M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

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lmcq11
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

BarryC wrote:Barry, looks like you have competition
Hi, Barry is a great influence and role model to us builders. But there is certainly no competition. Barry has a patience and a search for perfection that no one will ever match. I think every builder has his own style, likely reflecting his personality, experience, preferences but with a common need for creativity.


Continuing with the hull, here is the rear hull, minus the auxiliary muffler.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
First step was to clear up everything on the hull and prepare the parts.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Squadron M41 Walk around is essential and analysis is required to understand the various components. The left and right tail lights are actually different and the Shapeways offering has properly represented each of them.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
A plasticard tube with a 11mm diameter is required to replace the HL armored shield for the tail lights, they were too small.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Although I usually put a 3mm LED for tail lights in order to be less bright, the Shapeways lights are designed to house a 5mm LED, so I reused the Heng Long LEDs to fit inside after some sanding.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
If you compare with the reference picture above, the tail lights are a lot more accurate than before.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Capture4.JPG (79.55 KiB) Viewed 5774 times
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Capture5.JPG (91.16 KiB) Viewed 5774 times
Here is the gun lock mechanism that needs to be reproduced. There are no parts provided for it by Heng Long.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
I had great hope that the Shapeways M41 gun lock offering would provide an easy fix. However, it did not take me long to notice that it is oversized by about 10mm, and the details lack in finesse. Although advertised as 1/16, it is actually closer to 1/13. But it is solid and would likely satisfy those that consider this model like a toy. But for a detailed and accurate build, I had to create one from scratch as per references.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Although the gun lock can be raised and locked in place, I did not build it to be used with the gun with an opening eye. With a gun that is RC controlled, the gun lock is impractical to use and it would not last long.
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
M41 Walker Bulldog Heng Long 1/16 rear hull
Continuing on next post.
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lmcq11
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Another view of the gun lock
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
As it is deep in the rear, the HL telephone box was given limited detailing.
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Capture11.JPG (94.35 KiB) Viewed 5772 times
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Capture16.JPG (73.32 KiB) Viewed 5772 times
You can see the influence of Barry in those rear deck handles. He must have a trick to make them so perfect. They are a pain to build. Two models were required, triagle and D shape, and making 2 alike is a challenge. But I was getting better with the last ones.
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
The inaccurate oval shaped fuel cap on the rear plate was earlier removed during the hull construction, and needed to be replaced by a scratch built one that is round, smaller but modelled on the other ones in order to be consistent.
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Capture13.JPG (95.66 KiB) Viewed 5772 times
Next step for the hull is to install the auxiliary muffler on top of the right fender. I need to do a bit more research to avoid mistakes.
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Here you can notice how parts such as the tow hook are positioned after lowering of the model compared to the plugged positioning holes.
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
Heng Long M41 Walker bulldog 1/16 rear hull
The hull is mostly finished for now. The tools and more delicate hull details will be added at the end of the build because they will likely be lost during construction or be in the way.

Next step after that is the turret, and i have big plans for it.

Louis
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

philipat wrote:Someone else has done some great detailing, AFV Aficionado on Hobby Havoc. But, he hasn't cut down the hulls yet. Either way, I offer his work as some ideas and research for you.http://www.hobbyhavoc.com/forum/index.p ... board=27.0
Hi, thank you for your feedback and the link. It is amazing to see so much information assembled together by an M41 fan.

Finishing the hull, this post is for the auxiliary engine muffler.

From picture and information seen in Walker Bulldog by David Doyle, there are 2 locations for the auxiliary muffler. On tank 1268 to 2289, the small muffler is on top of the heat shield of the main engine muffler at the rear. From tank 2290, the muffler is positioned at the front next to the tool rack. But, it is also mentioned in the book that from tank 2593, the M41 had angular fenders. So, the conclusion my dear Watson is that my tank with angular fenders should have the muffler at the front, and not at the rear where Heng Long put it. And it should likely be the same for all your HL M41s out there.

Picture of the muffler arrangement at the front. Notice how loose the two holdings straps are. I did repro the item as I saw it on this picture.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
And this is how the pipe should exit the hull when the muffler is at the front.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Here is the muffler. I reuse the Heng Long parts and I lengthened it with plasticard to get to a size that seems to match the picture.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
It is ok to show the muffler with bumps in it.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture4.JPG (96.84 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture5.JPG (81.92 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture6.JPG (84.07 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
The angle of the muffler and the loose straps are no mistakes based on the picture I used as a model.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture7.JPG (91.75 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
The old mount that Heng Long designed on the heat shield at the back needs to be removed, plugged and sanded smooth.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture9.JPG (89.83 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
The thing about close ups is that they highlight issues. Yeah, I need to redo this bracket where the auxiliary engine muffler pipe exits the hull.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Capture10.JPG (72.13 KiB) Viewed 5751 times
Main hull is now finished until the final assembly at the end of the build where some more fine details will be added.

Next step is the turret. You will not recognize it when I am done with it.
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
M41 Walker Bulldog auxiliary engine muffler 1/16 RC
Regards, Louis
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Hi,

This is the planning stage for the turret, explaining the plastic surgery that I am about to perform on the subject, no insurance.

The turret was completely stripped out of everything. I have studied the situation for a couple of hours last weekend and determined that the turret ring at the bottom should be 8mm wider. A ring extension will be created. I have also calculated that the turret should be 6mm longer. I determine that there is a cramped area just in front of the commander cupola that needs to be extended, the rest is ok. The turret top will therefore be cut in half at that location and extended by 6mm towards the front, the bottom will be adapted accordingly.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
The area in front of the commander's cupola will be reworked. The cupola bust at the front does not have the right angle and will be extended.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
The turret is too narrow by 8mm at the bottom (top is ok) and the side armored plates do not have the right angle, too steep. As I will be extending the turret ring, the new side armored plates will connect to it, solving 2 issues at the same time. The idea is to deal with the source of the issue instead of trying to hide some symptoms. I am going all the way with this one. I always like experimenting with fixes.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
That bump for the HL elevation under the turret will be removed.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
The loader's hatch is too small and will be extended towards the front and side, using some of the 6mm being added in front of it. There is a line in the middle of the turret between the 2 hatches that will be smoothed. The M2 gun mounts will be corrected.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
The front needs a lot of work for shapes, dimensions and position of weld lines.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
New armored plates will be created on both sides of the turret. The rolled steel is fairly simple to recreate. The cast metal front will be more complicated, the turret needs a completely new bottom nose and gun barrel. Interior electronics will be completely redone with recoil and elevation servo.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
The M2 MG mount on the right will be deleted and repositioned on the left side of the cupola, as seen in later models.
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Heng Long M41 Walker Bulldog turret rework 1/16 RC
Oh well, that is the plan. After the job I did on the Vandra RAM II, cutting a hull or turret in half or more does not scare me anymore.

Big plastic surgery job ahead for the weekend. Next time you see the turret, it should look dramatically different, or it will be in the garbage... we'll see but I think I have a good plan. Whatever happens, It will be fun.

Regards,

Louis
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by Model Builder 4 »

Hi Louis, your attention to detail is second to none sir :thumbup: the way that yourself and Barry have taken the time to address and document every detail of your builds must be applauded :clap: I'm sure that your builds will be used as the bibles for anyone trying to recreate such excellent work, it shows what can eventually be achieved with these models given time, patients and a lot of skill , which provides a benchmark for a lot of us to aim for :thumbup:

Cheers, Lee.
Last edited by Model Builder 4 on Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Me ? Addicted ? Never !! :crazy:
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by wibblywobbly »

Far and away the best Bulldog build I have seen since HL produced the model all those years ago, :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by BarryC »

lmcq11 wrote:Hi,

The idea is to deal with the source of the issue instead of trying to hide some symptoms. I am going all the way with this one. I always like experimenting with fixes.

Oh well, that is the plan. After the job I did on the Vandra RAM II, cutting a hull or turret in half or more does not scare me anymore.

Big plastic surgery job ahead for the weekend. Next time you see the turret, it should look dramatically different, or it will be in the garbage... we'll see but I think I have a good plan. Whatever happens, It will be fun.

Regards,

Louis
That's the spirit Louis! :thumbup: You've got a exceptional build going here. :clap: :clap: :clap:

Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Hi,

Well, thank you for your feedback. The build is moving forward relatively well and fast.

Here is part 1 of the turret fix.

First step is to create a new base for the turret which is of the right size. As you can see from the earlier picture, the turret ring is much smaller than the hull ring. I assume this must be due to a communication problem between the hull designer and the turret designer...
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The task is to create a ring extension. The turret ring must be 126mm wide.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
It is pretty simple using my son's school geometric tool kit. To make sure it is perfectly round after cutting and sanding, the shape must be checked against the hull and adjusted.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Capture2.JPG (99.34 KiB) Viewed 5706 times
The bottom of the turret is cut along the interior ring lines. It is done using the back of the tip of the blade and by scraping layers of plastic at the corner in a circular movement, until you go all the way through. It is a 5 minute job.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Need to reposition the turret bottom inside the new outer ring by creating an inner hole with the compass and glue the part in place. It is important to sand the two parts completely centered and round for a good joint.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The bottom of the turret is cut in half in the middle.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
It needs to be repositioned on the new outer ring. The inside of the turret needs to be trimmed to adjust to the new ring, carefully making sure it is still centered and aligned with the back of the turret. It will need to be reassembled with the upper turret part later so everything must be aligned correctly.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The two halves are glued against the outer ring. The front section above the two lines does not touch the ring and can be ignored at this point. They were left at this stage for positioning purposes and will later be cut because the bottom of the nose need to be totally replaced.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Continuing on next post
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by lmcq11 »

Continuing with previous task

Upside down view of the new turret bottom.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Using a hand metal saw, the turret top is cut in half at the specific location in order to extend it by 6mm. It is important to make a clean and strait cut.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The turret rear is reassembled using the screws. I will show more pics of the joints between bottom and top sections later when I will do the new side armored plates. Joining these two part requires adjustments to the rear section.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Here you can see how I plan to put the armor from the top to the bottom section using plasticard on top of the old armor. The turret is about 4mm wider on each side, and the armor plates will be at the right angle.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The bottom of the turret rear is remodeled to the new width and the rotation unit bump was removed. It was reinforced internally and the gaps were filled with plasticard sections, and then a thin overlay was added on top and everything sanded smooth for a seamless job.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
The top turret halves are reassembled. A 7mm and thick plasticard strip was used, 1mm was added to the required 6mm to compensate for the saw blade cut.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Later, I will rebuild the cupola's bust and the loaders hatch to their accurate size using the newly available extension in front of them. The HL design for the loader's hatch is of an earlier model. As my M41 is a late version, it is of a different design that will be replicated.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
I am starting the nose bottom section using plasticard. It is important that the joint with the ring be at the right location, and not like 2 to 3 mm higher like HL designed it.
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
M41 Walker Bulldog turret fix 1/16 Heng Long
Continuing tomorrow on a quite enjoyable build.

Regards, Louis
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Re: M-41A3 Walker Bulldog - ARVN Vietnam 1970s - Build

Post by BarryC »

Man Louis, you are on a roll. You rework and enlargement looks well thought out and executed!

Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
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