Takom M29 Weasel

The lower hull with most of the suspension parts attached. Make sure that the leaf springs (parts A20) are NOT up against the covers above them (parts A22) because those are the bump stops, so the springs would only hit them when compressed all the way. I put the hull onto some bits of balsa on top of a pane of glass so I could fit all the springs at the same angle — there is a lot of play in how they fit, both up and down, and forward and backward. 

The assembled wheels. It’s very tricky to get all eight wheels on a bogie to line up correctly — slightly easier than on LZ’s resin Weasel kits, but only because the parts here are in plastic. 

The lower hull with all the wheels attached. This is very tricky, and I would strongly advise to not follow the kit’s instructions: in step 2, assemble the bogie body (A21 and A19) onto the wheel arm (A23) first, and only then fit the wheels. In fact, I suspect that leaving the springs (A20) loose from the hull and clicking them into A21 before assembling the bogies will make it much easier to get everything fitted. This because with the bogies built, it is very difficult to fit them to the springs. (I didn’t do any of that here, as I followed the instructions. I definitely will not when I build another one 🙂) 

This is about the best I could get the wheels and bogies to line up 🙁 Again, it’s about the same as on the LZ Weasel kits, which is a major disappointment — I would have expected a plastic kit to be easier than a resin one. Takom really dropped the ball here by making everything here separate parts, when they could have moulded A19, A21, A23 and A24 as a single piece that could then simply slot into the leaf spring A22. 

The left-hand track fitted (on the M29, the idler wheel at the front is lower than the drive sprocket at the rear). It’s not perfect, probably because I put the bogies slightly too high. Also, DO NOT remove all of the track parts from the sprue before assembly — instead, take care to fit them exactly as the instructions show in step 3, else you probably won’t be able to get them all on correctly. Start with part A31 on top of the drive sprocket and then work your way around the track. 

Step 4 consists of fitting exactly one part: the axle on the inside of the bow … 

The floor, which for an apparently inexplicable reason is moulded in three pieces: the central part with the frames etc. sticking out from its sides, and a plate on either side. 

These little undercuts (and two on the opposite side) are why the floor is in three pieces. But what are they there for in the first place? 

This is why the undercuts are there: to fit the angled area on the lower edge of the hull sides. Again, Takom made the kit needlessly complicated: moulding little indents into that angled bit would have obviated the need for a three-piece floor entirely. Similarly, the slats on the side wall are a separate part when there is completely no need for it — it could have been moulded integrally with the wall just fine. 

The hull floor and radiator added to the lower hull. I intended to build the model following the sequence shown in the instructions, but that falls apart by step 6, because building the radiator and engine cover totally independently from the upper hull is simply asking for things to not fit. Notice I also painted the inside of the lower hull in olive drab, because no way can you reach that anymore with the whole model built. 

The hull sides and central bulkhead have been installed here, as well as the engine covers. 

Driver in place, but still loose (as is his chair). I made the minor mistake of adding the left side wall before adding the interior parts for the driver’s compartment, which made that rather more difficult than it needed to have been. If you fit the driver, IMHO it’s better to glue the right hand with steering lever to his wrist rather than to the floor of the vehicle. 

All of the major pieces together, though the windshield is still loose. 

I had some trouble getting the body panels at the rear to fit correctly, but I think that’s mainly because I had glued both sides to the floor earlier already. Leaving off the left side and only fitting it once you’ve finished the interior, and adding with the front and rear at the same time, probably gets around that easily enough, 

The completed model from the left rear. 

The completed model from the left front. The driver, seats and grille over the exhaust are still loose, for painting. 

The completed model from the right rear. 

The completed model from the right front. 

The completed model from above. 

There are two tiny etched parts (TP 12 and TP13) that go inside the front grille, but the instructions don’t really show where they go, or how. They’re the parts circled in yellow in this photo. Source: militaryimages.net/media/tracked-amphib.59817/

FWIW, I left them off my model because I just couldn’t get them cleaned up and folded because they are so very tiny 🙁 I would normally replace them with some plastic strip, but I wanted to build this model straight from the box as a kind of review, so I didn’t. 

The completed model (minus the bits I left loose) compared to my partially built LZ Models M29C from the left front. 

The completed model (minus the bits I left loose) compared to my partially built LZ Models M29C from above. 

The completed model (minus the bits I left loose) compared to my partially built LZ Models M29C from below. 

The model in a coat of Mr. Aqueous Color H78 Olive Drab (2). However, the colours are seriously off in this photo, at least on my screens. Compare it to the next one. 

This is the same model as in the previous photo, in the same paint, under the same lighting, and with the same settings in the camera app on my iPad — all I changed was to put a sheet of white paper down under the model. The model’s colour here is totally different than in the last picture, because camera apps on phones and tablets really screw with photographs depending on the colours they see in them.

FWIW, on my iPad’s screen, this photo looks close to the real colour, unlike the previous one. However, on your screen it very likely looks different still (but it would be highly impractical to check that 🙂).

What I’m trying to say is: look and learn how much the camera app deceives your eyes 🙂 

Model given a dark wash (Army Painter Strong Tone, thinned down with water) and a lighter drybrush (Revell 45 Light Olive). 

The exhaust was painted a basic rust colour, but needs some more work. 

Decals applied as well. These are just the ones for the first option in the instructions. 

There should be a star on the back too, but you either need to glue the shovel and axe on after applying it, or only glue them on by their locating points. On mine, there’s no way the decal would slide behind them, so I left it off. 

Lots of decals for the interior, not all of them easy to apply. 

The suspension and lower hull were painted in Tamiya Flat Earth followed by a wash of that same colour over the rest of the model, and then a wash of Tamiya Brown over the lower hull and suspension. The outside of the track was drybrushed with matt black, and the running surfaces of the rubber tyres (only the outer ones) and inside the track were also painted matt black. 

The mud spatters on the sides, front and rear were done by putting a drop of airbrush-ready, sand-coloured paint on an old toothbrush and pulling a cocktail stick along the bristles. I aimed to get them going mostly diagonally forward on the sides, as if they were thrown from the track. 

Windshields masked with some tape to match the areas swept by the wipers. 

The dirt was added by dabbing some Tamiya Flat Earth at it with a big, nearly dry brush, and after removing the tape, it looks good to me. 

After adding the remaining bits, this is the completed model from the left front. 

Completed model from left rear. 

Completed model from right rear. 

Completed model from right front. 

Completed model from above.