Hasegawa 234/2

[Finnmodeler]

Hi,
this is newest project in my work table. It really doesn't help to unload the list but it helps me to try something different techniques.
Model is Hasegawa's 234 in 1/72 scale and it is "a bit" easier than Mars counterpart. Mars suspension was more detailed but many times more difficult and tedious to work with. As Mars was resin, I didn't even try to add any details.
This Puma isn't bad but it needs some additions to make it shine. Eduard has PE set for it but as it doesn't add anything too difficult, I'll try to do similar parts my self.
I have Aber PE sets for Italeri 234 and I will use thos instructions to add details. It's quite astounishing how Eduard PE in 72 scale is almost same as Aber in bigger scale.
I haven't really looked into model yet so I don't know what excatly to expect. Christopher's 234-blog helps a lot, thou ;)

Here are instructions:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/Finnmodeler/Puma003Medium.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/Finnmodeler/Puma004Medium.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/Finnmodeler/Puma005Medium.jpg

This is what I started with. I wanted to make grilles open so this is how it begins:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/Finnmodeler/Puma006Medium.jpg

As I'm hassling into all directions with this, I started doing fenders from scratch. This is first version without side bins. Corners are off and too round. I laos noticed when looking at pic that I can't bend metal part over original one as it won't shape correctly then. Just trying to get feel of the work I'm heading myself into:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/Finnmodeler/Puma002Medium.jpg

I'm thinking of doing this 8-wheeler as destroyed, similar as in Mario Een's Puma article in TMMI many issues ago. Without wheels or at least flat wheels, maybe cracked turret, open escape hatches etc. These are of course just ideas but you'll see hopefully in the future what happens :lol:

Niko

[Flak]

Hi Niko,

It looks very interesting to me...and it should be a BIG project for you... ;)

I also had 234/2 form Hasegawa's and Italeri's...I'm watching and should follow with you... :lol:

[Finnmodeler]

Hi Marco,
Well, it may be too ambitious project but we'll see soon :) I have also Italeri's Puma but it is not nearly as nice as Hase. So it may donate some parts but that remains to be seen.
I made a silicone mold of both wheels. My silicone is so old that air bubbles don't come out easily anymore. Today I can check if the molds are a success. I hope so as I'm planning to redo wheels ;)

Niko

[Flak]

I hope so as I'm planning to redo wheels

Hi Niko,

Areyou going to re-sculpture the tire pattern...

[Donovan]

Good to see this one going, but I agree, that is going to be a big project, but well worthwhile.

I do not possess the skill for that Aber set personally, but I'm glad my build is somewhat helpful to you, no doubt you will end up with a *very* good looking Puma from this.

I recently finished the 234/1 as well but used the Roden turret and scratched screens.

I really like the Hase 234 series. They provide a good base for the vehicles IMO.

Good luck and please post more pics I want to watch this one closely.

Cheers,
Christopher

[Finnmodeler]

Originally posted by Donovan@Nov 7 2005, 12:31 PM
Good to see this one going, but I agree, that is going to be a big project, but well worthwhile.

I do not possess the skill for that Aber set personally, but I'm glad my build is somewhat helpful to you, no doubt you will end up with a *very* good looking Puma from this.

I recently finished the 234/1 as well but used the Roden turret and scratched screens.

I really like the Hase 234 series. They provide a good base for the vehicles IMO.

Good luck and please post more pics I want to watch this one closely.

Cheers,
Christopher
Hi donovan,
I agree on that Hasegawa is very good or rather excellent base to start with. Not that it wouldn't look good OOTB. ;)
Quite a setback yesterday. I wanted to soften metal I've been using as it is a too thick to handle easily. Anyway, I made a new fender and started heating it with a small torch. Unfortunately flame is too hot and whole piece literally melted away!
I really wouldn't try to anneal unless metal wasn't so hard. Now it is quite difficult to make any damage to piece this size. I have tried to find other solutions but no viable yet. Plastic doesn't work either or at least I have no skills to make a good looking fender from plasticard.
I get back to this propably next week as now we have weddings and son's birthday parties coming this weekend :lol:
Niko

[Finnmodeler]

Only a small update to this cat. I opened bin doors to right side. I'm thinking of using plastic fender on left side to simulate damage to other side only, like bomb blast or similar.

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Pumafender.jpg

Fender will be crushed and bent totally.

BTW, does anyone have a pic from UNDERSIDE of 234 fenders? I'd like to know attachment points and how they look.

Thanks for looking,
Niko

[Finnmodeler]

Well,
a small break from planes(!) to this. I decided to do something so this is what I achieved in 30 mins break during the day. I'm on a sick leave so I'm at home all day. Eating all painkilling pills doesn't help in modelling, anyway :lol:
I used Aber's original PE as guide to measure corret sized pieces. My styrene strip selection is rather limited so I end up cutting parts from 0,4mm styrene sheet. Size for parts was 1,3mmX 7mm. I thinned parts with 600 grit sand paper. As you can see. I didn't achieve to thin parts equally but hopefully painting hides discrepancies ;)
Glueing was easy with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement and tweezers.

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma1.jpg

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma2.jpg

Next in the list are the bigger louvres. That's a task to get them straight!

Niko

[amba]

Hi Niko,

I can't believe that's a 1/72 kit. You must have eyes like an eagle :o

-Ambjoern

[Larry Bates]

Yes,

What Ambjoern said..... :lol:

nice work Niko.

Larry

[Finnmodeler]

Hi,
and nonono :lol: I have very normal eyes with poor close vision...
Thanks anyway ;)
More to follow in this project soon,

Niko

[Flak]

Hi Niko,

It looks good :lol: keep the pictures coming..

[Finnmodeler]

Originally posted by Flak@Nov 7 2005, 08:39 AM

Hi Niko,

Areyou going to re-sculpture the tire pattern...
Hi,
no, I was just going to cast more wheels with different patterns. Anyway, I can't find the molds :o
I'm hopeless as I have certainly placed them some very secure box. I have to refine my storage system :lol:

Niko

[Finnmodeler]

And some more work here for louvres to engine over:
First strip cut from plasticard (5mmX1,3mm) and sanded thinner with 600 grit.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/parts.jpg
I didn't use any actual measurements to put parts in place. Only some eye balling is being used. Hopefully that is enough :lol:
Only 9 to go:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/started.jpg
4 in a row already. This starts look too easy..No, problems may arise in last parts but that remains to be seen.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/moreinplace.jpg

It's 2 AM and bed is calling. Also neck pains need some pills so no more modelling tonight.

Later,

Niko

[Finnmodeler]

And today an update:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma011.jpg
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma012.jpg

Pieces are not totally in line and also not spaced as well as supposed to. I think I'll leave to that, too lazy ;)

Open hatches are always an eye catcher so here we go. I don't know where I'll end up with this one. Propably unended project :(

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma013.jpg

Niko

[Larry Bates]

Niko,

Wow, nice detailing! I can't believe its 1/72 scale. Great work on the louvres. :thumb:

Larry

[Finnmodeler]

Had to add underside screens even thou those can't be seen much:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/Puma%20(Medium).jpg

[Sheeds]

At first I thought you were building in 1/35 scale! Excellent work, like Amba said, you must have eyes like an eagle! ;)

Willy.

[Finnmodeler]

Thanks guys:) I mentioned earlier having poor close vision but I meant that my long range vision is poor. So much for my good English :lol:

I will update this later,

Niko

[Flak]

Hi Niko,

Had to add underside screens even thou those can't be seen much

Interesting...how it look through from the upper hull ;)

[Finnmodeler]

Originally posted by Flak@Feb 26 2006, 10:54 PM
Hi Niko,



Interesting...how it look through from the upper hull ;)
Hi,
I try to take a pic and show :)

Niko

[Donovan]

Niko,

Looking great! I too would like to see a pic from above of the vents with the screen. Those fenders looked like quite a bit of work too, that is gonna be a sweet 8 rad when you are done.

Cheers,
Christopher

[Finnmodeler]

Hi,
here you go:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/pumalouv.jpg
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/pumalouv2.jpg

Surprisingly quite a lot shows through ;) Don't know how I will paint it eventually. Nothing to worry yet as long way to go.
I found missing wheels from a block of silicone :lol: I have quite an ambitious plan regarding them. I hope my plan works.

Later,
Niko

[Flak]

Hi Niko,

Surprisingly quite a lot shows through Don't know how I will paint it eventually. Nothing to worry yet as long way to go.

:lol: :lol: No worries, I think it don't shows a lot, when it in paint. Great job.

[Finnmodeler]

Some update here. Still this is dragging slowly just like most of my projects. I'm currently "free-wheeling", jumping from project to another.

Anyway, opened front hatch and made the back groung plate for it. I also opened few of the smaller hatches in upper hull. Hasegawa has made those hatches separate so it should be rather easy to make this feature. Plastic hull is way too thick so it must be thinned quite a lot.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/pumahatches%20(Medium).jpg

As I want to do some flattened tires and totally separate wheels, I'll do hub caps. Maybe I do some resin copies if it looks neat enough. So I have used MIG's 35 scale set as a ref. Here I have separated one set. Nothing has been done yet for hub itself. Parts are quite small so it is not easy to make all the needed details. You'll see some day if I manage :D
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/wheelhub%20(Medium).jpg

Niko

[Finnmodeler]

So I continued today with wheel hubs.

First I laminated 0,6 mm x 5 mm rings to get a base for hub. As I'm building this now( 2 AM) I have no access to thick enough plastic rods from any shop. That's why I have to make it myself.

Here is base and hub itself from kit. Next task is to add 10 holes around this new part.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/11.jpg

As I didn't have any readily made 360 degree paper, I hac to find one from web and print it. I found some horoscope page and good enough scale. Round plastic part is in place with tape. I have already drawn 5 lines to divide holes evenly in 36 degree angles. Sorry about my bad English here, I really don't know too much this tech/math language :lol:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/dial2.jpg

Now I have pressed holes with sharp pin and holes look pretty ok. Next I will shape base to similar shape as in MIG's 35 scale version. After that hub in place and make a silicone mold of it. At least that's the plan....

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/22.jpg
Niko

[Finnmodeler]

Well,
after looking parts I noticed that holes in wheel itself are 5 mm apart so part I'm making is too narrow. It should be something between 5,75-6 mm. Frak, I have to redo it.
But that is later, now to get some sleep.

Niko

[Finnmodeler]

Actually I already redid the part with holes. It wasn't that big deal after all was ready for locating the holes. Pics will follow later with wider base.

Br,
Niko

[Panzergrenadier]

You are doing a good job in this small scale. ;)

Siim

[brokeneagle]

Thats sooo small. Nice work.

[amba]

Nice work Niko, keep it going ... :) :)

-Ambjoern

[Finnmodeler]

Thanks guys :)
It is small and looks intriguing but point is that I hope to finish these as well :lol: That's my weak spot..

Niko

[Larry Bates]

Looks very nice Niko

Larry

[Finnmodeler]

A quick update after a return from cottage by the lake. Well spent weekend with swimming and reading excellent book series of Caesar by Iggulden.
I also watched the rather boring final so not much modelling. I manged to drill open the lightening holes from rim. Won't do tht for all of them, just this one :)

http://www.kolumbus.fi/niko.asposalo/puma/holes.jpg

Niko

[MikkoH]

Nice job on 1/72! Not with my hands or eyes! :lol:

Cheers Mikko