Builds Desert war group build, M3 Grant mk1, 1/35th scale full interior detail.

[06FA56Paderborn]

hundreds of parts fitted and I still haven't tackled the suspension and tracks, they are individual links, about 79 of those, not sure how many components make up the suspension yet, lets see...I want to do the tracks before too many fragile parts go on the exterior.
View attachment 563610

If it is anything like the Grant I did there are a considerable number of components in the suspension 14 per unit from memory, and each track consists of 79 links with 6 components for each two links, it may be worth building a jig to help with the track construction.

Have fun I know you will enjoy it.

 

[robinrocket111]

If it is anything like the Grant I did there are a considerable number of components in the suspension 14 per unit from memory, and each track consists of 79 links with 6 components for each two links, it may be worth building a jig to help with the track construction.

Have fun I know you will enjoy it.

61 pads a side and my fingers hurt from cleaning the flash off.

 

[SPROCKET321]

starting on the first Bogie suspension unit

first two road wheels, attachment burrs sanded level.

12 parts to a bogie including the two road wheels

final part to cover the bogie and the first unit is ready to fit to the hull.

 

[SPROCKET321]

the road wheels cleaned up and stacked ready for use, they were all fine, but the molding went seriously downhill after them.

deformed axle on one of the bogies

deformed spring lugs on the one nearest the camera

deformed return roller, the one on the left

 

[SPROCKET321]

after some intense reshaping and rebuilding I managed to negate the molding faults, I hadn't noticed them till now, but the kit has such a large parts count, I'm not surprised. I'm hoping that is the extent of the kit errors. Shame, up till now it's been a near perfect model kit.

 

[SPROCKET321]

this is intolerable! The bogies are all incorrect, I can't live with them like this, I under estimated the complexity of the task and now I have unbalanced bogies with wheels off the ground, So taking note of the e mail address on the side of the box, I've asked miniart to send me six more E sprues so I can start again.
I'll place the model to one side till I hear from them, I'll keep you posted on how good or bad Miniart customer services are.

 

[Helm]

this is intolerable! The bogies are all incorrect, I can't live with them like this,

Well that sucks, I'd contact the supplier if possible or the maker.

 

[SPROCKET321]

Well that sucks, I'd contact the supplier if possible or the maker.

they give an e mail address and a website address on the side of the packaging, I've e mailed but I may also take a look www.miniartmodels.com

 

[06FA56Paderborn]

this is intolerable! The bogies are all incorrect, I can't live with them like this, I under estimated the complexity of the task and now I have unbalanced bogies with wheels off the ground, So taking note of the e mail address on the side of the box, I've asked miniart to send me six more E sprues so I can start again.
I'll place the model to one side till I hear from them, I'll keep you posted on how good or bad Miniart customer services are.
View attachment 564474

Was it the deformed spruces that caused the problems or the components design?

 

[Fang_Farrier]

this is intolerable! The bogies are all incorrect, I can't live with them like this, I under estimated the complexity of the task and now I have unbalanced bogies with wheels off the ground, So taking note of the e mail address on the side of the box, I've asked miniart to send me six more E sprues so I can start again.
I'll place the model to one side till I hear from them, I'll keep you posted on how good or bad Miniart customer services are.
View attachment 564474

Do you have any that are a success?

That you could take a mould of and cast yourself?

 

[SPROCKET321]

Was it the deformed spruces that caused the problems or the components design?

they are six frames Ed, all the bogie parts deformed in the molding process.

 

[SPROCKET321]

Do you have any that are a success?

That you could take a mould of and cast yourself?

they are very complex parts that are meant to interrelate, I'll wait to hear from Miniart before I take corrective action, like putting M4 bogies on it and placing it in Burma.

 

[06FA56Paderborn]

they are six frames Ed, all the bogie parts deformed in the molding process.

That is pretty piss poor, let’s hope you get a good response.

 

[Simmerit]

this is intolerable! The bogies are all incorrect, I can't live with them like this, I under estimated the complexity of the task and now I have unbalanced bogies with wheels off the ground, So taking note of the e mail address on the side of the box, I've asked miniart to send me six more E sprues so I can start again.
I'll place the model to one side till I hear from them, I'll keep you posted on how good or bad Miniart customer services are.
View attachment 564474

I found them really good. They shipped a spruce of a boxhead tankie in a set of 4 British infantry soldiers which also has a picture of Russian soldiers on the box - a total clusterfcuk as they got everything wrong!

they asked for pictures of the offending items and proof of purchase and shipped a new spruce straight away from the Ukraine. It got here quicker than a post item send from Jockland to England using first class mail.

customer service is good as well. You will find a description of my experience in the first two pages of the Mat thread.

 

[SPROCKET321]

cheers Si, I've duplicated my request for replacement parts on e mail and on their website customer page, so I'll keep my fingers crossed I can get back on the Grant soon.

 

[SPROCKET321]

Thank you for contacting us.

We apologize for any inconveniences with our product.
Thank you for indicating the postal address and the link to the build up blog.
We will send you a parcel in the near future (free of charge).
Parcel will contain: Sprues Ed_x6 from kit #35217
You will receive a notification with a tracking number when it becomes available (during next week).

It is a first time when we are facing with this issue.
Kindly asking if you could answer a few questions which will help us to better understand the situation:
* Approximate date of purchase
* the Hobby Shop where the kit was purchased.

MiniArt's Customer Service will help you with any questions related to our product.
Thanks in advance for your reply.

Best regards,
Ben Mirson.
Customer Service MiniArt
www.miniart-models.com
art@miniart-models.com


MiniArt Models Ltd.
144 B Kharkivske Highway 02091 Kiev Ukraine
Tel.: +38-044-337-18-15


You wrote 11 апреля 2021 г., 15:42:43:




that rates as a first class timely response.

 

[SPROCKET321]

Always been struck by Lee / Grant. Looks like an unlikely amalgam of engineering skills and techniques. I have a cast hull CDL version in the stash waiting.

is your CDL a miniart kit? just asking in case you also have molding issues with the suspension bogie sprue frames, might be worth checking it, and while you're at it....


"giz a sniff o yer plastic"

 

[LARD]

is your CDL a miniart kit? just asking in case you also have molding issues with the suspension bogie sprue frames, might be worth checking it, and while you're at it....


"giz a sniff o yer plastic"

Morning @SPROCKET321. To be honest I can't remember which make it is I'll have to check. I can remember it's the cast-hull M3. Thanks for the heads-up with regard to the bogies. I'll be back.......

 

[06FA56Paderborn]

Thank you for contacting us.

We apologize for any inconveniences with our product.
Thank you for indicating the postal address and the link to the build up blog.
We will send you a parcel in the near future (free of charge).
Parcel will contain: Sprues Ed_x6 from kit #35217
You will receive a notification with a tracking number when it becomes available (during next week).

It is a first time when we are facing with this issue.
Kindly asking if you could answer a few questions which will help us to better understand the situation:
* Approximate date of purchase
* the Hobby Shop where the kit was purchased.

MiniArt's Customer Service will help you with any questions related to our product.
Thanks in advance for your reply.

Best regards,
Ben Mirson.
Customer Service MiniArt
www.miniart-models.com
art@miniart-models.com


MiniArt Models Ltd.
144 B Kharkivske Highway 02091 Kiev Ukraine
Tel.: +38-044-337-18-15


You wrote 11 апреля 2021 г., 15:42:43:




that rates as a first class timely response.

Makes a nice change for a timely response like that, let us hope they dispatch the sprues before Putin gets there looking for his kits.

 

[LARD]

Morning @SPROCKET321. To be honest I can't remember which make it is I'll have to check. I can remember it's the cast-hull M3. Thanks for the heads-up with regard to the bogies. I'll be back.......

Haha! Mine's the Takom kit. I'll still check it. Lord knows when I'll get round to hacking the plastic though......