Posted: Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 05:19 PM UTC

Hello All:
I have started a build log for the James Cunningham Company M1 Armored Car that I am trying to scratch.
This is out of American Armored Fighting Vehicles by George Bradford.



Here the 1/35 drawing is attached to plasticard with a glue stick.


The first pieces cut out and sized to the drawing:


And now for me the hard part, figuring out the chassis/frame and drive train and how to attach it to the body.

Criticism welcome:

Robert

Very interesting project Robert. Interesting technique too, but have you compansated for the differing witdh dimensions in regard to the length of the vehicle when you are cutting the shapes out.
This sound complicated but whjat I mean is this;
the front section where the engine joins is closer at the very front than at say the driving crew area.
If you have cut this according to the length of the side profile drawing then you might be a few inchs shorter than would be correct.
You might find when you add the upper-surfaces to the side surfaces then the measurements might not line up correctly..
Perhaps you have allowed for this and I just cant see it. I'm only pointing this out as I tried a similiar technique before and ran into trouble along the way

Keep us posted, I'm looking forward to following your thread

Hello Roy:
Lengths & widths are all according to how well that I can see and cut the plastic. I picked this subject for what I thought was an uncomplicated shape, this is an experiment since it is my first total scratch attempt. It is a figure out as I go and I am sure that there will be a lot of sanding, filing, and shaving. The basic shape will be close to the dimensions as possible, my major concern how the chassis/frame and drive train looks since the photos and this drawing show almost nothing. If you have any information or photos please post them. I probably will have to go by what little is on the drawing. My biggest goal is to scratch build something and have fun doing so, which I am. One last item the cutting,sanding,filing, and attaching is not bad, but the aligning is is a pain.

Robert

Great start to an interesting project. For chassis and suspension, just make it up by using parts from the parts box. no one else will know either

Hi Ko:
Sounds like a winner to me, this build has taken over my life today. I have been working on it 10.5 hours, maybe its time to go take a shower and eat somthing.

Robert

Some progress:
The beginning, glue fumes and messy fingers.




The heavy tape ruler is my attempt at keeping the build square while drying. Hope it works.


Now the right and left sides are on.


This is a side view with the front on the right.

I glued the floor on and a square former inside the body to keep the car aligned while it is completed and when I sand it later.

Bottom view of the floor attached.

Top view where you can see the square and rod lengths glued at the corners of the sides and bottom to add strength.

I have no idea why the color is dark, when I used the auto fix this is what happened.


More pics to come thanks for watching.

Robert

Looking awsome, man! Are you doing any kind of interior/engine? Or, just an awesome exterior?

Cuhail

Hello Cuhail:
No interior since this is my first scratch, just getting my feet wet and experimenting as I go to learn what to do on the next build.

Robert

Hello All:
In the following two photo's I have installed the cab roof.



Here are the engine hood top view and the bottom which has square stock to add strength and ease of gluing to sides of body.



Three views with hood on.




Squadron Geen Putty added to help in sanding the body gaps square.




First round of sanding the putty and the front wind screen installed to be detailed later.




Second round of sanding, the corners are squared off now.






Installing radiator armored front cover.





My next chore is to file the top and sides of the radiator cover and square the bottom then fill in the front gap. A trip to the LHS for material to construct the chassis / frame on my list of things to do this weekend. Thanks for looking.

Robert

Coming along nice, man! Good cuts and angles. Looking forward to chassis pics.

Cuhail

The oval looking piece on the side of the body at the rear will be glued on later to facilitate with the attachment of the sheet metal (plastic) fenders. The wider strips are for the front which are giving me some problem as how to form.


The next five (5) photos show the process of cutting out the bottom part of the turret that had been made by laminating four sheets together. At first I used a razor saw then a moto tool, brilliant idea. Using the moto tool to sand it to shape was so much easier than the idea of using a sanding block, then dry fit to the top of the vehicle. The last photo shows my use of Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill in the pit marks that the moto tool created by overheating the plastic.







Thanks for looking.

Robert

Hello everyone:

This is a drawing of how I wanted to construct the top of the turret.


Circle template needed for a more pecise cut than previously done


After more thinking, a trip to the LHS to purchase these items was necessary.
square, rod, and sheet stock plastic.


The next (7) photos show the progressive attempt at making the top of the turret with, first gluing ribs on top to lay a piece of sheet plasic on top which would not follow the compound curves, so then I tried strip plastic which did not work, onto pieces of plastic that I thought to file down to shape.








After a nights sleep, milliputty came to mind maybe this will fill in over the mess that I started and sand to the final shape as on the drawing above in the first thread.


Well thats all for now the drying time forces me to stop. Thanks for looking


Robert

Whoa Robert! This is inspiring! Lots of great tips on how to get those basic forms. Not a scratch builder myself, but this makes it look like it's not as hard as I thought. Hope I'm right when I get to my first scratch project...

Cheerio and keep up the great work!

PS: I'm not so sure about the accuracy of the plans in that book. I once compared the French Char B1 with the Tamiya example (of which I never heard anything negative accuracy-wise) and it was quite a bit off. Have never seen a review of those books either. But I guess it's the only plan available of the T1.

Hello Stefan:
You are correct, this is the only book that I have found on the M1 armored car so far. The photos (5) that I have viewed show very little in the help department. There is one site that gives the deminsions, but accuracy is not the goal with this build. This is my first scratch and a learning experiance to just learn the techniques that will serve me in later builds. There is time for accuracy later.

Robert

Hi Robert

If you don't have success bending the plastic into shape to form the front or rear fenders, one thing you might want to try is making a male former of the shape of the fenders, then press tin foil over the patterns.

It is amazing how well the tin foil takes the shape of quite complicated areas and leaves a really nice scale thickness.

Roasting tins or carry out foil containers are a good source and accepts super glue easily bonding to the plastic.

Nige

Hi Nige:
I am working on one of the rear fenders at the moment and I have had to replace it once so far. The second time is going fine and this is only the first fender on the right rear. Could you direct me to a thread or give me the procedure that you just mentioned? If I am having this much trouble with the rear fenders, I hate to think of the problems the front are going to give me.

Robert

He means make a male form in the shape of your fender and burnish some heavy foil down upon it to shape. Then, when it's all burnished down in the right shape, remove it from the form and attach it to the model.

Does that help form a picture in your head? It's kinda hard to describe, but, I picked up the gist pretty easy.

Cuhail

Got the gist Murph, thanks.


Robert

Looking very cool Robert. Looking forward to seeing the finished project.

HARV

Hi Robert

For my Wolf conversions in 1/24 I had to make larger mud guard edges for the newer versions.



Older models have the thin guards molded into body shell of kit.



To enlarge the guard. Male pattern formed using scrap plastic cut and sanded to shape for front and rear versions. One nearside and one offside.



Normal tin foil from carry out cartons smoothed flat first then laid over male pattern





Burnish around the details of the pattern using a tooth pick or other round ended object till all detail shows.





Foil will hold shape and if done gradually won't hole through even with large convex or concave shapes.



Finished larger guards



Before



After



Foil thickness means structure is still strong. My DAF DROPS truck and King trailer in 1/24 uses a lot of tin foil.







Good luck

Nige

Hello Nige:
Thank you so very much for the pictorial, it helped me alot. The pic. of the rear end with the springs and axles was a great help in my deciding on how to construct mine.



Robert

Hi Robert

No problem at all. A picture does say a thousand words. Will look in on your progress.

All the best

Nige

A little more progress:

Here is the turret top sanded to its final shape. I now have sore fingers by pushing down on the part and sliding it along 200 & 400 sandpaper.



The next 2 photos show my attempt at making the rear fender and attaching it to the body. This was not so bad, only having to hold the plastic until the glue set.




Ah! success with the rear fenders, shown in the 3 following photos and only after watching two films while holding the plastic in place.





Here in the next 2 photos I am trying to make the frame and cross members. What can not be seen (my camera will not focus) are the rivits.




In this photo:
1. I have started the process in constructing the front fender.
2. Glued 6 pieces of plastic together after cutting out circles in order to make the wheel ( I will make one then cast the rest in resin)
3. The start of the rear end and axle.



In this photo you can see the bumpers that were made by gluing two L shaped pieces of plastic together then placing a strip down the inside for strength. I have also made two types of suspension springs.



Thanks for looking, criticism welcome.

Robert

Robert, first let me say this car is looking great. The body is smack-on. Nice! I like the way the rear fenders turned out and am looking forward to seeing the fronts.

I think the only thing I can offer is a link. A tutorial right here on KitMaker, over in AutoModeler.

Making Automotive Leaf Springs

It came in very handy on a project I did a while back. Good write-up on a technique.

Like I said, looking great. Keep up the work, man. You got it!

Cuhail

Hey Murph thanks for the link, that was fantastic. I guess I will have to visit the Auto section a little for more information.


Robert