1/12 Gulf veteran Abram

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi This my Abram Tank model that has kept me sane whilst working on my bridge layer.
It started in my local pub when I brought this broken RC Toy tank for the price of a pint literally. I gutted it (took 10 minutes and a few screws) and had a good look and what I'd got. The drive train was thrown away and the rubber tracks, The suspencion was reinforced and I decided to use King tiger tracks and heng long gearboxes, ( they was the right size , give far better grip and a built a heck of a lot better tham the original). With a tank this size I decided to adopt the full size approuch and made two support bearings with double bearings to take all the drive strain off the gearboxes, and then connect to the gearboxes using a connecting link for ease of maintenance.

. With the drive train sorted. I looked into the hull layout and with the hull balanced on a roller I installed the electronics and battery to give a C of G just aft of the Turrent centre line

On E-Bay I found a 15 wire CCTV slip ring unit for £12 which will allow me unlimited 360 degree movement and also some of the electronics to be mounted in the turrent ie. the gun fire relay and the Lazer pointer for the main gun barrel, set to match the main gun at 10m

. With all the electics sorted I went back to the exteria of the model and first sorted the gun barrel

and the surplus toy fittings from the turrent.

All the surplus toy fitting's was removed from the hull and new correct fitting's fitted, some small bullet gouges and other damage was simulated. The tank was now ready for paint.

[hawkeye3guns]

Finally The paint! I do not like my models to look like new and so after searchinmg I found this photo on the net and decided this is what my model should look like.

actual comparising photo.jpg (47.63 KiB) Viewed 970 times

. First the model was painted as the original in red primer ( it seem's to give the sand colour a dept). and finally sprayed all over in humbrol matt sand before a friend of mine ( who is a genuis with a airbrush ) began using an airbrush and various other sand colours to streak and weather the paint.

model in sand and start of weathering.jpg (69.88 KiB) Viewed 970 times

We then using various acrylic and water colours put the final touches ie. rust and bullet scrapes and oil and fuel spills and various other marks picked up during a tour in the desert based on my experiances in these areas.

The .50 cal I made from scratch using plastic card for the reciever brass tube for the barrel and plastic tube for the heat shield. The mount is also from plastic card and the ammo is bits of plastic rod stuck together with a peice of nylon tent material stiffened with superglue.

. the model is hinged at the back of the engine deck and hinges up like a car hood for any matenance work

and the final picture is my comedy moment after a bad day on the bridge layer.

MAKE MY DAY PUNK.
regards Denzil

[chucky]

Love the paint job very realistic even down the rust runs. brilliant job.

[hawkeye3guns]

Thanks for the comment. She's a dream to drive and up till now handled anything I put in her way ie. Soft sand, rough grass, banks and mud.