Oh real wood, that's amazing. I hadn't seen anything like that besides ship decks. No wonder they look just like the real thing.

I finally have my workshop set up at the new house in FL and will be getting back to work on this one soon.  Hopefully I will have some new pictures soon.

Cool to see you back on this one. Looking forward to the photos. 

Looking great from what I can see, Gino. Damned photobucket...

Oh good, looking forward to more of this project.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/HeavyArty/slideshow/M1074%20PLS

I dug this one back out and have started working on it again.  I have been making all the rounds for the cargo load on the flatrack.  It will be carrying a load of 155mm artillery ammo.  There are 144 complete rounds.  This includes: 144 projectiles; 24 illumination (white), 24 smoke (lt green), and 96 High Explosive (dk green).  144 powders, and 144 fuzes.

Eack has all the requisite marking on them as well.  The stenciling on the illum and smoke rounds and on the powder cans was all made by me using home decal paper.  The HE stenciling comes with the AFV Club ammo sets.

Next up is assembling the 8-round pallets and the powder can pallets.  More to come soon.

That's quite a project there. Look forward to you completing it. Strikes me it would work well sitting on a mirror.

Hello Gino!

Good to see you working on that baby again! Gives me hope for my frozen projects... But the big move is still waiting for me... Good luck with your builds and have a nice day!

Paweł

Thanks guys.  Work continues.  

You did a great job on the interior with all that detail. This vehicle reminds me of GlennH’s pictures of ordnance handing in the Vietnam War. Technology has sure improved efficiency.

Harold

Thanks Harold.  Yup, bulk ammo handling has become much easier, but it still requires each round to be lifted by a burly artilleryman to load it.

Good job, I'm glad tank rounds are normally covered or stowed and not open requiring stenciling like that.

Great job there Gino- all that stenciling would make me cross-eyed... 

Thanks Rob and Gamera.  Yeah, I had to take a few breaks to rest the eyes and keep from going nuts while doing the decaling.  I like the end result though.

Always enjoyable following your work, Gino. This one is no exception.

Thanks RBear.  Work is continuing...slowly.  The Stanley Cup playoffs are really cutting into my bench time. 

Go Bruins!!

With hockey playoffs and life in general, I have finally found time to finish this one.  

I assembled all the rounds and powder pallets, along with some ammo cans, fuze boxes, and a couple cans of break free bore cleaner.  

Here they are on the flatrack.  I used Djiti Production resin Ratchet Straps set (35028) along with some thinly cut masking tape and PE hooks for the straps securing the load.  Sorry, I forgot to take pics in process of building them.

Here is the finished M1074 PLS.  I have marked it as a vehicle from 1 CAV from the mid-late '90s, when FA Bns still had Service Batteries.  It is marked as 1 CAV, 3-82 FA, SVC 43.  I was Service Battery XO, so I had a bunch of these trucks I was in charge of.  I got all 10 wheels to sit flat on the ground too!

Here it is, all loaded and ready to deliver some rounds to keep the guns firing.

That is it.  It is done.  I am very happy with the way it came out.  

That came out really nice.  Heck, the flat of artillery rounds alone is a great model!  Nice work.  Decaling all those rounds must have been quite the chore 

Thanks John.  It was a very rewarding build.

Beautiful work as always. Your pallets are incredible...all the details in your stuff!

Army Viet Nam by Glenn Hanson, on Flickr

Thanks Glenn.

Excellent build my friend. Everyone builds the big guns (M109, M110) but only few build the vehicles in the support trains, or older M548's, M577 FDC's, etc..

Your eye for detail, based on first hand experience, is clearly seen here. 

As we used to say in artillery for supreme accuracy, "0 mils!"

v/r,

Ben

Thanks Ben.  It's always good to have the approval of a fellow Redleg.

Great job there!!! Beautiful job on all that ammo and the straps etc look perfect!