M7B1 Priest
- Ecam
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- Location: Lake of the Ozarks, USA
Re: M7B1 Priest
I know I said I was going to finish this first.....
I am nearly out of .020 styrene, and yet I am trying to build this without purchasing anything - using leftovers. I even saved some olive drab (though I did buy some additional OD for the DUKW projects).
Hunting around the garage and property I found some soffit material left over from a previous owners remodel. It is .020 aluminum and painted on one side. There is about 4" of usable material on each side and they are 4' long (several sections of it).
I used a sheet metal pneumatic nibbler to cut the sheets and it leaves a 5.5mm "pig tail". To create some angle iron sections (for better glue adhesion) they scale up to 2"x2" by a little over 1/4" angles.
The strips were easy enough to cut by scoring with a utility knife and a straight edge.
Now that I live in a rural part of the country, I have been trying to embrace local customs. Red Neck paint mixer.
I am nearly out of .020 styrene, and yet I am trying to build this without purchasing anything - using leftovers. I even saved some olive drab (though I did buy some additional OD for the DUKW projects).
Hunting around the garage and property I found some soffit material left over from a previous owners remodel. It is .020 aluminum and painted on one side. There is about 4" of usable material on each side and they are 4' long (several sections of it).
I used a sheet metal pneumatic nibbler to cut the sheets and it leaves a 5.5mm "pig tail". To create some angle iron sections (for better glue adhesion) they scale up to 2"x2" by a little over 1/4" angles.
The strips were easy enough to cut by scoring with a utility knife and a straight edge.
Now that I live in a rural part of the country, I have been trying to embrace local customs. Red Neck paint mixer.
Last edited by Ecam on Wed Nov 09, 2022 5:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- Ecam
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- Location: Lake of the Ozarks, USA
Re: M7B1 Priest
That is 9mm brass in some in the ammo slots. 105 scaled down to 16th works out to just over 6.5mm.
Ammo and sighting apparatus for the 105 and next.....
Ammo and sighting apparatus for the 105 and next.....
Last edited by Ecam on Wed Jun 28, 2023 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- Ecam
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Re: M7B1 Priest
More work on the fighting compartment. These are the oil drums that come with the HL M4A3. They have become my favorite way to build seats.
I turned these on the lathe, but have used the hand drill in the past.
I turned these on the lathe, but have used the hand drill in the past.
Last edited by Ecam on Thu Dec 22, 2022 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- PainlessWolf
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- HERMAN BIX
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Re: M7B1 Priest
Yeah, any model with an open fighting compartment gets my added points award for difficulty !
HL JAGDPANTHER,HL TIGER 1,HL PzIII MUNITIONSCHLEPPER, HL KT OCTOPUS,HL PANTHER ZU-FUSS,HL STuG III,HL T34/85 BEDSPRING,
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
- Ecam
- Warrant Officer 2nd Class
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- Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:30 pm
- Location: Lake of the Ozarks, USA
Re: M7B1 Priest
Sorry for the long delay between post.
First up ammo manufacturing. I'm sure the real stuff was made much faster than I was able to build 'em.
Couldn't resist making one out of brass.
I rebuilt the ammo storage boxes. They were a bit over sized. And YES, I had to buy my first supplies for the project. The Aluminum was a pain to work with so I bought four 12"x12" .020 styrene sheets for $4.09 and used about half of one for the ammo boxes! I am also out of the 3/8" aluminum rod that I turned to make the ammo. I made just short of half of what a fully loaded M7B1 can carry. I do have plenty of 1/2" aluminum rod left over (barrel making supply) but these get turned down to 6.56 mm (.259") and there is too much waste.
First up ammo manufacturing. I'm sure the real stuff was made much faster than I was able to build 'em.
Couldn't resist making one out of brass.
I rebuilt the ammo storage boxes. They were a bit over sized. And YES, I had to buy my first supplies for the project. The Aluminum was a pain to work with so I bought four 12"x12" .020 styrene sheets for $4.09 and used about half of one for the ammo boxes! I am also out of the 3/8" aluminum rod that I turned to make the ammo. I made just short of half of what a fully loaded M7B1 can carry. I do have plenty of 1/2" aluminum rod left over (barrel making supply) but these get turned down to 6.56 mm (.259") and there is too much waste.
Last edited by Ecam on Sat Nov 12, 2022 11:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- Ecam
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Re: M7B1 Priest
Gun sight and what ever that thing is on the right side....
Crew seating. The first M7 had three seats on the left side (and some pictures show three on the right), but when they built the B1 they added additional ammo and deleted two (or 4) seats.
As near as I can tell from the pictures I've studied. the MG mount is bolted to the upper ring and the ring turns. Well for now my ring is fixed so I took liberties with my mount and allowed it to slide around the ring. Rivet counters look away!
Crew seating. The first M7 had three seats on the left side (and some pictures show three on the right), but when they built the B1 they added additional ammo and deleted two (or 4) seats.
As near as I can tell from the pictures I've studied. the MG mount is bolted to the upper ring and the ring turns. Well for now my ring is fixed so I took liberties with my mount and allowed it to slide around the ring. Rivet counters look away!
Last edited by Ecam on Sat Nov 12, 2022 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- Herr Dr. Professor
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Re: M7B1 Priest
"Well for now my ring is fixed so I took liberties with my mount and allowed it to slide around the ring. Rivet counters look away!"
1) Based on what my poor eyes saw in photos of the MG ring on a Halftrack or Deuce-and-a-Half, I thought the ring was fixed and the gun mount rode it. So much for my eyesight.
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVFCLq664Oc
1) Based on what my poor eyes saw in photos of the MG ring on a Halftrack or Deuce-and-a-Half, I thought the ring was fixed and the gun mount rode it. So much for my eyesight.
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVFCLq664Oc
- Ecam
- Warrant Officer 2nd Class
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Re: M7B1 Priest
A classic video. I enjoyed it!
Perhaps some of the rings are fixed. I know the M2 half track had a "skate rail" that ran around the crew compartment, I'm assuming for a MG mount. But I think on the Priest the ring rotates. It appears the tie down for the barrel is always opposite of the mount. I would not be surprised if I'm wrong..... again!
Perhaps some of the rings are fixed. I know the M2 half track had a "skate rail" that ran around the crew compartment, I'm assuming for a MG mount. But I think on the Priest the ring rotates. It appears the tie down for the barrel is always opposite of the mount. I would not be surprised if I'm wrong..... again!
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
- Ecam
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Re: M7B1 Priest
Running total is climbing. I've $11 US in it now. Got enough aluminum 3/8" (just short of 10mm) rods to finish the ammo supply.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric