It's really hard work there....Good luck Nick....

Hard work indeed especially the anti-slip corrections..

Henk check your email.

got thanks
henk

Very nice and clean build.
I watch this project with interest and like it a lot.

All good wishes
Walter

I'm glad you going to scratchbuild the observation turrit. Keep up the grate work!

Greetings everyone,been a long long while since I'm here.
I'll be updating my threads slowly over the next months before they get dead beyond resurrection!
Its been an insanely busy and chaotic past many many months..due to a temporal condition with my hands(a petrifying painful one!), and some annoying negative circumstances of life which had to be dealt with, and finally moving out of my 13 year sanctuary to a new domain at my in laws house until the next 2 years when I finally get my very own home... Well all this had put my work to almost a stand still for too long! But things have squared up and I'm back again and reaching maximum WARP with my work!!!
I have A HECK OF A LOT of pictorial updates coming in the next months and my old threads will finally reach closure..before I start the new ones.

For now...here's the M1200 Armored Knight scratch build conversion complete..
BTW the remaining M1200 by New World Minitaures and various M1117s will be updated towards the end of my multiple WIPs of M1A1s, A2s, TUSK versions, M1151s, M1114s, LAVs, AAVs, Buffalos, Warpigs, Wolfs, and Strykers..

This was done for my client (who's a pretty great modeler himself) and it should be on display at an event in Italy.
- Voyager's Photoetch set was used to detail it up.
- Yes! Finally I get to show the completed Cupola..I had more fun than I expected but ran into a lot of stops cause the many references I had showed 2 versions...and having OCD..I couldn't make up my mind which to build...Anyway I stuck to an early version instead and scratched the particular mount for the M2HB, leaving off the ammo box holder.
I do have another Cupola almost complete as a "Master".
- The LRAS3 is from Milo of RealModel.
- All cabling/wiring are various black metal wire and rubber tube... a god sent cause no need of painting..however takes some skill to bend to the shape for a natural look.
- The 3 antenna mounts, the 2 ammo holders on the Cupola and some other stuff were made then clone by Oyumaru Moulding sticks and the actual parts with 2 part Bondite Epoxy Putty.
- The antennas are 0.3 wire finished via Blacken-It process. The balls on the antenna ends were made via superglue and accelerator process.
- The sponge on the handles are tamiya tape wrapped and secure with super glue and 0.3 wire..simulating the cable-ties or zip-ties.
- Thin green clear plastic sheet were cut to fit for the the vision blocks for the Cupola, each held in place with 4 tiny rectangular parts made from 0.3 styrene sheet and hexagon rod. The kit's clear plastic windows were backed with the same green sheet.
- All priming and painting was done with Vallejo paints. Only gloss cost was done with Future Floor Polish. The Washes, Filters, Streaks, Stains, and general weathering was done with AK Interactive US/OIF related products. Mig Pigments were used to blend and finish the weathering process.

Thanks for Looking...
Until my next update...Live Long and Prosper..

Very nice work !!!!!!!

Good work Nick...Well done...

fantastic job Nick !

where will be displayed in Italy ? what event ?

Your work has far exceeded my expectations! Peace and long life!

Great, great, great!

No more than!

Cheers!

Marco

Thank you guys!

Alberto, the model will be displayed at the Red Devils Awards in Thiene, a small town near Venice which starts on June 8.

PS : Keep a look out for my next updates on my other blogs over the next weeks.

Live Long and Prosper

Very very nice Spock!

I've uploaded more pics on my picasa album https://picasaweb.google.com/114041413216204780388/M1117GuardianM1200ArmoredKnight

Later will be the M1117 using ETmodel's photo etch, until then some more close ups here..

you scare the hell outta me.......

Amazing work, nick

jay

i love your build !
great great great !

Great work...

Thanks for looking

OK here's some from the last batch that's uploaded to my picasa album.

Next update soon with ET Model's Photo etch.. Yup seriously, I'm promoting their kits!

MAN! woooooooooooo! I have got to build one of these for my self and thank's you for the clearly detailed photos. With out them some of us would miss some of the critical detail. Now I have to ask what did you use to make the thin black radio antennas?

Oh and you do know that some companys out there is copying your photos to make there own versions of your build as some did on my ABV project.

Edit: Now you all know that I like interior detail so I would love to add the basket for this turret, do you or any of you know what it looks like???

dude your builds are just great,and the detail is just wow.

Thanks Roy and Captin Caveman, Glad you appreciate the build.
Happy you can get something useful from my work...critical details are all that matters for a great build.

If you want to build an accurate M1200, you can get the NWM kit (if it's still out there) and follow my build for a "early" Cupola,etc version.(Hint hint) You'll have to do a lot of scratch building to replace the Cupola shields and 50 cal mount..etc. I do not know about the ammo can holder for that particular mount thus i left it off like in photos I could find.
Note that I got my Cupola done by cross referencing the NWM's kit and photos of the real thing. So I have yet to build the NWM's conversion, which I will with additional scratch building,etc.

I use straight 0.2 diameter stainless steel wire bought locally...they come at 250mm, some Japanese brand for just US$2. I used Blacken-It to...blacken it heh heh. But Sorry I can't remember the brand. You can try this one from Lion roar http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/48277.html?t=1370189996

Ehhh what do you mean some companies are "copying" my stuff?
Yeah I know about your ABV project...excellent work and information that a company could use..!

What interior detail and basket for the turret are you referring to..?

Every time we that's the scratch builders build some thing really cool some company copys out work and comes out with a product based on it.

An the interior basket that I'm talking about is one for the turret that you have build here. Is there a under turret basket of some type for this turret???

Yes you're right indeed, but I already have a master in works for the m1200 Cupola/turret and other parts.
Companies can come out with whatever they want..and from who ever's work they got it from...I do welcome those kits since I haven't yet put out my own. Anyways having all the consolidated reference information, markings and versions of the vehicle is another thing..that "those" companies don't have or can't be bother to to get. So there's always room to produce yet another more accurate or comprehensive version of a vehicle...(except for Tiger tanks...LOL)

Sorry I have not yet sourced any information for the interior basket. But someone lurking this site should surely have it..