I’ve just completed Academy’s M12 155mm gun motor carriage. This model was fun to build with pretty much everything going together cleanly with virtually no clean up required. Fit is excellent, and the directions are clearly written. An interior is provided with transmission, seating, and gear shift levers, (it’s there, and painted, but it’s tough to see!). Four different decal options are provided with the kit. This model depicts an M12 serving in the Budesheim, Germany area in March 1945.

I liked building and painting this model. It’s straight from the box with the only deviations being the tow cable being moved from wrapping around the top of the vehicle to being stowed near the front hull, and, not adding the tools to the top deck between the grills, (I liked the look of the clear open area between the grills).

I wanted this vehicle to look like she’d earned here keep, so the weathering is intentionally heavy, (she’s been in the thick of it since Normandy).

There were some difficulties. “Tweezer launch” sent one of the front head lights some where onto the carpet (never to be found), so I used a piece of sprue to carve out something in the general shape of a light, painted it white, and called it a day. Also the tracks don’t seem to sit quite right into the suspension, but that’s about it.

I’d recommend this model to anyone, and any helpful comments are appreciated. Thanks.
Steve

Bravo WWH! Just seeing you finish your M12 and having had fun doing it gives me inspiration to return to working on mine.

Can't give you a better compliment than that!

Gunnie

Very Nice!! I love that worn out used look .....Thats the only way to show off armor good and dirty...One little thing I would do if I were you is throw a black wash into your cannon...it might give it a bit more depth....I'm not sure the tow cable would stay wound up like that just hanging on the vehicle .Keep up the good work..

Richard

that's a very good looking vehicle !
nice job !

Most excellent work WWH. I really like your weathering and stress on the finish, and your tow cable almost makes me think of the one I have moldering away on the front end of my 4X4. I only got one feeble and minor snivel. Gear never gets stowed in a manner that would interfere with the operation of any part of the vehicle. If the driver couldn't drop that open hatch down in front of him, he might be eating a whole lot of 8 mm Mauser rounds. As far as your track goes, we've all been there, I'm sure we will be again.

Great job on a really neat SPG

Jay Pig #53 DSB

Hi
Nice job overall.
You can use superglue to bond the tracks to the return rollers, then pull the tracks tight over the sprocket and idler. I did that with the M12 tracks I used on my M4A176.

Cheers
Andy

Great Job WWH.. I esp like the tracks.. what colors did you use to paint them? Inquireing minds, (mainly mine) want to know..

That is a work of Art..

Fellow Modelers, I appreciate the comments and agree with the inopportune placement of the tow cable. I'll change that, and appreciate the insights.

Speaking of the cable, I've started using light picture frame wire to replace the plastic cables that are provided with the kits. I think someone on this site suggested that tip, and personally I like the results. The wire seems appropriately scaled, and looks pretty authentic after a couple of washes of mud/rust/black.

Delster--> the tracks were shot with an overall coat of Badger Model "roof brown" acryllic, allowed to dry, and then washed with a 50-50 mixture of acryllic thinner and Polly Scale Model Railroad "mud" which was allowed to dry, after which one more wash of the same mix was applied. After track installation, silver highlights were applied to show wear.

By the way Del, I used your tip on a very very light diluted sand mist over the gun tube and body. Like you said, it blends things together. I had a few "problem paint areas" that your method rectified. That's what I love about this site---a lot of good ideas, from a lot of good people.

I don't want to be redundant from my original post, but I would again highly recommend this kit to anyone because of the fit, excellent moulding, and overall quality of the kit.

Thanks.

WOW!!! Nice tank!

SteveWWH, very nice M12. as Del, I like the color of the tracks a lot.

If I may make an observation, you might want to drill out the gun tube a bit more. That's the only thing I see.

With that nice M12, you are DA MAN for the month!!!!

And when you over over again recommend this kit, do you have me in mind particularly?

Nice work!!!!

SteveWWH,

There is nothing I could say about your M12 but EXCELLENT!! I like your paint job and the weathering you have done on the kit. I will try yours and Del's method next time. Are you going to build the M88? I am almost done with it and will try the way you have done on your M12.
Again, real nice job and painting!

Steve, Sushi and Pig#6

I wouold have commented earlier but I have been away.
Anyway, the fact that you are such a punk in the chat room will not cloud my judgement.
I think the paint job is excellent with the colour variations and drybrush effects.
The words "straight out of the box" have negative connatations with me but still, yhe paint job is good.
Nice work punk,
Andrew

Nice work steve, I think it will look even better throught the sights of one of my panthers or tigers....hehehehe nice work stug

Nice work Beer Meister! I agree with Dave: you are DA MAN for the month!

I like the track colors! The weathering is also very nicely done!

I tried to shrink my self down by 35 times, and stand in my newly built Nashorn, and looked through the sight, the M12 is a beauty... #:-)

very nice job, it looks great

Bender

I just ordered this kit. I was wondering if it came with a crew?

Nope, no crew included.

Hobby Fan makes a US Artillery Crew, although they look a little stiff and are designed to be holding 105mm rounds. You could alter them a bit to be holding a 155 projo or a powder bag.
A couple of nice additions for this kit are the Legend Transmission and Engine upgrades.
Do let us know when you start the build. The only thing that really jumped out at me when building it was the lack of any bolt detail on the front of the armored superstructure, which is a very easy fix.