St louis missouri
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Jeff ---
Making mistakes really doesn't bother me - I'm an expert at that. it's the work it takes to correct them that bites my butt. There are a lot of things where a few millimeters really doesn't matter, at least if it doesn't show, but this detail was critical in order to look right.
Making mistakes really doesn't bother me - I'm an expert at that. it's the work it takes to correct them that bites my butt. There are a lot of things where a few millimeters really doesn't matter, at least if it doesn't show, but this detail was critical in order to look right.
#24
Thread Starter
I got a little more done on this critter, but it's going slow because I am spending more time building this thing in my brain more than I am building it on my bench. Also, the Olympics are distracting me a bunch. I'm trying to think ahead far enough so that I don't have any more big corrections to make like I did on the suspension assembly. So far, so good. I think the next step will be to finish the turret and then do the fenders.
rex
rex