FEATURE ARTICLE
SERGEY MAKES A WRONG TURN
Clayton Ockerby takes on a limited-time construction challenge for his Tamiya 1:48 scale KV-1.
1:48 KV-1 • Kit No. 32535
As modellers we are always finding ways to squeeze a little extra joy from the hobby. Challenges between friends, group builds, competing in competitions and even club mystery builds are all ways in which we throw ourselves curveballs in an attempt to expand our skillset and simply enjoy our time in the hobby.
One of the more popular challenges is that of the Blitz Build. The Blitz Build is essentially the challenge of starting and finishing a kit in a specific set time. I do love a Blitz Build because it forces you to work quickly through some of the challenges that can crop up from time to time and help create momentum through the build. One of the key things that derails a lot of builders is that loss of momentum when they hit an issue. We tend to overthink solutions and then these little problems and imperfections become roadblocks and often the kit ends up back on the shelf with all the other shelf queens.
So I set myself a challenge. I had a model show coming up with a special category. It had to be 1:48 scale Russian WWII armour, built out of the box…and I had 2 weeks to complete it. So, when factoring family, work and other things life presents, I figured I had about 15 working hours to complete the build. Start to finish. Was it achievable? I guess time would tell.
People often ask me how long a model took me to build, and I rarely have a definitive answer for them. Obviously, every kit is different, but I thought it might make for an interesting article to map out the race against the clock and what steps I took and when I did them in the timeline.
Construction begins with the wheels. The drive sprockets include the black poly-caps so they are workable, and the other assemblies are a simple front and back side of the wheel. Minimal clean-up is required.
A lot of these Tamiya 1:48 range of military kits come with the weighted hull. I know a lot of people are indifferent with the inclusion, but I really like the feel it gives to the model and adding weight to the model is something I think I’ll take into future builds. I like the way it feels in your hand whilst painting. The front and rear plates are attached to the diecast hull using Superglue.