Something I've been doing the past days

[greengiant]

The fiberglass window screen material is about the same as the aluminum but a bit flatter and easier to cut and fit.

[43rdRecceReg]

Excellent examples of lateral thinking and, above all, improvisation. I have a loft and shed brimming with odds and ends that come under the category of- 'could be useful some day' bits. There they may well remain...until the 'Reaper sweeps me..and them away.. and so it's gratifying to see someone making use of oddments, and being able to visualise objects made for one purpose, being adapted for another. Good pics too... but the crew look like a product of the DTs or magic mushrooms

[atcttge]

Another useless update on the tank crew. I always tell myself to do the vision blocks but I end up either playing with the tank or improving the crew....

Anyhow, the crew just had a new member and it is PERFECT for the loader's M240:





Meanwhile, one of the crew realized that tambourines aren't really needed in war, so he happily exchanged it with a broomstick:



I promise (yeah right...) to really finish this tank. Although at the rate things are going Uncarina and BarryC will finish ahead of me hahahhahhahahahahaa!!!!!!

[ALPHA]

.............


ALPHA

[Uncarina]

Well, whoever finishes, it doesn't matter: we are having fun! I'm following your lead with the 120mm mortar ammo can: "Bones" carried one on the right side of the turret! Your build is looking fantastic by the way.

Cheers, Tom

[ALPHA]

Just for you ATC ...don't think this will air where you are

Spoiler: show

ALPHA

[Ad Lav]

Looking very smart - pikachu made me rofl

[atcttge]

Finally done building the .50-cal ammo chute.

First, I bent a 1/16 resin .50-cal ammo belt to shape by dipping it in very hot water then bending it while soft. Pictured was my first successful attempt which I then accidentally stepped on, so I had to make another one.




I then painted the ammo belt gold. After painting it gold, I sliced a thin strip of lead foil and cut it into two strips which I glued on the ammo belt to give additional surface for the chute components.

The chute was made of 5mm staples, cut in twos, around 20 pairs or so. These were then folded to shape using a plastic jig as a size guide. I placed glue on the lead foil strips then placed each pair of staple to the ammo belt.



The result is more-or-less like the real ammo chute. It's good enough for me.





Now all we have to do is paint the details by hand and glue the entire thing to the gun and ammo box.

I'll be modifying the CROWS-2 further. As you can see, the barrel is broken off. I'll replace it with a brass tube with a 3mm orange LED in the gun, in preparation for the IBU3 which can use two machine guns, a feature that's perfect for tanks with remote weapons systems like the M1A2 SEP v2 with its CROWS-2.

[ALPHA]

Not that I will ever do that....BUT............That's modelling!!!! Terrific Stuff ATC

ALPHA

[BarryC]

Ingenious solution! Looks fantastic

Is the belt from Live Resin?

Barry