First task is to attach the rear upper hull skirt; this should sit flush with the side skirts as circled. Note the track hanger, top left, is already in place and ready to receive the spare track rods.
The woven fibre round containers are assembled on the sprue which has the container lids on for ease of construction and to prevent loss of small parts.
The spare track hanger in place on the hull side. Note the moulded texture of the side armour plates and the wonderfully rendered weld seams.
The evolution of the humble road wheel from freshly cut off the sprue, to having the raised moulding lines removed to the moment wonderfully finished wheel emerges from my labours.
Next are the bosses for the appliqué armour. These are small and awkward to hold so storing cut boss heads in a small container is a must, lest the dreaded carpet monster feasts upon his unsuspecting prey. The spills of liquid poly will be removed with 1500 grit wet and dry., indeed its far easier to apply the cement to the hull rather than onto the bosses.
Antenna mount in place, as I’m going for a vehicle that was in service in mountainous terrains the angled mount will allow me to add a length of 0.42mm steel wire that replicates the long antennas that were common place. Well that’s the plan anyway. The burrs on the PE base and bolt washers will be squared away prior to priming.
Rear deck coming together nicely. No fit issues to write home about and lots of nice detailing touches. Note the circled fuel cap that doesn’t have a handle like the others.
The gun cradle has a particularly nasty sink mark on its surface. This was covered with thin foil backed plastic removed from an empty packet of coffee.
A spot of superglue and a gentle rub on the foil surface with a cotton wool bud and we’re in business. Sink mark gone, like magic almost (thanks for the tip Geoff).
The 75mm Barrel is now glued together and held tight with wooden pegs, these wont stick to the barrel if too much glue is used. Another bonus is that the pegs conform nicely to the circular nature of the barrel as the plastic versions tend to be more elliptical.
Christopher Woolford says
My dad’s first trip abroad was as an M 10 driver/gunner. He rarely spoke of those days, but he did tell me that the metal trunking and waterproofing sealants designed to allow carriages to wade ashore had taken weeks to fit and check. Minutes after landing, batteries were marshalled off the Normandy beach into a nearby field. There, pairs of REME engineers, stripped to their waists and wielding sledge hammers, leapt aboard each carriage to bash off its trunking in a few noisy seconds. Men on the ground dragged the battered trunking to be flattened by arriving and departing carriages. Within minutes of landing, M 10s were ready to fight.
I have learned more about the M 10 from your great build than I knew until now. Thanks Ben. There might be an Airfix M 10 diorama in the offing for me.