The Calm Before the Storm ...

Thanks camo .... its been nice to get back to the bench for a bit. The weather here has been so nice its been hard to stay inside. BUT .... it as raining yesterday. So for more updates, just check the TX weather. If its raining in Houston, I'm more likely to post an update ... HAHAHAH!!!!!!

nice job on those 50's! commin along!!

**UPDATE** (for real this time ...)

As I'm still waiting for the ED PE sets to come in to really get down to business on the 1114s, I'm trying to get a lot of the little things out of the way.

I bought this kit from BLAST. Its resin kit for the DUKE IED system. Each kit come with more than enough parts to make two full DUKE antennas.

Per a past thread about the jerry can handles ... I actually finished these the other day, but just forgot about them. I ended up not using the Tamiya 1/35 cans, but rather a set of 1/32 cans from a Forces of Valor kit. They just looked more the right size. Funny I know. I glue the cans togther with styrene spacers and then cast a second set for the other truck. Then attached handles using a nice how-to from Hans. (Thanks again BTW). Here's the finished product(s) along with the scratched field-modded fuel can carriers that will go on the back.

I also started in on the radio mount and scratch built a TACSAT antenna from alum rod, alum cans and cut straight pins. Not sure if I'm going to use this yet or not ...

Now we get to the .50s... I've got three that I started out with. 2x from Tamiya and one from the AFV kit. One Tam 50 came from the M1025 kit and the other from the weapons kit. The one from the weapons kit has a HORRIBLE cast, but it is cast with no barrel and w/ the feed tray not attached if you want to go for that look. It is also cast in one single piece ... nice ... but not at the same time. (I had to hollow out the gun ... boo). The .50 from the AFV kit is nice enough. More detail, minus the feed tray, but with the barrel. The eduard PE kit that I'm using for the trucks comes with nice details for the .50s so that will help spruce things up as well. Thanks to panzerguy for his help with the ammo can/ cradle issue. Here's a few pics to walk you through it.

I took the PE parts from the original Tam 50 and put them on this one. Also the barrel from the weapons kit (Tam) was horrible as well. Then I remembered that I had a Lion Roar (Lion something) PE kit that I bought a while back at a show. It come with just the barrel and the cooling jacket. A little expensive, but WELL worth it. I put these on Tam's 50 as well. These really help make it look better. I then hollowed out the inside with a dremel, attached it to the mount, make a ammo can cradle from alum can and dropped the can in, gluing it to the mount. Here's what I've got.

I didn't show the other .50 as its pretty much the same thing ... but w/ the barrel. I will have one Soldier standing up by the turret w/ the barrel over his shoulder. Head-space and timing my friend, head-space and timing....

As always, C&C welcome. Hopefully, I'll really get to crankin' with the PE sets come in.....

 

oh... well in that case- that works too! haha

Standing by...

Why 2015??? .... I had an 1114 with the CROW. THAT thing was a beast. Its like a .50 cal sniper rifle with a stabilizer .... 1000m shot at 50mph .... no problem. The truck even rolled over, but didn't tip all the way B/C of the CROW! Needless to say the CROW was pretty messed up, but we got it fixed up nice ... however, the truck wasn't so lucky. I think that says A LOT about the system! Nice selling point too. :)

Finishing things up ...stand-by for pictures.

Sounds sweet to me! I'll have to check out that AFV kit for the M4 variants and the M2 alone... don't have a Stryker, hmm... maybe I could do some kind of "2015" build and have the remote system mounted on some kind of future guntruck or something...

Anyway, definitly looking forward to the pictures!

Well, here's kind-of an update ... actually mostly good news for me!

I had decided to model both 1114's w/ .50 cals. I wanted to put one 240B out there, but I don't really want to pay out the hoo-ha for a 240 from Propaganda Kompany ... and thats the only one that I know of. Anyway, I have the CROW kit (M151 Remote Weapons Station kit) from AFV and it comes with all kinds of good stuff ... most importantly M4 variants, and an M2 with an open feed tray. Now thats what I'm talking about. Since the crews haven't rolled out yet, having the feed trays open is a must. I was looking at getting another AFV kit, but I found that Tamiya's 1/35 Infantry weapons set (121) has an Duece with an open tray AND the barrel pulled out. (However, the casting aren't very good. I think I'll use some spare M2 PE parts for it ... it needs it). The Tamiya kit also comes w/ ammo belts for the 50.

I'm working on them right now, so hopefully I'll have some pictures of it later this evening.

c'mon...who u kidding buddy?? j/k. you'll get it...i know u!

Current update .... or really lack there-of ....

This one has been going very slow ... like psst slow (HAHAHA!!!) j/k, buddy. I actually still haven't received my eduard PE kits yet. Called the company and they said they were currently OOS .... A ing email would have been nice. Anyway, I cancelled that one and ordered from someone else. Hopefully, I'll get them later this week.

I could be working on figures right now, but I don't want to get too far along with that b/c I don't really have the trucks done and ready to position the figures. Rrrrrr ..... I guess I'm stuck until I can get the PE sets in and get the 2nd truck up to par with the 1st. That way I can get them painted together, get the base set up just right, and start positioning the figures.

Really the only work that I've gotten done are small scratch building details for the interior of the trucks like the radio mounts, the radios themselves, etc. etc. Details that are going to be the same for both trucks.

Hopefully, this one will pick up once I get the PE sets in. I'd just say forget it and scratch it, but Eduard did a NICE job with this set.

Which thread? This thread!?! That's cool .... I was searching for other OIF figures a while back and came across my OIF Figure build. I thought it was thinking else at first, but then realized it was mine.

So, I haven't really gotten a lot done on this build in the past few days. The weather has been nice here, and I met up with some old friends on Memorial Day to have a few beers and share some old memories.

I'm planning on getting almost a full days work in tomorrow, so we'll see what gets accomplished.

I'm also thinking about going to a show near Dallas this weekend, so that's on my mind as well.

hey model, not that u may be surprised but i sure was...i came across this thread in an internet search when looking 4 my figs. just surprised that's all!

I'm eagerly awaiting more pics. Btw, check your PMs again. I just sent the last of pics that I have.

 

 

Erik

Heh... Suffice to say that after that, it was often that the BN Commander would be overheard saying something along the lines of, "and whatever you do Sergeant Major, for God's sake DON'T let any of those reporters get close enough to talk to Sergeant Thompson when you're over there..."

Hans von Hammer wrote:

Its strange to work the figure "knowing" I'm working on SGT So-and-so, and PVT Whos-a-whats. 'Zactly...  Although, I'm tempted to build one from 'Dec of 90 that I and my CSM were the "stars" of, lol... I almost created an international incident because of a rock-headed Saw-OOH-dee truck driver that didn't understand English until I made a pork-chop reference to him...

Nice ...

Working some scratch-building issues today. Hope to have update pics up later this evening.

figures they'd get that hans!

Its strange to work the figure "knowing" I'm working on SGT So-and-so, and PVT Whos-a-whats.

'Zactly...  Although, I'm tempted to build one from 'Dec of 90 that I and my CSM were the "stars" of, lol... I almost created an international incident because of a rock-headed Saw-OOH-dee truck driver that didn't understand English until I made a pork-chop reference to him...

Thanks Hans. Its still a little weird to work on this one ... I've started to work on the figures a time or two, but I keep putting them back in the box. Its strange to work the figure "knowing" I'm working on SGT So-and-so, and PVT Whos-a-whats. Regardless, I'm almost positive that once I work my way through this one, there will be a lot taken off my plate ... so to speak.

I'll get back to you guys with some updates as soon as I can.

Thanks for all the optimisim and encouragement.

This is a build that I started immediately after returning from my last tour in Iraq, but after getting started, I realized that I just wasn't ready to "re-live it" just yet.

Check an'a rog, Pard.. I understand... I still ain't built a 73 Easting dio yet an' it's been what,  18 years?  Oh, I built a dio or three from Desert Shield, some stuff from around KKMC, but that was different, 'bout the same as an NTC build, really... 

Yours is coming along nicely...

modelchasm wrote:

and three .... b/c I made the choice to develope my scratchbuilding skills a awhile back. It takes a bit of patience and time, but I think it's worth it.

Yeah, that's what's nice about the AM kits for me. Some of them require a little bit of fabricating, and now that I’m pretty good at that, I’m starting to get better at fabricating from scratch. Better, not good, but better.

Have fun at the game!

camo junkie wrote:

is it typical for all these after market kits to be crap?? i mean are they all bad or dont fit the model that they're intended to? this is now the third instance of this that i know of. what do you guys think...i'd really like to know. personally i no longer have ANY desire to buy after market kits! if you have to fight with them all the time or fill gaps or whatever.....what's the point???

They're not ALL bad. But in this instance, with the MIG set, it jsut seems like they had some warping of the molds. I have two of the MIG sets, and both are exactly the same (when it comes to being off). I think its just the molds on this one. But that makes me think, "why didn't they catch it on the first cast and fix it?"

Just one of those things I guess. However, these days, I find myself buying less and less AM kits, one due to the economy, two due to the price, and three .... b/c I made the choice to develope my scratchbuilding skills a awhile back. It takes a bit of patience and time, but I think it's worth it. I've found that it makes my builds more "one of a kind" and that's important to me.

Anyway .... I'm off to the ballpark. The wife got roses, and I got Astros tickets! Later on bretheren.

Update kits might not be the best all around, but as I can’t really scratchbuild (couldn’t at all when I started the hobby), I use the update kits as a kind of blueprint, using parts that work from the kit on the model, and then using their general detail if I have to fabricate a replacement. The PE stuff is usually pretty good, and better in scale, but some of the resin stuff isn’t all that bad, if the fits off, I’ll just get the details I want and kind of Frankenstein them to the kit parts just to get the idea across.

What I tend to buy more often than Update kits, are accessory kits. Because they have a lot of cool stowage and equipment that usually gives you enough for one or two builds, definitely helping for Dios to give that lived in look. Legend Productions does a nice job with their accessory kits, and some of their parts that are designed to replace existing kit parts (think the sandbag armor on my Vietnam diorama replacing the M151A1 kit’s windshield) are actually molded with the kit parts infront of the sculptor, and you can tell by flipping the part upside down and (on the sandbags for instance) seeing the impressions of the kit parts so one knows how to line them up. I built a Vientman M113 a while back and the whole compartment was sandbagged- but with no instructions (on of the big downfalls with update/accessory sets and Verlinden resin in general, if any instructions- poor and incomplete), the only way I could build the sandbag floor was upside down, trying to match the underside of the bags to the kit floor piece and lining them up. It worked kind of like a hard puzzle, but it told me one thing, the fit was going to be tight!

Even pieces like that sometimes don’t fit perfectly, they might have correct dimensions when sculpted, but I’m sure once they harden, are molded, molds casted, pieces dried and warped over and over again, this is where the issues come in, in some cases like this MIG set models working with, they’re extreme. Just my $0.02 from what I’ve worked with.

is it typical for all these after market kits to be crap?? i mean are they all bad or dont fit the model that they're intended to? this is now the third instance of this that i know of. what do you guys think...i'd really like to know. personally i no longer have ANY desire to buy after market kits! if you have to fight with them all the time or fill gaps or whatever.....what's the point???  

camo junkie wrote:

yeeeeessss p.o. we all know how awesome he is...no leave it be!!!

haha you caught me.

Nice update model, but man, when you said off... I didn't think you meant OFF! Maybe it was designed for a 1/38 kit lol. At least the detail quality is on par with the price. Is the brass included? That’s always nice. Happy anniversary haha

modelchasm wrote:

Is your pool ready yet!?! (hehe)

actually it was up to 72 degrees (water temp) yesturday. need a good solid week of what we had yesturday...although i did swim in 68 degree last year....lol. but she's all ready for summer!

good to hear about your build. i've been painting my crouching militant and some more of the us guys! well...flesh tones anyway. anyway, hope to see some of those pics when its completed.

HAHA!! Thanks camo ... I got the point.

While the wifey is still at work, I've been thinking about the build (shhh, don't tell!). I think that the only place that I can really go forward with thsi one right now is to finish off the interior, get it painted and then start closing it up .... pretty much the way I'd approach an aircraft build.

I've got the radio racks built, using some of the kit pieces, but I've got to rebuild the radios to be the smaller ASIP radios. And then there's the BFT (Blue Force Tracker) screen, etc., etc. There's really not too much left for the interior, so if I really plugged away tomorrow, I might get it done. But .... its supposed to be nice weather again.

Is your pool ready yet!?! (hehe)

...lol...j/k happy anniversary!!

Thanks Stern0,

I went to bed last night pretty frustrated, but this morning I woke up ALMOST ready to tackle the job.

However, today's our anniversary, so if anything gets done it won't be until tomorrow.

Thanks again all for following. I'll try to get more update pics up again soon.

Scott, there is no dought you will overcome the kits faults...it looks great from the pics! (fantastic pics btw) Nothing is more frustrating that parts that don't fit...takes away from that imediate saticfaction that I need..and like yourself, I havn't built a kit (save figures) in a while, You have inspired me to dig out one! Your skills are very evident so I think it will be all right..hang in there! can't wait for more!

Well, no progress tonight .... just set-backs for tomorrow.

The MIG conversion kit is great, but expensive. However, they should make you pay for it and then immediately give you a 50% refund for it's crappiness that you're going to have to put up with. Don't get me wrong, it has great detail and easily changes the 1025 kit into the 1114. However, the fit .... of almost all the parts are horrible. Let's start at the top.

The kit replaces the whole top with the new armored hardback, to include the new AC vents and new antenna mounts. BUT ... the fit is bad. Borderline ri-donk-ulous (which is WAY worse than ridiculous)! Here I've had to add pins to all four corners of the top piece IOT get it to line up right with the kit's main body. The fit is much better but the resin still does not sit flat to the main body. I shimmed it up with sheet styrene (but I don't have pictures of that loaded yet). Regardless, its very clear that when I get ready to mate the two pieces there's going to be A LOT of glue involved.

I also ran into a problem, which I'll take partial blame for cause I'm retarded ... the MIG wheels attach pretty much like the kit wheels do, BUt for SOME reason ... they don't fit right. (You've got to be kidding me ... I know!) The pins that are supposed to slide into the kit's piece are too big, so you have to VERY carfully sand them down. Now the "my fault" part. When I was reworking the suspension before, I thought that I got the wheel's bearings straight ... nope. I guess you aren't really aware of this if this is the first wheeled vehicle you've done in a long while (this is what happens when you do nothing but build figures .... other things kick your butt.)

Other things now on the "to do" list ...

The MIG wheels have GREAT tread detail (and the correct tread btw), however the outer treads need to be sanded down to show the wear the tires get under the heavy armor. I plan on leaving one or two unsanded to be "new tires".

I'm also trying to figure out how much detail is going to go into the interior ... I do'nt want to miss some, but at the same time, I don't want to go all out and then just shut the doors .... if you know what I mean. (I did that on a B-17 once. The interior is AMAZING ... but you'll have to take my word for it...)

Anyway, I've got a ton of work left to do ... and this is only the FIRST one! Oh well.

hey...understand! actually had 2 days of 83 degree weather. first time in a month! back to lower 70's rest of the week.

anyway, i was under the impression you had both kits guess i was wrong. why dont u just scratch a new one b4 the kit arrives. am i jealous...u bet.