arkbuilder2012

Overall base color of US Forest Green. Vehicle will be in Winter Verdant MERDC. Using AK Interactive paints. Will be using dash instruments and placards from Archer transfers.

Not having enough partial builds underway I decided to start another kit. Very nice kit and it's always nice to do a build when you have a personal connection to the subject. I jumped ahead in the assembly and started with the shelter box. Very nicely molded with tons of detail. The interior color is sort of Duck Egg Green. and on to the lower chassis. These are the older AVF Club M35 truck molds which are still very good. The cab assembly has lots of knockout pin marks requiring a bit of attention.

Posted: Tuesday, November 14, 2017 - 08:37 AM GMT+7 I just found out the reason you don’t see those bench seats in any operational pictures is they were removed. Crews didn’t like them and they interfered with the control surface containers. They were light weight metal not wood. I think that solves my dilemma, leaving the things but will add the metal tabs the seats were mounted to.

Test fit on one of the crew bench seats. The brackets will be cut to size so the edge of the seat rests back from the edge. Still not real sure of the seats period as I can't find any pictures of them installed and I don't have any relevant TM' that might show this stuff.

It's some of the small things that are bogging me down. In this case it's the bench type seats in the 'fighting compartment'. During my limited exposure to the M752/667 I don't recall any of those details and as best I can see from the pictures is that they were hinged and folded up. What I don't know is if the hinge was a single long steel rod attached to metal tabs welded to the side walls or small individual metal pins. The kit items modified by shortening their overall length to fit the kit interior, and adding small extensions for the hinge sections. The hinge sections added and each has been drilled out.

Noticed in the very first picture where I left off the grab handle above the drivers side door That hopefully will be the last thing needed.

Completed this over the past few weeks. Well aware of the errors made in this build but regardless I'm pretty happy with how it came out. A bit more dirt and weathering than I usually do but I learned some new techniques that I will use in future builds. I liked the Academy kit enough to maybe doing another this time correcting my errors and also correcting the vehicle width. The T49 tracks are from Panda.

Thanks. The PE grill comes with the kit. Also very much looking forward to the M31 release.

Model with a coat of primer and multiple thinned coats of the base color "US Army OD" FS319 from Mission Models. First time using their paints. Not sure of the color but think it will darken up with a coat of Future and some filters and washes. The paint lays down nicely and provides a very smooth surface. I thinned the paint a bit more than the manufacturer recommends and sprayed it at 20psi. For those that asked I will try to post my in-progress pics of this build.

BTW for those interested, there is a dedicated FACEBOOK page for the Takom M3 Lee & Grant tanks. Over 500 members so far.

Don't know if this will work, not that tech savvy. This are all of my in progress images. Let me know if you can view them. Also not sure of how useful these will be. https://imgur.com/x4MCRcX https://imgur.com/IfiSa9h https://imgur.com/MwiMCUE https://imgur.com/332S0H5 https://imgur.com/7jqbXxz https://imgur.com/UHFBybv https://imgur.com/Lug7iGb https://imgur.com/HzMoL3D https://imgur.com/u9uEswn https://imgur.com/jCZPb3x https://imgur.com/NwPC5gX https://imgur.com/99DwzxJ https://imgur.com/nqo6DeG https://imgur.com/52nvVHq https://imgur.com/hpu1Kpo https://imgur.com/4kHQpUJ https://imgur.com/6AyPYSU https://imgur.com/wY57fyV https://imgur.com/WuNU2cA https://imgur.com/n1QHN00 https://imgur.com/n5QZvhG https://imgur.com/wMe9Yp6 https://imgur.com/f72HdHz https://imgur.com/P7YUlAl https://imgur.com/gSpRJxZ https://imgur.com/OAXS1ZP https://imgur.com/sJ8nfxh https://imgur.com/Oy6UYNx https://imgur.com/Y0TV8oW https://imgur.com/9oPvGhk https://imgur.com/ntDl0oc https://imgur.com/ctTmWOs https://imgur.com/b1iUIpY https://imgur.com/Ww3M9Cv https://imgur.com/6cgdTCd https://imgur.com/WpRPDiD https://imgur.com/mJQc68l https://imgur.com/M5TKrVG https://imgur.com/C6zYdqT https://imgur.com/C8Wg9Hi https://imgur.com/FhRQvFl https://imgur.com/oxj0ZV5 https://imgur.com/wzDhdaj https://imgur.com/Y9N6mrp https://imgur.com/at155It https://imgur.com/SeMS7fO https://imgur.com/wBwK6Pd https://imgur.com/dW1ciCu https://imgur.com/arF2IxE https://imgur.com/Zu1KwCq https://imgur.com/TetFFbB https://imgur.com/NJTA2fK https://imgur.com/h2XH1Lt https://imgur.com/j1KHOYT https://imgur.com/9wyDYGw https://imgur.com/EDpjFCh https://imgur.com/LJISK2p https://imgur.com/W2bGJj5 https://imgur.com/37eSXBe https://imgur.com/5x9Fm3f

This is the new Takom kit. Very nice. The fit for the most part is excellent. I had some gap issues with some of the upper plates but that may be due to my not prepping the mating surfaces adequately. Even though it does not have an interior I think its a much better kit than the Academy offering. My only complaint is the link and length tracks. I don't like those in any kit so I'm replacing them with individual link tracks from Bronco. Will be doing their Grant tank and will be doing numerous M31' when they are released.

Been quite remiss with updates on this thing so here goes. A number of finished parts still need a coat of flat. The color variations will show up better once given a coat of flat lacquer.

Awesome job on the MERDC. Great looking M60.

Just need to add the large equipment box on the launch truss frame. Finally have the forward cradle and frame finished and attached. Added some wire screens to the engine deck. The drivers compartment is not glued down yet, still need to added the instruments and a bunch of data placards. Seat cushions also need painting.

Laying down some base colors for the interior portions and the primary exterior color for the MERDC scheme.

Redid the support cradle. Just needs some bolt details added and I'll be happy with it. Also finished up the second control surface container.

The texture is close to perfect. Taking notes. Have always wanted a DD in my collection.

Very true. Not many Lance Missile crewmen out there.

Will have to completely redo this item. I used the support beam from the Hobby Fan kit as a template but it turns out to be way too tall to fit correctly on the Dragon kit. The hull dimensions are different between the two kits. All of this needs to be scrapped. The part from the Hobby Fan kit.

This kit is a mixed bag. Lots of missing or simplified details and some stuff they just got wrong. But it is a model of the M667/752 and as a proud graduate of the Lance Missile Course I just have to build it. The kit missile parts resemble the nuclear warhead and the flight control surfaces are closer in size for that type warhead so I'll go with that and scribe the missing access panel as shown. The kit control surfaces are missing some shapes but are closer to the correct size than the Hobby Fan items. Assembly of the launcher truss assembly. Adding some details to the control surfaces. The main launcher truss assembly finished. Note what appear to be empty racks. Dragon did zero research and just omitted some very prominent equipment storage cases. Test fitting the main body parts. Fit is very good. Fins (control surfaces) added to the missile body. Dragon does give you the two storage cases for the control surfaces. They are woefully undersize. So I decided to give it a shot to make them at least look the part. Dragon provide the front cradle rest but shows it mounted to the engine deck. It's not correct. There is a large metal frame bolted to the floor and the cradle is mount to that. Just made up some equipment storage cases. Can't vouch for their accuracy but they look the part until I can find some pictures of the real thing.

Superb!!! A real winner here. Well done.

I use Tamiya XF-62 with a bit of Tamiya Dark Yellow. The ratio is about 6 to 1. The model was primed first with grey automotive primer.

When I get stuck on other projects I just regroup and build another Sherman, this time a M4A1. Got caught up in the Photobucket nonsense and its taken a while to get setup with Imgur. This is again the Asuka/Tasca offering with resin items from PanzerArt and Legend.

Can't take credit for that. It's part of the resin upgrade from MR Modelbau. Very nice stuff by the way.