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 Rank: Vice-Master     Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2012 Posts: 651 Points: 1,903 Location: croydon
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Hi Daran  . I am so glad you are back doing this build and I hope you are well. I have no doubt that a craftsman like yourself will do this build justice. Keep up the fantastic work as I look on in wonderment. Best regards. Mark
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So here is the next installment, some more pe done, although it doesn't look like it, and the air tanks positioned. Air tanks need a lot of work yet and not glued proper. I have included a picture with the tender upper so you get an idea of the size, my cutting mat is 44cm wide!!    Need a break from the pe on this, little bolt heads are driving me nuts, so I am going to start the Leopold!!
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So I have made a start on the Leopold. Started with the breach and cradle and the barrel. The barrel has an insert that fits in to the original kit parts and that then supports the barrel. looks the part in turned ally, and no seam to try and smooth out. It is massive, and the barrel and breach assembly are longer than the BR-52!! The back of the breach will be filled with lead shot as a counter balance to the weight of the barrel.  
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 Rank: Super-Elite     Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
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Awesome work Nem, looks fantastic - Now that's what I call a gun barrel!  Steve
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 Rank: Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 14/10/2014 Posts: 1,715 Points: 5,087 Location: Leicester england uk
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Hi this is just looking fantastic, look forward to following this one.cheers mick. Builds hms victory, suzuki gsx 1300 R hayabusa, honda C B 750, lamborghini countach L P 500 S, tamiya 1/16 rc full option tiger 1 tank,
built, Mclaren M P 4 - 23. Occre london tram,
Stash.airfix 1/24 mosquito. Diag Virginia schooner, tamiya 1/6 honda 750, tamiya 1/35 famo, tamiya 1/35 flak 88.
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I have found some small issues with the kit, but nothing that cant be fixed or modified.The breach block fit in the main cradle was terrible, like waving a sausage in the channel tunnel!! So I made a collar from the trusted plasticard which centralized it and made it a snug fit.    It needs to be a good fit and solid as I will be using the back of the breach block as a counter balance for the weight of the barrel, and it will be filled with lead shot in the 3 compartments you can see. Dry fit of the back of the breach block to make sure it all lines up.
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Rank: Elite   Groups: registriert, Registered Joined: 20/03/2011 Posts: 2,356 Points: 7,122 Location: UK
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Your going to need a bigger house for that! Great work so far Nem and it's going to be a beast of a thing  Spencer
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Thanks for the comments it is going to rather large!!
So on with the breach. the firing block was not a good fit and one of the guides was missing, although being on the bottom it coudn't be seen, but I knew it was missing!! So out with the trusty card.     
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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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Inspiring work as always Daran and great to see this magnificent build moving along again - well done!!  
Question: How much lead shot is it going to take to balance the weight of that enormous barrel?! 
Kev
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 Rank: Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/03/2011 Posts: 1,344 Points: 4,079 Location: Bryanston, Johannesburg. RSA
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What a beautiful build. I do believe space will be a problem. Good job will be following this one. Well done. Rgds, Hans
"It's okay to make mistakes. mistakes are our teachers - they help us to to learn, even if it is painfully"
Current Build:
Endeavour Cross section,D51
Completed: HMS Victory
Under the bench: Endeavour x 2,Sovereign of the Seas, Akagi and The Black Pearl!HMS Victory Cross Section
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Hello Kev, thanks for looking in. The compartments will be full of lead shot, I will post a pic when I get to it.
Hans, I am making a shelf to go on the wall to support the dio, it will have to be very strong as I plan a case to go over it as dusting it is not an option!!!
The hydraulic ram supports were hollow so I filled them with car filler!!  
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Well it has come to the point in the build I need to start thinking about painting as it is such a large piece and will need doing in sections. After lots of research, books and forums, it seems that there are heated discussions over the colours Leopold was painted. Some say green, some grey, some red oxide or sand yellow and red brown!! So I decided to email Aberdeen Proving Ground to see what they had to say on the matter, and this is the reply I got,
Sir: The original paint scheme on the gun from Krupps was "Panzergrau" which, for the
lack of a better word, is dark grey. The gun was painted in its current scheme
before it went to Italy. It was the current Mediterranean camouflage scheme.
After firing into Anzio, the Commander was informed he was to be withdrawn back to Germany. The crew broke into a rail shed
alongside the tracks and found some light grey paint belonging to the
Italian rail road company. They used it to paint the K5, thinning the paint with
gasoline. After they got it painted, the German propaganda people from
SIGNAL turned up and took some photos of the K5 painted light grey and made a
film showing Leopold "in action" painted in this totally non standard color scheme. So, when
it was captured it was in a very light grey paint scheme and that color was
maintained over the years here at APG. Many years ago when we were ready
to repaint the K5, we found the original paint scheme under the grey. We
marked it out with chalk and repainted it as near as we could get to what was uncovered.
APG
So that is where I am with paint!! I will start by painting it as from the factory, grey over red oxide, then spray the yellow and brown scheme over the top. It will give an interesting finish as the decals would be on the grey and you can bet your bottom dollar the Germans didn't mask them off, so plenty of over spray and faded edges!! I have found a B/W photo showing this although not the full pattern, so it gives me plenty of scope to play with.
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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Interesting stuff and that gun barrel look the biz
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Dry fitting of the gun chassis to make sure it all lines up and is square, lots of horror stories about the chassis fit but this seems good.  Its a monster of a kit, here is the BR-52 for a size comparison, and the rail trucks are not shown!! And the Two Penny shot!! 
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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HaHa!! Love that, most people use the famous "penny" shot for size comparison but this thing is SO big it needs stepping up to a "two penny" shot? Says it all really doesn't it?!!
Love the paint info Daran, very interesting indeed and you can't get more accurate than that, though I'm sure there will be rivet counters from other forums looking in and disagreeing with it even though it's come from the horses' mouth? WTG mate and well done you for doing the research!
This is going to be an awesome build my friend, watching all the way!!
Kev
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Rank: Administration  Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 7,970 Points: 23,099 Location: East midlands
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Hi, Think you better start saving up. When this beauty is finished a £50 note will be more appropriate, cos when you post the final pics you won't see any coin from the distance away you're gonna be to get it in frame. Just hope you got a long garden or live next to a railway siding. Regards delboy271155 (Derek ) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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The lead ballast is now glued in the rear of the breach and breach fitted. it will balance the barrel nicely.  The hydraulic ram in the kit was terrible, so a modification was needed. I cut the shaft off the pinion and drilled it out to 8mm and then cut a piece of 8mm diameter stainless steel tube to the correct length of the kit part plus 5mm and glued it in the pinion, looks much better and certainly stronger.    The gun support and ram in dry fit.  These push rods are not going to be strong enough to support the gun and barrel so I have ordered some 4mm steel rod to modify them, then I will do the same as the ram supports and fill them.
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Just catching up on this and my is she taking shape. interesting paint history to play with tot. fab stuff keep the pics coming Jase “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Fantastic work as always Nem and great progress too! I like the point about the rods not being strong enough to support the gun any more - that's one of the things about up-grading and super-detailing that often gets missed out, sometimes the improvement in one part means even more improving further down the line! I know that feeling well! This is really taking shape now, loving it! Robin First wooden ship: The Grimsby 12 Gun 'Frigate' by Constructo Second: Bounty DelPrado Part Works Third: HMS Victory DelPrado Part Works 1/100 scale Diorama of the Battle of the Brandywine from the American Revolutionary War Diorama of the Battle of New Falkland (unfinished sci-fi), Great War Centenary Diorama of the Messines Ridge Assault Index for the Victory diary is on page 1
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Rank: Vice-Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 26/05/2014 Posts: 912 Points: 2,773 Location: East Sussex UK
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Hi Nems Following this with great interest and good to see you pushing the boat out on the money side of things. Paul Building: DelPrado HMS Victory. Building: DeAgostini Sovereign Of The Seas.
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