I am still just shaking my head in bewilderment at the road smasher and now with the base coat of paint and all it's awesome. So I am just recovering from that awesomness and I am confronted by this new little beastie. Very complicated looking thing it is. Long way from my Sanford and Son Hmvee I drove around in Desert Storm!!
J

Nick, you certainly deliver. The rollers look great!!!




Slow?!!! ... You have got to be kidding! They need to rename your home state CyanoAcrylate in honor of your CA slinging!

—mike

I wish my builds went as "slow" as yours, maybe I would be finished my first diorama by now!!!

Super job on the roller wheels guys..

Nick, I hope the rivet counters and the history police don't rake you over the coals for putting a vehicle together which so obviously doesn't conform to any known configuration....

Does the space time continuum not function in California, because time seems to move at a decelerated rate there, you get more accomplished in less time then anyone I know.

All in all an okay job I guess!!!

Lookin forward to the next update.

Hi Jerry - yeah, the MATV is a vehicle I like - Brian gave me the heads up that hmmwvs haven't gone out with construction crews in a few years - and, I like what they look like! So I thought why not really go for it?

Ok Mike - uhhh, maybe tedious, not slow!!! I somehow downplayed the memory of the amount of extracurricular building required for this MATV kit!!! It's almost tougher to build than the roller!! Not even considering the odds and ends I've added - it looks good when done, but does require a strong will to complete!

Hi Dave - yes - a dilemma! The roller is based on and built from photos of the Cat 815F - the matv is a kit - but that cupola - yes, from a kit, but, I'm not sure it ever found it's way onto an MATV? - it's because of the rivet counters (respect for their knowledge!) that I have to say - yes, I know it might not be right, but, did it anyway! It's not grossly wrong, that is, like a piece of heavy artillery mounted up there!

Thanks for your comments guys -
Cheers
Nick

It still blows my mind to see what you come up with and build. It's intimidating hahaha. I love all the PE and different colors in the naked models- it's almost as impressive as the finished products!

I should really chime in more often, but all I do is repeat myself hahaha

-Conor

Hi Dave - yes - a dilemma! The roller is based on and built from photos of the Cat 815F - the matv is a kit - but that cupola - yes, from a kit, but, I'm not sure it ever found it's way onto an MATV? - it's because of the rivet counters (respect for their knowledge!) that I have to say - yes, I know it might not be right, but, did it anyway! It's not grossly wrong, that is, like a piece of heavy artillery mounted up there!

Thanks for your comments guys -
Cheers
Nick

I'm sorry Nick, I'm only giving you the gears a little bit, that's all.

I honestly can say that although I'm certainly interested in trying to make things as realistic as I can, and hopefully it shows in my work and most definitely shows in yours; I'm much more into the process of the builds than the historically accurate at all cost guys.

I certainly don't mean to belittle these types of guys, it's just not my focal point. And I definitely have mad respect for the guys that are able to do what you are able to do, and add so much intricate details to builds that would make my head spin!

To my shame however I can't say that I would ever have been able to tell that the cupola and weaponry would never have found its place on an MATV, for that matter I'm not 100% sure I even know what MATV stands for?

I know, I know, what a canucklehead!!

Anyway I hope my sad attempt at humour wasn't completely lost on your other followers, as it was meant to be humorous for sure.

Again, great job on the vehicles, and BTW, I believe it's almost curling season, not bowling...does anyone still bowl? My mom and dad were in a league, but that was in the mid 70's...

Like I said, time must move more slowly in California, must be laid back like the citizens of that great and always warm state.

Off to bed now, golf season will run for another couple weeks up here still, it was 30 Celcius here today! Until next time my friend, keep it in the short grass!

Hi Conor - thanks for the comments - as you've guessed, I like building all the odd bits! And, like you, I like what the builds look like too!!

Hi Dave - heck - no worries bud!! I know you're a heck of a builder, and I know you were pulling my chain! As Conor noted above - all the interesting bits to add - I like adding as much as I can, but, I realize I'm not building a replicate, just a representation of whatever - but, there are a lot of knowledgable and talented builders here, so I try to be in the "realm" of reality!!! Haha - my models that is, maybe not myself!!! It's funny, I think the search for getting it close is self imposed -

I hate seeing something that's just wrong - either literally, like that gunners cupola might be! But I really like what it looks like!! Or, a proportion on a scratch build!!! I recently tore out a center column in the front window of a SOCOM truck I built for the auto shop - it was a real pain to cut out, as of course I realized I couldn't abide it once the thing was about done!!!! But it looked a lot better when I did!! But, I think I only impose my "rules" on myself - after all, it's my build! I think anyone should build what they want how they want - whoa - a talk on the philosophy behind building a model!

Yeah - giving you a bad time about bowling - I'm guessing as you're getting out of the golf season, so you'll be getting back into the model building season!!!!

Cheers
Nick

I really want to know how he gets time to slow down..... No matter what i seem to do I never have that kind of time. UGH. I'm hoping once the cold weather gets here I'll have more free time as well.

Yeah,if this is called slow then my own pace would best be called glacial!!! LOL
J

Hello Nick ,

i'm looking in and i'm blowing out of my shoes , hehehe ??? It's very dificult for me to find the words that have not yet been used by others......you are sir ,a universal modeler and i hope you do not choke on your coffee while reading this....You're an artist .

I'm so sorry to disturb the conversations above

Cheers

Kurt

Hi guys, thanks for dropping by - -

Matt and Jerry - maybe "slow" is the wrong word...tedious?

This kit looks pretty good when its done, but it takes a lot of work to get it there - I've built a couple of these before, so I know "how" to put it together, but I seem to have forgotten "how" much of a pain it is to do so! I know Panda is said to be releasing a new version - I hope they addressed the many fit issues!!!!...and, chunky sprue on small parts - many/most parts need extra cutting, sanding, drilling etc etc -


Kurt - glad you dripped in!! hope all is well - waiting to see your next project!!

Ok - on to pics - I finished the roller, but, no time for nice outdoor pics! sorry - it turned out pretty well, and I might go a ahead and take more sunny pics when I can. These pics are a bit washed out....they need sun!

Also, as noted above, I'm making headway on the MATV....after the roller pics -

check it out:













There you have it! a very interesting build - special thanks to Matt for the "pads" I think they really helped pull it together!. I used some AK light pigment on this and I think the color is spot on. I still haven't exactly figured out how to control, or sculpt the stuff - but, I'm ok with it - I think, when I finish the MATV, I'll get back to the dio - I want to see what this looks like sitting on the road!! (dirt colored road that is, and not the pink, gray, white, and yellow mess I have now!)

OK - on to the matv - Per Connor's recent comments, the first two pics have no paint and all dry fit:





As I mentioned, I decided to go for it with this truck - I found a nice pic of one I like in use in Afghanistan, and this is generally based on it - you can see the mix of kit, aftermarket and scratch stuff.

And, on to paint:

















And that's where it all sits right now - believe it or not, plenty to go....more seatbelts, wires, parts....ugh....oh, and then, on to figures and weathering!!! it better look great when its done!!!!

Finally, as much as a try to avoid figures....this rig will have two - a guy in the passenger seat with a laptop and a gunner - they're getting there - below, you'll see my mock-up - he fits - and doesn't look too awkward - yes, he and all the guys will get camo...



I guess the good news is the gunner's protection - will also serve as the painter's protection!! you might not be able to see much of this guy and his buddy (and my attempts at camo!) in the cab!

cheers

Nick

That is one gnarly looking vehicle. I like the casualty evac board on the side. Nice touch man.
You know you are ridiculous right? In a steely eyed,lantern jawed, model building muscle flexing kind of way?!
J

Jerry is right Nick!!

Those vehicles are estupendo...and they deserve the best terrain and figures, just as your superb village facade deserves only the best vehicles!!

Fortunately, you are up to the task Sir!!

I salute you with respect!!

Cheers

Romain

Thanks for asking Nick , well things are going better after the loss of our very beloved grandmother two months ago . She was 92 years old and a great lady ! But okay , i guess if mother nature decides that you have to go then there is no other choice, right ?

The chase is on hold for the moment and i'm thinking about an new project something about the Ardennes ....so there's a new one coming up for sure...

very nice progress by the way !

Cheers
Kurt

Lookin' good Nick!

--mike

Yeah - giving you a bad time about bowling - I'm guessing as you're getting out of the golf season, so you'll be getting back into the model building season!!!!

Cheers
Nick

First of all sir Nick, Jerry and Romain are absolutely correct about your mastery of the craft... or should I say hobby? Don't want anyone thinking we're in the same boat as scrapbooking do we!?

Now about the golf season....I don't think it will be too long before it truly does come to an end for us hosers in the great white north, but here are a couple of shots of my course I took this afternoon. The thermometer said it was 16 degrees Celsius but it was touque and glove weather most of the day, and 60 KPH wind gusts.





Not too bad for th second last day of September I think

Later days my friend from the south

Hi guys, thanks for the positive words!

Jerry - yeah, as much of a task as it is to build that beast, I like it too!! Maybe that's the need to remain steely eyed!! If not, I'd never finish it!

Hi Romain, first, thanks for the confidence!!! Now tho....I'd better figure out how to make the ground look right!!! Not much there but dirt, but I think that alone is a bit daunting - no camouflaging it with vegetation etc - just lots of "real" looking scale ground surface with at least four different textures. I remember one of Jerry's posts, there was an amo box and spent shells on the dirt - maybe my imagination but, I thought the ground looked great -

Hi Kurt, I'm certainly saddened to hear of your loss. I hope you and the family are doing alright, and extend my condolences.

Thanks Mike - you'll be glad to know I'm keeping the #11 away from my fingers! Hope you're doing the same! Btw - waiting for your next update too - the trucks look great, just waiting to see what you decide to do with them!!

Hey you Hoser!!! Looks like you're enjoying the good life up there on the nines! Beauty eh!? - agree with your word choice - this is certainly a hobby and not a craft!! No macrame from this shop!!! How's your flooring coming along? Haven't seen a post in a while - take care eh?

As for the MATV, struggling through painting my figures. I'm trying to paint on multicam - yeah....good idea...the better news, is these are pretty good for practice, as they won't be all that obvious. I think I at least have a decent color palette now and see my mistakes. They're ok...when they're done, I can get going on weathering the truck.

Cheers
Nick

Oh, yeah, Jerry, I'm glad you noticed the casualty evac board! I saw one on a pic mounted about the same - and liked it. In fact, I'll be basing the weathering of the truck on that pic too -

I don't think you miss much in terms of the details!! Like the guy who's foot was just not quite touching the ground in my last dio - It won't happen again! Haha! I think the attention to stuff is part of the fun!

Cheers
Nick

Dave, that's a real beauty! I'm not a golfer at all, but I can identify beautiful things when I see them!!

And Nick......there is a german car racer they call "Quick Nick"...guess why....I think we will extend the courtoisie!

You can always count on your pals Jerry and yours truly!! We will spot dirt under the fingernails if there is any!!!

Grand show Sir!! Very impressive!!

Looking at that monster I wonder if there could be the odd lettering here and there, like: "to open insert coin" o.s.

It might enhance the beast (or is it the beauty!??) even further!

Cheers

Romain

Um yeah........ speechless here. (only little thing is the side opening ammo cans in the turret...a wee bit old for Afganistan)

I'm still trying to get seasonal stuff done outside (plus I need to get the snowblower running for winter)

Nick the amount of added details you include in your builds never cease to leave me both amazed, and perplexed? Amazed by your remarkable ability to create one off's and multiple custom pieces at the same time, all with incredible detail and precision.

And perplexed by your constant elevation of the standards by which the rest of us feel compelled to measure our own work against...

How can we ever keep up?

Quit raising the bar so high you ninny!!

Awesome work pal!

Very nice work.

Thank you very much Nick for your kind words and your condolences. Really appreciated , the family is doing fine don't worry! Also a big thank you for tolerating my little emotional moment.

Okay back to work now , bombard us with some fantastic updates !
Cheers

Kurt

Hi guys - - Bill, Romain, Kurt, Matt, and Dave - thanks for the comments!

Today I'm posting some images of the completed MATV and roller - I like the way each of them turned out!!

I've got to say sorry in advance, as I created some problems for myself, by the way I labeled the images before uploading - I messed up my system of keeping track of them, so, I apologize if the order is a bit weird and if I dropped a few -

Admin stuff aside, take a look:

















And that's the MATV! I've built several of these, and I think I like this one the most - First, I believe I actually used all of the parts on the sprue - big and small, and if not, I found an etch substitute, or scratchbuild. While, compared to others here on the forum, that's probably not much of a big deal, but, as I mentioned, I've tackled this kit before, and I'm glad the whole thing came together! The weathering is based on a photo of a similar truck, used in Afghanistan, and as this dio is set there - all the better!

Now, on to the roller:












And there you almost have it - I apparently sent a few pics into cyberspace - so, I hope whoever sees them likes them! but, that's most of the roller.

I won't mention any names, but a certain European model builder, I'll just call "Romain" encouraged me to not be too subtle with the dirt pigment on the roller, and I think he was right! In a few places I really piled it on, others, I tried to make it streak, and in others, more general - and, he was right - or, I think he was right!!

That encouragement also led me back to carefully look at the weathering on the MATV -

Unfortunately, you can't see much of the figures in the MATV - they received my feeble attempt at multicam and it worked out pretty well, or, well, pretty good for my track record with painting figs!!

Thanks for having a look!

The next steps will be two fold - I'm painting the base, which is turning out to be somewhat like painting on the camo - the ground plane includes three tones of earth colors - plus, some actual dirt/debris, and some pigment material.

While I tend to dive right in and work until it's done, not this time. I have very good light where I build these, so I'm paying attention to how the time of the day results in different light and dark tones on the base, and painting accordingly - we'll find out of this makes any difference, but it fun to try anyway!

And, I'm starting work on the dump truck conversion - this will be a scratch built bed built over the Trumpeter M1083, generally guided by the pics Brian posted.

Cheers

Nick

Looks so real that I can almost smell diesel fumes in the air!

Will you be transferring the roller footprints onto the dio base road surface? Do yo have another roller set aside for that purpose?

—mike