1/35 M777A2 Howitzer - Vargas Miniatures - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Sunday, October 22, 2023 7:14 AM

Thanks Gamera. I agree, 3D printing has come a long way.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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Gamera

Member since
November 2009
From: SW Virginia

Posted by Gamera on Saturday, October 21, 2023 9:34 PM

Wow, looks great Gino! I love the restrained dust and dirt, it can be a pain to make a single colour subject interesting but the grime really does the trick!

And yeah the 3D printing stuff can be awesome if the creator knows the tricks and techniques. I bought some 3D printed 1/35th/54mm figures and they're all printed in a single piece, no assembly required and yet the detail is excellent! About as good as a MiniArt figure- not as good as say a really good resin one like Alpine but still better than Tamiya.

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

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Saturday, October 21, 2023 11:47 AM

CapnMac82
BTDT touches

What is BTDT touches? I'm not tracking.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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CapnMac82

Member since
November 2005
From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas

Posted by CapnMac82 on Saturday, October 21, 2023 11:44 AM

The BTDT touches really make this pop.

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Saturday, October 21, 2023 9:53 AM

I have completed the M777A2. I detail painted some of the components and added placard decals. I also gave it a light weathering with a drybrushing of a medium brown dirt color and a wash of a sandy color.

Here it is overall.

I also made decals to mark it as gun A24, from 2-23 FA, 1ID with a barrel name of “Assassins Creed”.

I also printed up a safety T and ammo data sheet to mount on the rear trails. They are reduced pages out of an Artillery TM, lifted from the web.

I added cables for the brake lines and the lights as well. The end connectors on the brake air lines are 3D printed parts from James Lee. They look really good in my opinion.

Some pics of the other details.

Overall, this was a really great kit. It went together pretty well, but I needed to reference actual pics to get where everything went since the instructions are really basic and vague in areas. I really like how it came out and am very satisfied with it.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Monday, October 9, 2023 12:11 PM

Thanks gents. It is a really nice kit. Vargas did a great job on it. He has a whole line of really nice 3D printed kits.

https://vargas-lg.myshopify.com/

CapnMac82
would that pair with a 7 ton truck, or just a 5 ton?

Yes.

In the USMC it is pulled by the 7ton Mk23 MTVR truck.

In the US Army it is pulled by the 5ton M1083 truck.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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CapnMac82

Member since
November 2005
From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas

Posted by CapnMac82 on Monday, October 9, 2023 10:49 AM

Dang, some body who knows their way around a 3d printer did some fine wor there.

Built up very nicely, too.

Ok, CRS is being very "Monday"--would that pair with a 7 ton truck, or just a 5 ton?

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Pawel

Member since
May 2009
From: Poland

Posted by Pawel on Monday, October 9, 2023 10:43 AM

Now that's some cool redleg stuff! Thanks for sharing and good luck with the weathering!

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

1/35 M777A2 Howitzer - Vargas Miniatures

Posted by HeavyArty on Monday, October 9, 2023 9:52 AM

Yesterday, I started the Vargas Miniatures M777A2 Howitzer. It is a 3D printed kit and looks really nice.

Here is an earlier review of it on Armorama to see how it comes and all the parts.

Armorama™

Vargas Scale Models Kit # R3D-35-777 M777-a2 in 1/35 | Armorama™

Inbox review of a new 3D printed kit of the M777 Howitzer

I failed to take any in-progress pics since there really wasn’t much to see. It went together well with no major issues. All the support attachment points were small and in areas where they were easy to sand away. The instructions are a little vague, but looking at a few pics of the M777, I was able to work through it and got everything in the right place. Being in large pieces with all the smaller details printed on, it only had a bout 30 parts. It went together really quickly, only a couple hours of build time. The kit also comes with 15 155 rounds with lifting lugs (none fused) and a curved rammer staff.

The only things I added is a lug nut that is missing on both wheels. There should be 8, but there were only 7 and a space where the 8th one should go, so easy fix. I also added the antenna and its mount on the right trail pad.

It has parts to build it in travel mode or in firing position. I have built it in firing position and painted it overall NATO green.

Here it is so far.