WW1 German 7.7cm field cannon
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 03:35 AM UTC
This gun taken by the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles at Cambrai in 1918 is slowly rotting away on the grounds of our local museum. I decided to use it as a base for a scratch build project, including the limber.
John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 03:38 AM UTC
This what I managed to do with the limber having found a number of images on the web.
I still need to get some more supplies before tackling the wheels.
John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 03:42 AM UTC
The next step was to move on to the gun. This needed some basic working drawings which I drew up to 1/24th scale.

Using this as my guide I have started the basic chassis.

John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 03:45 AM UTC
Next I started to add the details of the spade and the trail spike. These I have primed in Tamiya light grey in order to check on the finish. I bit rough but I am still new at scratch building.
John
Texas,
United StatesJoined: September 02, 2006
KitMaker: 785 posts
Historicus Forma: 527 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 05:21 AM UTC
John coming along real nicely, as a former artillery officer I find this a very interesting build, good luck with it.
It doesn't take much to be better than nothing.
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 - 06:04 PM UTC
Thanks for the encouragement
This is a big challenge for me since I am not a regular scratch builder. However the build is moving along. I built the recoil slide with all its little rivets etc and just dry fit it to the chassis.

Now moving on to the barrel. The start of the splinter shield is just dry fitted to check some dimensions.

John
Dunedin,
New ZealandJoined: September 17, 2012
KitMaker: 266 posts
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Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 07:28 AM UTC
Definitely coming along nicely

.
As you can appreciate, scratch building isn't that hard. Just requires a bit of forethought and planning

.
Keep us posted on progress.
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 05:03 PM UTC
Thanks for the encouragement
I have managed to complete the slide and barrel with its breech activator.

Next step the splinter shield.
John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 05:09 PM UTC
I am modelling this gun in its transport mode to go with the limber so the top part of the shield is folded down with the headrests in place for the travelling crew. These were leather padded inserts on the real gun so I have replicated them using Green Stuff.
Like most German products this shield is very over-engineered but is a real complex piece to reproduce. I still have the footrests and various other attachments to make but the large parts are done.

By the way I think that this scale is ideal for artillery pieces and is an area that is completely lacking in the commercial market. MENG TAMIYA are you listening.
John

#454
Georgia,
United StatesJoined: July 10, 2016
KitMaker: 1,273 posts
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Posted: Saturday, November 12, 2016 - 11:54 PM UTC
"I can make armored cars, safe and unassailable...and behind these our infantry will be able to follow quite unharmed and without any opposition."
-Leonardo da Vinci, 1487
varanusk
Managing EditorSanta Cruz de Tenerife,
Spain / EspaņaJoined: July 04, 2013
KitMaker: 1,288 posts
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Posted: Sunday, November 13, 2016 - 12:48 PM UTC
Some serious scratch building there, very very nice.
Noord-Holland,
NetherlandsJoined: October 10, 2010
KitMaker: 764 posts
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Posted: Monday, November 14, 2016 - 04:18 AM UTC
Excellent scratch building .
Tennessee,
United StatesJoined: April 26, 2016
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Posted: Friday, November 18, 2016 - 08:24 AM UTC
This looks stunning. How do you determine how big/long/wide each piece needs to be?
Check out my budding Facebook page for my own modeling junk!
https://www.facebook.com/reclusescalecraft/
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 - 05:50 AM UTC
Thanks for the comments guys.
As far as getting the sizes of things is concerned I use the Lovett web site for for great photos of a full size reconstruction. In addition I was fortunate to find that our little village actually has a trophy 7.7 cm field gun brought back from Cambrai by the canadian 5th mounted rifles in 1918 so I just take my tape measure.
John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Thursday, December 01, 2016 - 07:07 AM UTC
After a brief break in the Florida sunshine the gun is now almost finished. Lots of fiddly bits added but I still have the brake cable and calipers and the lower part of the shield to add.
John
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 - 08:18 AM UTC
Doesn't seem to be much interest here. However here is the finished gun and limber. Ready for paint.

John
varanusk
Managing EditorSanta Cruz de Tenerife,
Spain / EspaņaJoined: July 04, 2013
KitMaker: 1,288 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 - 07:36 PM UTC
Wow. Really amazing, can you post more pics with details? Looks excellent, congratulations
California,
United StatesJoined: September 02, 2008
KitMaker: 200 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 - 08:14 AM UTC
This is some real master artwork. Please take the time to write up a step by step guide on scratch building this field gun. I'm interested in building one and adding it to my collection.
Well done and keep going.
Sam
Sam M.
Retired USN Seabees
EO1(SCW/AW)
NMCB 62,40,5
SERE Inst 89-95
Dunedin,
New ZealandJoined: September 17, 2012
KitMaker: 266 posts
Historicus Forma: 0 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 08, 2016 - 09:04 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Doesn't seem to be much interest here.John
Welcome to the scratchbuilders forum

.
Hopefully we can muster some more enthusiasm towards the discipline of non-shake and bake 'modelling'. I'll step back from the soap-box before I head off on a major rant and rave.
I gather this is not your first attempt at scratching

.
As you say 24th/25th scale seems an ideal scale for artillery pieces. I'm just waiting for the Artillery Group Build to commence so I can start mine

. Hope you are planning on joining that campaign - I don't want to be the odd one out

.
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 09, 2016 - 12:12 AM UTC
Thanks guys for leaving your comments you are very kind.
When is the group build starting?
Here is a photo of the almost finished gun. The wheels still need to be finished and the hubs detailed. All the rest of the detail is now done.

John
Dunedin,
New ZealandJoined: September 17, 2012
KitMaker: 266 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 09, 2016 - 04:37 AM UTC
CanadaJoined: October 18, 2012
KitMaker: 57 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 16, 2016 - 06:12 AM UTC
I will look out for that in February.
I have now finished the gun and limber and mounted the whole thing on a nicely finished base of Jotoba wood.

John
Texas,
United StatesJoined: September 02, 2006
KitMaker: 785 posts
Historicus Forma: 527 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 18, 2016 - 01:27 AM UTC
It doesn't take much to be better than nothing.
ColinEdm
Associate EditorAlberta,
CanadaJoined: October 15, 2013
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
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Posted: Sunday, December 18, 2016 - 07:09 PM UTC
The voices are back.....excellent....