A little update on the Dodge

...and I do mean little.

Here are just some quick photos, experimenting with a white backdrop, just to prove I am still plugging away. I've also started on another odd half track variant but I'll wait for a bit more progress before showing any of that. As a teaser I will mention that is a fairly well known photo of a Marine 75mm GMC based on the smaller M2/M4 chassis, instead of the longer M3 and that it will require cutting up two kits and merging them into one but I digress.


Although these last posts here haven't been my usual step by step postings, documenting the steps in intervals, the complete build and subsequent painting parts of the Dodge can be seen on my youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ScaleModelMadman as well as other videos as well. Shooting, editing and all of that takes a bit of my time so this blog has suffered a bit. I am still trying to find balance but sometimes deadlines can have an effect on that. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, this is an entry to an online contest that ends late in June, at which point I may have more time to spend here with some more detailed builds. Until then, I will also be posting videos of the weathering of the Dodge in the near future and it's final mounting on a base.

Here is where it stands, in a protective gloss coat, all ready to get weathered. It's actually here in the build process where the model takes on a very 'toy-like' appearance, which is mainly due to the gloss coat. Once weathered and flat coated, this will all change quite drastically.

Too busy modeling to post updates...

.


and I apologize for that but I am modeling.

Aside from four commissioned builds through repeat customers on Ebay (which wont be posted here) I have been very busy at the bench. Most recently my time has been spent on four different projects I have been working on with Woody Vondracek of Archer Fine Transfers. I have recently had four separate transfer sheets released for the Allied half track, two for M3 75mm GMC tank destroyers, one for a Darby's Rangers vehicle in Italy, HERE the other the 3rd Marine division in Bougainville HERE. Prior to that there were two other releases, two M3A1 half tracks, one from the 62nd field artillery batt. HERE and another from the 12th armored division HERE. For the Allied half track builder these may come in handy for creating vehicles not offered in the kit box and let it be known there are more sets in the works.



Now, lets talk plastic.

One project that I have been slowly plugging away on in the back ground is my Ambush scene, which will show a buttoned up M3A3 light tank in British markings being tracked by a couple of German soldiers. It has been a while since I have painted Oak Leaf and/or Plain Tree German camouflage patterns and I am looking forward to it. This is the tank as it sits today, decals applied and a gloss coat ready for weathering.




I still have many things to do but this might give you a feel for where the scene is heading. The figures have only begun to get assembled, the groundwork is a mere start to what it will eventually look like and the tank itself still needs a lot of work. The toothpicks represent the placement of the future fence posts and there may also be some things leaning against the fence, with ivy and such growing throughout it, to help hide the soldiers position from the front. This will really lend itself to the title 'Ambush' as the only way I want to figures visible, is when the scene is viewed from the back.








Then there is my XX Corps M2A1 in Belgium, another long time side project I have been working on here and there. It is a very interesting vehicle when one studies the photos carefully, although at a quick glance it appears to be a run of the mill M2A1, but it is not and I have done what I could to represent those features that make it stand out which are not called out in the kits instructions. I may actually feature a more detailed build later either here, or for another site. Whatever I decide to do the final, finished pictures will get posted here as this isn't the first time I have mentioned this build and it wouldn't be fair to leave those of you following in the dark. If it does get written up as an article for another site, I will of course, include a link.





I still have a ton of work to do here as well, as all of the separate sub assemblies are merely dry fit together for this update. You can see various stages of weathering taking place as some of the white wash is brighter than other areas. When all is said and done, it will represent what the vehicle might have looked like long after those photos were taken. I have also used a bit of artistic license by placing some scratch built stowage on the fenders not seen in the pictures...

but stowage is sort of my 'thing' and I just couldn't help my self.







I have also started a brand new project for an online competition and I'm keeping it rather small, due to the two month time frame allotted for the build. This will feature a 3/4 ton Dodge command car with a soldier lounging in the back seat with a bottle and a smoke, under the shade of a tree. I may use the 82 Airborne markings that come with the kit in which case I will need to add some sculpted pockets to the soldiers pants. We'll see what happens after I start slinging the paint.







Last but certainly not least is another side project that I may have mentioned here at one time or another. This isn't really armor per say, nor is it really aircraft. I suppose in a galaxy far, far away, it might be considered a combination of both? I still need to give the whole model a dull coat, finish the R2 unit and seat the pilot but it's nearing completion. I took a little liberty with the paint scheme as I didn't want to portray any particular vehicle from any of the movies, so the yellow on the wings is artistic license. I'm not worried about someone digging up photos of these in action though to call me out on my improper paint scheme. We're talking about science fiction after all.







As I have mentioned before, clicking on the pictures should greatly increase their size, allowing you to nit pick the details. You can either right click and 'open in new window' and then close that window when done, or left click and use the back button to return here to the blog. Thanks for looking in and as always, comments, questions, critiques and anything else is always welcome

Ken

Calling it... for the time being that is.

I cannot say I am 100% done with this one as that would be a lie. There are a few tedious little things I would still like to do but since there may not even be that much of a noticeable difference, I am going to post the results of spending a rainy weekend working at the bench.

In truth, I am anxious to dive deeper into some projects that have been hinted at here and elsewhere and once I get these pictures up I can feel comfortable in knowing that I've shown a fair enough representation of the 'finished' product to allow me to move on to other things, without leaving this build open ended.

Enjoy the pictures, this is most likely the last update for the M16 that will be posted here, unless I change something drastically that is.

Almost there now.

Well, it's been a little while since my last update and although I'm not quite finished just yet, I thought I might post some pictures of where I am currently with the M16 build. I've just about finished the ground work, I'll still tweak it a bit once the vehicle and figures are mounted but it's starting to resemble what the finished product will look like.






The M16 itself still has a way to go but it's getting closer and closer to being finished enough to be glued into place. Once glued, the last little bit of weathering to tie the two together and then the addition of the figures. Hopefully the next update will be much quicker now that I'm close to the end and the next project (already underway) can be posted here.

I've chosen not to use the canvas tilt over the cab. I liked the way it looked but I can't seem to bring myself to post something that inaccurate. The M16 had a canvas cover for the quad fifty mount in the back but nothing for the crew. All half tracks used three metal 'hoops' in order to hold up the canvas tilt, even the front most hoop was mounted into the rear crew compartment. The M16 had fold down side armor and therefore didn't have the mounting brackets for the front hoop, making the usage of the cab canvas, not possible without some major jury rigging.

I've also decided that I will most likely ditch the crew member in the rear, unless I can come up with another figure that I prefer, the scene will only consist of the driver and an infantrymen talking at the front of the track.

A quick peak and a side project

For starters, I thought I might post an update on where the M16 half track is at the moment, I haven't given up on it but what I have been doing really isn't worth pictures. I'll just post one quick shot so you can get a feel of where it's heading and what I have in mind.

The idea for this scene is taken from Concord publications U.S.Half-Tracks in Combat 1941-1945 by Steve Zaloga. On page 55 there is an M16 half track of the 447th AAA battalion in Belgium on New Years Day, 1945. The vehicle is parked in large trench dug into the frozen ground by the crew. This was a fairly common practice for anti aircraft half tracks as the downward slope of the vehicle also allowed the turret to cover ground targets as well as aircraft. The quad fifty caliber turret could be devastating against ground targets.

Obviously as you can see in the pictures, I have a lot of detail painting to do to the stowage/gear and figures as well as adding of all the groundwork. This is just to give an idea to where the project currently stands.



As a break from all of this hardware I decided to build one of my planes I have in the stash. I had to dig out an older DML kit of the German Focke-Wulf in 1/72 scale, I started the build years ago but had shelved it because the kit was just too aggravating back then. I wanted to start a new airplane kit but told myself that I would start no new kits until all of my shelf queens were complete, so I forced my way through this one, and I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally.

To those of you unfamiliar with 1/72 scale, it's fairly small and for the last picture I included an object for scale purposes. I finished the assembly of the kit and applied some basic camoflauge colors but haven't began painting any details. No decals/markings have been applied and no weathering has been started, my next pictures of this aircraft will be after it's completed and will show those steps. Hopefully, that shouldn't take too long.

The biggest hurdle I have yet to clear is the front canopy, the clear part is a 'short shot' on the sprue, the first picture below shows what I was supplied with as well as a crude outline of what I should have been given. I will have to scratch build one to complete this build and considering it needs to be clear, it wont be easy. Wish me luck.

3AD-M4A1 Belgium 1944 - finished

Well, I've posted this on four different modeling forums over the last few days but I really should put it here as well.

Ironically out of the four, the one forum I was the most nervous about has been pleasantly surprising in both amounts of replies as well as the reply content itself while the only forum, where this build was posted in a full, start to finish step by step received two replies... over 290 views in forty eight hours but two replies.

The internet is fickle at times isn't it?

Well here are a few pictures, I wont go crazy posting them all here, just a handful of my favorites. As always, clicking on the picture will allow you to view it full size and close up. I recommend right clicking the photo and choosing 'open link in new window' so you can close that window when done, as simply clicking on the picture will facilitate the need to use your back button to return to this blog.

Either way, enjoy.

Let's make a walk, err... wait what?

In another attempt at simply modeling strictly for fun I've decided to build something 'sci-fi' in nature. I'm am a huge fan of the Star Wars universe, especially considering I was at the perfect age when A New Hope was originally released.

My son was one of the greatest excuses I could think of to keep this love of all things Star Wars very much alive. I have watched all of the movies with him on many occasions, I have purchased him the action figures and space ships. I've bought him the Nintendo DS Star Wars video games, and even Star Wars LEGOs. I've also played with all of these toys at various times over the last few years, with him of course.

No, seriously.

All things considered it would only make sense that my walker design would be inspired by George Lucas and his creations versus the MIG walker that seems to inspire many other modelers. This isn't supposed to say/mean anything, the MIG walker is very cool. I just happen to have decided to take a different route.

If you saw The Empire Strikes Back, you might have seen a very brief glimpse of the two legged AT-ST in the snow, underneath the larger AT-AT walkers. If you saw Return of the Jedi, then you would recall the many scenes with the AT-ST on the moon of Endor.

For my walker I have used a 251 upper hull, some Sherman parts, Panther parts, 234 parts, 'Hetzer' parts, 250 parts, Panzer IV parts and the list goes on. Most of the parts are from the spares box except for the Wespe gun which was taken from an old unfinished build from years ago. Everything else is from sheet stock from Evergreen.

Of course This is merely the result of maybe four or five hours of work, I have a lot more to do with scratch building and of course adding tons more 'greeblies' to make things interesting. In the last photo I have edited (sloppily) out the small tripod holding up the body strictly to get an idea of what it will look like when done.

Enjoy.