Try using (casette)tape glued with white glue, I'm using it and like it very much!

edit oops sorry didn't read the question right, please forgive me

I cannot rememebr for the life of me who came up with this idea, but they had shown some pictures and the effect was magnificent. There is a type of confetti sold at places like Hobby Lobby or Micheals that is basically a laser etched plastic. It is in star shapes and has a petty rainbow effect. That unknown person had cut the confetti to shape and glued it to a piece of painted plastic. He used it for the MFD's in a Hornet and they were really astounding. Those were applied to a green painted background. Some others he showed were on a red background and gave the perfect shimmering gold that can be seen on some of the Abrams lenses, including the drivers hatch and Gunner's Primary Sight (GPS).

UPDATE: Here is the URL for the article written by Kelly Quirk at hypescale:

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/crtkq_1.htm

Thaks Rob.

I knew I'd seen that post before but had no Idea where. That is great help and thanks for finding that for me. Now to just go buy some.

Doug

For the glass on the periscopes, CITV, and other sights, I use camera film - especially the over-exposed ones. Works well for me.

Anyone have a clear shot of the addtional armor thats added to the lower hullsides behind the roadwheels?

Scott, there are a few pictures online. Some of mine at tanxheaven and some of Jan Willem de Boehrs show parts of them. The are different side to side, but only in the slots that go around the torsion bar plates. The major outer dimensions are the same. Here is what the left side looks like. As I said, the only difference in the right side will be the cut-outs at the bottom. Sizes are in inches.



rob

All Right,
It's great to see so many interested in Modern Armor.

Tankleader
Andy Elesky

Master Gunny,
'Bout time that you have raised your ugly head here on Armorama
John

Ugly!, who's Ugly. Yeah, I just enlisted in the campaigns which will give me an excuse to start a couple of the kits I have laying around.

Tanks Out

Hello All,
I don't know if anyone posted this yet, but here is a link that shows the correct dimensions for the bustle rack extension that is attached to Marine Tanks. Thers is also a picture of the modified EAPU with the Nato adapter. http://groups.msn.com/ArmorCrewman/documents.msnw


Tanks OUt

Welcome aboard, Andy! It's good to see you here as well as ML and he yahoo group. Now all you need to be on is Trackpads! :-) Thanks for joining in and I hope you can share your years of experience to impove our Abrams.

Rob

Thanks Rob,
I'm actually looking forward to doing this build, also a good incentive for getting it done for AMPS.

Tanks Out

Here is a link to pictures of the M1A1 TAB or Towed Assault Bridge which some crazy engineer adapted from the Israeli version. http://groups.msn.com/ArmorCrewman/tab.msnw

Tanks Out

These are petty cool, Andy, I have been wondering what that thing was all about since I saw that picture from the Marine photographer with the push pintle on the front of the Abrams. Thanks fo finding these for us.

Rob

does anyone kno how accurate/ease of use and application the eduard m1a1 update set 35-333 is?

thanks

Ok I have another request...theres another armor plate on the lefthand side of the M1 Hull that protects the commanders side turret below the turret ring correct? Rob..do you have another drawing of this or photo?

Thanks

Scott, I don't think there is another piece of armor plate like you are describing. I have crawled around under both side skirts and the only armor plating I saw was the piece that runs to just in front of the turret ring.

And the Eduard set is pretty accurate for exterior stuff, but the interior stuff is a flight of fantasy.

Rob

Howdy fellas,

O.K., time for me to be a wee bit of a pest...So, I've got a couple of questions.

Since I'm building mine as a vignette, depicting either track maintenance, or a thrown track (haven't decided yet), I will be showing the driver's side rear side skirt #6(?) swung into the 'open' position (I am removing entirely skirt #7). So, based upon that depiction I viewed pics of the running gear and noticed the I-beam support(?) member that runs at a downward angle at the front of the Abrams between the idler wheel and the next road wheel. My question is(because I can't find pics); is there a similar support member(?) at the rear between the drive sprocket and the next road wheel?
Also, (to do with the drive sprocket), the pic I saw shows the drive sprocket with lightening(?) holes in the sides of the drive sprocket. Does the Marine M1A1(OIF version) have holes?
One more (it should be an easy one ), The tracks I have are the 'chevron' type. Would that be correct for a USMC Task Force Tarawa M1A1? It wouldn't have the 'Bigfoot' would it?

THX,

Tread.

.....sorry to bother you, but forget about the last two questions. Apparently my research shows that indeed, the Marine M1A1's have both the somewhat oval 'lightening' holes and the 'Big Foot' tracks.

Oh well.

Tread.

Tread,
That "I Beam" device that you are talking about is the track adjusting link which basically pushes the compensating idler wheel forward to tighten or loosen the track. It should look like a treaded rod that comes out of a larger cylinder. There is not a similar device between the #7 roadwheel and the sprocket. However there is a mudscraper that could be mounted near the sprocket to clean the excess mud off of the sprocket to avoid throwing track. It is normally not mouunted on Army M-1s but might be present on USMC tanks...

All M1s have the four oval holes in the sprocket and all should be running either T-158 or 158LL Track (also called Big Foot track by modelers...). The T-158LL track has skeletonized center guides to reduce the overall weight of the track (and the tank)

Andy, a little help here on that Marine specific stuff????

FIGMO YOYO
John

Howdy tankrider, and a Good Morning to you!

Many thx for the input on the track adjuster attachment. Fortunately for me there isn't one at the rear of the running gear. Do you have any pics of theexact attachment point of the mud 'scraper'?
And, I suppose if I read through the complete 'tweaks' list I'd have com across the drive sprocket inaccuracies.

Thx again for now.

Tread.

John, I think he is referring to the front armored side skirt support, not the idler tensioner. The answer is the same either way, but I thought I would see if the point could be clarified.

Treadhead, it is the pice that connects to the armor plate, right? Anyway, here is a picture of the hull just in front of the drive sprocket. The square thing with four bolts is the mudscraper mount. I am not sure what the other thing is, I think it is to mount a prybar to load the tracks. Maybe John or Andy could help out on that.



Rob

To answer what that other mount is Rob : It is a bracket put there to make rivet counters go nuts #:-) ( J/K ) It is one of those things on a tank that I hope I never have to use . It is a chain mount to support the track when the crew is putting it back on . The chain has a big bolt head on each end that fits in that bracket , with a locking arm in the center for tension . There is another bracket at the front of the hull as well .

WOW! I actually got it to work!

Below is a picture (dead-centre) of the 'I-beam' thing I'm talking about. It appeared to be some sort of skirt support, but I didn't want to presume anything!
I guess the question is; Is there one of these things between the drive sprocket and the nearest road wheel?

Tread.

Sorry Tread and all of the other M1 Faithful,
Bad call on my part... I thought that you were talking about the Adjusting link, perhaps I should read the posts a bit closer. Yea, #1 skirt support, that be it. I guess that I need to just get back to tanks, which luckily I am... 3ID, here I come

FIGMO YOYO
John