RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

pininy wrote:Just got me an HL M1A2 and decided to upgrade the stock electronics and parts, and hopefully do some scale mods...

After seeing your thread, I am in AWE!

Just want to say Waaaaaaah... WOW! Awesome!!! seriously I can't imagine doing any of your fine details!

Amazing workmanship!

Thank you for your kind words Pininy.

It's really just a matter of the right tools, practice, patience.

It all starts with the desire and the willingness to make mistakes and learn from them and believe me I have made many, many mistakes over the years.

Best of luck on your Abrams!
Barry

BarryC wrote:No pics but the rivets and bolts are complete on both sides of the ARATS.

Barry

You have some serious Zen skills!

Cheers, Tom

Uncarina wrote:

BarryC wrote:No pics but the rivets and bolts are complete on both sides of the ARATS.

Barry

You have some serious Zen skills!

Cheers, Tom

Thanks Tom and Welcome back!!

Barry

Started working on the front of the upper hull. Lift Rings, Headlights and Tow Bar thus far.

The Tow Bar and Headlights are from the Trumpeter kit.

Headlights need some reshaping and detailing "up". I also shortened the cable tunnel. You can see another of Trumpeter's boo boos, they made a Left and Right headlight so both main lights are inboard as opposed to the left inboard and the right outboard. I will correct that by cutting the combat light (wedge section) off and reattaching it on the other side.
The lower and the left assembly in the photos has been partially reworked. You can see where I have made the saw cut on the other to separate the tunnel from the light assembly.





The Tow Bar looks pretty good and with some minor work will "fit the bill". You can also see in this pic where I deepened the area below the headlights so that they will sit at a more proper height.



More to come, thanks for looking in.
Barry

Barry that front tow setup is quite nice. Looking forward to your other worldly touches on the headlights and bits.

.....wait
......wait can you hear it

The mother ship is calling you
Barry.... Barry....

Carl, I told the Supreme Commander I was "tanking around" and would be delaying my departure for an indefinite period of time so they would have to make do without me.

I will be "stealing" shamelessly from the Trumpeter kit for many of the details, no need in reinventing the wheel!

Here are a couple more shots. This light assembly is getting close. Need to add the brass bezel mounting screws and glue it all together.
Still not sure how I am going to make the main light lens. I would use the ones from the Tamiya kit if I knew for certain I would be able to get a replacement sprue.







TAFN,
Barry

Brilliant work Barry as usual

Thanks Carl!

Plan is to get both Headlight assemblies and the Brush Guards completed over the weekend, I hope. If I do I may take a little time to "tuneup" the Tow Bar. Both have been a welcome respite from the Reactive Armor Tiles.

Barry

Are you making the guards from scratch I assume? Brass or are they from a kit? As tedious as the process was to make the reactive armour tiles it's such a treat to see the finished product.

I know you have the Firefly build and the m-48 behind the scenes....

I expect they will be just as fantastic.

c.rainford73 wrote:Are you making the guards from scratch I assume? Brass or are they from a kit? As tedious as the process was to make the reactive armour tiles it's such a treat to see the finished product.

I know you have the Firefly build and the m-48 behind the scenes....

I expect they will be just as fantastic.

I am making them from scratch. The ones that come with the Heng Long, Trumpeter and Tamiya kits are a different style than I need. I need the angled style as opposed to the non angle style that come with kits. I am leaning towards using styrene because I have not come up with a "solid" way to mount brass to the hull. I would prefer brass because they do protrude beyond the forward edge of the hull.
If I use brass I "should" make the Lift Rings of brass as well as the Vertical and Horizontal pieces to make the assembly really solid. The upper hull in that area is pretty thin, as little as .020" and I am concerned that the brass will survive an impact but will rip the hull. I'm thinking I would prefer to repair the Brush Guard as opposed to trying to repair the hull. I had considered attaching the vertical posts to the lower hull but that greatly complicates upper hull removal.

Style found in kits. I think these are the "newer" style.


.


Style I need





TTFN,
Barry