AndrewE Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 A difficult choice but I would like to join in with an M12 155mm GMC. This is the 1/35 Academy kit with a replacement set of tracks taken from the Academy M36. Not sure which option I will be doing but it will probably be one of the two from Normandy, July 1944. I remember making a 1/72 M12 many years ago (Hasegawa?) and the M12 has been a firm favourite of mine ever since (along with the M10). 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Nice choice Andrew, We can't have a campaign without heavy Artillery. Welcome aboard. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Big Jobs! Your old 1/72 build would have been the ESCI kit, they are rare as rocking-horse these days.....I've got one in the stash that cost me more than any of my Dragon kits and another that I was given for free (it's an odd hobby)! UM have released a 1/72 M12 (& companion M30), you can see it compared with the older ESCI kit HERE. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 I have spent the last week making up all the main assemblies and will hopefully start to get some paint on today. Everything is as per the box although I may add some stowage later in the cubby holes behind the ammo storage. Since it is al buttoned up I have completely omitted the drivers compartment and used the space to add some ballast. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Looking good and so quick with your build beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Very tidy build. Neat idea with the ballast too Regards Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Nice start Andrew, there is some nice detail in the fighting compartment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Lovely details going on there andrew, i hadn't thought about adding ballast, should give it a nice weighty feel Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Quick out of the blocks! These Academy kits do look good, nice detail, am enjoying starting to put together my 'Achilles'. Davey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 I undercoated everything yesterday with Halfords rattle cans, first matt black and then to lighten the top surfaces I sprayed a light coat of primer grey on. First time I have tried this so not sure if it will make any difference to the final finish. This morning I put a coat of Tamiya Olive Drab on. I started a new bottle of Tamiya Olive Drab and to my eyes it is a different colour to the last bottle I had. I made a DUKW a couple of months ago using the old bottle and have shown a comparison picture. The DUKW has had a couple of coats of Johnsons Klear and matt varnish on top but the paint direct from the bottles looked different as well. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Aye up Andrew. Nice work on the M12. Your right about the Tamiya OD. I'm still using a bottle i've had for about 20 years (still got a Beatties label on it) The newer stuff is a completely different shade! Regards, Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Nice going Andrew, I'm definitely going to look out for this kit. I've got a couple of pots I will have a look at the shades, your DUKW looks fantastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Tamiya seem to keep changing their OD.....I can show you images of yet another version from about ten years ago, much more of a brown hue, spot on IMHO, god know why they keep messing with it. PS - This may be yet another, slightly greener, version (it's been mixed 60/40 with Buff & Desert Yellow for scale effect, so it's hard to be sure: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Good work on the M12. Looks great. I foolishly got rid of mine a while ago. I have no idea why. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 14, 2018 Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 I have had a very frustrating week since my last update. I thought that with rubber band tracks I could get them painted and on very quickly however the Academy tracks have proved to be very frustrating. I knew that they were quite stiff so to help them go around the end rollers I used a scalpel to score them between the links, not quite deep enough to go all the way through but enough to increase the flexibility. I then gave them a coat of Halfords black primer from the rattle can and attached them to the vehicle. The first problem was that the paint started to flake off as soon as I handled them and the second problem was the track not touching any of the top rollers. Touching up the paint was no problem, just annoying. Getting the track to rest on the top rollers was another matter. Two part epoxy seemed to work but even after hardening the track was not firmly stuck and with even light handling kept coming off. I therefore had to remove the tracks, scrape off all the hardened exopy from the rollers and try something else. Tying the tracks down with fishing line proved too difficult to tie on tight enough so in the end I have wrapped wire around the track and through the top of the track guide on each assembly. After touching everything up including painting the track with a mixture of black acrylic and white glue it all seems to have come out OK in the end. The decals went on fine, The French writing was apparently put on by local French civilians and means "Forward Tank of Death". 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 sounds like a frustrating week, I hate that when the paint flakes off. She's looking very nice the wire is a good idea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Band tracks must be a nightmare on something that big.....You've done a great job of concealing their deficiencies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 All done now, a couple of coats of Tamiya flat, some weathering and a final coat of Alclad. I do like the M12, are M-40's eligible for the GB? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Lovely job fella.....Can't believe you got it done so fast! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Great looking model and build 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 And it's taken me two days to scratch a few bits of armour plate! A great looking vehicle. For something done so quickly you've managed a tidy finish with the build and the paint-job. Congrats Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 1 hour ago, AndrewE said: are M-40's eligible for the GB? For sure.....Bring it on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Thats a great job on the M12. Very nicely done Regards Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Smashing job andrew, i like how the paint has turned out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Great job Andrew and fast too! Very well done. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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