Tamiya Char B1 Bis: many added details

[T26E4]

Like many of you, I got hold of one of the excellent Tamiya Char B1 Bis kits. It's been fun to correspond with other modellers on this project as well as do my own research.

I'm almost complete with the build -- just a few more details here and there. I plan on depicting mine as "Indochine"

That blue slab is just some styrene sheet which I used to bulk up the driver's visor as was seen in some examples. I marked one side with the blue marker to guide me as I bevelled the edges evenly.

"Indochine" had the six bolts around the 75mm gun mount which I added.

I added the bolts to the commander's cupola rim too. Grandt Line here. I added the cupola "horns" from a scrapped Heller R-35 I had laying around.

[T26E4]

Yep -- I'm one of those nuts who has added two rows of rivets to the sponson top. The one in the back are just "salami" slices of stretched sprue as I wasn't concerned about their shape given how hidden they are. The front row is by Grandt Line rivets. The white disk on the crew entry door is a modification I did that was seen on earlier production variants Check your photo resources, guys. I think this item is being missed by many modellers.

I added the turret seam by just placing putty between two parellel placed pieces of masking tape together.

I opened up the forward mud chute and used bits of styrene to depict the scrapers.

I added the right side view slit to the driver's area and filled in the vertical gap on the right front of the driver's armor.

[T26E4]

A detail that I've seen modellers do is add the recessed screwheads to the driver's visor and atop the commander's cupola. I found that my beading tool has been great for that. Line it up and press firmly into the soft Tamiya plastic. Great uniform circular impressions.

I'm not going to go add PE fendors or replace the lower rubber skirt (like my buddy Andrew Hall did with his). I just need to add some detail around the antenna and the tool clamps and I'll be ready with my Silly Putty camo job. Nice to finish this guy for sure!

[lquah]

Roy

Welcome to the Planet! :lol:

The Char B1 looks great and you have done a good job. Can't wait for your next update.

Lawrence

[sam_dwyer]

Gday Roy

Nice work on your char. I never get tired of lookiing at peoples work on this kit. Its great that pretty much all the fixes can be done without the need to resort to aftermarket goodies!

Looking forward to seeing it under paint

Sam

[Andrew Hall]

Hi Roy,

Nice work. I'm looking forward to completing mine after a stressy couple of weeks at work. Couple of more things I've noticed and added.

Regards - Andrew

[Panzergrenadier]

You have done a very good job on it. Can't wait to see the paint.


Siim

[MartinD]

Nice build Roy! I like all the detail bits you added. Why did you put all the photos in different posts? You could have squeezed them al in the original one, couldn't you?

[T26E4]

LOL. Yes I could have added them all into one post. Wasn't thinking!

[Stuke Sowle]

Very clean work Roy! It seems that the Char's are starting to challenge the Panthers around here for most modelled AFV.....well maybe not quite.