Holt one man tank update

First of the casts, only the main parts the barrels did not really looks nice so had to make new once and mold them too which is still drying at the moment.
Also almost done with the Red cross nurse in her going out uniform, took me so time to found a picture of the American nursing uniform as there was some difference to the more known British version.

 greetings Mondria

Pug Queen

The Pug Queen

Based on the lovely KaylaErin

Cheese knife

New blacksmithing project a forked cheese knife

base material still on the tong side, simple strip of 20x5mm and bevel started on the blade end

fork bit chiseled it in and forged the tang out more

end of the afternoon it looked like this, not that good the curl sticking out would block cutting. Note glowing bat project of my colleague

 

it will end up something like this I hope, curl cut away and a smaller curl forged and tucked in the ricasso bit more shaping and grinding

Overall still a bit heavy and of balance I hope the profiling and grinding will fix that.

real life back scabbard

during WW1 some Russian artillery worn there sabers on the back mostly to get out of the way of course

Holt one man tank

Popular know as the Holt one man tank, the only thing right from the name is one man as it had a single driver but it was not build by Holt nor was it ever designed as a tank, this wooden model of one of the British heavies Mark I-IV tanks was build for the Red Cross as a funds raising gimmick build by a motorcycle company in 1918 and later that year used by the Holt company as a sales tool and there it got its name from. Of course magazines like Popular Mechanics made up stories it was to be used to overwhelm the German trenches with the cool cover art of a couple of these assaulting the trenches.


This will be made for a group build with home front as theme, as Red cross funds raising tank it is  perfect for the home front and its one of the tiny "tanks" I love to build so this will be my entry.


Copies will be made so if you like 1 for yourself please sent me a email at p.mondria@gmail.com

parts layout, did not use the bottom left 2

just a quick mark up

The real deal

Maybe one of the best Popular Mechanics covers, totally fiction of course as it was never planned to go into production, but Im toying with the idea of making a dio like it because it looks great

 Update, rivets and guns

 first cast

and the Red Cross nurse in here out door uniform to go with the fundraiser dio



Greetings Mondria

I made a thing and its sharp now

did some profiling, clean up of the forge scale and sharpened this knife thingie and it cuts far better then I was excepting, the balans is great right at the shoulder its just that the grip is too skinny next time will be better 

I made a thing

So I was hitting a piece a steel and made a thing, my first knife, base material was flat bar stock, the water quench give the blade a little warp but the oil quench no problem, twist handle because never did a twist before so perfect timing, next week grinding and sharpening.

 

Turtle 1 man tank

Designed by Les G. Scherer around 1952, this 1 man Turtle midget tank was armed with 2 .30 machine guns, 13 HE rockets and 640 single shot shotguns, yes you read that right 640 shotguns, well you already know I just had to build it.

This is the drawing that was in Popular Science

and this how it interpreted it, as the scale is a of in the drawings I had to make a few changes but overall sticked to dimensions that was giving in the article.
9,5 feet long by 2,5 feet high and 5,5 feet wide
or for the rest of the world that dropped the Imperial system long ago
2,9m long by 0,76cm high and 1,68m wide.

I did not drill the 640 holes for the shotgun shells that was where placed in a ring all around the vehicle, because well its boring and hard to see anyway.

I wonder how the rocket was aimed and reloaded, looks a bit like shoot and pray type of a deal, as the rockets where unguided. With the armored nose and low ground clearance I dont think it will be very mobile, but overall I do like the looks.
There is another design from around 1943-1944 that looks very much the same just with only 1 MG and no other armament that design had 2 engines placed inside the tracks next to the driver and I wonder if Les had contact with that designer.

Here is Helga again to show it off

 ooh wait Helga is German cant have a German showing of a American tank can we? :p

Edit it took only 2 years but its now cast and painted

added a bit of discolor and streaks around the rocket launcher, simple dark wash with some dry brushing

thanks for watching and feel free to comment
greetings Mondria
 

Russian female tankers

Couple of years ago I made a couple of sets of female German tankers so its about time I also made the counterparts. For GeBo

Commander

driver climbing out of the hatch

pushing herself out of the hatch or leaning

reloading is hot work

Greetings and thanks for watching
Mondria