Derelict Crab T148656

Hull interior with Academy M36 parts in Asuka hull 

Last bogie on left side, with missing wheel 

Chain case for driving the flail 

Chain case drawings, to help you build one yourself 🙂 

Hull interior almost complete 

Stuff on commander’s side of turret 

Scratchbuilt turret drive mechanism 

Turret basket 

Turret basket 

View through commander’s hatch 

Resicast gun in Asuka mantlet 

Hull interior painted 

Turret interior painted 

Painted turret interior through commander’s hatch 

Resicast Crab parts on hull 

Resicast blast shield and scratchbuilt replacement 

Flail arms and blast shield on hull 

Resicast wading trunk on hull rear 

Attachment strips for lower blast shield 

Basic shape of the bin on the right-hand side of the hull 

Rear deck with deep-wading adapter and stationkeeping bars 

Stationkeeping bars 

Paint on both the models, SCC 15 on the derelict tank and dark grey-green on the monument tank 

Highlights added 

Tracks built and installed … and then the build stalled for almost two years 🙁 

After the long break, I corrected some details that became apparent from photographs that surfaced in the mean time: different periscope covers, the surround around the gun shield, and a few more. 

The links for the flail chains, 3D printed by another modeller. Four plates with links for twelve chains each, so seven spare (a Crab had 41 chains). For reference, the brown tiles are 5 cm × 5 cm. 

One flail chain constructed: four lengths of 0.4 mm brass rod held in a piece of Blue-Tac, onto which the links were assembled; the length (on the right) is a cut-down piece of Resicast flail chain. The rods were then glued and after drying, snipped off on both sides. After some practice, this took about 5 minutes per chain … 

All 41 flail chains done! 

Markings on right flail jib and hull front, replicating those on the real tank using decals and hand-painting. 

Markings on hull rear, again with decals and hand-painted parts. 

Markings on right hull side: WD census number both behind stowage bin and inside it, as visible in post-war pictures. 

Weathering started, with an overall wash of Tamiya flat earth and other parts more selectively stained and discoloured. 

Some of the flail chains on. They were painted black, drybrushed gun metal and washed with a dirt colour. 

Finished model, following more weathering, stains, etc.