Muro

gorby
Welcome back to modelling Kate. Sticking bits of plastic together is very different to when we were all younger and some aspects seem to be a lot more confusing than they used to be. Youtube is a very good place to find tutorials or feel free to ask questions here.

Kate Ward
Thanks! I've been watching two channels already, Night Shift and Panzermeister36. I'd welcome any reccomendations for more. 'Specially some that are aircraft-focused, since my next build after the KV will be Border's B5N2 Kate. (I had to pick that one, it's got my name on it. I only started on the KV first because it arrived in the mail a day earlier.)

gorby
I don't generally watch any Youtube modelling videos unless there is a particular technique I want to learn so I can't personally recommend any, although I know that Uncle Night Shift is one of the best. Hopefully someone else will be able to recommend something suitable. 🙂

Spanjaard
welcome back to the hobby. i would suggest on focusing in enjoying it more than mastering techniques 😉 of course, seek advise if got stuck

Kate Ward
I'm still figuring this website out, is the 2nd photo visible? I'm halfway there with the track, 11 of 22 sections, and in addition to the sprockets I've got the idlers and all the road wheels assembled. I was hoping to finish all of Step 1 as well, but I had some fit problems with the upper deck. Did it have to be in 3 pieces, Trumpeter? 😛

For one part of the rear, there's a choice of plastic or PE parts, and I had a go at trying the PE, using a tool handle that was about the right diameter as a mandrel. It didn't come out perfect, but I was looking at photos online of a real KV-85 on display in St Petersburg--the kit instructions were a little unclear about how it should look once assembled--and the real flange has a good big dent in it too. So I figure I'm good. ^_^

Following some old advice I remember from ~20 years ago when I first heard of Friul tracks, I'm using sewing pins rather than the softer wire that comes with the tracks. The fit is snug enough that I can press two links together and they will (4 times out of 5) stay put long enough to slide the pin in. Couple things I've learned the hard way: 1) gotta use a pin vise to drill them out, as hard as it is on my poor old wrists. Using a Dremel, it's too easy to do irreversible damage too fast; 2) don't cut off the pin heads and glue the pins down until I'm REALLY REALLY sure I've got them in the right order.

Two days, 11 sections totaling 88 tracks, and I've only stabbed myself with a pin 3 times. Go me.

Ben M
Yes, the second photo is visible. You can go into the album, click edit, then for "teaser" select "use last image" and then click "save and close" if you want the newest picture to always show.

I would never have guessed to use sewing pins for this, yeah I think drilling all those holes with a pin vise sounds like fun for my arthritis.

Kate Ward
I'd like to do a ship as well, a USN ship from the late cold war. I like this one over the various other versions because it models the early 80s pre-VLS version. I'm also considering Academy's FFG-7.

Kate Ward
I couldn't afford the combo kit this time around, I had to settle for just the Kate. But hopefully when Border releases their Zero, they'll bundle it with this too.

Kate Ward
I've wanted to build a tank model with Friul tracks for 20 years. I'm finally going to do it!

Gerald
Hello Welcome here 🙂

Kate Ward
Thanks!