Blackadder's Landkreuzer P500; Der Wühlmaus

[Blackadder]

Revelation:

It's only when you try to replicate one of these resin masterpieces that you get a full appreciation of the exacting work that goes into the prototype production of the piece.

The track segments have to be just the right size to circle the wheel or the treads will look clumsy.

I'm hoping I have left enough excess link overlap to make the run workable; I can probably take off about 2,0 MM more per link if needs be but I'd prefer not to, we'll see once the rest of the links are installed.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/pLr6rwH.jpg[/url]


I picked a skull tread at random and it's not one of the better ones; I may replace it or at least swap out the skulls.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/kYL8MYu.jpg[/url]


The comparison shot with an original Baneblade is optically deceiving. both treads appear much the same size........ Ha!

Here we see the side view of the tread and the object of my concern regarding the width of the link in relation to the idler wheel.

]http://i.imgur.com/hRmcU6k.jpg


i'll know later on this evening whether it's a go or not..............

[Blackadder]

OMG!

I can't believe it worked! It's one thing to plan out how something will look in your mind but to actually see it reach fruition kinda takes you by surprise.


[url]http://i.imgur.com/FqTZL1t.jpg[/url]


The rest is just repetition making the other three run segments

[url]http://i.imgur.com/0DvyU4e.jpg[/url]



The problem now is that big gap between the front and rear tread assemblies

[url]http://i.imgur.com/RtqCO4G.jpg[/url]


Do I dare compromise and fake the bottom run

[url]http://i.imgur.com/ZuHal03.jpg[/url]


Or bit the bullet and make a proper set of track segments

[url]http://i.imgur.com/hOx0YVU.jpg[/url]

[interrogator_chaplain]

I'd totally forgive you if you didn't do the detail on the bottom treads. For the sake of progress, and that at this point, you really don't have all that much to prove.

[Psychosplodge]

Fake it for speed. It can't be seen, and then you can move onto the rest of the tank.

[Blackadder]

Money In the Bank:

Okay so who bet that the Blackadder was too anal retentive to compromise the un seen thread links?

Too bad, it was like money in the bank...........

Seems like most of the work was on the visible portions of the links anyway not the track face so what was I saving by fudging the bottom run?

[url]http://i.imgur.com/GbPCniM.jpg[/url]


I figured out a way that I can have the unseen detail and at not much more expenditure of time and labor while still having a relatively consistent quality the individual links have.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/ijXGQ9T.jpg[/url]


So there will be two 13 link pieces running under the center five road wheels. Six skulls need to be cast but that's no biggy

And my personal integrity has been restored..... read OCD.

[Psychosplodge]

Ah yeah there is that...

[Blackadder]

A Lesson In Tenacity:

We are limited boys and girls only by a lack of persistence. 24 hours ago I was in a quandary as to whether I had the wherewithal to attempt fabricating the hidden detail.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/z2RwOIc.jpg[/url]


and now it's more than half accomplished.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/yr3Qtpu.jpg[/url]


How much better this would this not have turn out because of laxity on my part?

[url]http://i.imgur.com/yhTugfh.jpg[/url]


Now all needs to be done is the inner track plates..........

[Blackadder]

Much Better:

A bit of elbow grease and the result is much better in a relative way. I wouldn't have been satisfied with the compromise........

[url]http://i.imgur.com/diWapDe.jpg[/url]


The interlude has also given me time to think about how to align the wheels better so I have remounted about 50% of the misaligned and only a few more to go before mounting the underrun of track.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/TZm3iLv.jpg[/url][


In this last image you can see the second from last road wheel is misaligned.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/wZy8QyD.jpg[/url]


That is being corrected as I type.

[Blackadder]

Prognosis Positive:

Okay I can with good consciousness put this aside for a while and resume the Reaver.

All the treads are completed with seven left over no less that I can utilize for spares including two skull treads.

In this first series of photos we'll do a size comparison of the Land Kreuzer P500 and the standard Baneblade tracks

[url]http://i.imgur.com/KEbgmU8.jpg[/url]


The track is overwhelmingly larger and I hope I haven't diminished the Baneblade too much anymore than the Maus diminished the King Tiger

[url]http://i.imgur.com/stBOYuS.jpg[/url]


Even with the Kreuzer in the background it is still huge compared to the dainty Baneblade track.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/w8pFrE7.jpg[/url]


Later, the mistakes........

[Psychosplodge]

Very nice.

And the spares can go on the hull?