Fire For Effect - M119A1 towed 105mm **DONE** - 26 JUN 11

Kevin - Thanks for the compliments. I enjoyed building this one. I debated on modern figures in ACUs, but in the end chickened out. I still haven't gotten up the courage to paint ACUs.  I need to do them soon.

Andy - Glad you like it.  The base is really simple.  It is a pre-cut piece from the craft store that I sanded, stained, and sealed.  Next I drizzle white glue (Elmer's School Glue) onto where I want the groundwork.  I then take a large brush and spread the glue evenly.  Lastly, I take some dirt from my yard which has been sifted to remove debris, rocks, and bigger pieces.  I sprinkle the dirt onto the wet glue and let it dry.  Once dry, shake off the excess dirt.  That's it.  Instant base.  Good luck with it.

Looking real good!  Loved the base... this is something I want to build for my M24 Chaffee during Korea War.  I am going to check your link for more information on how you made the base if it is there.  Well done!

Awesome Gino! Looks good and 'in use' and the figures are great too! Nice choice with the DCU... hellofa lot easier to paint than the ACU of today.

Excellent build and presentation!

Hi Mike.  I did have fun with this one.  I figured yo uwould pick up on the missing sand bags n the collimator.  I still need to add them.  Thanks for stopping in. 

Very nice.....very nice job with the figs, love the vests. As for the weapon....looks like all MTSQ....no PD?

Crates look good. Love the AFV fibers. Need some sandbags on the colimeter....would not want to pick up some false displacement

I would guess you had fun with this one....it shows

Rounds Complete!!

Bill - Thanks for checking in. 

Lots of neat details to draw the eye Gino, very nice work all around on this one.

detailfreak - Thanks for commenting.  As yo can tell, I am also into details.  It is the little details that makes a diorama great.

                          Great work all around Gino. Always a pleasure to look at the models coming off your workbench.

                                                           Greg"Detailfreak"Rowley

Rbear - thanks.  It was a fun build.  I think it looks pretty realistic too.

Shelback - Thanks for looking in and commenting. 

Spacepacker -  Thanks.  Nope, no blue touch paper.  The 105mm round usues an integrated primer like a rifle shell.  Just pull the lanyard and the hammer falls and fires the round. 

That is a very nice build

I don't know anything about guns bigger than a "Bren", but that man with the lanyard??????????

You don't use Blue Touch Paper then...cheers.....Kenny

HeavyArty or Gino ?

Sweet looking little artillery dio .Your personal experience with artillery makes your model even more interesting .

Makes me want to cover my ears!

I have completed my M119A1 and added a crew on a small base.  It represents a piece from the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq or A'stan in the early days when DCUs were still worn.

The crew are modified Dragon and Tamiya figures.  The gunner straddling the trails has legs from the old Tamiya Armored Troops set.  I added new boots from a modern Dragon figure.  The IBA-clad torsos on all the figures are resin casts from Verlinden and the one with the Camelback is from a copy of a Trumpeter torso.  The gear is a mix of items from various Dragon sets.  Most of it comes from their Modern USMC (OIF/OEF) set.  As does the radio operator (radio bag is from Pro Arts excellent SINCGARS set) and the standing figure inside the trails, who is holding the lanyard, by the way.  The ammo bearer is modified from the Dragon US Army Green Berets set.

The rounds, casings, and "tootsie roll" tubes are from Resicast.  The ammo crates are cast pieces from somewhere (sorry I don't remember where).  The open ammo box was built from sheet styrene by me.  The stenciling is from a friend, thanks Bro.  The collimator is also scratch-built using plans from the same friend. 

More pics can be seen here.

Thanks for looking.

As always, all comments are welcomed.

Mike and Kevin - Thanks for checking in.  It is getting there.  This one didn't really have that much work to do on it.  It is a really nice little kit. 

Man, you've sure got some talent! I don't know how you do it Gino... its only been a couple of days since you started this post...  I'd still be in the ''thinking about it mode'.

Awesome as usual and looking forward to it being in its firing position!

Looking very nice. The muzzle plug on the idiot cord is always a nice touch. Looking forward to seeing it emplaced

Rounds Complete!!

Here is the latest update on it.  I painted it and got some decal markings on it.  I decided to mark it as B12 from 3-319 FAR, 1BDE, 82nd ABN DIV.  I made up the barrel name to add a bit to it.  It still needs to be weathered and then added to the base plate.

Here it is so far.

More here.

All comments welcomed and thanks for looking.

Kevin - Yup, it will be high angle fires.  It has to get over the A'stan mountains.  Thanks for looking.

Bill and Anthony - thanks for looking in on it.  I too like modern more than older stuff. 

nice work so far Gino

Nice work so far Gino, modern artillery is something that always holds a visual interest for me in terms of seeing how things have evolved in the last 100 years or so and this one's no exception. Looking forward to seeing it emplaced.

Did someone mention "High Angle"?

Looking forward to this one too Gino!

Tom - Interesting pic.  Gotta love the borescope and pull-over test.  Thanks for checking in.

Mike - Always good to have you stop by.  Thanks for the assist as well.

Glad to see you emplacing some artillery. It is always good to go home.

Looks like you are off to a great start.

Rounds Complete!!

HeavyArty

My latest build is the Mouse House M119 105mm towed howitzer.  This is the current light howitzer used by US forces since about 1994.

I don’t [dinkywongo] believe it! I just got the following photo:

And I was thinking, #I know I’m not going to build it myself, but wouldn’t THAT make a fine diorama? Not laugh out loud funny, but something with a touch of human interest.# Oh, well, you can treat it as another reference photo.

Thanks for looking.  It has been a fun (yet sometimes frustrating) build so far. 

Mouse House is the kit manufacturer out of Australia. 

Mouse House M119

Doing some High Angle firing, I see. I will have to follow this build. Keep up the good work.

Very cool so far! Mouse House....is that the name of the manufacturer of the kit or a nick name for the gun? I'm no red leg so please enlighten me. Thanks!