I Want to Ride My Bycicle

Hey folks, short post today, as I was hit hard with a 24-hr flu yesterday. Two days ago, however, I managed to get some fun work done on my Firefly conversions. I have now added pretty much all the stowage they're going to have, and have ground down the muzzles to look more realistic.

Also, I have used my method of making camo netting on one, and am trying to hide as much as possible their origin as not Fireflies...

Finally, I decided to do a fun bit of conversion on the back of one, as another 'trophy' find from a tank. Also, I imagine it's useful at the end of the day to get around when a jeep's not available:

As you can see, it was made using modelling wire bent how I needed it, and is based on a photograph of a period bike I saw. To hide the wire origins, much of it was then coated in liquid green stuff:

You can also see the addition of a plasticard set of gears, and a pedal. I will be giving it a few more coats to widen the wheels and smooth things out, and hopefully when painted it'll look right.

I have also finally taken photos of my Schutzen, and the painted part of my Tank Company, and will be uploading those over the weekend after I'm done convalescing...

T16s nearly done!

So I have finally managed to cast, and glue in, the remaining T16 crew! With them came a huge bunch of stowage, enough that I feel any more would hinder its combat role. I have (since these photos, black-sprayed them, and given the initial airbrush of green.

 

Here they are, all lined up and ready to go! The metal 'guards heads' from BF were incredibly useful for the casting, and to the right is the command UC that comes with the box set of 6pdrs. In a couple places, just to add variety, I have inserted British tank commanders from the Open Fire set. I can also say with hindsight, having basecoated them, that the rivets work! Liquid green stuff, with one or occasionally two coats to thicken it up, will indeed look like rivets if applied carefully! Much less work than trying to cut plasticard or paperclip to length and filing it back!

The other rivet counting thing I did was add the metal frame protector for the front left headlight. I had some spare PE metal sprues laying around, and carefully cut and bent them to length. Though they were easily the finickiest things I had to add to this project, the effect is, I think, quite strong!


In similar news, I have decided that rather than turning the remaining three otherwise unused Shermans from Open Fire into wrecks, I will convert them to Fireflies. Canadians in late-late war get to bump Sherman troops up to two Fireflies each, and this will give me a low-cost way of doing just that!
This project has certainly been more straightforward, but I think I'm less impressed with the outcome:

First, the tanks were assembled save the gun barrel, and the mount for the hull MG was shaved down. Next, I cut lengths of plastic rod to roughly the right length. The gun mantle was cut to accept the new barrel size, and stowage was prepped to cover the hole on the hull.

Next, copious amounts of putty were added to the ends of the barrels, so that I could shave them away for the muzzle brake. The turrets were then modified to have the second escape hatch, and since these photos, I have cut back the muzzle brakes, sloped the base of the gun barrel appropriately, and added a PE metal piece 'hatch hinge' on each. I've also added the externalized radio, and two storage bins to the backs of the turret. I'll put more photos up when they get further along, but as you can imagine, the next little while will be devoted to painting T16s!