SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

M1 Abrams: An Unintended Project

1885 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: East Stroudsburg, PA
Posted by TigerII on Thursday, December 31, 2015 1:46 AM

That is a very nice build.

Achtung Panzer! Colonel General Heinz Guderian
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 8:39 AM

For a three buck accident she turned out pretty darn nice! Kudos sir!!! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: New Port Richey
Posted by deattilio on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 9:33 PM

 

M. Brindos

 

How did you find that kit?? I know you mentioned eBay, but I thought these were all gone from the markets.

 

 

 

 

            I think it was sheer luck that I stumbled across the $3 find on Ebay.  However there are several on the site going on average for $10 currently.

 

 

 

the doog

 

Did you "pair" the wheels on this? I believe that this model as well as the M60s and M48s have only one mondo-wide road wheel that you really should "split" with a saw and needle file--saw the wheel down the middle about 2 mm in, and then use a triangular needle file to widen the gap, simulating double wheels. It really improves the look.

 

 

            I went the lazy route and did not pair the roadwheels, primarily because I was not anticipating to get this involved with a “practice” kit.  Next go-round I will definitely fix those roadwheels.  You have a very impressive looking Abrams, looks like I should have spent a tad more time on the tracks.

 

 

 

            Thanks for the kind comments, hopefully I can get some work done on my Ti-67 pseudo T-55 and apply a little of the weathering I learned with the Abrams.

 

 

WIP:
Trying to get my hobby stuff sorted - just moved and still unpacking.

 

"Gator, Green Catskill....Charlie On Time"
 

 

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 4:29 PM

deattilio - that Abrams is a great model! Turned out to be an absolute beauty! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

As for that M60 - you could do an M60 A-Nothing out of it with a modified M48 turret, or better still - a bridgelayer! Hope it helps, good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 3:31 PM
That's a nice job there, the scheme looks to have come out really well. I do like those old esci kits, I used to have a whole stash of them.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 3:22 PM

It looks great! I'm a big fan of ESCI 1/72--I built numerous examples when I was younger and they were still popping out new ones in the 80s. They're not bad little models; a little chunky in places, but generally they look like they should. The indy-link track ones of later runs are the best of course, as they rubber band tracks leave MUCH to be desired, but you can get a good representation of some cool vehicles with a little work.

Did you "pair" the wheels on this? I believe that this model as well as the M60s and M48s have only one mondo-wide road wheel that you really should "split" with a saw and needle file--saw the wheel down the middle about 2 mm in, and then use a triangular needle file to widen the gap, simulating double wheels. It really improves the look.

Here's the "Laze and Blaze" M1 that I finished earlier this year. Now I have to build a MERDC one!

By the way, I'm glad that you weathered it appropriately. In this scale, it's difficult, but you can use the airbrush to mist on dirt and grime; I find that's the best way in this scale. Then use drybrushing of the base color to define the edges. But it really looks much more realistic with some dirt on it.

A fine job!!! YesBeer

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 3:19 PM

I've always wanted to finish that kit in that scheme, but never found the pattern references back when they were new.

Fabulous job on it indeed!

How did you find that kit?? I know you mentioned eBay, but I thought these were all gone from the markets.

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: New Port Richey
M1 Abrams: An Unintended Project
Posted by deattilio on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 2:54 PM

 

This is Esci’s 1/72 M1 Abrams finished in MERDC scheme, for which I owe Stickpusher a huge thanks – he scoured through his references to provide the patterns.  I won this kit on Ebay for a whopping $3.00 with the intent of robbing it of the barrel.  My main project is a 1/72 Ti-67 being modeled to represent the “T-55” in the movie The Beast. 

 

I did not consider the barrel up to snuff for my Ti-67.  Being a glutton for punishment I opted to not only build the Abrams, but do it in the MERDC scheme.  There is very little out there in trying to figure out the proper pattern.  With that problem remedied, I also decided to use the kit as a practice hull for the many YouTube tutorials on Mig’s dirt and mud effects.

 

Once I got the kit all painted I was hesitant to cover it up or smear the hard work of the MERDC scheme in 1/72 with dirt and mud.  I was that impressed with my work and how the scheme came out I nearly stopped right there.  Instead, I continued with the chance I might totally ruin all my hard work.  It required several attempts, dirt and mud splatters in 1/72 proved more difficult than what 1/35 looked like in the videos. 

 

However, here she is.  An M1 Abrams in MERDC camouflage weathered to look like she just finished a week in the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, the Ti-67 the main project for which the Abrams was even bought is sitting in the same state it was in when the M1 kit arrived in my mailbox.  I have found an appropriate barrel since, robbing a M60A1 for the piece and leaving me with an otherwise complete M60A1 occupying space in the stash with no real intent on completion.

 

Tags: 1/72 , M1 Abrams , MERDC

 

WIP:
Trying to get my hobby stuff sorted - just moved and still unpacking.

 

"Gator, Green Catskill....Charlie On Time"
 

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.