AFV M1128 MGS Stryker *WIP*Pg 5, 01-19-09 Finished w Figs

Newarmorman - First congratulations, you have an excellent kit in your hands. My comments to you would be first, do not be overwhelmed by the number of parts. Take your time and enjoy building like a fine wine!! Next, look ahead and understand what is next. Try to visualize how it will affect painting, etc. The most important thing is patience...even if you make a mistake, a modeler can fix/rebuild anything.

OK....now that I am off my soap box, go through the information in this thread so you can see what lies ahead, at least from the main kit. If you are going to do the non slip finish, I think I covered that fairly well here. If you have specific questions as you go along you can PM me here or get me through my web site by clicking on the banner below.

Now, the most important thing......enjoy....this is a hobby for enjoyment. You can get to me for questions or a lot of other great modelers who are here on the forum and always willing to help! Thanks for your comments and for being a fan

Jose - Thanks for looking and for your comments!

Rounds Complete!!

Mmmm ... a really agressive looking vehicle! And nice bags!

Marc - Thanks, glad you liked it.

HeavyArty wrote:

Lastly, Gino climbed into the driver's seat. Hey!! How did you get my figure? It wasn't supposed to be available yet. Actually, I think it looks more like Hans with that moustache. You did a great job on. It looks awsome. The bags and gear came out great. Now I have to do mine. Maybe not another Stryker for a while though, at least not w/slat.

Gino - These type of "family" figures are only available from a small Italian company that wishes to remain nameless.

Thanks for looking in and for your comments. I thought the back packs turned out well. It was about 6 hours start to finish on them but I like the detail with the camo.

Rounds Complete!!

Lastly, Gino climbed into the driver's seat.

Psstoff - Thanks for your comments. I was very impressed with the quality and ease if using the decals and they look great.

As far as the base.....yep, the Doog is always on me to do more. I tend not to be a dio person but use the base just to set the scene for weathering rather than just a loose model. With that said, I usaully don't go "nuts" but let me look at some shots....I may have an idea. As far as Iraq....nope the dust bowl looks nothing like this!!!

Thanks again for looking.

Tread - It is always a pleasure when you stop in. Thanks for the comments....Enjoy the Tiger!!

Rounds Complete!!

excellent work Mike--imho your best to date--always really dig your stuff, but this is way good------i won't get into specifics,all the superlatives have been said ---tread

Wow! That came out great! I really like the backpacks, would have never known any of this was decals if I hadn't been watching, the weathering looks great and the Joe and Gino look right at home.

Any chance on getting a little roadmap sign or something with some locations/arrows on there so we know what base the maneuvers are taking place? Might work to take up some of the empty space in the grass and help to place the build stateside for those that didn't follow the WIP or notice the groundwork isn't really common in Iraq but not really necessary. Well done! 

Bill - Thanks, I will let Gino & Joe you approve ....Just going to helo land for a quick wirl.

As the man said...."I'll be back"

Thanks again

Rounds Complete!!

OK....Let's get down to finish the last few items.

The backpack gear was finished using the Sinsengumi BDU camo set. The bed rolls were painted using Tamiya Med Grey. The canteen pouches and entrenching tool cases were painted with MM Olive Drab. Then I airbrushed some of the MM OD on clear decal paper, cut it in .040 strips and used it to decal on all the straps. Once everything was set it was given a coat of Flat Future to protect all the decal. Lastly a pin wash of black was used on the canteen pouches and entrenching tools and a dark grey wash on the bed rolls.

After everything dried it was time to mount up. I glued the backpacks in place. Then I mounted Joe...the TC

Lastly, Gino climbed into the driver's seat.

The base was cut from Oak, edge routed and sanded. Stained and sealed. After drying overnight, Celluclay mixed with a Michaels cheap acrylic mud color was mixed and laid down and tire marks laid in. After that dried overnight, I laid in the grass and the stone.

With the base made and the crew mounted up, a few last touch ups and here is the M1128 MGS finished.

Thank you for looking through this WIP thread. I hope I was able to help someone with an idea.

I will be taking a short break from armor and you will find me with my next WIP in the helicopter section as my next build is the OH-6 Cayuse....great aerial artillery observation platform (but I will still be wathing here from my virtual bunker).

All comments are welcome, thanks for looking.

Rounds Complete!!

End of Mission....Mark as Target!

redleg12 wrote:

Padakr - Well.....it may be a little big but on the other hand, I had one for all the years I was in....just kept it regulation. At 1/35....in the drivers hatch....sshhhhhh. Maybe he has a profile!! Thanks for looking and the comments. Rounds Complete!!

I'm just jealous.  I could never grow one that didn't look like it was only two weeks old.  Finally gave it up when I no longer looked like I was 15 without it.

Padakr - Well.....it may be a little big but on the other hand, I had one for all the years I was in....just kept it regulation. At 1/35....in the drivers hatch....sshhhhhh. Maybe he has a profile!!

Thanks for looking and the comments.

Rounds Complete!!

Bill - Yep....getting near the end. The question is the light the end of the tunnel or the train coming at me!!

psstoff995 wrote:

This is looking really good! Are the driver's hands going to be in the hatch so only his head is visible? If this is so I understand why you'd leave his hands so bright so they'd at least be visible through the hatch (and it's not like hands really tan), but if not I feel like his hands are way too pale compared to his face and could use at least a little tan wash for shadow between fingers. Other than that this project has really been moving along- the deacals look great on everything! Definitly helpful from what I can see having tryed to paint cammo in 1/35. The final weathering on the MGS looks great, nice work with the antennas too, did you use guitar string or wire or..?

The driver will only really be visable from the shoulders up. The hatch is half closed so you cannot see in.....Therefore, yes...that is why I did not go nuts on his hands. I did not wash them to get shading as they would not really be seen.

The antennas are .020 brass wire. I like the brass wire because it stays nice and stiff. The balls on the ends are made from .030 styrene rods. Sand one end on a shallow angle, drill a .020 hole in the center, cut to length, glue onto antenna and sand the top to round off.

Thanks for the comments and for looking.

Rounds Complete!!

I like it .  But, isn't that mustache a little out of regulation? 

This is looking really good! Are the driver's hands going to be in the hatch so only his head is visible? If this is so I understand why you'd leave his hands so bright so they'd at least be visible through the hatch (and it's not like hands really tan), but if not I feel like his hands are way too pale compared to his face and could use at least a little tan wash for shadow between fingers. Other than that this project has really been moving along- the deacals look great on everything! Definitly helpful from what I can see having tryed to paint cammo in 1/35.

The final weathering on the MGS looks great, nice work with the antennas too, did you use guitar string or wire or..?

Wayne - Thanks for looking and your comment. For the amount of time I spent on the figs....it appears to be worth it. Thanks again....(Gino & Joe thank you too)

Cameraflage - Thanks for the comment. Don't worry about being cheap, we all are!!! 99% of the people think ALICE and MOLLE are 60s rock band members!! Only a big old retired soldier like me finds them in between counting bolts from the TM (technical manual).

Use the alice packs, and go with the camo. I have also looked at a bunch of photos. I have yet to see one with the digital ACU patteren on the packs. They are the old BDU camo. Even the picture on the Real Model box with the MOLLE gear has the MOLLE packs in BDU camo.

SO.....embrace ALICE (I did for many years), cover her in woodland camo and as you stated with it in the bird cage....weathered....no one is going to look for MOLLE.....ALICE will do you fine.

Thanks again.....The emperor awaits us!!!

Rounds Complete!! 

Impressive...most impressive!

A quick question on the MOLLE packs...would they have the woodland pattern or the ACU pattern? I'm asking because I'm in the process of doing packs for my ICV, and I have the Legend set, which has ALICE packs instead of MOLLE. I'm cheap, and dont want to have to buy another gear set, so I figured I'll make do with what I got. The woodland decals look great, and might be an option for me instead of trying to paint all that. Some of the reference photos I have show Strykers with some sort of gear with a woodland pattern, but I can't tell what they are exactly. 

Anyhoo, the MGS looks great!

Ranger Joe, Defender of Bunnies

This week I started to close up the ends. First I completed the figures. After decaling both I figures, they were given a coat of flat future. Once the future was dry, I mixed a medium grey oil wash and washed to bring out the folds and highlights. The TC received a set of gloves via Poly Scale OD Green and the washed to bring out detail.

I began work on the pack arrangement which is the last thing to mount and weather on the vehicle. Yep.....I am using the camo. decals, one down, two more to go.

On the vehicle, I fabricated the antennas, and for two made the "idiot" ball for the end. After the antennas were mounted, I made some repairs of incorrect kit directions, thanks to Rich Cody from Armorama. First was the gunner's sight cover which direction say to mount as a top opening but is actually a bottom opening.

Then the gun sight compartment hatch needs to sit flat. I removed the hatch and filed it to get it as flat as I could.

Finally, I finished weathering the model except for the packs which I am still working on.

Hopefully, the next update should be the mounted and completed model.

All comments are welcome, thanks for looking.

Rounds Complete!!

Manny - Thanks for looking. Nope, not Tamiya, they are Shinsengumi. Here is there complete list in 1/35:

http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?word2=&series2=All&maker2=SSG&btnSearch=Narrow+Search&Dis=-2&GenreCode=All&MacroType=Dcl&Scale=35&SeriTxt1=

They have all differnt items and I'm sure some that will interest you. Your fig comments mean a lot....thanks

Bill - I had to try something different....you know me! Thanks for popping in.

Karl - Thanks for the comments. Glad you liked the fig.

Rounds Complete!!

WOW, Mike--that looks outstanding!!!

The figure looks waaaay cool with that camo!!!

The weathering looks pretty cool too! Soldier on!!

That makes sense redleg, good points

But hey even on a 20 foot man they still look great! And yeah I didn't even take into account that this was your first time around with them, that's really impressive!

Looks like you picked the right Grey, as far as I can tell they match up pretty nice

G - The decals came from; http://www.hlj.com/product/SSGMCD020

I wanted to give them a try as opposed to trying to paint the digital pattern. Thanks for looking

Psstoff - Thanks for the comments on the weathering. As far as the figure, first for all the detail freaks I wanted to give the macro shots but I agree with you. The perspective of these photos to our eye is a 20 ft tall man. IMHO, especially for the first shot with these decals, it looks great.

As far as the touch up and the British Grey, I was about 3/4 thru when I decided to use the grey for some of the "unseen" areas. If I was going to paint the pattern, I was going to mix the Grey with Desert Storm Sand to lighten the color. Since it was unseen, I wanted to see how close the color was to the decal prominent color.

Thanks for looking guys and your comments.

Rounds Complete!!