i thoroughly enjoyed this video, i watch a lot of modelling videos and i do models myself. i love how fast everything happens. its enough for you too know whats happening and also it doesn't happen too fast. great model as well by the way!
Very good vid, I believe the afv club tracks were the first workable plastic tracks back in the day and were always cheaper then the metal Kasten tracks which have always been grossly expensive as are the copycat Chinese made tracks. The best you can buy these days in my opinion are the Miniart or ryefield workable tracks (ryefield does make a set for the HVSS shermans as well as early ones) but care must be taken as they can snap or come loose easily. I do wish afv club would update these and provide a "Jig" part like all the other makers do now with their track sets as it helps assemble them, immensely. The newer track sets from other makers also have much user friendly ejector pin marks if at all and sprue cutting points in better locations.
Thank you. I didn't know AFV Club tracks pre-date all the others . And I agree, they really could do with a jig in their sets. I had seen other sets but I couldn't get hold of any of them, so I made do with the AFV Club ones. They're OK now they're assembled and painted but it wasn't the best experience getting there! I really must make a quick update video soon to show the result. Thanks again for your comment!
I don't think so. The spacing of the end connectors does not quite match the pitch of the track links, they are a fraction of a mm too far apart. They are also attached to sprue on the wrong face for that. The connectors are attached on their inner face - that is the face that needs to be facing inwards on the track. You have to cut them off the sprue to be able to slip them on to the track pins.
East fix, wrap a segment around the drive sprocket, they glue the sroket together and it will then be a perfect fit, I do this with the miniart tracks and sherman drive sprockets.
I see what you mean - use the track link to set the width of the sprocket before glueing, rather than trying to add them later? What a brilliantly simple idea! Thanks!
I have the RFM Sherman Firefly in my stash. It has link-by link tracks, but at least it has little jigs to build 5-link stretches and join stretches together.
I've not seen that kit in person but it seems like that way of construction is the way to go. These AFV Club tracks look OK when built up but they are a bit fiddly.
I'm currently (very slowly!) making a little scene with the 2 technicians and the pilot in the peaked cap with the torpedo on its trolley. The torpedo is done and I need to modify the pose of one of the technicians. Oh, and then decide on the base & setting. I need to get my finger out! How are you finding it painting 1/35? Having fun?
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie so far i have enjoyed the 2 kits which i have posted on my channel. have been using GW contrast paints as it seems quick and easy. Have a couple more purchased which i am going to paint and hopefully get some feedback from those who know what they are doing.
What detail, what an accurate paint job. These soldiers are very nice. I used to paint my WWII soldiers I got from a shop called Boyes in Yorkshire. But the solvent in the paint made the plastic brittle and fragile. I get a lot of my army men from BMC toys.
Now for the tank turret: the large lantern is called the tank turret lantern. This lantern shines with normal light, you can also install red glass or a nozzle with the last two numbers of the license plate. For example, if the tank has the number 523, then the nozzle will contain the numbers 23. In addition, there is a small red lamp below the rack - this is a marker light.
Hello! The cylinder on the back of the case between the spurs for mounting on the wagon is not a convoy light as on NATO equipment. Under it is the adjusting bolt of the torsion of the engine compartment roof. Sorry, I don't speak English so I used a translator. I hope you understand what I mean
I'm just finishing the Pitt-Road 1/144 Eurofighter Typhoon and really enjoying it - mostly a great fit. I wasn't looking forward to masking the canopy as it's so small and some of the frame edges are quite indistinct. I used Bare Metal Foil for the first time and it was excellent, much easier than tape. I can thoroughly recommend it.
I'm just building up the ICM WWII German Infantry set and I agree the detail is excellent especially for plastic figures. I'm looking forward to painting these.
wow just recently bought some fairly new 1/35 Tamiya US infantry - but these look like they are really good !! i dont really want to pay a fortune for Alpine figures - so this could be a good option chhers
Yes, I think I would. It's simple enough and fits together very well. The only struggles I encountered were due to my big clumsy hands and my middle-aged eyesight! There's very little in this kit that would trip up a beginner and, in my opinion, it makes a lovely looking model that could only encourage a beginner to stay in the hobby and build more....
Considering the fact you are gluing 2 adjacent links to a connector, I don't understand how do you expect the resulting track to be workable? No possible rotation between link1 and its connector (glued) + no possible rotation between that same connector and the next link either (glued) = no possible rotation between the 2 links. Meaning As soon as the glue has dried, your tracks are going to be as rigid as hell.
Well yes, that's why I said a friction fit would be preferable. With the very loose end connectors requiring glue the track is rendered unworkable. Take a look at my follow-up video and you'll see that some of the end connectors in this set ARE a friction fit but others are loose.
Been working on these myself pain in the arse. I had to split the sprockets in half and install a 0.5 mm styrene piece so the tracks fit. As for duckbills going to ask around if anyone has any they never used.
What kit are you building? At first I thought these tracks were too snug for the Asuka sprockets but it turns out they're a perfect fit. They are a bit of a pain in the arse but the good news is they do look fine once you've managed to get them assembled. How many duckbills do you need? I probably have enough left over from the 2nd box I bought to help you out.
Excellent ... did build this a few years ago as a captured vehicle ... lobed this kit. You did a amazing build and a excellent weathering on this Dingo Vignette ... very nice painted figures 😊👍 subbed to your channel ... a big hug and happy modeling, cheers Markus
Thank you so much for your view, your comment and your sub! I really did enjoy this kit and if my free time were limitless I'd build another one without hesitation!
Hi Jonathan, I’d kill to be able to do figures to that standard! But I agree with you about weathering, some models look ready for the scrapyard! Look forward to your videos.
Thanks for sharing this lovely little vehicle. Although you were very modest about the outcome, I thought it was brilliant and as a relatively new (classic returning to hobby after 40 years), modeller, this was very informative. The fact that you did not litter the base added to the sense of desolation and the restricted use of chipping gave it a feeling of reality.....a good lesson for me. Many thanks
Thank you so much Matt. This hobby is so subjective and I wouldn't criticise anyone for doing their models however they wish but I do sometimes feel that some models are too formulaic for my tastes. I like to keep things reserved and simple - at least most of the time! Thanks again for watching!
I agree, they are most impressive. I have those figures assembled and primed - I just need an excuse (and free time!) to sit and paint a couple of them. Maybe soon...
Great vid. If I had watched before I purchased I may not have but after watching you I am excited. I purchased mine because my M4A3 is being used as a knocked out/destroyed tank for a diorama and I need the flexibility of destroyed tracks without having to cut up rubber ones. Thanks
Thanks, I am pleased you found it useful! I am filming a follow-up this weekend to add a little more detail to what I said in this video and to point out a pretty major hiccup in this AFV Club set - nothing that should affect your knocked out diorama though.
@@Startrooper5555 Already done that, but probably unnecessarily. All I needed to do was to push the links into place a little more confidently - they actually 'click' into place really well if pushed hard enough. I'm preparing a follow-up video to this one which elaborates on the building of this track set but also highlights one hugely annoying flaw....
Well done. Razor blades and electrician's tape don't get the marketing push that snippers get. I can't believe how many are actually on the market now, and some are quite expensive.
Subscribed the other day; love what you've done and what you're working on. The tank skirts look great! But the crew is the special treat IMHO.. I think the facial expressions are amazing on those replacement heads, and you did superb job bringing that out with your painting skills.😉
Thank you for subscribing Mark. My painting of those rubber skirts started going awry about half-way through but I stumbled my way through them and I think I managed to pull them back from the brink! Yes, those Hornet heads are special, aren't they? I think they elevate those mediocre old ICM figures into worthy pieces.
Hi Steve, I'm glad you like the hack and I'm happy to have been able to pass it down the line! Yes, I do have loads more plans for loads more content but I don't have loads of free time. I'm sure that's a familiar situation for ALL modellers! Funnily enough I am making a little more content today whilst I DO have some free time.....coming to the channel soon hopefully.
Tamiya have been doing 1/35 figures for 50 years so comparisons can be a bit unfair. Their latest stuff may be a notch below Masterbox or Miniart, but still better than Dragon.
Because Tamiya has a reputation for not sucking, even when they do suck. I'm neither a Tamiya fan boy nor a Tamiya hater, so I do try to be objective and reasonable in any comparison.
Your figure painting is spectacular. Yes, I would like to see you do a build video. I am appreciative of all the effort that goes into filming a build.
Thank you for that generous praise! I am currently trying to find the time to finish off a quick (or not so quick!) video build, just as a tester really to see if it's feasible for me. I just wish there were more hours in the day.....
Great idea. I saw something equally simple and useful just last week - using nylon thread to cut out a panel in a fuselage. Drill small holes in the corners of the panel and then connect them by 'sawing' with nylon thread along the inside edge of the panel. It went through the styrene really easily and left a very fine cut.
Hi Phil, I am pleased you like this idea. Thank you so much for passing on the tip about the nylon thread - is it simple monofilament (fishing) thread? I'd like to try it.
Very informative; your close ups of the Tamiya and ICM unpainted figures were very helpful and reinforced your observations about the plusses and minuses of each brand. I have not bought ICM 1:35 figures because my impressions of ICM's 1:32 figures (Allied and British WWII pilots) was less than enthusiastic. Scalemates database indicted that my kits were new moldings in 2019 and 2021, but I was disappointed with how soft and ill defined the features were, especially the faces/heads. Uniforms/ flight suits were average at best. I haven't checked the dates of the ICM 1:35 offerings but clearly their soldiers and ground personnel are sharper and more refined than the 1:32 airmen. I have set of Master Box figures in 1:32; also a collection of WWII famous aces and I found the figures to be excellent.
Thank you Mark. I have recently used a set of ICM Soviet tank crew which are an older issue and they are nowhere near the quality of the most recent offerings. Still pretty good compared to many others but a little short by ICM's own contemporary standards. I've not seen their pilot figures yet. Where in Montana are you? Your State was the very first place I ever set foot inside the USA (travelling by road down from Alberta back in '87) and I was knocked sideways by the majesty of the Rockies. Spent a few very happy and memorable days in Kalispell....
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie I grew up in Kalispell and lived in Helena for almost 20 years after being away for 25 years while going to college and then working in Chicago Washington DC, NY, Hong Kong and Tokyo. I now live in central Oregon having moved here from Helena a year ago. I just finished a set of Tamiya (put originally ICM ) British Infantry figures Item NO 32409 which are quite good and I"m about to assemble and paint a set of British and German soldiers in combat in a small trench diorama... Master Box 35116. The latter look quite good on the sprue, so I hope they'll paint up pretty nicely. Are you in the UK? And if you don't mind me asking, where? I have modeling and slot car scratch building friends in Southend on Sea, Blackpool, Newcastle and a small town with a very long name not too far from Manchester. All the best.
Do you know Moose's Saloon in Kalispell? I still have a t-shirt from there, although I no longer fit in it! I'm in Nottinghamshire, between all those places you mention.
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie Ah, Games Workshop land, eh? Yes, I'm well acquainted with Moose's. Founded by and operated by Moose Miller for many years. His oldest son was 2 years behind me in high school, and went on to play college football at Princeton. Moose's Saloon is still there on the north end of Main Street and still an favorite spot of good oven pizza and of course a lot of beer.
Yes! I live about 15 miles from Warhammer World and I'll often have a day out there, not to game (I'm not a player) but to wander around the exhibition, have lunch & a pint, then wander round some more. Have you been? I and 4 friends spent a few evenings at Moose's. We loved the sawdust on the floor, the carved names on EVERY square inch on the walls, the pitchers of beer, the good pizza and the overwhelmingly friendly crowd of fellow customers. We were staying at a campsite which, to the best of my memory was called 'Campsite in the Pines' - could that be right? There was another bar we visited, can't remember the name though. Maybe up by what is (or was?) a National Guard establishment? Seriously, I have SUCH fondness for Kalispell because of those wonderful few days I spent there all those years ago.
Interesting video. I agree ICM and Masterbox figures are very nice. One thing that bugs me about reviews of the Tamiya Wehmacht tank crew is its always pointed out how soft the insignia detail is. Youre supposed to use the supplied insignia decals. The softly moulded insignia is supposed to be a base for the decals, not a finished detail. I get that modellers who prefer to handpaint insignia, the soft detail is not helpful but Tamiya intended for the decals to be used.
I beg to differ. I understand that there are decals supplied but why would that mean that Tamiya would have to make the insignia soft? It's not just the details within the insignia that is lacking, it's the edges of the patches too. Even then, with decals applied the edges of the insignia will look rounded and soft. And not to overlook the soft edges of the belts, the belt buckles, the piping and the buttons also, for example - and there are no decal supplied for those parts. If the modeller is "supposed" to use the decals, why mould any insignia into the plastic at all? Would it hurt Tamiya to mould sharply detailed insignia (if they can) so that those modellers who prefer paint to decals are also catered for? Why would Tamiya deliberately make something LESS detailed and sharp than they are able to? Why would Tamiya take an approach on their figures that they absolutely DON'T take on their vehicles and aircraft?
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie If Tamiya moulded sharply moulded insignia, the decals wouldn't settle down so easily, even with decal softener. Same with the belt buckles. If you look at the old 90s Tamiya German tank crew set, the detail and insignia is very sharp, so they can do it. Maybe there are shortcomings with the 3D scanning process they use these days. I think for the price, the Wehrmacht crew set is very good value with very useful poses.
Fantastic video! And thanks for ruining Tamiya for me 😂. Jokes aside - in my opinion Tamiya’s strength in general is providing excellent kits for a decent price. The more I’ve built excruciatingly over-engineered vehicle models from Ryefield and Bronco the more I’ve come to appreciate Tamiya. Great kits - simple but realistic and you’ll finish before you run out of patience. With figures it’s obviously a different story. Assembly isn’t the hard part when it comes to figures . They can over-engineer a figure as much as they’d like and it’s never going to take more than gluing up a bunch of limbs to a torso. The extra detail on a figure is a nice gesture towards skilled painters than can just as easily be painted over by a less ambitious modeler. Extremely detailed chassis and what not a ATV is just unnecessary headache unless you’re one of the people who knows exactly how everything holds together on a kit by just skimming through the instructions (and I certainly cannot).
Thank you! I grew up on Tamiya & Airfix and I still very much appreciate what those brands bring to the market, in their respective positions within that market. I like their relative simplicity and that, as you observed, you’ll finish before you run out of patience. Excellent point! I'm coming at this from a figure-painter's standpoint (a figure painter who is trying- and struggling - to be a competent kit builder too!) so it does disappoint me when I see a favoured manufacturer falling short on what I'd like them to achieve. There's just no pleasing me :)
