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                        Tamiya 1/35th M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank

                        3314 views
                        17 replies
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Tamiya 1/35th M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 22, 2004 10:21 PM
                        Hi, Folks,

                        I thought that I would post some pictures of my first-ever tank build. It's the Tamiya 1/35th M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. I have to say that it's the easiest kit of any kind that I've ever built. I primarily build 1/48th aircraft, but I won this kit in a raffle in our local IPMS club, so I said, "What the heck. Let's see how I do on it." I'm glad now that I did. The only flaw the kit had, other than the holes for electric motor switches in the bottom of the chassis, was I had to use a lot of putty on the edges of the bottom of the turret. It was also my first attempt at weathering, using pastel chalks ground up on sandpaper, and applied with a stiff paintbrush. I thought it came out ok. It was a GREAT build. I'm looking forward to building another tank. Hope that you like it...............









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                        tigerman
                        • Member since
                          March 2003
                        • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
                        Posted by tigerman on Monday, November 22, 2004 10:47 PM
                        Crud, no pictures. BTW, the Tamiya kit doesn't come with the anti-skid texture. I don't know if that was common to all the Abrams or latter marks. Anyone? I still am laboring away on mine, but I had the same problem with the turret as you.

                        http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

                         Eric 

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                        Rob Gronovius
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Fort Knox
                        Posted by Rob Gronovius on Monday, November 22, 2004 11:20 PM
                        All M1A1 and later tanks had the anti-skid surfaces and most late M1IPs had it as well. Initial M1 and M1IPs were very slippery on the top sides. The anti-skid compound was added to the paint after they had been in service.

                        The underside edges of M1 series tank turrets do have a bit of overlap to them.
                        Report Abuse
                        tigerman
                        • Member since
                          March 2003
                        • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
                        Posted by tigerman on Monday, November 22, 2004 11:25 PM
                        Thanks Major Rob, I knew if anyone could answer my question on the Abrams it would be you. Thumbs Up [tup]

                        Isn't there something called Mr. Surfacer that remedy that anti-skid surface? Is it easy to apply?

                        http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

                         Eric 

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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 12:36 AM
                        All Red X's
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                        jthurston
                        • Member since
                          October 2004
                        • From: Katy, TX
                        Posted by jthurston on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 12:51 AM
                        Major, your knowledge on modern US armor is impressive. What is an M1IP?

                        ~J

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                        Rob Gronovius
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Fort Knox
                        Posted by Rob Gronovius on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 6:09 AM
                        QUOTE: Originally posted by jthurston

                        Major, your knowledge on modern US armor is impressive. What is an M1IP?

                        ~J
                        M1 Improved Production model. After the M1 was fielded, they received feedback from the troops and incorporated those recommendations into M1s on the production line as well as retrofitting all exisiting M1 and XM1 (pre-production prototypes) and bringing them up to M1IP standards. A plain "M1" didn't exist for very long.

                        I've spent the last 21 years of my life banging my head on the inside of tanks from the M48A5 to the M1IP to the M60A3TTS to the M1A1 to the M1A1HA to the M1A2 with ample time on Bradleys, M901 ITVs, M113A2/A3, etc.
                        Report Abuse
                        zokissima
                        • Member since
                          July 2003
                        • From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
                        Posted by zokissima on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 7:54 AM
                        QUOTE: Isn't there something called Mr. Surfacer that remedy that anti-skid surface? Is it easy to apply?

                        There is indeed such a product. I saw an application of it in a recent buildup of the Tamiya kit in the Tamiya Modelling Magazine.
                        The author thinned the product with lacquers (I think) and added very fine sand grain to the mixture, which was then applied via an airbrush.
                        It sounds like a good technique, but I don't know about the sand in my airbrush part Smile [:)]
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 1:18 PM
                        An article on how to replicate anti-slip coating with Mr. Surfacer can be found here:

                        http://vodnik.net/

                        Click on "Features" on the upper right corner.

                        BTW, there's also an excellent article comparing nearly all 1/35 M1A1/A2 kits can be found there - a must-read for the Abrams enthusiast.

                        Hope this helps. =)

                        BT6
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                        Dwight Ta-ala
                        • Member since
                          July 2003
                        • From: Philippines
                        Posted by Dwight Ta-ala on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 5:49 PM
                        Good work for a first tank build. There has been an influx od M1's here lately. Is it M1 season? LOL. Hope you keep on building armor.

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 9:57 PM
                        Am I the only one getting Red x's on the pics, guess Im not allowed to see these LOL.
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 10:50 PM
                        Okey-Dokey, folks, I moved the images over to Ron George's web site, so you should now be able to see an M1A1 instead of red x's. Many thanks to fellow Marine Ron George for allowing us modelers to use his web site!!!
                        Report Abuse
                        armydogdoc
                        • Member since
                          March 2004
                        • From: Camp Couch Colorado
                        Posted by armydogdoc on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 11:30 PM
                        Hi gang, I thought that I would share some photos of the anti skid on the Abrams with you all.


                        I hope this is of some help.

                        Ron "One weekend a month my$1***$2quot;
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                        djmodels1999
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: United Kingdom / Belgium
                        Posted by djmodels1999 on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 3:10 AM
                        Nice one, Wild Weasel..! There appear to be some silvering near the markings on the front and back of the hull. That could easily be fixed. Other than that, it looks great! Thanks for sharing!
                        Report Abuse
                        J-Hulk
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Tochigi, Japan
                        Posted by J-Hulk on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 8:16 AM
                        Nice clean build!
                        ~Brian
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                        wooty
                        • Member since
                          August 2004
                        • From: Australia
                        Posted by wooty on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 1:54 PM
                        Hey,
                        There is another non-slip surface that was in TMMI called "Cast A Coat" and it was applied to an M1A2 Abrams in their review.
                        It looks about the most realistic effect i've ever seen.
                        HTH Rob

                        Rob..

                        Report Abuse
                        tigerman
                        • Member since
                          March 2003
                        • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
                        Posted by tigerman on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 7:40 PM
                        Thanks for the great close-ups Sgt. Genty of the anti-skid surface. Very rough textured.

                        http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

                         Eric 

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 25, 2004 10:17 PM
                        Thanks, djmodels & J-Hulk!! I've seen pictures of the work that you both have done, so I'm flattered by your comments. Thanks a bunch!!
                        Report Abuse
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