Jaein Lee

Still working on it today. Exactly one month left until the contest deadline! It's a bit disappointing that the working time is taking longer than expected due to various variables, but I'll keep pushing forward.

I ordered the M1919 machine gun barrels, but they haven't arrived yet. I thought about just trimming the kit's original parts, but since the package is already on its way and it's not a part that causes major issues for the workflow, I skipped it and moved on to other assembly tasks.

As for the 37mm M6 main gun, I have an aftermarket barrel, but using it requires extra modification, so I decided to just use the kit's original part.

The rear hull grille is from Def Model, but it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't fit quite right. I had a hard time modifying the area around the hood where the grille is installed.

I'll be back next week with a more finished look. Have a great week, everyone.

Continued working on the upper hull today. I assembled just a few parts, and the whole day somehow slipped by. I couldn't find the brass M1919A4 machine gun barrel parts, so I had to order them. It turns out this small tank needs a whopping three barrels! I'll probably get the turret mounted next week.

a great week, everyone.

This week, I started working on the upper hull.

For aftermarket parts, I used a product from a Korean brand called BSK Model. While the detail and 3D printing technology are great, it's a bit disappointing that the gates (supports) are thicker compared to other brands, which means spending quite a bit of time on post-processing.

I shaved off the molded fender supports from the original kit and cleaned up the surface. Fitting the optional parts wasn't as easy as I thought; especially the front fender supports on the hull, which didn't align well and caused a lot of delays. For gluing, I used epoxy adhesive. Mixing the two parts is a bit cumbersome, but it offers stronger bond strength than cyanoacrylate and allows for easier position adjustments after attachment, which is why I often use it for optional parts.

I'll be back next week with a more polished look. Have a great week, everyone!

I’ve finally wrapped up the suspension modification I started last week. I carefully carved out the vertical links, which were originally molded as a single block, to create a more realistic, two-layered structure. For the spacers between the two links, I cut and fitted small pieces of 1mm Plastruct. Since the entire process involved manual cutting and shaping, I focused not only on the detail but also on maintaining a consistent look across all units.

I plan to start working on the upper hull next week. July is almost over, so I feel like I need to pick up the pace. I hope everyone has a productive week ahead!

Following my update from last week, I’ve finally worked on the vertical links. While there’s still more to do, the process went much smoother than I anticipated. Since Sundays are the only days I can dedicate to modeling, I have to be efficient and focus on achieving the best results within a limited timeframe.

I initially considered scratch-building new vertical links, but for the sake of time, I decided to harvest the parts from an AFV Club Stuart suspension accessory set. It’s a bit unfortunate that these parts are primarily intended for older Stuart kits, and to be honest, even this accessory set doesn't perfectly replicate the vertical links as they should be. I'm not entirely sure if this is the 'best' possible solution, but it certainly serves its purpose as an aftermarket upgrade.

I spent the morning with my family and the rest of the afternoon meticulously trimming the parts, and I’m quite pleased with the progress so far. I hope to showcase the finished hull in my next update. Have a great week, everyone!

This week, I’m sharing the detailing process of the VVSS (Vertical Volute Spring Suspension), one of the most critical aspects of the M3 Stuart.

After finishing the assembly, I compared it with reference photos of the real vehicle and the assembly diagram, only to discover that the vertical links are molded as a single, solid piece with the central arms. In reality, the suspension features independent links connected to the arms, creating a distinct mechanical depth. The kit, however, misses this, which leaves the mechanical realism a bit lacking.

I put a lot of thought into this since the assembly was already complete, but I’ve decided not to compromise.

Here is my plan:

1. Precision-grind the existing molded details on the outer side of the suspension.

2. Cut and shape thin styrene sheets to recreate the independent vertical link forms.

3. Add bolt details to the connection points to replicate the actual structural assembly.

Rather than disassembling the entire unit, I’ll focus on enhancing the exterior details to boost the overall quality. I believe that it’s the small details that define the density of the final build, and I look forward to showing you a much more mechanically refined suspension in my next update.

I spent this week working on the wheels. The assembly itself wasn't difficult, but cleaning up the suspension parts took surprisingly more time than expected. When it comes to seam lines, I usually compromise if they won't be visible or can be covered by weathering. However, if they are going to be exposed, I try my best to eliminate them entirely, as they can really lower the build quality and look unappealing.

I spent this weekend focusing on the hull assembly and cleaning up the wheels. Since the lower hull assembly usually accounts for half the work in tank modeling, I invested quite a bit of time carefully removing the parting lines from each wheel. I also decided to remove all the bolts on the transmission cover, as they were distorted due to undercutting, and replaced them with new ones.

The progress may be slow, but it feels great to have everything cleaned up and prepped properly.

Starting a new project! 

My next kit for the GWCC contest is the Tamiya 1/35 M3A1 Stuart.

The box art is classic, and the parts look fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the build process. I'll be sharing updates along the way, so stay tuned and enjoy the journey with me.