Return to model making – Towards Berlin
It has been nearly 18 months since I last picked up a paintbrush or updated this blog. The reason for the long delay was that at the end of 2009 we emigrated to live on a small farm 2000 feet up in the Andes in Argentina.
But now we are a little more settled it seemed the right time to dust off the crate of model kits, paints, workshop clutter etc that came with me and start painting again.
One thing that did not become apparent until I did open the crate of modelling gear – I had not brought any plastic modelling cement with me. And our local town does not have a model shop either. My nearest model shop is a 500 km ( 300+ mile ) round trip! So next time you moan about having to walk down to the town for something – count yourself lucky!
Some time ago I decided to do something very different from my normal Napoleonic dioramas and the idea of a broken down WWII lorry convoy arose. (First posted here). Out came the Zvezda kit of a Soviet GAZ-MM truck and with a cup of coffee on the table, work commenced.
The GAZ-MM kit
I decided to have this truck as being the one broken down in the convoy to Berlin, and although the bonnet assembly should be one piece, I want it open so a little modification will be needed.
A triangular section of bonnet was cut off and the side panel was glued on top of the bonnet to simulate it being open and folded back.
The bonnet has been modified to open to show the engine
The cut edges need a little tidying up before final finishing, but so far so good.
The engine from the front
I am going to hand paint paint the chassis and engine compartment. When I left work in the UK some colleagues bought me a stunning airbrush kit as a farewell present – but that will remain in its packaging until I can construct a workshop on the farm.
The GAZ-MM’s driver (there is not one in the kit, so another kit will have to be raided to provide a figure) will be looking inside the engine compartment. But let’s wait and see, dioramas have a habit of growing or changing as they are created.
After such a long break from modelling I was quite pleased with the results so far.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:10 am
A bit of trivia. The GAZ was basically a Model A Ford, which was built in the US from late-1927 to early-1932. Russian production continued into the 1950s.
And a bit of hopefully constructive criticism. The hood (bonnet) doesn’t appear to be correctly folded on your model. The hood consists of four pieces – two top sections and two side panels. The tops narrow from the cowl to the radiator while the louvered sides are rectangular. The tops are joined together with a piano-style hinge that runs front to rear along the center-line of the vehicle. The sides are joined to the tops with piano hinges also. That joint is between the louvers and the raised molding that extends from the cowl – it can be seen in the box art. The hood can be opened from either side. When it is, one top section lays on the other and the side panel lays on the top. Since the top is tapered, there is no way the edge of the side panel can be straight along the center-line of the vehicle as it appears to be on your model. The side will be angled away from the center-line at the front of the vehicle. Also, the rear of the side panel will be higher than the front and will overlap the cowl.
BTW, it’s not a concern with a model, and probably not in the WWII Russian military, but folding the hood flat eventually will produce a crease in the top section. The proper way to open the hood is to “butterfly” it so the top and side are close to vertical, and rest the lower rear corner of the side panel on the cowl. This method also has the advantage of allowing both sides to open at the same time.