M113 Section Engineer Vehicle ( Earth Auger)

Hi Al! I have an old photocopy of this variant and wonder if you can use a styrene tube for the middle. You could take a long piece of strip styrene and using the edge, tack it on with CA to one side and turn it over and over around the tube until you get the proper revolutions/length for the blade. From there, it should be just glueing in place. Can't remember if the end tapers, but if it does, you can fill the one end of the styrene with a plug and sand smooth. As for the blade, if it has to taper, you can do that with an X-acto. Don't know if this post will help you, I am going to have to dig up that old photocopy pic again and refresh my memory....

Tafford thanks for the help, never thought about that way of making one. If you need any pictures of the M113 SEV I would be happy to send you some as I am a qualified driver and have been for 16 yrs. CHIMO!!!!!!

Sgt AL

No problem, Al. That's what the forums are all about. Modellers helping modellers. If you're serious about the pictures, I would love to get some. My email is ti-ger1@shaw.ca if you want to contact me outside the forum. Here's a question for you, are there set painting schemes for the M113s (as well as the 6x6 Trucks, Bisons and Iltis)? I have roughly 2 dozen pics of all these vehicles and there seems to be a pattern to the green/black schemes. I tried to contact the DoD but all I received was...contact this person...then contact this person...and so on...and so on. You get the picture. If you ever come across diagrams that are not classified, keep me in mind.

Oh, by the way…I have dug out my old photocopies of the M113A2 Engineering variant and it looks like it can be done with styrene. The auger(s) I have mentioned already. I notice there are two. The rails it rides on can be replicated in styrene, as well as the motor housing. The end cap of the main auger looks like tube styrene. As for the hydraulics, what about small gauge electrical wire. It can be bent prototypically and the plastic coating will accept paint. The only other necessity here is detailed plans or close up measurements for accuracy, and I think you’re way ahead of the game!

Thanks. Will get the pictures to you ASAP and will find som info on the paint schemes for you. CHIMO!!!!!

Sgt AL