135
M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage Part One

Now to the rear tracks. US halftracks have a unique and brilliant rear track, being molded as one piece thick bands of tire rubber, reinforced with steel cords running lengthwise, and with embedded steel parts for center tooth alignment and sprocket engagement. No model company before Dragon has quite got it right when attempting to represent these. The real thing is a bit thick and is under constant tension, so there’s no sagging. Tamiya didn’t quite get it with their vinyl tracks, and no one really solved this until Dragon and their advanced sculpting methods and mold making technology changed everything. These tracks are made in Left and Right halves, and are completely accurate in construction, allowing detail painting that was previously not possible. The drive sprockets and idler / tensioner wheels are also just beautiful in every detail. The painting must be done partly before assembling the left and right parts of each track, with most of the pre-assembly being about the steel cleats and center teeth. For these I use Testors Model Master Steel, Flat Black, and some Rust, hand brushed to detail the steel parts as if they are on an operational moving vehicle, which means a bit of shine where metal hits metal, with a little rust in the seams and cracks. Once left and right parts are assembled and dry, then the rubber is done in Flat Black. This is allowed to dry for a bit, because final the assembly onto the chassis can get a bit tricky. Because the sprockets and idlers are so finely made and need to be painted off the model, as with the tracks, the final assembly involves placing the sprocket and idler in the track in the correct position, then sliding the whole thing onto the chassis. A second person is a very handy thing to have, and my lovely girlfriend Brenda kindly lent a hand by grasping the top and bottom of the track and spreading them open enough to go over the road wheel carriage, while I slid the sprocket and idler onto their pins. A tricky method, but worth it, as the photos here demonstrate. I think it’s coming out pretty nice so far.

So that about wraps up the assembly of the chassis, drivetrain and wheels/tracks for this kit. If you are into the US halftracks, as I am, you’ll get familiar with these assemblies fast, as they are common to the entire series of US M3 based halftracks. In this part of the build there weren’t too many things to correct or modify, but as not a lot of the underside of the model will be seen, I wasn’t really looking too hard for things to improve at this stage. The next section will be vastly different, as I go into the cab/crew compartment, and there’s tons of stuff to do there. Lots of PE brass to work with, lots of compromises to correct. The next episode promises a lot more of everything: more detail, more tiny parts, more work, period. But this is what’s required to bring a miniature fully to life, it’s an Art, and Art takes time and effort to accomplish. Nothing truly spectacular is ever done in haste. Patience is everything. Until next time…

WARCLOUD

The story continues here with Part Two.
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move

About the Author

About Gary Roberts (WARCLOUD)
FROM: JIHOCESKY KRAJ, CZECH REPUBLIC

I am one of the fortunate ones who has been gifted all my life with the Charm of Making..I am professionally an Artist / Illustrator at this stage of my life, and am or have been a Musician, Commercial Artist, Movie Effects Tech, Set builder, Mechanic, Machinist, Motorcycle Racer and Builder, and ev...


Comments

Very nicely done! I like it! I do think it's a bit comical for there to be a controversy on the bulge issue for the front tires. Ask anyone who has been in the tire or automotive industry and they will agree that there will be a sidewall budge present ... especially if those pressures have been dropped. The vehicle weight alone will cause this too. So, the call shouldn't be made by a group of modelers, just ask your local repair shop for the answer. I have spent over 20 years in that field and know the answer as well. ~ Jeff
APR 14, 2012 - 12:44 AM
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this one Gary, can't wait to see what's in store next
APR 14, 2012 - 01:39 PM
Hi Gary, really interesting subject, and very detailed infos, I will wait for the next parts. Rgeading your issue with the "overweathered" vehicles, I think it is just the question of approach. From the 100% replication of a vehicle, where every bolt is in position, to the artistic fantasies of Jean Bernard Andre, I think everything is acceptable, as far it is tell something about you and not just a repeat of a lesson. Those "madmaxed" Stug III-s and Tigers imho tell about the hopeless and sadness of war (yes you are right, in a bit surreal way), while the accurate reproduction tells about the desire of perfection, which is also an appreciated feature of a man. Cheers, Istvan
APR 17, 2012 - 08:46 PM
Thanks to everyone on your positive feedback on this project. Thanks to James Bella for giving me the opportunity to display my madness in public among my fellow madmen..as for "overweathering"..the idea of scale modelling as Artistic Expressionism...this is a concept indeed. I had not remotely considered this. I have seen some models which are so overdone, so chipped, so rusted, so worn, that they really do fit my description of 100 years sitting in acid rain. But do you think this was done in some sense of artistic expression of the bleak nature of war? Hmm...I have a philosophical concept to ponder now. I just assumed these guys were simply incurable show-offs with their advanced finishing techniques. It's way hard to do that realistic chipped paint rust and extreme wear and filth on the level these guys achieve, it's a high art. Expressionistic? I'll think on this. Thank you for that new perspective.
APR 20, 2012 - 05:01 AM
Thanks for sharing the build. I'll be following it thru. I'm going to be building this Dragon kit very soon myself to provide air cover for my Bailey Bridge
MAY 06, 2012 - 10:06 PM
HEY!! I didn't die! My move to Europe got WAY more intense than I ever expected..the same old story..material, logistics, weather! No, I haven't abandoned this feature, I just got taken away by the huge operation Called Move To Czech Republic! Now that I'm HERE, and we have bought our cottage and have it set up to live in, I am hoping to unpack all of the modelling materials and kits (yes...I brought it ALL) and continue! Stay Tuned!!
JAN 14, 2013 - 09:38 PM
I'll be following this one with great interest! As for front tire sag on the M16, you bet they do. I've got four AA halftracks (real ones, an M15A1, two M16s and an M16A2) in the museum collection, one of which we operate on a regular basis. The front wheels always bulge. Warcloud, let me know if you need detail shots of anything in particular. Jon
JAN 24, 2013 - 01:25 AM
Sorry I didn't find this post sooner..there's no notification feature here I can find.. M16 halftrack issues right now on the scale model... The "tombstone" drum mags do not fit in the rear compartment corners. The 1/35 model magazines do seem to scale up correct size for the real 21" high mags, which means the rear armor body itself is likely...WRONG. What I need are the exact measurements in the 'track itself..floor to top edge of armor wall, with flap up and flap down..and an exact H-W-D on the tombstone mags. This is a huge issue, so data on this is GREATLY appreciated!
APR 30, 2013 - 10:24 PM
Yes, as I said, I am also a WW2 weapon collector and am among several vehicle collectors as friends..15,000lb. + vehicles will put a bulge in their tires, especially if one follows the TM on off road/mud-rain-snow operation.
APR 30, 2013 - 10:26 PM