Vosper-Perkasa News

This is the second next entry in the build log and relates to Step 2: 20mm Twin Oerlikon AA Gun Assembly. Begin as before by removing all the necessary items from the sprues and clean off the flash with either a scalpel or nail file / needle file. Fill any sink marks or ejector pins marks with a plastic model putty. Once dry the remainder of the excess putty can be filed off as necessary.

Click images for a larger view.

The photo etch ring requires care when removing it from the sheet, use a scalpel or similar to break through the joining tabs. File the breaks clean with a file and use a pair of long nose pliers to bend the parts accurately and carefully to shape. Use a 0.8mm drill and pin chuck to drill through the foot plate in the 3 marked locations to fit the PE part. Once fitted, push the PE through about 2mm and reverse bend the PE to secure the feet. Apply cyano to fix.

At this stage the twin gun barrel and pivot assembly are not glued (and will be secured with piano wire axles after painting) nor is the plinth. However the steel tube shaft has been glued to the assembly with a firm push fit into the plinth. Where glued, cyano is used throughout. The photos show the completed, but as yet unpainted assembly. Painting (spraying) will commence when most of the assemblies are completed.

This is the first entry in the build log and relates to Step 1: 40mm Bofors Gun Assembly. The main points to note here are to take your time over this job and you will be rewarded with a really nice scale model of a Bofors Gun.

Click images for a larger view.

Begin by removing all the necessary items from the sprues and clean off the flash with either a scalpel or nail file / needle file. Some items have sink marks on them from the ejector pins used in the injection moulding process, these marks should be filled with Tamiy Putty (Basic Type). I dont know what other types of putty they do, but this one takes forever to dry if applied thickly, so use very little and remove excess before allowing to dry. Once dry the remainder of the excess putty can be filed off as necessary.

The photo etch parts require care when removing them from the sheet, use a scalpel or similar to break through the joining tabs. File the breaks clean with a file and use a pair of long nose pliers (or use specialist photo etch pliers, such as the Tamiya item) to bend the parts accurately and carefully to shape. Use the foot plate and hand rail as a guide. I used a 0.8mm drill and pin chuck to drill through the foot plate and the hand rail to allow the PE parts to fit through. The same process was used to fit what looks like a beehive on more PE legs fitted to the main base plate.

At this stage the gun barrel and the breech assembly are not glued (but the barrel will be after painting) nor is the plinth. However the steel tube shaft has been glued to the plinth and is a firm push fit into the main base plate. Where glued, cyano is used throughout.

The photos show the completed, but as yet unpainted assembly. Painting (spraying) will commence when most of the assemblies are completed.