Have Gun Will Travel: SP Artillery GB 2011

Great going! Any WIP photos...?

Cheerss, M/TB379

OK, I've almost finished my PzH-2000.  I just need to add a few more washes and put another flat coat on it, then it's done.  Just a note, I hate Revell decals...

We all have to start somewhere....looking good

I should have an update to my M108 next week...working on indy tracks right now.

Feel free to PM or email if you have any questions

Rounds Complete!!

Well I finaly got started today on the M108. 

Its a start but there a ways to go.

I'll just post my progress, see if any one recognizes my new zebra!

That was tons of fun!!!! 

Finally, some progres on ol' Hummel

Cheers...

Jeff -- looking great! Very impressive model of a rare and interesting subject.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

JeffB - Looking very nice.....beginning to smell some muzzle blast!!

New Med Tec - The old girl is looking good.

Rounds Complete!!

Finally showing progess!!!  I finally found a spare minute to lay down some color, and the fun began!!!  The best part for me, is finally getting to this point. the paint makes or breaks a build...and I'm half way there. Next up is the white camo pattern, but not to get ahead of myself! 

Here's the paint, right out of the booth!

I added a few hoses on the gun assembly from small gage solder...

The color I had on hand was RAF dark green..and it looks pretty close to my pics.  The flash buggered me a few times...part of learning!

Any feedback welcome

Thanks for looking......next time..we go white camo!!!

Mechtech - The carriage for this weapon has supported two different weapons, the 105mm howitzer M108 and the 155mm howitzer M109 series. Only one version of the M108 was ever produced. It had the "angular" barrel travel lock as seen in the first picture. The M108 saw limited production (~300) and was removed from US service somewhere in the late 1980s

The M109 has gone through multiple versions/upgrades including M109, M109A2 and the M109A6 Paladin. All of the M109 versions had straight barrel travel locks but differed slightly for each version. The M109A6 Paladen is currently in service as the US155mm SP howitzer.

Hopefully that answers your question

Rounds Complete!!

Redleg, I remember you saying something about the Paladin not having the 'BOOMERANG" piece mount on the vehicle. Is it that curved piece just behind the grilles in your first photo?

Sorry I have not had any updates for a while; but, I have been doing some work. We'll get to that soon enough.

Redleg- As usual setting the bar high. Great work so far.

JeffB- That Dana looks to be a monster of a kit! Nice job, and the PE looks good. I've used it on ships and planes but not on AFV's, yet.

Anyway here is my progress so far:

The drivers compartment,

The recoil spade

Some of the upper hull together

And how it looks together (nothing glued yet)

And that's where it sits now. I'm Hoping to get enough done this week to be ready to paint this weekend.

-Stephen

Redleg -- that stuff looks great, I must keep it in mind!

JeffB -- she's really coming along, this is going to be a very spectacular model!

Cheers, M/TB379

I started the business end while my new favorite glue dried....

I even tried my skills at PE!!!  Did it pass muster?

I still need to add the left side turret, theres a view of the gunners periscope I'm trying to build/. I'm hoping to take this beast to BuffCon next month...

Hope ya'll enjoy the pics, it's been a fun build so far.  any  feedback welcome!!!

Jeff

I heard there was incorect shape to stowage boxes...yep!!!  Pretty simple, theres a missing panel line...big deal...

so while I was there..I built the rear plate..

this isn't the back side..but pretty UGLY!!!!

LOL!!!!

I found some cool details I wanted to add to the right side of the turret

I'm still here!!  The building has gone faster now..sorry guys, almost forgot to take pics!!   Before I get to the progress, heres the paint scheme.....

Everyone like it?????Try finding more pics of it.....

Back to the build..theres an engine hiding in the back..want to see it???  me too...

so I spent time building these....

My eyes were crossed after this one....and nearly glued my fingers together!!!

More to come.....I 've been busy....

I guess i'll have to get some of that stuff and try it out Mike.

At least you're back to work on it.

Tony lee

Tbolt - No binder.....here is the stucco I use

http://www.liquitex.com/Products/texgelmedceramstuc.cfm

I added some burnt umber acrylic paste to give it the reddish orange color. That makes the MIG pigment cover much better. I like the acrylic paste to keep the stucco thick but you could also use the cheap acrylic paint.

After you mix it with some paint, just use a medium round brush and dab it on. It is a gel and sets in about a half hour but should dry overnight before weathering

Rounds Complete!!

Redleg -- that's some spectacular mud work! What do you use for your binding agent? Water, or anything stickier?

Personman906 -- page 1 updated, welcome aboard! I was thinking of taking a crack at that one myself, it's an impressively large vehicle!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Put me down for Revell's 1/35 Panzerhaubitze-2000 please.

I had some time this weekend to push this one along. I concentrated on completing the chassis with the exception of the tracks.

For the headlights, I drilled out the kit supplied molded headlights and replaced them with #116 clear and 118 black MV lenses. Also I mounted the kit supplied barrel travel lock.

Then I worked on finishing the track area by weathering with MIG Vietnam Earth pigment. I also worked the side panel bolts and the chassis front with the same pigment mixture. After everything dried here is how things looked

Here is the other side looking from the rear.

Here is an underside view so you can see all that is weathered.

Next were the road wheels. The back of the wheels are easier to weather while off the vehicle.

Once the wheels dried, I assemble the pairs and mounted the main road wheels. The idler and drive will go on with the tracks.

That is it for the chassis except for tracks and final weathering. Next update, on to the turret.

As always thanks for stopping by. Your comments good or bad are always appreciated.

Rounds Complete!!

OK…It’s been a couple of weeks. RL has been keeping my weekends busy. Hopefully I can finish this guy up soon though I will have a break when I go to AMPS International.  Nonetheless here is the latest progress

Besides continuing to assemble track (one just about complete) I have been working on the chassis. I applied Archer Transfer Bridge Crossing marker on the front. Next I pin washed the engine grill and air intake grills along with bolts and hatches. Letting that dry for a day, I did some dot filters using White, Sap Green and Flesh Oil paint. Here is a look after the filters

I completed filters on the side and top surfaces. In the track area I used a Ceramic Stucco tinted with Burnt Umber acrylic. This gives a good “chunky” base for a dirty track area. I applied the stucco using random splotching with buildup in areas which would normally hold dirt.

After the stucco dries overnight I will work the areas with Vietnam Earth pigment…..next week

As always thanks for stopping by. Your comments good or bad are always appreciated.

Rounds Complete!!

Very good work, NMC! Makes me want to add one of these to my stash! Can't wait to see this one come together!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Well Guys I've finally got started on my M-12!!

I'll be building pretty much straight out of the box. After catching up on the thread here I hope my humble attempt will be up to par. Any way that's (obviously) the box art and hopefully mine will turn out something like that. I got the bogie units together:

and they were real nice, even had the casting numbers on them. They did however lack the bolt detail on the support arm and front of the bogie unit. I ended up shaving some from unused parts and putting them in hopefully the right position.

Filled in the seems and sanded, other than priming and painting I think they will be done.

Moved on to the gun (couldn't wait to see this come together):

Not to shabby, still have a few issues to deal with, but I like it so far. The way it is set up is for direct fire missions, since the extension is up on the shield th indirect fire sight is blocked. I may lower the extension so that I can set it up for an indirect fire mission.

-Stephen

OK..heres the pics of the cab from the Tankograd book. I am trying to rebuild the left side cab wall, and roof area.  The hard part right now is maintaining the shelf looking parts along the back, and the angled wall..

Thanks for any help..this is my first try at  reshaping ,and actually looking forwards to the challenge!!!

Jeff

well, there was a few issues that surprised me along the build. I didn't realize  one until today..they include stablizers tween the wheels. The only option is down, firing position!  Someone molded them different lenghts!!!!  I had both glued in, mounted, and set the frame on the axles...teeter totter.

heres the "legs"  after cutting them off the stowage boxes....

Just for fun, I measured the diameter of the legs..they're .5 of a mm different, and a lot short. Guess the easy option is to mount them stowed....

I found a doozy while reading the tankograd picture book at work. The rear of the cab has some strange details not seen in my pics.  One side is ok, the other should be rebult ..and that s where I hit a wall. I've never attempted scratch building before, so bear with me.....

I need to reshape the drivers side, and have started rebuilding the missing travel lock and cab wall. would it be ok to post the correct pic from the book?  I'm unsure where to go from here.

Ok ...I started getting overwhelmed w/ the cab, so off to the other end of this beast..

heres the front axle assembly...I wanted to turn the wheels. OOPS ..I glued the unit in, before installing the steering links. Anyone ever built a ship in a bottle...yeah, this was a close second!!!

Now here comes the side compartments..

I am going to disply the stairs open, the PE brackets are mounted in the 1st pic.

Now the tail end..this model builds pretty quick.

This was the good news......

Here are a few pics of where I am on the build.   I got most of the fighting compartment installed but I noticed that after I installed some parts the walls bent in toward the middle of the compartment and some of the other parts didn't sit right while the glue was drying and are now a little messed up.

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Got the PE screens on.

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A few pin marks to fill....

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When I went to put this subassembly in my "finished sub-assembly tray I managed to knock off 2 of the pullies.  I might just drill a few holes and replace the kit parts with some wire.

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Any helpful comments would be appreciated.

Jeff, The Dana is a wicked looking machine!  Looking forward to watching your build take shape.  The only thing I can think of for recreating a rubber mat is to use an old, thin mouse pad (for your computer) and cut it to shape.  The bottom side is a rubber type material.

Pvt Mutt

 

 

That is a work of art!  Nice job.