Have Gun Will Travel: SP Artillery GB 2011

Thanks, macattack, I got this one in the late 90s from Squadron on special, they do seem to be a bit rarer these days.

I'm applying the decals at this time. After a couple of days of Googling for research photos I could not identify exactly how the German markings were applied on the tail end, so I decided to use the US markings. I'm not terribly impressed with the Italeri decals, they're reluctant to part from their backing and I'll be amazed if they don't fall off when they're fully dry... I guess we'll see!

Recoil spade, dust, add a few extra bits, paint the fire extinguisher next time I'm spraying red, which should be quite soon... And she's done.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thunderbolt, your M110 is looking awesome!  Nice work.  I have been looking at trying to get on of those kits.  The price gets pretty steep on Ebay though.  I might have to bite the bullet.....

My camera is not working now.  Hmmm.  I will see if I can borrow someones to get some pics of what I have done thus far.  It isn't much but I should post a pic for inspection.

Thanks, guys!

Redleg -- you're right! I knew I forgot something... There's now bare metal on the drive teeth.

Beav -- it may be the registration of the photo, I was concerned I was getting her too skanky... There's plenty of dust to come, but I was not as enthusiastic with the rust streaks as I usually am as the paint displayed a tendancy to lift during the wash process. Yep, I'll leave accurising the hoses to retired artillerymen with time on their hands...

I just installed the second jerry can and was about to apply the decals to the tail end before wrestling with the fittings for the recoil spade. But Italeri really does strike again. How do you get a 15mm decal into a space barely 11mm wide? GRR, research time. If the vehicle is accurate, the decals are too big. If the decals are also accurate, the instructions are wrong...

So close now!

Cheers, M/TB379

Nice and clean, sometimes more difficult than a heavily weathered build.  I like it.  I can understand you giving up on all the hoses and wires; there are just insane amounts on this thing.

Looking very nice.....need a little wear on the drive sprocket teeth....tracks look good.

Rounds Complete!!

Love those BIG guns

SPGs Forever

Tony Lee

As promised, WIP pics -- the M110 is getting very close to done.

I've installed the running gear, seats, guide rods under the gun, pioneer tools and one of the jerry cans, painted numerous small details and pushed the weathering a bit more:

I had meant to use wire to create missing cables and connections but... The kit detail is frankly so simplified when compared to photos of the real thing, I wouldn't know where to start, or if I started, where to stop. There are lots of missing hydraulic connections and power leads or whatever, and in a larger scale I'm sure I could have fun reproducing them, but as it is I think I'll let the kit details stand. A little dust and you won't even tell what colour they were meant to be...

I'm thinking it may be simpler to apply the stern decals before mounting the spade, and they'll give me a look at how the decals behave over raw paint. I'd rather not deal with clear coats on this finish if I can avoid it. The German vehicle has more decals than the others, a dozen, with a splash of colour here and there.

Touch up around the periscopes, paint the fire extinguisher and the buckles of the seat belts, paint the spade mounting brackets, install the shell trays... Not far to go!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thanks guys,the storage boxes still need to have the latches and the straps that hold the box to their base installed. I was just trying to figure out what looks best, the resin bits or the PE or maybe a mix of both.

Tony Lee

Tony Lee -- your etch work is so darn good you make me want to buy an etcjmate and give it a try on this scale!

Stunning work all the way!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Pvt Mutt, That is something to behold!  Your PE work is fantastic!    You could probably leave that unpainted.   Looks cool with all the different media used so far.

I finally managed to get the tracks together and I hope to get working on the suspension soon. 

I took the resin off and used some PE storage boxes in their place:

Opinions appreciated you know.

Tony lee

A little progress to report on the M110... Been busy with RL stuff but kept plugging away on the fine details. The wash and drybrush are done, and I'm picking out details as I go. The head and tail lights are done, the spade hydraulics are done. I just added pigment dust along the sides of the tub and mounted the running gear. I'll hopefully get the treads on tomorrow, then it's photo time.

Main gun hydraulics, some cabling to paint, mount the recoil spade, and she's about ready for decals...

Cheers, M/TB379

Thanks for the comments guys, maybe I'll stick with this hobby after all

Tony, your PE work inspires me, all I've ever managed with that material is to glue my hands together.

WOW Weeeeeee Beav

Tony lee

Mervelous work, Beav, she's a real credit to you! I hope i can do one as good when I get to that kit!

Updating page 1 now!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Beav, that is one wicked looking piece of armor!  Nice job!  I especially like the camo. 

I finally finished up the B-1 Lancer so I have regained A LOT of bench space.  I hope to really get cracking on the M40.

Hey Guys, I'm calling it, here she is:

Trumpeters 1/35sc 122mm Type 89 Peoples Liberation Army Multiple Rocket Launcher finished as K01.

Thunderbolt379

Totally stunning work, Tony! Keep her comin'!

Cheers, M/TB379

   Lookin great!

Outstanding build work as usual Tony.....

Stay warm.....NJ no better....have not seen the fron lawn since Christmas

Rounds Complete!!

I'm trying,i'm trying already

Thanks guys

Tony lee

Totally stunning work, Tony! Keep her comin'!

Cheers, M/TB379

She's lookin' mean Tony!

Ten below here last night,broke the record set in 1929 by seven degrees.

Everything finding a place.

Later

Tony lee

Hi Tony..........Looking better all the time....it's so cold  Brrrrrrrrrrr............Monty

I'm still here so I took a break from the Dicker Max i'm also building to share the love with the Emil.

On the front I installed the spare track links and the towing eyes.

On the rear I installed the smoke candles that only the #1 Emil had fitted and dry fitted the jack and muffler.

Till next time

Tony lee

Beav -- no worries, in your own time, there's plenty of it!

A little progress on the M110, I finally had a chance to get to the wash and drybrush stage. I went over the beast with black and dark brown oils, pinwashed but went very carefully as I noticed some areas of acrylic were inclined to lift. This is a rare effect, I've not seen it often but when it occurs the best strategy is to minimise the damage and hide it under some dirt. I pinwashed recesses and created some rust streaks in prominent places. Then I mixed a lighter green enamel, drybrushed extensively over edges and created some areas of differing tone on open panels. Next I'll need some infrequent spots of brighter rust, and drybrush with metallic for bare metal areas.

The tracks are sprayed, they need their wash and drybrush also, and the track blocks painted into a weathered black, probably in the same operation as the mudflaps. By then she'll be moving along, ready for details like the fire extinguisher, some cabling to be put into black, the driver's vision ports into something to suggest the reflective nature of the optics, and other point details.

Pictures when she's a bit further along. There's really only a few days work to get her done but I'm guessing it'll be the weekend as there's heaps of RL stuff going on too.

Cheers, M/TB379

Not quite finished, but almost; expect me to finish it up in the next week or so.    I hate setting timelines.

Beav -- she looks an absolute treat! Are you calling her finished at this time???

Cheers, M/TB379

Took Koi out into the sun today; here are some pics with better lighting (ok, maybe only one).  I really like how the white wheels turned out.  Also, don't let the dot filter people fool you, you CAN use it on complex camo schemes!  Still needs that flat coat.  I've never used future before, but I liked how it turned out with it...come to think of it, I've never had the financial ability to go out and buy the starters for most of the more complex techniques out there, like oil paints, even mineral spirits.

Beav, the digital camo is slick.  Nice work sir!