Well, I'll be getting ET models Tires as well as Blast-Models version and LRAD conversion...
Which reminds me..Where else can I get Blast-models stuff from? Their LRAD conversion is "deactivated"..

Here's my work status... all organised and slowly cleaning up.. but somehow I feel 4 of these are not going to be enough..

Voyager Upgrade.. I like em!!! Need more!!!




For now..Comparison with Trumpys & NWM's...oh well..

Quite a diameter difference!

how about blas wheels and upgrade set

blast

Voyagers are nothing but Trumpeter's recast in resin.
NWM tires tires were CAD cud from Michelin factory tire schematics and are correct in size and dimension.
Thanks
Mrosko

interesting build, especially in that capacity (4 models!).
just a question though: I see that you take (some of?) the parts from the sprues, clean them and assorts them. how do you later on know what goes where? do you go through the box in search of the parts?

Yes they are, I'm working on a way to make them fit as we speak

Henk,
I should be ordering the Blast versions this month...so unless someone else is going to do a comparison..we'll have to wait for my wallet to come out of hiding..

Matan, modelling is a daily affair of work for me. So first thing I do is speed read the instructions and look through the full sprues..it's eye Candy!!! (just like flirting with the pretty "things" on the way to the office...yeah I had a "real" job once.)
Anyway..then I rid as much of the sprue from the parts..and organise them into their respective holding slots. A boring and time consuming but essential stage..
I've always organised my builds that way and usually refer to the parts alignment vs the real AFVs. And these days models are so well designed that full instructions are not really needed.. It's limited the way one part can logically be fix to another..As well as how far different the design of an object can evolve..Well at least for 90percent exterior components of ground based vehicals..

I've got all the Blast updates inbound, I'll post comparison shots up as soon as I get them

SD

Thanks to the CDs I got from our fellow armorama buddies...I spent a load of time with scrutiny and comparison of the photos to Trumpy's kit.
The areas that will take most of my time with be the cabling for the suspension details, M1200 conversion parts and anti-slip corrections.
I wish I had more time so I could attempt an Interior..Well I sure hope someone comes out with one before I glue the hulls!
A thanks to Brent Sauer and Seb Viale for their blogs which allowed me to note specific challenges in the parts.

To start...
There's 15 points to drill and modify in order to enable the front wheels to steer.
The biggest problem was finding the right location for attachment of the outermost bars to connect to the angled ones, with some trial and error I managed to Relocate it -- Approximately 1mm away from the original hole. You can see the tip of the rod sticking out through the thin plastic sheet I added.
I used various sized styrene rods to connect the parts, heated the end with a lighter and filed down..which acts as a stopper from the rod slipping out.




Rear suspension



Next update will include Voyager's and ETmodel's photoetch parts installed as well as my scratch build progress on the M1200 version.



Note the new cut out for my M1200 Cupola..


Can someone please advise how I can replicate the ceramic armor anti-slip ??? It's not totally accurate on Trumpy's kit and It's different on the M1200
I can only think of using cast-a-coat method.. Or Archer's wood texture surface decal..?


Various sized black wire from 0.35 to 0.5mm, there's also 1mm tubing and simulated corrugated duct as well as resin hose joints... Spending time to research what's available is surely a time and effort (and hair lost) saver when there's so many kits to build and detail! Using black wires would mean painting the kit first and then installing them.
I'll be using these wires for all my Rhino cables and for the replacement of my Buffalo MPCV's parts ---(much more on that much later on that WIP) The great thing is that the wires will tolerate quite some bending, chipping the black coating can still happen, but not easily!
If you want to know which wires..ask me!

Some more photos for the M1200, the M1117 will be later. A lot more photos of all the added details later when I have more time. Once I'm done with all of them, I'll show both of them together..

Note that I corrected the ceramic armor detail..was a true pain, really difficult but the outcome should be worth it........Besides, this one is for an Italian client, real nice guy, so I don't mind the extra effort.

Can you tell me M1200 is the company that produced and how much $
thanks

Hay let's see some new work soon.

Formations Models (http://www.formationsmodels.com) has a M1200 Armored Knight for $60 USD. It is very nice resin conversion with brass.50 caliber MG as well as Mk 19 40mm Grenade Launcher barrels. I have seen the prototypes and IMHO, the kit is worth the cost. I helped Rob Ervin out with some reference pics of a M1200 that should come with the conversion.

John

Hey ya Captin Caveman, I finished the Kit but still working on the M1200 scratch.
Love your ABV work Btw..


Hopefully somebody's going to do a WIP on Formation's conversion once it's avail.

Hi Nick
You let us see the precise and perfect the production process.
Look forward to more updates.

Cheers
Blackwater

The shipments are finally getting out, I had the set delivered the other day,though it will be awhile before I get around to working on it. Shouldn't be too long before you start seeing them in projects here though.

Some quick pics..




Close up of the anti skid touch ups



Modified screens...before bolt details and armored cable housing bits.



M1200's cupola,hatch, shields,etc in scratch building process..

just got mine m1200 conversion last week nice stuff
henk

Does it have the frames for the glass on those shields?

what do you mean ??
henk

Just emailed you Henk...the 2 side shields on the cupola..

no they dont
henk

Thought so, same as mine.. I'll be building them using 0.13mm sheet.

do you got any photos of the shields
henk