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M3A2 Bradley CFV - it's flat again! :)
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 10:37 AM UTC
My Bradley is no longer glossy - all decals are in place and subtle oil wash has been applied, so I could restore the flat finish using Testor's Dull Cote. I also added pioneer tools and swim barrier posts. Headlight lenses were installed. Periscopes are no longer covered with masking tape. Glass in gunner's sight was just dry fitted for the photo and it is not quite ready for application yet. I didn't start the actual weathering process yet...





Hi-res photos here:
http://vodnik2.republika.pl/pages/m3a2/m3a2_6_01.jpg
http://vodnik2.republika.pl/pages/m3a2/m3a2_6_02.jpg
http://vodnik2.republika.pl/pages/m3a2/m3a2_6_03.jpg

Regards,
Pawel
leogunner
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: September 16, 2002
KitMaker: 147 posts
Armorama: 109 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 10:57 AM UTC
Hey Vodnik,
I have to ask. What did you use for the gunners sight? That is the best looking modern gunners sight I have seen yet. Nice work on the camo. It does look much better with a flat finish. Hope the weathering comes out as well as the reat of the vehicle so far. Very clean, professional looking build.
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:16 AM UTC

Quoted Text

What did you use for the gunners sight?


This is a piece of small round opalescent plastic sequin - I've found them in a shop were buttons, threads and other things used to make clothes are sold (what is the English name of such shop?).

Rgds,
Pawel
Captain94
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California, United States
Joined: October 06, 2002
KitMaker: 239 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 12:36 PM UTC
Looks great!

I'm also curious about the sight finish.

Can you teach us the way to perfect sight finishing?

keenan
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Indiana, United States
Joined: October 16, 2002
KitMaker: 5,272 posts
Armorama: 2,844 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 02:46 PM UTC
Pawel,
I have been following this build since your first post and I would like to make one comment: You have pretty much raised the bar for me. This build has been great from top to bottom, start to finish. I realize that this is the RRB and I should make an effort to find something critical to say but I honestly can't. I for one, really appreciate you posting the progressive steps, everything from the anti-slip technique to the decals.

That's all I have to say, besides thank you for taking me (us) along on this build...

Shaun
Whiskey
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Texas, United States
Joined: May 30, 2002
KitMaker: 1,038 posts
Armorama: 377 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 04:40 PM UTC
A LOT better than what it was Vodnik, very nice job. Makes me very envious of you amigo,
sgtreef
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Oklahoma, United States
Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 6,043 posts
Armorama: 4,347 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:20 PM UTC
Nice Vodnik!
So one question are those lens Purple?
Good hi-res photos are always appreciated also!
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text

So one question are those lens Purple?


Depending on the angle at which you look at it, it looks purple, silver or green. I still try to find something similar, but opalescent with different color spectrum: purple, gold and red, as it would be more correct for modern vision blocks. But for Bradley gunner's sight what I have is acceptable, and in 1990 M3A2's didn't have the laser protective coating on periscopes yet, so I just made them black.

I will try to use clear orange paint to give the right "window" of gunner's sight subtle orange tint, as it has in reality.

Rgds,
Pawel
Joey
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Jerusalem, Israel
Joined: October 15, 2003
KitMaker: 90 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 12:08 AM UTC
Nice paint job :-)
Pnzr-Cmdr
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: July 16, 2003
KitMaker: 483 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 08:32 AM UTC
i'm no expert modern armomr builder, but shouldn't you ahve the tools painted? or are they painted along with the camo unlike my German tanks??
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 08:39 PM UTC

Quoted Text

i'm no expert modern armomr builder, but shouldn't you ahve the tools painted? or are they painted along with the camo unlike my German tanks??


I guess it varies from vehicle to vehicle - sometimes they are painted in full camo, sometimes they are black, sometimes green (as in my model - I saw green tools on some of Bradley photos I have) and sometimes are not painted at all.

Rgds,
Pawel
Major_Goose
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Kikladhes, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: September 30, 2003
KitMaker: 6,871 posts
Armorama: 2,071 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 08:56 PM UTC
rEALLY GOOD JOB SIRNeat clean build nice painting and decals. Waiting for the weathering process !!!!!!!!!!
sgtreef
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Oklahoma, United States
Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 6,043 posts
Armorama: 4,347 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 11:19 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

What did you use for the gunners sight?


This is a piece of small round opalescent plastic sequin - I've found them in a shop were buttons, threads and other things used to make clothes are sold (what is the English name of such shop?).

Rgds,
Pawel


English name would be Craft store Michaels, hobbly lobby not just for 50% of on models!!

Thanks Vodink
straightedge
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Ohio, United States
Joined: January 18, 2004
KitMaker: 1,352 posts
Armorama: 629 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 01:20 AM UTC
I remember reading in the General Modeling, on the An open letter to Vendors/Maufacturers, that somebody thought we need some big name modelers. Well all of us that seen your model know the big names couldn't do no better then what Pawel done on this Bradley here, and if this world wasn't focused on the brown ring, and opened their eyes they would know it. All we got to do is get your models noticed by more people, then they would clearly see Armorama has modelers just as good as the big names. Pawel your a big name modeler in my book. Great job, hope to see more of your work.. Kerry
apache402
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South Carolina, United States
Joined: January 06, 2003
KitMaker: 7 posts
Armorama: 7 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 02:24 PM UTC
How did you reconstruct the TOW Missle Launch Box? I noticed you hollowed out the holes and added tubes on it, so you would be able to look right through it if you took off the protective tarp cover on the blast side. Can you explain, so I can do the same thing?

Thanks!!
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 11:33 PM UTC

Quoted Text

How did you reconstruct the TOW Missle Launch Box? I noticed you hollowed out the holes and added tubes on it, so you would be able to look right through it if you took off the protective tarp cover on the blast side. Can you explain, so I can do the same thing?


First I hollowed the front of the launcher and thinned the edges around the hole, by removing the plastic with the blade of the knife on the inside - to make it more in-scale appearance. Next I had to find proper diameter tube with thin walls. I tried a lot of things, but finally settled on using pieces of tube removed from old mechanical pencil (the tube was inside the pencil, lead bits were held in it). I had to use CA glue to attach it as it was not made of styrene and regular glue didn't work. All other parts visible through the opening in front of the launcher are just pieces of styrene cut to shape and superglued to pencil tubes.

Rgds,
Pawel
apache402
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South Carolina, United States
Joined: January 06, 2003
KitMaker: 7 posts
Armorama: 7 posts
Posted: Monday, March 08, 2004 - 03:05 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

How did you reconstruct the TOW Missle Launch Box? I noticed you hollowed out the holes and added tubes on it, so you would be able to look right through it if you took off the protective tarp cover on the blast side. Can you explain, so I can do the same thing?


First I hollowed the front of the launcher and thinned the edges around the hole, by removing the plastic with the blade of the knife on the inside - to make it more in-scale appearance. Next I had to find proper diameter tube with thin walls. I tried a lot of things, but finally settled on using pieces of tube removed from old mechanical pencil (the tube was inside the pencil, lead bits were held in it). I had to use CA glue to attach it as it was not made of styrene and regular glue didn't work. All other parts visible through the opening in front of the launcher are just pieces of styrene cut to shape and superglued to pencil tubes.

Rgds,
Pawel


What type of Tubes did you use??? Bic ones are way too small and thick....I tried them..

Tango Mike,

Apache402, Out!
Vodnik
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Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Monday, March 08, 2004 - 08:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text

What type of Tubes did you use??? Bic ones are way too small and thick....I tried them..


I guess it depends on the type and make of the pencil... I used old Steadler pencil. The tube had slightly too thick walls - I thinned them (just the edges) from the inside using sharp No.11 blade and round file. But outer diameter was exactly what I needed. The tube was black.

Rgds,
Pawel
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