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GunTruck
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Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002 - 12:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks Gunnie, really appreciate the 'hand-holding' here.
BTW, I checked over at the Legends site to scope out the XM-134 addendum kit and saw that they have a guntruck kit that looks a lot like 'The Untouchable'. Interesting.
I will probably get the resin tyres anyway since I'll need an extra set of them. After taking a closer look at the 'gun pit' (is that the right word?) area, thanks to sas's guntruck gallery (thanks Russ ) I'm going to need extra help in building the special mounting pintles that hold the miniguns. I'll be calling on you soon Gunnie!

Tread.

Also, another question. Did the 'big rigs' , the tractor trailers which were also armed and armoured, have names??
Ya know, a guntruck the size of a Kenworth 18 wheeler would be a fantastic 'fantasy' version of a guntruck, wouldn't you think??


Yawn... There's nothing like waking up to the talk of gun trucks in the morning...

Yes, the Legend Productions conversion for the AFV Club Deuce is configured like "The Untouchable" was - only smaller. A good reference point from jumping out and scaling up the steel box for "The Untouchable". I'll help you out as best I can with the MG mounts when you come to that - no problem.

The tractors did carry nicknames in cases ("Inez" and "Roberta" come to mind at once), but I think these were more of the girlfriend/wife/relative variety than an epitath borne of the gun truck convoy defense mission. At that time, it seemed you could find a nickname on any piece of US ordnance.

Gunnie
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Posted: Monday, April 01, 2002 - 08:16 AM UTC
Howdy Gunnie,

Started building the Italeri M54 kit and I must say I'm not real happy with the hubs and tyres....
conjures up memories of why I left 'car' modeling very early on . The old 2 piece wheels and tyres with the definitive vertical profile really s*#k! Sooooo, I must find a proper alternative. Do you think AFV would sell me some of their rubber tyres?? NO, Oh, I didn't think so.
How are those resin ones you spoke of? Really? A pet peeve of mine is the appearance of crappy tyres on a vehicle. If I'm going to invest the time to do this the right way, these Italeri tyres have got to Vamoose!!

Also, should I start posting on the new thread ' Scratchbuilding for Guntrucks' to ensure you've caught the 'drift'?..i.e. cry for help??

Tread.
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Posted: Monday, April 01, 2002 - 08:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Howdy Gunnie,

Started building the Italeri M54 kit and I must say I'm not real happy with the hubs and tyres....
conjures up memories of why I left 'car' modeling very early on . The old 2 piece wheels and tyres with the definitive vertical profile really s*#k! Sooooo, I must find a proper alternative. Do you think AFV would sell me some of their rubber tyres?? NO, Oh, I didn't think so.
How are those resin ones you spoke of? Really? A pet peeve of mine is the appearance of crappy tyres on a vehicle. If I'm going to invest the time to do this the right way, these Italeri tyres have got to Vamoose!!

Also, should I start posting on the new thread ' Scratchbuilding for Guntrucks' to ensure you've caught the 'drift'?..i.e. cry for help??

Tread.


If you decided to start a new thread with that title I'd find my way to it! Yes, the Real Model tires are a vast improvement and worth retrofitting to your models. Run, don't walk, get them, get them NOW!!!

Hey - very, very, cool Avatar there Tread - MUST be there to celebrate 500 POSTS!!!

Yeah!!!

Gunnie :-) :-) :-)
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Posted: Monday, April 01, 2002 - 09:00 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Howdy Gunnie,

Started building the Italeri M54 kit and I must say I'm not real happy with the hubs and tyres....
conjures up memories of why I left 'car' modeling very early on . The old 2 piece wheels and tyres with the definitive vertical profile really s*#k! Sooooo, I must find a proper alternative. Do you think AFV would sell me some of their rubber tyres?? NO, Oh, I didn't think so.
How are those resin ones you spoke of? Really? A pet peeve of mine is the appearance of crappy tyres on a vehicle. If I'm going to invest the time to do this the right way, these Italeri tyres have got to Vamoose!!

Also, should I start posting on the new thread ' Scratchbuilding for Guntrucks' to ensure you've caught the 'drift'?..i.e. cry for help??

Tread.


If you decided to start a new thread with that title I'd find my way to it! Yes, the Real Model tires are a vast improvement and worth retrofitting to your models. Run, don't walk, get them, get them NOW!!!

Hey - very, very, cool Avatar there Tread - MUST be there to celebrate 500 POSTS!!!

Yeah!!!

Gunnie :-) :-) :-)


You just did Gunnie, I believe it was this post that did it....NBD (No Big Deal), oops, sorry, that was another thread...

Tread.
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Posted: Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 03:47 AM UTC
Hey Gunnie,

You listening? Remember the 'Untouchable' I'm building? I was just at my local hobby shop (Colpar Hobbies) and was talking to a guy there and he was putting on the airs like he was a pretty good expert on GunTrucks. He was buying the AFV 'Nancy' kit and the Italeri 'Big Foot' kit. He was planning on using the 'Nancy' kit for the chassis and the cab section from the 'Big Foot' kit to build a 5-Ton Guntruck. He planned to take the Italeri cab and 'cut-down' the width of it to mate to the 'Nancy kit by cutting a section out of the middle of the cab and gluing it back together. I guess, this way he'd have a 5-Ton cab that fit the AFV kit. He also planned to shave off the sides of the front fenders and redo them. Plus a few other items.

Now....is it just me, or is this guy overmedicated? I thought I'd go to someone who's opinion on this subject I trust to get a proper perspective on it. I was just trying to see the sense in his logic but I guess I can't make the 'jump'.

Also. While I was there, (this bit, I think was productive) I saw (in the expensive case) a couple of sets of M2 .50 caliber machine guns with M31 Pedestal Truck mounts manufactured by Skybow for only $6.98. I picked both sets up in hopes they would work for the 50's mounted on the 'Untouchable'. What do you think? Will they work?

many thx in advance,

Tread.
GunTruck
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 02:06 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Gunnie,

You listening? Remember the 'Untouchable' I'm building? I was just at my local hobby shop (Colpar Hobbies) and was talking to a guy there and he was putting on the airs like he was a pretty good expert on GunTrucks. He was buying the AFV 'Nancy' kit and the Italeri 'Big Foot' kit. He was planning on using the 'Nancy' kit for the chassis and the cab section from the 'Big Foot' kit to build a 5-Ton Guntruck. He planned to take the Italeri cab and 'cut-down' the width of it to mate to the 'Nancy kit by cutting a section out of the middle of the cab and gluing it back together. I guess, this way he'd have a 5-Ton cab that fit the AFV kit. He also planned to shave off the sides of the front fenders and redo them. Plus a few other items.

Now....is it just me, or is this guy overmedicated? I thought I'd go to someone who's opinion on this subject I trust to get a proper perspective on it. I was just trying to see the sense in his logic but I guess I can't make the 'jump'.

Also. While I was there, (this bit, I think was productive) I saw (in the expensive case) a couple of sets of M2 .50 caliber machine guns with M31 Pedestal Truck mounts manufactured by Skybow for only $6.98. I picked both sets up in hopes they would work for the 50's mounted on the 'Untouchable'. What do you think? Will they work?

many thx in advance,

Tread.


Tread - got your Private Message and I ducked outta the model workshop to take a peek!

Interesting thing that guy told you instead of chuckling, I'll give 'ya my thoughts on the matter.

The guy is on medication. I recommend dropping the delusions of grandeur and a obtaining a reference book or two to become more familiar with the trucks in question.

He can get to a M54 5-ton cargo truck by using either the AFV Club Deuce or the Italeri BMY truck as a start but not in the method he describes. The BMY Cab is simply not the way to go - and isn't usable in either approach to the conversion. The only alternative is a dedicated effort to "stretch" the AFV Club Cab into the larger dimensions of the M54's Cab - or to purchase the Real Model M54 Cab conversion which is the AFV Club Cab stretched into the proper dimensions.

The Italeri Frame & Chassis is more workable for a quick & dirty M54 Conversion - as it is little changed from the components on the M54 from a casual modeling perspective. When I do mine (and I just did another one this weekend that kept me from Armorama.com) I always opt to reverse the Transfer Cases 180 degrees from the position recommended in the Italeri kit - because the drivetrain runs down the left side of the truck for the vehicle I'm modeling - and this is easy to see even in miniature.

The AFV Club Frame & Chassis is simply too short in length to make the M54 - requiring the modeler to "stretch" it out and remodel a drive shaft. The width of both Frames are the same - for modeling purposes - so widening it isn't an issue - but the Italeri BMY Cab will not fit on an AFV Club Frame and it is of such significantly different dimensions as not to be usable. And lastly, the Axles need to be beefed-up. When attempting this conversion using the AFV Club stretched Frame, I used Italeri Axles.

Of the two approaches, I can model the Italeri approach in 6 fewer hours than attempting the AFV Club stretch and conversion. Converting the AFV Club Cab into a M54 by scratch takes about 3 more hours than it does to use the Real Model M54 Cab. Cleaning up and remodeling the Italeri Cargo Box takes me about 4 hours to do in a rush. Trying to enlarge AFV Club's Deuce Cargo Box isn't a smart move in comparison.

None of this even counts the time to convert the conversion into a gun truck. I have seen modelers use the Italeri kit (BMY Cab and all) to model a gun truck, but this just isn't convincing in the least. I think he is buying the right kits to make the attempt - just mixed up the subassemblies to use in the attempt. Maybe he gets excited talking about the gun truck and gets confused.

Lord knows I don't suffer from that malady...

Gunnie
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 08:43 AM UTC
Thanks Gunnie for the informative response...(refer to my PM to you).
That was my thought too, nice to have one's opinion backed up by one more learned in that particular arena. Just helps to support the idea that all of one's synapse's haven't left one...

I have complete faith in the direction you gave me regarding the best path to a 5 Ton GunTruck
(although the thought has occured to me I should have taken on a 2.5 Tonner first... ). No problems though, challenges are meant to challenge, right?

I have gotten my 'Untouchable' to the point of waiting on the wheels. Haven't done anything regarding the cab yet (again see PM). I must say, I feel pretty confident of the project so far, (I also must say, once again I do not like Italeri product for their 'sharp' edged castings. Makes for excessive cleaning on my part....yuchhh!) Armorama member 'SAS' has been kind enough to provide an absolutely excellent collection of 'Untouchable' pics for reference, soooooo, I still have my fingers crossed, and my 'trump' card......you.

Thx!

Tread.
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:10 PM UTC
hey Gunnie :-)

Found a nice gun truck link for ya... check it out

http://pmms.webace.com.au/models/vehicles/m54.htm
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:33 PM UTC

Quoted Text

hey Gunnie :-)

Found a nice gun truck link for ya... check it out

http://pmms.webace.com.au/models/vehicles/m54.htm



NICE find max! That's an article by James Lyles. Gunnie, isn't that the same Mr. Lyles that you helped with on his upcoming book?

Excellent article by the way.

Tread.
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:36 PM UTC
I wouldn't know Tread.. haven't actually read the article myself yet.. just checked out the news section of a modelling page and came across it :-)
GunTruck
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:56 PM UTC
Yes Tread and ManPain - that is Jim Lyles, the author of the upcoming book I mentioned before, and the one I worked with on modeling gun trucks a year or so back. I know about his model and this posting at PMMS.

Gunnie
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Posted: Monday, April 29, 2002 - 11:01 PM UTC
Tread--did you get my PM reference the Steyr you wanted?
DJ :-)
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Posted: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 08:27 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Tread--did you get my PM reference the Steyr you wanted?
DJ :-)



Yes, DJ, I did. Sending you a follow up PM later this evening (after I eat).

Tread.
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Posted: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 09:28 AM UTC
Hey Gunnie, (you listening?)

Got a couple of Italeri 5-Ton M-925 follow-up questions for ya.
Do I correctly remember some time back about you building a jig for use in constructing the frame cross members for the GunTrucks? Or are my synapses acting up again?
I've already got all of that built already, but I just remembered to ask you about it. Getting both the main frame rails, and the cross members, and the trans, and the transfer case, and the....all glued and aligned at the same time is a bit of a trick. I was planning on building a jig for that part of the process for when I build my next GunTruck and just wanted your input.

Also, regarding the front axle. More specifically the front tyre alignment. I scoped out both your 'Nancy' and 'Babs' over at your site. 'Nancy' , the AFV kit seems to have a more natural slight turn in the front wheel, while 'Babs' doesn't. I guess my question is, since I want to include a wee bit of 'turn' in my front wheels, what would be the best way to do that on the Italeri 'soft' plastic kit? I could just cock the front spindle ends I guess, but was a little worried about this Italeri styrene and exactly how the replacement wheels will mate.

One more. (getting a little greedy for one post, I know, I know ) Just not used to this Italeri 'soft' styrene. Would like to use some Superglue on the kit. What 's everyone's opinion/experience with CA glue on Italeri kits? Work OK?

Many thx,

Tread.
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Posted: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 10:59 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Gunnie, (you listening?)


I think you're strong with the Force! Like I said in my PM to 'ya, I usually sign-off when I go home from work and don't return to the site until the next day. I'm buildin' models and having fun with the wife. (This is a PG-Rated site) But, for some reason, I put down the X-Acto and turned on the computer - naturally - I wound up here...


Quoted Text

Do I correctly remember some time back about you building a jig for use in constructing the frame cross members for the GunTrucks? Or are my synapses acting up again?




I just snapped this quickly with the Digital Camera in the middle of working on it tonight. It is the patented Gunnie-O-Matic economy jig. I lay the two styrene strips with double sided tape on a small cutting mat. The grid is what I use to align components by looking down on them from above, and the styrene rails keep the frame channels and suspension components straight and level while the glue sets. At this stage of building a model frame, I weigh the subassembly down with two bottles of paint - the big 3oz. jars - one balanced over the front axle and the other at the centerpoint of the rear dualies, on the lifters for the cargo bed. I haven't finished cleaning up the resin hubs for the rear tires - so I had to use a sanding stick under the front axle hubs to even things up.

From this point, I'll complete the drivetrain and begin to hang detail parts off the frame rails. It really doesn't get any easier than this, and it will make sure that not only are all your components lined up properly, but all the wheels will touch the workbench correctly too.


Quoted Text

Also, regarding the front axle. More specifically the front tyre alignment. I scoped out both your 'Nancy' and 'Babs' over at your site. 'Nancy' , the AFV kit seems to have a more natural slight turn in the front wheel, while 'Babs' doesn't. I guess my question is, since I want to include a wee bit of 'turn' in my front wheels, what would be the best way to do that on the Italeri 'soft' plastic kit? I could just cock the front spindle ends I guess, but was a little worried about this Italeri styrene and exactly how the replacement wheels will mate


AFV Club's front axle allows the tires to be posed - which is why "Nancy"'s is done that way. I used the old Monogram "Eager Beaver" when I built "Babs" and I left the wheels in the traditional position. In the photo above, the Italeri parts are used, and you can easily induce a slight turn for the wheels by sanding an angle at the ends of the front axle. My brake hubs attach directly to the chunky ends of the axle part, so if you follow the same route, that is where you'll sand an angle in before attaching the brake hubs. Modify the tie rod and you're in business...


Quoted Text

One more. (getting a little greedy for one post, I know, I know ) Just not used to this Italeri 'soft' styrene. Would like to use some Superglue on the kit. What 's everyone's opinion/experience with CA glue on Italeri kits? Work OK?


Now for the Bonus Round! Sure, the frame assembly above already called for Testor's Liquid Cement, Tenax-7R, and Superglue in the construction phase. The plastic is soft for sure, but handles all of these formulas without problem. Just be careful, like you would any other model.

Gunnie

P.S. this is what I was messing around with tonight while the glue was outgassing...

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Posted: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 11:01 PM UTC
Oooooooh, Rat Patrol? I could sing a few bars of the TV series intro theme if you'd like?

As always, you're a great deal of help Gunnie. And the pictures are worth, as they say, "a thousand words". I must say, the sanding stick actually looks used. Very authentic.

So, the two styrene strips just sit on top of the cutting mat right? Looks like a good system. But you've already got your cross members attached to the main frame rails at that point , don't you? (actually, you're missing a few, parts 8A, 7A, & 6A. Do you put them in by lightly spreading the dried frame rails?) What I was thinking about was making a fixed jig that lays
flat (just as yours does) with a right angle 'square' built in to maintain a true right angle, but would be adjustable horizontally so that it would both support the main frame rails and, after glueing the cross members in, you could tighten the jig so that it would both hold the frame square and clamp the frame for the drying of the glue. Kinda like a big wooden version of a 'Hold & Fold'.
Whadaya think?

Regarding the 'turned' front wheels. I had already glued the brake drums on, but after reading your post last night I ran into my modeling room and proceeded to give myself a hernia pulling the drums off of the axle. For a while there I wasn't sure if the axle was going to break first, or ME! Anyway, managed to get them off with a bare minimum neccessity of profanity( kids were around).

Now, as far as getting a slight turn in the front wheels goes. You said "....you can easily induce a slight turn for the wheels by sanding an angle at the ends of the front axle". Sometimes my 'Habla' engine isn't running on all cylinders, so you have to "ABC' me like one of the old geezers in a nursing home, but don't you mean at the base of the axles? Where the brake drums would glue to? Not trying to split hairs, just trying to understand


Tread.

Hey....I know you're at work now. hehe.
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Posted: Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 01:35 AM UTC

Quoted Text

As always, you're a great deal of help Gunnie. And the pictures are worth, as they say, "a thousand words". I must say, the sanding stick actually looks used. Very authentic.


Heh heh - I had to work pretty furiously to get it lookin' like I actually had been using it last night. Drug it behind the car for a few blocks...


Quoted Text

So, the two styrene strips just sit on top of the cutting mat right?


Yes, on top of the cutting mat. For vertical alignment, I lay a piece of quadrille (graph) paper on a metal sheet, and use magnetic L-Blocks. I'll post a picture of that tonight. I had put it away a few days prior. It's effective, but a little tricky to use if the magnets grip too tight. I draw the critical measurements onto the graph paper, and this becomes the X and Y coordinate. The magnets hold little posts for measurements in the Z coordinate. Most of the time, now, I'm using my metal 1:35 scale ruler in place of the posts for Z coordinate measurements. This is close to your idea, though I don't use the L-Blocks for clamping the subassembly in place.


Quoted Text

But you've already got your cross members attached to the main frame rails at that point , don't you? (actually, you're missing a few, parts 8A, 7A, & 6A. Do you put them in by lightly spreading the dried frame rails?)


Yep again. I've built this conversion so many times, I deviate from the construction sequence every time. Sliding the crossmembers in at this point is easy, and not much flexing of the frame rails is required. The Italeri plastic isn't as brittle as AFV Club's is.

Note: this is my model construction idosyncracy - and not recommended for someone giving it a go the first time around. I do sand the length of the crossmembers down a hair to make fitting easier, but I don't recommend deviating from the "traditional" construction sequence of a truck model frame and chassis unless you're accustomed to it already.

Part #6A will go in place per the instructions. Parts # 7A and #8A are going to be replaced altogether. Part #8A as this what I label "Crossmember A" and incorporates part of the hinge mechanism for the BMY Cab - not appropriate for this conversion. In this area I use the AFV Club Radiator Mount instead. This will help you anchor the Real Model M54 Cab Conversion to the frame properly - just like the part does in the AFV Club Deuce. Also, since the Real Model M54 Cab Conversion uses AFV Club Cab parts, you must leave a void here at the front of the Italeri frame subassembly to fit these components in properly. This is why no crossmembers are in place at the time of the photo. The AFV Club Deuce's Cab / Fender molding is all one-piece - with the Engine Oil Pan and part of the Transmission molded-in.

I do use the Transfer Case as the principle anchor point with the "bowtie" over the rear dualies - as these are the strongest points on the frame subassembly. If I'm doing the stretched AFV Club frame conversion - I mount the crossmembers in place in the proper construction sequence. I also use the bottom of the cargo bed for aligning the frame rails too with either conversion attempt negating the need for anymore crossmembers at this point in assembly.


Quoted Text

but don't you mean at the base of the axles? Where the brake drums would glue to? Not trying to split hairs, just trying to understand


Yes - that is the largest surface area for this method with the Italeri parts. I don't recommend a radical angle, just enough to get the point across. I don't call that area the base of the axle, but I understand what you meant

Am I losing you here so far???

Gunnie
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Posted: Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 07:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

........ but I understand what you meant

Am I losing you here so far???

Gunnie


Nope! Your words paint a very accurate picture for me. Thanks!!

So.....are you telling me I've already built this thing wrong!?! Geeeez, I'm going to lose what hair I have left!
I will work on the 'jig' design some more. As to the GunTruck frame......I'll adapt and adjust, just like any good jarhead would.

Thanks.

Tread.
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Posted: Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 10:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

So.....are you telling me I've already built this thing wrong!?! Geeeez, I'm going to lose what hair I have left!
I will work on the 'jig' design some more. As to the GunTruck frame......I'll adapt and adjust, just like any good jarhead would


Nah - you're doing fine. Remember, I'm the one with the convoluted construction style



This is the alignment jig I use - and mentioned to you in the post above. I draw out all the critical measurements on the graph paper, and then use the magnetic blocks to line the model up as I build the frame subassembly. Vertical measurements are done with the 6" 1:35 scale ruler in the photo, set alongside the frame where needed. I'll use it all the way through building all the subassemblies to see how the final assembly measures up.





Here is the cargo bed for the truck, with the underside bracing added with styrene stock. This detail is missing from the Italeri model - and adding it doubles for you because you can use it as an alignment jig for the frame as it sets too. This isn't why I add the smaller crossmembers until later on in the assembly when I begin hanging the other detail onto the frame.

Gunnie
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Posted: Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 12:32 PM UTC
lil off topic...

did you balance the cam on your shoulder and pressed the button with the nose or how...errr?

*confused* :-)
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Posted: Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 10:22 PM UTC

Quoted Text

lil off topic...

did you balance the cam on your shoulder and pressed the button with the nose or how...errr?

*confused* :-)


LOL - Nope, tripod and 10-second timer works miracles...

Gunnie
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Posted: Friday, May 03, 2002 - 12:07 AM UTC
Jesus H. Christmas Gunnie!!! I opened your post late last night (checked in again, didn't ya? )
but had to sleep on my response. What do you do for a living again?? Lockheed Martin? NASA? Geeeez.
O.K., I'll play. What, no Levelite laser's for alignment down to the micron? No MIT Electron microscope to get that last little bit of flash? No Greenwich Atomic Clock to time your glue drying time? No U.S. Standard's Book of Weight's and Measure's on the shelf?
..............and you call yourself a Modeler!?!............Humph! Shame on you.....

LOLLOLLOL.............haha, sorry. Had fun doing that.....

O.K., back to the drawing board (no pun intended, I'm really going back to the drawing board ) Just for the record, I'm stealing most of your ideas. Why? Because they're great! You can get mad at me for copyright infringement later. Right now all I'm trying to do is be a better modeler. Although I can't afford your Lasers, Electron Microscope, Atomic Clock, or .....wait a minute, I think I can afford the book. I can still try to put a system together with sticks and stones that might help me glue my frame rails straight! :-) :-) :-)
Where did you get that stuff? Homebuilt? Where did you get the metal tray with grids?
Well done Gunnie. Maybe you should give a MasterModeler's class like Chris Mrosko does!

Anyway, really appreciate the input once again. And I just love the pics!! They are, by far, the biggest help for someone as visually oriented as I am.

Tread.

I'll be in touch later :-)
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Posted: Friday, May 03, 2002 - 12:33 AM UTC

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Maybe you should give a MasterModeler's class like Chris Mrosko does!

Yes!!! Please do! I need it!
I just saw your M41, Gunnie. Makes me wonder why I even bother...:::::sniff:::: :-)

YodaMan
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Posted: Friday, May 03, 2002 - 03:46 AM UTC

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Jesus H. Christmas Gunnie!!! I opened your post late last night (checked in again, didn't ya? )
but had to sleep on my response. What do you do for a living again?? Lockheed Martin? NASA? Geeeez.


Sadly, I used to get to play with Satellites and Ground Control Communications Equipment in Air Force Systems Command in check-out phase, but alas, no more . I really, really, miss it sometimes - so I build models instead I guess I take after my Dad. He's been with Aerojet General it seems forever, even worked with the team who produced the Orbital Maneuvering Engines for the Space Shuttle. We don't always see eye-to-eye, but I'm pretty proud of him nonetheless. He learned most of his "stuff" like I did - through trial-&-error. Self-made kinda guy, so I'm guilty through gene-transfer...


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O.K., I'll play. What, no Levelite laser's for alignment down to the micron? No MIT Electron microscope to get that last little bit of flash? No Greenwich Atomic Clock to time your glue drying time? No U.S. Standard's Book of Weight's and Measure's on the shelf?


Nope - they wouldn't let me take those with me when I left the Air Force - know where I can get a smokin' deal on these items?


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..............and you call yourself a Modeler!?!............Humph! Shame on you.....


Heh heh - yes - but all the rest of you guys & gal are the ones who are insane! I pick and choose my madness...


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Right now all I'm trying to do is be a better modeler. Although I can't afford your Lasers, Electron Microscope, Atomic Clock, or .....wait a minute, I think I can afford the book. I can still try to put a system together with sticks and stones that might help me glue my frame rails straight! :-) :-) :-)
Where did you get that stuff? Homebuilt? Where did you get the metal tray with grids?


Gee - I really don't have any esoteric modeling equipment - what you see is what I've got. My favorite tool is a Sentai Distributors sanding stick. Mostly everything else is homebuilt. I grew up not having model builders around me - I learned by messing up. Couldn't afford fancy models a lot of the time - so I used styrofoam and junk until I could. Couldn't buy tools, so I learned to use what I had, or I made them from other things.

Best of all - no one was around to tell me that I wasn't doing it "correctly" - so I guess you could say I grew fearless. I just do it my way. Damn the torepdos - full steam ahead...

My job & hobby pays for the Dremel, Air Compressor, and all that other stuff - but it certainly wasn't the case starting out. Don't let a fancy tool become your crutch - or excuse for not aspiring to model something. Give it a try with what you've got - your brain matter is better than a file any day of the week.


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Well done Gunnie. Maybe you should give a MasterModeler's class like Chris Mrosko does!


Now that's a compliment! Haven't seen Chris since long before he got married - maybe he wouldn't mind that sometime, heh heh heh. I guess you can't hold a class if you don't go to modeling shows, huh?


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Anyway, really appreciate the input once again. And I just love the pics!! They are, by far, the biggest help for someone as visually oriented as I am.


It's an absolute pleasure to share with you Tread - you make it fun. If we keep this up, we'll build the whole truck together - kinda like an electronic buddy build. First time I've ever done that before!

Gunnie
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Posted: Friday, May 03, 2002 - 03:49 AM UTC

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Maybe you should give a MasterModeler's class like Chris Mrosko does!

Yes!!! Please do! I need it!
I just saw your M41, Gunnie. Makes me wonder why I even bother...:::::sniff:::: :-)

YodaMan


Actually YodaMan - I was gonna hold off until you win the Fine Molds X-Wing Fighter - then we can go to town on that one too like here on the gun truck Tread and I are hackin' 'n slashin'...

That would be fun too!

Gunnie
 _GOTOTOP