Self Propelled Artillery/Mortar GB 2006-2007

Hermesminiatures wrote:

The sides and rear armor are just dry fitted in those pictures, and since the tool clasps work I just remove the various equipment before painting. Unless that makes a difference, I planned to take pictures as I went, since I'll be adding some pretty heavy weathering, and a lot of gear once the basic painting is complete. I spent the morning being angry at Tamiya for not molding sponsoons and once again requiring sheet plastic surgery. I haven't attempted the air compressor yet - if you don't hear anything by tonight, you can probably assume it won and I'm pouting.

That's the one big annoyance I have with the Tamiya kits (which are generally pretty good)..... those damned open sponsons, what's up with that?  Why don't they close those up?  It makes what would otherwise be a pretty good kit more in line with what you'd expect from a toy.

The sides and rear armor are just dry fitted in those pictures, and since the tool clasps work I just remove the various equipment before painting. Unless that makes a difference, I planned to take pictures as I went, since I'll be adding some pretty heavy weathering, and a lot of gear once the basic painting is complete. I spent the morning being angry at Tamiya for not molding sponsoons and once again requiring sheet plastic surgery.

I haven't attempted the air compressor yet - if you don't hear anything by tonight, you can probably assume it won and I'm pouting.

Very good looking Hermes. I like the tool clasps.

Same as Scott said, or did you just assembled the walls separately?

Good luck with your air compressor  

I finished construction of the Wespe this evening. It was less and less OOB as I went but still pretty much so by the end. I filled all the nasty ejector pin marks in the interior, drilled out the barrels and magazine ports on the MP-40's, added an antenna and a headset and wired both into the radio, cut off the silly-looking molded bumps around the top of the armor and replaced them with correct tie downs made from solder, and of course added Voyager tool clasps, 10 total or 30 parts in all (they actually do open and close!)

Tomorrow I plan to paint the model, that is if I can get my air compressor back in the house - it's in the garage and we have 2 feet of snow thanks to last weekend's blizzard, AND on top of that it has to go in the back basement door cause it won't fit down the stairs......wish me luck!

redleg12 wrote:

on an M270 MLRS, in desert camo in the firing position with an M26 missle coming out of one of the pods. It's a challange. The missle is easy. Playing with the smoke is a blast!!

Wow - this I gotta see.  I'm new to modeling and still trying to figure out how to complete a decent armor build, so dioramas are not something that I'll be attempting any time soon.  But I thought that if I were to do one eventually, I would like to do something that captures the gun at the moment the projectile leaves the muzzle.   Your idea is fantastic and I will be very eager to see it in living color.

Larry

Gun Tech wrote:

Very well done. I particulary like the moved earth effect by the spade.

Thanks!!

Currently working on an M270 MLRS, in desert camo in the firing position with an M26 missle coming out of one of the pods. It's a challange. The missle is easy. Playing with the smoke is a blast!!

redleg12 wrote:

Plastic_Cross wrote:  redleg12 wrote: As I said it is about 90% complete............Want to hear your comments. Hoo Wa - that is one hunka burnin SPG you have going there.  It looks phenomenal.  Is that the Italeri kit?  How much of a departure from "out of the box" did it require?  I see the 107 kit appear on eBay on occasion, but have not actively pursued one as of yet.  Larry I have finished and will post some more pics in the next couple of days but it is the Italeri kit. I have added a metal barrel from barrel depot. For this length and size it is a must. I also have some details for the photo etch kit from eduard. It is especially freat for the vents, and some other small details. The barrel and photo etch are still available. The kit is hard to find. The only other minor change from the out of the box is the decal marking. Since my first unit was a 175/8 inch unit, the marking are from my old unit. In general it is a great kit. It does need some seam work for some parts but in general was a blast and turned out great. I'll post some pics as soon as I can

Here are the pics from my finished M107 I promised. Hope you enjoy them!!

Plastic_Cross wrote:

redleg12 wrote: As I said it is about 90% complete............Want to hear your comments. Hoo Wa - that is one hunka burnin SPG you have going there.  It looks phenomenal.  Is that the Italeri kit?  How much of a departure from "out of the box" did it require?  I see the 107 kit appear on eBay on occasion, but have not actively pursued one as of yet.  Larry

I have finished and will post some more pics in the next couple of days but it is the Italeri kit. I have added a metal barrel from barrel depot. For this length and size it is a must. I also have some details for the photo etch kit from eduard. It is especially freat for the vents, and some other small details. The barrel and photo etch are still available. The kit is hard to find. The only other minor change from the out of the box is the decal marking. Since my first unit was a 175/8 inch unit, the marking are from my old unit.

In general it is a great kit. It does need some seam work for some parts but in general was a blast and turned out great.

I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance. 

Hermesminiatures wrote:

Hey guys, can I join this GB as well? I'll be building the 1/35 Tamiya Wespe.

That's a really good choice Hermes.  I like the look of the Wespe

redleg12 wrote:

As I said it is about 90% complete............Want to hear your comments.

Hoo Wa - that is one hunka burnin SPG you have going there.  It looks phenomenal.  Is that the Italeri kit?  How much of a departure from "out of the box" did it require?  I see the 107 kit appear on eBay on occasion, but have not actively pursued one as of yet. 

Larry

Hermesminiatures wrote:

Hey guys, can I join this GB as well? I'll be building the 1/35 Tamiya Wespe.

I was eyeing that same kit for this build.  What do you think of the kit Hermesminiatures? 

Plastic_Cross wrote:

redleg12 wrote: Somewhat new to modeling (on my 3rd) but I am interested with this group build (retired US Army artillery officer). I am also new to the forums. I make my subjects post WWII artillery and support equipment (prefer US). Currently working on the M107, 175mm SP Gun (about 90% complete). My next kit to the bench will either be the M109A6 or the MLRS. Is there any chance of joining in. I can post some pics of the M107 where it is at currently for the group to see but would start something new for the GB. Thanks  I'd love to see your M107 redleg12.  I hope you can join this Group Build.  I have an M109 in my stash and would be very interested to see your build (if you decide to do that one next). Larry

As I said it is about 90% complete. Still working on ammo, powder cans, fuze boxes and ramming staff. Then have to work on weathering the the whole gun. Some wear work is done. Hope you like. Want to hear your comments.

redleg12 wrote:

Somewhat new to modeling (on my 3rd) but I am interested with this group build (retired US Army artillery officer). I am also new to the forums. I make my subjects post WWII artillery and support equipment (prefer US). Currently working on the M107, 175mm SP Gun (about 90% complete). My next kit to the bench will either be the M109A6 or the MLRS. Is there any chance of joining in. I can post some pics of the M107 where it is at currently for the group to see but would start something new for the GB. Thanks

I'd love to see your M107 redleg12.  I hope you can join this Group Build.  I have an M109 in my stash and would be very interested to see your build (if you decide to do that one next).

Larry

Somewhat new to modeling (on my 3rd) but I am interested with this group build (retired US Army artillery officer). I am also new to the forums. I make my subjects post WWII artillery and support equipment (prefer US). Currently working on the M107, 175mm SP Gun (about 90% complete). My next kit to the bench will either be the M109A6 or the MLRS. Is there any chance of joining in. I can post some pics of the M107 where it is at currently for the group to see but would start something new for the GB.

Thanks 

Well this is where I'm at so far with my AS-90,just the turret basket to fit and a tarp to make to put in the basket then it's ready for paint.

Disaster struck the other day when I picked up my bottle of liquid glue and didnt realise the lid was unscrewed......the result was most of the turret covered in glue but after leaving it to dry I managed to scrape most of it off.

bobbaily wrote:

......Yeah-that's what I was thinking.  Nothing in the stach that fits the bill....yet!

Bob - if you don't have anything in your stash that can be categorized as SPA, there's some bargains out on the eBay.  If you're looking for something inexpensive, there are a couple of Italeri M-109s currently up for auction.  They typically can be snagged for around $15...and that includes shipping.  I've built the Italeri M-108 and it was a fun kit.  If you can spend a little more, I highly recommend the Academy M-12 - a tremendous kit, but a little more expensive.  If you're tight on cash, I can send you one of my M-109 kits that's on my shelf.  Let me know, friend and I'll help if I can.

Larry

I'm no expert so I'll have to go with what Gun Tech said - no

Will

Gun Tech wrote:

bobbaily wrote: Will-would a Marder III M qualify as a SPA?  My first thought is no, but I do have one that has been sitting in the stash for entirely too long and needs a reason to be built.....  I'm good with a yes or no answer. Thanks  The Marder serie was mostly used in a tank destroyer role.

Yeah-that's what I was thinking.  Nothing in the stach that fits the bill....yet!

Thanks for the reply. 

Plastic_Cross wrote:

Gun Tech wrote: Ok, time for a update on my build. Slow progress as I said, since I'm trying to finish another build before the end of the month. Hey Jean-Michel, that's a mighty good looking Hotchkiss you have going on there.  What kit is that?  By sheer coincidence I started building the Bronco Hotchkiss kit while waiting for more research material to show up for the Albert Ernst Hornisse I've started for the Panzer Aces GB.  The Bronco kit was supposed to be pretty good....which is why I got it.  The interior detail on your kit looks better (in my opinion) than my Bronco. Larry

Hi Larry!   Thanks for the comments. I have to say that I enjoy following your builds. My kit is the Trumpeter. I bought it when it came out for about 20$ CAN. I've seen a quick review on the Bronco kit, and if yours have metal spring, that will save you a lot of cleaning time. The part that is suppose to be the drive shaft is......... horrible . I don't know if it is suppose to represent a shaft with a protective cover.....  or what.....     I was thinking of replacing it by styrene rod, but, after looking at Biffa's Hotchkiss, I realised that too much of the interior will be seen. The shaft, at a angle like that, will not really go nice the kit's U-Joint. I will use that option if I can't create a more realistic one.

Thanks again Larry, looking forward to see your Hornisse! 

bobbaily wrote:

Will-would a Marder III M qualify as a SPA?  My first thought is no, but I do have one that has been sitting in the stash for entirely too long and needs a reason to be built.....  I'm good with a yes or no answer. Thanks

The Marder serie was mostly used in a tank destroyer role.

Will-would a Marder III M qualify as a SPA?  My first thought is no, but I do have one that has been sitting in the stash for entirely too long and needs a reason to be built.....

 I'm good with a yes or no answer.

Thanks