M60A3 Tongde/Scratch + 3D Print Build: Update 03/24/24

[BarryC]

Here’s a little something I started working on about 3 weeks before the heart attack.

I’ve always like the M60 and even more so while living in Zweubrucken, Germany in the mid-70s.
One morning I was awakened by a rumbling, building shaking “earthquake”? No it was a platoon of M60A3s cruising down the road in front of our apartment, so cool!

Ever since Freddy (Panzerjeager66) built one using the Ludwig M48 and a 3D Turret of his design. I had the Ludwig M48 kit and purchased the M60 Turret from Shapeways but really wanted to use the Ludwig kit for a Vietnam era M48.

So, along came Tongde and their M60. After watching Louis’s build of the M60A1 I was hooked. I picked up the Israeli version with the M48 “styled” turret. Mainly because of the price and the metal suspension system already in place.

The big kicker was the lack of the M60 Commander’s Copula. It would require scratch building. What’s a little plastic card between friends? Here is where I’m at with the copula.


Sheet plastic cut to rough, stacked and glued together.

Lots of carving, grinding and sanding to get to this.







Here are some shots of the Turret, Copula and Barrel.
The Barrel is from Richard Johnson, Adam (Adlav) turned us on to him.




TAFN,
Barry

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Barry, that's clever: what others have done with 3D printing, you have accomplished with layers of plastic card. You must have been sanding and shaping for hours and hours! Did you use a Dremel? I see, too, that you have grabbed up a few Walther's products from my hometown of Milwaukee. And what's in the small, clear bottle with the Rustoleum name on it? I have never seen that.

[Estnische]

OK Barry, fess-up. How did you do the periscopes so accurately? Alien technology?

[tankme]

Barry is old school and has sculping skills...he literally sculped that cupola from a solid chunk of plastic.

[BarryC]

Barry, that's clever: what others have done with 3D printing, you have accomplished with layers of plastic card. You must have been sanding and shaping for hours and hours! Did you use a Dremel? I see, too, that you have grabbed up a few Walther's products from my hometown of Milwaukee. And what's in the small, clear bottle with the Rustoleum name on it? I have never seen that.

Thank you sir,

Hours...weeks it has been. I found that I could only work on it for 4-5 hours a day, hands get tired.

I use my Dremel with either a high speed cutter or sanding drums as well as a belt sander.

I worked in my friends Model Railroad Hobby Shop for 12 years which included a trip to Walthers warehouse the wonder world of Model Railroading!!

The bottle is Testors Liquid Glue that has been around for years and years. It is now owned by Rust-Oleum.

Barry

[BarryC]

OK Barry, fess-up. How did you do the periscopes so accurately? Alien technology?

I made a brass template after establishing shape and size. I taped it into place and used it to guide my different tools.







Barry

[BarryC]

Barry is old school and has sculping skills...he literally sculped that cupola from a solid chunk of plastic.

Talent on loan from God.

Barry

[Estnische]

D’oh! I should have guessed - used something similar on my Panther.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have not yet seen the Testor’s in the Rustoleum bottle. It looks as if the needle-like applicator is long gone. From years of practice, I can run a right-sized seam bead with that applicator.

[BarryC]

I have not yet seen the Testor’s in the Rustoleum bottle. It looks as if the needle-like applicator is long gone. From years of practice, I can run a right-sized seam bead with that applicator.

Yep, it is a brush now.

Barry