1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

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Sunray
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1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by Sunray »

I had this sitting on a shelf so I thought I would build this as a fast build, well fast for me. I also bought the Eduard Photo Etch Set for it and I was surprised how much photo etch there is for such a small kit.

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So after looking at the kit and photo etch instructions to workout how I am going to do it. I started on the chassis and the body parts tiding them up, seeing what kit detail is going to be removed for the photo etch.

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On the chassis the front bumper (right) is going to be removed as are the two small rear bumpers.

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On the body sides there were only small amounts of detail to remove such as the tools straps. Once they were done I got on with putting the body together which was straightforward.

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As you can see I have added some photo etch detail such as the foot pedals, etc. Also I decided to replace the kit steering column with my own. This is because I find this is one of the parts of a kit that latter on want to snap. So using the kit parts as a template I cut a pin to half the length of the column. The pin is to act as a spigot as the pins I had were too thin. Also the original hole for the column was bigger the the head of the pin. To get around this I cut a small piece off a coke can to act as a washer then using another pin, a piece of wood and a small hammer I made a hole in the piece of can. Then I poked the cut pin through the hole and glued in place with CA glue.

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In the photo what looks like sugar on the pinhead is in fact sodium bicarb (baking powder) which acts as an accelerator for the CA glue, it cures instantly like concrete. I inserted the pin through the steering column hole from the engine side to test fit. For the steering column itself I used a syringe needle cut to size using the kit part again as a template and a Dremel with a cutting bit.

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This is then inserted over the pin. Once I was happy I stuck it all together using CA glue ensuring that the angle of the column in relation to the body right.

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On the underside of the chassis I bent into shape and fitted the gearbox shield.

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I had to test fit this a few times to get it right as you can see from the photo and then I attached it with CA glue.

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I added the radiator grill and I had a think about the lights.

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On previous builds I have painted in the lights but on this one I wanted to add lens. I have checked a few photo's and some had them paint over and some haven't but I am going to leave them clear. I painted the reflector of the lights Vallejo Steel and I hunted around for clear PET plastic for the lens. PET plastic is the same stuff they use for blister packs, pop bottles and vacuum form canopies. So I rescued a blister pack from the bin and cut off a nice flat clear piece. Then using my old punch set with the right size punch and small hammer I made two lens.

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Using PVA glue I attached the lens and assembled the front of the jeep as per the instructions.

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While I was waiting for the glue to cure I assembled the wheels.

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On the front of the jeep I also added the photo etch bumper, expansion tank straps, expansion tank and I made the hose from copper wire.

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The next thing I added were the handles on the jeep sides. I didn't want to use the kit parts because again I think these would snap off latter so I had a look around my shed but I couldn't find any copper wire that was the right size so I used staples instead bent to fit.

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For the gear stick I again decided to make my own but this time I used small piece of copper wire. I also added a blob of CA glue on end of the gear stick to act as the knob.

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Next on the list was the gun mounts. The twin mount in front of the passenger I decided I was also going to make my own as I was on a roll. I again used the kit part as a template for measurement.

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I cut a small strip off a brass sheet using a razor saw to size and I hand drilled a hole in the centre of the strip to take a pin. Then I cut to size a piece of syringe needle. I slightly enlarged the hole for the mount to take the needle and then I inserted and glued the needle in place. I then attached the pin to the brass strip using CA glue and inserted the pin into the needle setting the height from the kit part and added CA glue.

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As I was going to use the photo etch bracket for the side mounted gun I thought I might as well use a metal mount for this as well. The problem with this was that the whole in the bracket was too big for the sizes of syringe needles I had, so I looked again around my shed and found a piece of steel bar that would do the trick but it was just a tiny bit too small for the hole. So I had another look around and this time found a small piece of aluminium tubing which the inside diameter was just right for the steel but the outside diameter was bigger than the bracket hole. So I cut a small piece of tubing off to act as a collar for the steel rod to enable to get a good fixing to the bracket. Also it helped to keep the rod vertical. So I glued them again with CA glue.

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Moving on I assembled the jerry can. As per the photo etch instructions some of the jerry cans that were moulded together needed separating and this was done with a razor saw. The jerry cans also required some of the moulded detail removed for the photo etch and tidying up. While I was doing this I noticed the middle bar was missing from all of the cans so I added them in using plastic rod and I also added plastic disks for the lids.

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After doing them which took a bit of time I moved on to the Lewis guns themselves. I opened up the handles using a drill and a knife. I then look at the filler between the barrel and the gas chamber and I was thinking if I open that up they will snap off.

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I looked around for aftermarket ones but the were way to expensive so this is what I did. First I removed the barrels using sprue cutters.

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I sanded the gun to give me a flat edge then I drilled out to holes to take guess what? Yes two barrels made from cut down syringe needles.

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I used the kit barrels again as template adding a bit extra to be inserted in the gun and I have worked out that I could easily get the barrel and gas chamber out of one needle.

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I measured the kit barrels using calipers and Tamiya tape as a marker.

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Then I used my Dremel to cut the needle. I find it easier and safer to hold the sharp end of the needle in a hand vice while cutting.

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Once cut I swap the cutting bit in the Dremel for a grinding one and again I fix the needle in the hand vice. Them I proceed to remove any burring off the cut end and I blunt the sharp end slightly but not completely. I do the same for the gas chamber. Now ensuring they are the right length I glue then in place. I used the grid on the cutting mat as a reference to keep them straight and also ensuring the needle point was in the correct position to act as the flash eliminator.

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Now there is a small bracket between the barrel and chamber. I was going to use a small piece of metal but changed my mind and used a blob of CA glue.

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Having done one I made two.

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And then three.

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I did say this was going to be a fast build? Oh well I got that wrong.
Cheers
Ian


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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by iggie »

Super work so far Ian!
Best wishes

Jim
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Good work and interesting uses of brass to make stronger parts, etc -- must remember some of them.

One minor point: the guns you so well detailed are not Lewis guns but Vickers "K" guns.
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by LarryH57 »

You have done a great job, but what surprizes me it how rough the Tamiya kit is!

I must get it out of my stash now and have a look.
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by Sunray »

Thanks Iggie.
jRatz wrote:Good work and interesting uses of brass to make stronger parts, etc -- must remember some of them.

One minor point: the guns you so well detailed are not Lewis guns but Vickers "K" guns.
Thanks John and for correcting me on the Vickers. I couldn't for the life of me think of the name and then I was reading a book which had a Lewis gun without the radiator casing which just stuck in my mind.
LarryH57 wrote:You have done a great job, but what surprizes me it how rough the Tamiya kit is!

I must get it out of my stash now and have a look.
Thanks Larry. The Tamiya kit is showing its age but I think it first came out in 1974 so for a 43 year old its not too bad.
Cheers
Ian


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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by ShaunW »

It's great to see this Tamiya classic getting the "Sunray" treatment, Ian. Excellent work so far with great photos and narrative as always 8-)
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

The Tamiya SAS Jeep (#35033) isn't all that bad. It is interesting that the Tamiya Willys Jeep kit (#35219) is not the same basic kit. I looked into this too long ago to remember and am away from my stash, but IIRC one could combine both and have a better SAS jeep.
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by Sunray »

Thanks boys. My next little job on my list was to add the photo etch to all the jerry cans. First there are two jerry can racks to makeup and this is how I got on.

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These are the tools I use to cut the photo etch from the sprue.

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I know, pink scissors but they do the job. Both were bought off ebay for a few pounds.

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As you can see from the photo I have left a bit of sprue on the rack. The only reason is that I find it easier to clean up the edges, etc, off the sprue and with that done on to the bending. I always have a good look at the photo etch instructions to workout the order in which to bend the brass.

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Then using my photo etch bender or clamp, I first line up the part and clamp it down.

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And with an old razor blade I slide it under the part so that the blade is right under the part completely to where the bend is going to be. On the photo you can just make out a little groove on the base just in front of the edge of the clamp. Thats where line up the blade edge before I do the bend. Then I just lift up the back of the blade keeping the front of the blade almost touching and in line with the clamp groove.

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The next tools I use are bending pliers.

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The bottom two are made by Tamiya and the others are just cheap flat nosed pliers off ebay. Pink handles again I know. The Tamiya ones are good but I also find so are the others.

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For the narrow sides I used the tip of the long Tamiya pliers. I use the long side bend as guides and I first bent from the corners then straightened the middle.

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The rails were bent again using the small pink handled pliers. Once lined up they were then glued using CA glue. For some reason this did not want to play. I dropped it on the floor twice, the glue joints pooped a few times but I got there in the end.

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Now I just added the jerry cans.

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I attached the jerry cans using CA glue at the base of each can as I wanted a visible gap if I could between the cans so they didn't look glued together. To finish off the rack I just added the photo etch strip again glued with CA glue and the first rack is done.

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The second compared to the first rack just fell together. I managed to glue it together at the first attempt without any drops.

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The racks fit on the back of the jeep but I am not going to attach them yet. I had another six jerry cans to do next which were a breeze to do. One on the side and five on the bonnet.

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With all this done I had a play around with how the rest of the stores are going to look. There are still a few jobs to do before paint but its starting to look the the part.

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Cheers
Ian


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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by Old_Tonto »

Super work Ian. Are all those cans going to be full of fuel?

What do you use for those bed roll\tarps?
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Sunray
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by Sunray »

Old_Tonto wrote:Super work Ian. Are all those cans going to be full of fuel?

What do you use for those bed roll\tarps?
Thanks Ian. I was going to fill the jerry cans with fuel but i think I will wait for the price to drop. :) :) What I have read is that a few contained water.

The tarps are really easy to make. I have a roll of soft aluminium sheet and I just cut a small piece off using scissors to the size I want. Then I bend over the edges if I want thicker tarps and I just roll it by hand. For bed rolls I just roll it without bending the edges. I have used the foil off wine bottles and the soft metal tubes used to hold tomato puree. You can also cut it with a modelling knife and a ruler in thin strips and it makes excellent straps. I used it on the 1/32 Revell Lee Tank.

Ian if you want some just PM me and I can post it or get my son Andrew to drop it off at Uni.
Cheers
Ian


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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by ShaunW »

Excellent further work on this, Ian. I have a bit of soft ally from catering packs of coffee and wine bottles that I've used for seat straps but never thought of rolling the stuff for tarps. Given the desert theatre, I think it will be odds-on that some of the jerrycans will have contained water, but I can't remember if the SAS and the British Army generally followed German practice of marking such cans with a large white cross -they may well have done though.
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Re: 1/35 Tamiya British Special Air Service Jeep

Post by chrism »

While I quietly watch many of your builds, this one in particular has touched a soft spot, as I have one in the stash. I shall certainly look out for the Eduard set now you have drawn my attention to it, as it too, perks the kit up a lot.
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