Barbie Meets Batman

While shopping recently I came across several little Barbie sets that are interesting.  This one is an ice skating pond.

The bits are useful in my American Cities project, I think.

They are well packaged.

And are a complete diorama with little accessories.

The whole set.

Batman in 1/72nd scale, about 25mm from bottom of base to top of head.  Barbie is a heroic 32mm size figure.

I think the seat on the bench can be cut down, the counter top is probably okay, and so is the tree.

I think with a little surgery Barbie may also be able to lead a normal life in Gotham City once she is reduced from 8 feet tall.
 

SDV Tank Retriever Continues

The SDV tank retriever is coming along.

The machine gun port looking hole is actually for a big cable attached to a drum for towing vehicles out of the mud.  Pretty clever.

I decided to glue the crane into a semi-erect position, and here it is.  So not too high that I can't drive it down the road, and not so low that it looks like it is not doing anything.  A better model builder than I could likely make the crane work.

Top view.  There are a bunch more accessories left to go so it won't look so plain when it is done.

Side skirts and other bits ready for installation.

It's a shame to hide such nice looking wheels.

Test fit, file, test fit, trim, test fit, sand, test fit, close enough.

The construction so far.

Well on the way to completion.
 

SDV and Batman?

I am often working on more than one project at a time.  Sometimes a project gets delayed due a lack of materials, don't have the right glue or the color of paint I want.  Or sometimes I need more research, or maybe I am just waiting for the glue to dry.  Here while working on my SDV model, I am also working on a Batman related project.  I gathered a few hats and figures to use for the Mad Hatter and perhaps Clock King.  Two Batman 66 villains.  You can see a test fit for one of the hats in the photo.  I am also collecting hats for use on Mad Hatter Henchmen or perhaps for display in his lair.

These are the instructions in the SDV kit.  They are adequate, better than some of the SDV instructions.

The models themselves are not too difficult but the do require a lot of study of the instructions to insure correct parts placement.  I always test fit pieces to insure they go the right way.  You can see progress has been made on the hull and suspension.  I was waiting for all the little wheels to dry before continuing work on the project.

Here is the exploded view of the crane arm.  I remove the parts from the sprue, trim the flash and them place them on my workspace in the same relative position as they are in the instructions.

I find it very helpful to visualize where the parts all go.  Sometimes I do this on a piece of paper and even label the paper with each part number.  Then parts get test fitted and then slowly glued together.  After I glue two parts together and they are good enough to handle, I test fit the next pieces before it is too late to make any changes!
 

SDV Kit

SDV makes a lot of Cold War era Warsaw Pact kits.

The parts are not marked with their construction number the order of construction and each part number is referenced on a sheet of paper.  So I usually cut most of the parts off the sprue, then trim the flash and finally organize the little piles in order of construction.

Here I am working on the suspension.  They go together pretty well and are sturdy when the glue is dry.  The tracks are one piece and slip over the suspension parts which is a good technique for lining up the road wheels and making them good and strong, yet preserving detail.

This is the crane part.

Here is the casement and the lifting gear bits.  This is a tank based armored recovery vehicle.