ipms uk column
http://www.ipms-uk.co.ukWWW.SAMPUBLICATIONS.COMA Global Community
presented by john tapsellI
was reminded last week just
how generous the modelling
the fraternity can be. I have
been working on a conversion
project for a few weeks and had reached the point
where I had to make a decision. I needed some
replacement tracks and whilst I could go down
the aftermarket route, I needed more links than
are provided in the available sets and besides, the
track I needed wasn’t meant to be used on the
vehicle I want to put it on. Let me explain... My
current project is a post-war Charioteer, itself a
conversion of the Cromwell tank, fitted with a
bigger turret and a 20-pounder gun (intended for
the Centurion). It was a poor design, a stop-gap
that lasted in British service for a handful of years
in the 1950s but went on to serve with several
other nations well into the 1980s.
One of the features of the Charioteer is that
it was fitted with a wider track (15.5-inches
rather than 14 inches). You can’t get aftermarket
versions of the later tracks, but you can get
something very close. By strange coincidence,
German Pz III and Pz IV track is an extremely
close match for the
British 15.5-inch track.
The ‘pitch’ (the front
to rear measurement
of the link) is slightly
larger than the British
track so you have to strip
off the drive sprocket
teeth where the track
sits to make it fit snugly,
but other than that, the
change is an easy one
to make. The thing is, I
didn’t want to purchase
another model just to
strip the tracks off the sprues and have a wasted
kit. The only way to ensure you have enough
track length is to use the strips of spare links
provided on the sprues, something you don’t get
in the aftermarket sets. The other issue is that I
detest individual link track with a passion. I’ll use
it occasionally, but much prefer link and length
or even (sacrilege I know) flexible band tracks if
they have good detail.
Before taking the plunge and ordering a kit I
thought I’d ask on one of the online modelling
groups I belong to, if anyone had a spare set of
tracks that they would be willing to exchange
or that I could purchase – my thought was that
many modellers would choose to replace the
kit tracks with aftermarket items and therefore
would not have used the kit parts. Within less
than an hour I’d had several responses frommodellers in different parts of the world, all
offering to help out. Perhaps it helped in part
that I regularly post images of my projects as
they progress and after they are finished, but it
is in large part simply because I am part of their
community. I’ve commented many times before
about getting involved in local clubs or online
groups as a means of developing your skills and
broadening your knowledge, but I really believe
that doing this has made me a far better modeller.
I also think it has given me a much better
understanding of the hobby as a whole.
I would be the first to admit that not every
group I’ve joined has suited my temperament,
but rather than be
disheartened I’ve
looked elsewhere and
found groups that suit
me better. In terms
of my local club and
indeed the wider IPMS
community, I was
fortunate to find groups
that I felt immediately
at home in, but I know
that any given group
will not suit every
modeller who turns
up. I joined a couple
of model clubs that meet much further away
from where I live. I still meet up with them at
shows and keep in contact via email, but time
and distance means that I can no longer easily
get to their regular meetings. Some of it is also
about me getting older. Twenty years ago, I would
not think twice about going to a club night that
required an hour or two each way in the car and a
late night (or early morning) return home. Now,
with other priorities calling on my time and
maybe less stamina too, I find it more difficult
to justify those multiple late nights (often on a
weekday) each month.
The internet means I can keep in touch with
people more easily, but I still crave the face to
face interaction that clubs and shows give me.
Therefore I have found a balance that offers the
advantages of both. Many of the clubs I belong
to have a social media presence these days so
I can remain a ‘virtual’ member of the clubs
I don’t visit as frequently. The generosity of
spirit within all those groups is often inspiring.
There is support, advice, knowledge and as I was
reminded last week, a willingness to share and
exchange items to help a fellow modeller. My
replacement tracks should be with me by the
time you read this column and I might even have
finished the Charioteer.Membership
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