Turd Polishing part 2: Dragon M103A2
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - 09:06 PM UTC
It's been a while since I updated, but we're getting to the finish line... on the hull that is.
I ended up using the Dragon rear fenders after all, but not until they were extended 3mm and the curved portion was reshaped with boiling water.
I was shocked to find that the field telephone box was undersized and needed to be rebuilt (for non-native english speakers, that last sentence is dripping with sarcasm).
Headlights and heater exhaust pipe were glued in. The headlight guards need some thinning, so exercise care.
Here's where i stand now.
Minor details remain to be added. The travel lock will have to be scratchbuilt, surprise surprise!
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Texas, United States
Joined: June 12, 2007
KitMaker: 1,866 posts
Armorama: 1,696 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - 09:20 PM UTC
This is really nice work, almost a shame to paint it....
And that's not sarcasm.
#026
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 08, 2002
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,359 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - 09:35 PM UTC
I really admire you guys that can take an inaccurate kit, perform surgery, and come out with a good looking and accurate model.
I don't have the time or the talent to do scratchbuilding on this scale. The most I can hope to do is put aftermarket barrels, tracks or stowage on my kits.
The nice part about WWII armor, for me anyway, is that most of the bugs (not all) have been worked out by years of trial and error by the manufacturers.
Brian, You have done a fantastic job on this kit. Pawel is also the master of accuracy. I'm following this closely. Keep up the good work guys.
Jeff
Bodeen
What a long strange trip it's been!
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
KitMaker: 9,465 posts
Armorama: 8,695 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - 10:01 PM UTC
Beautiful man, Beautiful!
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - 02:01 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I don't have the time or the talent to do scratchbuilding on this scale. The most I can hope to do is put aftermarket barrels, tracks or stowage on my kits.
To be fair, there is a price to pay for being this anal. I don't finish a lot of kits per year (4 or 5 if i'm lucky), I don't get out to shows much(I pretty much do the IMPS Seattle and that's it), and I get bored quickly (as evidenced by the 6 unfinished kits on the shelf) and have to move to something else to keep interested. I envy my modeling friends who can crank out 8-12 kits a year. My stash would be substantially smaller if i weren't so damned persnickety!
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
New Jersey, United States
Joined: September 26, 2006
KitMaker: 857 posts
Armorama: 811 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - 03:01 AM UTC
I'm the same way.
I'm envious of the guys who can stay focused on one build and can crank out 4 or 5 projects a year. I get bored VERY quickly, and if the kit I'm working on is lucky enough to not get tossed because I totally effed it up, it will be a shelf queen for the next 5 years
Very nice work here, keep it up!
#026
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 08, 2002
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,359 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - 10:13 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
I don't have the time or the talent to do scratchbuilding on this scale. The most I can hope to do is put aftermarket barrels, tracks or stowage on my kits.
To be fair, there is a price to pay for being this anal. I don't finish a lot of kits per year (4 or 5 if i'm lucky), I don't get out to shows much(I pretty much do the IMPS Seattle and that's it), and I get bored quickly (as evidenced by the 6 unfinished kits on the shelf) and have to move to something else to keep interested. I envy my modeling friends who can crank out 8-12 kits a year. My stash would be substantially smaller if i weren't so damned persnickety!
You might not turn out a large volume of kits but,when you are done,you can be proud of having completed a work of art. It really is art what you guys can do with bits and pieces of brass, styrene and putty. I've completed 4 kits in the last month (waiting to be painted, airbrush is in the unheated garage)but they can't hold a candle to this build.
I once found some plans in an issue of Finescale Modeler for a German SP gun based on a French Hotchkiss tank.I actually scratchbuilt the upper gun compartment out of sheet styrene. It was kind of a fun build but I wouldn't want to do it very often.
Keep up the excellent work....Persnickety is a GOOD thing.
Jeff
Bodeen
What a long strange trip it's been!
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 13, 2014
KitMaker: 65 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - 11:51 PM UTC
The only change Dragon made to this kit from the M103A1 was in the turret. How odd...
Keep those new kits coming...
European Union
Joined: January 28, 2015
KitMaker: 2,099 posts
Armorama: 1,920 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2015 - 01:23 AM UTC
Quoted Text
The only change Dragon made to this kit from the M103A1 was in the turret. How odd...
Erm dude brian said in the OP that Dragon added the D sprue from their m48 [which seems to contain hull parts IIRC] to the M103A1 to make this kit...
Never gonna' give EU up, never gonna' let EU down.
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 08:12 PM UTC
Been a while since i updated. I got tired of fiddling with scratchbuilding the travel lock and i decided to keep moving. I've been wrestling with the turret for a few weeks now as you can see. I decided to correct both the shape and dimension issues, which meant lots of chopping and puttying. The turret was shortened per Pawel's build and it lines up with Hunnicutt's plans now. The roof was narrowed by cutting out the original and angling the side walls in more. As you can see, the turret is mostly putty now. My preferred method is to back areas i know need reduction with putty so that i don't have to worry about breaking through with the sanding. It's been slow going- sand, file, add more putty, wait for it to dry, sand and file some more. But it looks right for the most part.
Here's the roughed-in shapes:
That was last week. It's getting better now.
The mantelet is widened so that the apertures for the GAS and coax are in the right place, but I won't be correcting it fully since it's being covered with the canvas dust cover.
on the hull. The turret fully rotates!
I still have to do the loaders' hatch. Probably should have done it when i was initially doing the roof. it's going to be much tougher now.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Michigan, United States
Joined: July 05, 2006
KitMaker: 112 posts
Armorama: 106 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 08:49 PM UTC
The work you have accomplished is amazing! Now you should E-mail dragon every one of your pictures to show them what a mess they really made and how much time and work it takes to clean it up.
Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2005
KitMaker: 4,085 posts
Armorama: 3,917 posts
Posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 - 02:58 AM UTC
Very nice work Brian. Are you using the Voyager Model or RB Model barrel?
"We're not the public service of Canada, we're not just another department. We are the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people."
July 2005- General R.J. Hillier (Retired), Former Chief of the Defence Staff
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 - 03:09 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Very nice work Brian. Are you using the Voyager Model or RB Model barrel?
RB Model. The voyager is an unknown quantity and it looks like a metal version of the kit barrel, complete with all the same inaccuracies. Maybe someone out there will get their hands on one and measure it, but there's no reason not to use the RB IMO. It's dimensionally accurate and nicely machined.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 01:52 AM UTC
After a few days of debate, I have decided that it's still worthwhile to show just how much work would be required to "accurize" this kit in light of its' acquired status of "Worst. Kit. Ever.", and so I continue posting my progress until completion.
Work on the turret continues.
The notorious gunner's seat bulge, which was reduced in the A2 because it was not needed, and because it would rub the engine deck otherwise:
additonal refining of the gunner's sight bulge. I had it too small initially.
Also took far too long to get the recessed bolt detail correct on the rangefinder cover and on the front turret piece which i do not know the name of, but which i assume is removable in order to facilitate removal of the gun mount.
Turret rear details. The cupola is the "Early Chrysler Cupola" from Slingshot models, with the remote mount removed and replaced with the kit's pintle mount and an M2 from AFV club with a Tasca barrel.
The results are worth it. The turret now has that proper slope to the sides that was conspicuously absent before. It just didn't look right.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
South Carolina, United States
Joined: May 07, 2010
KitMaker: 2,238 posts
Armorama: 2,158 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 02:38 AM UTC
Wow... just wow.
You (and Pawel) have shown that it is indeed possible to make an M103 variant out of the DML kit, but it isn't a job for the faint hearted.
Well done on the build and the detailed SBS on how you did it! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Mike Roof
AMPS #1632
Chapter Contact
AMPS Central SC
Visit us at http://www.ampscentralsouthcarolina.org
Washington, United States
Joined: March 05, 2015
KitMaker: 9 posts
Armorama: 9 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 07:54 AM UTC
Brian,
After seeing this in person, I know now that you are truly sick! I can't wait to see this painted and done though it will cover up all of your amazing work! Well done Brian.
Dragon should be paying you to build this!
George
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 08:09 AM UTC
Sick like a fox! Wait, what? There's something wrong with me. I'm only happy when i'm sinking dozens of hours into lost causes. Yeah it'll be a shame to paint for two reasons. One because I hate to paint, and two because i hate to paint!
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 03:46 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Sick like a fox! Wait, what? There's something wrong with me. I'm only happy when i'm sinking dozens of hours into lost causes. Yeah it'll be a shame to paint for two reasons. One because I hate to paint, and two because i hate to paint!
Same here
Well, almost. I actually like applying the main camouflage, but detail painting and weathering I don't... That's the reason why my M103A1 is still not finished with only the basic OD paint on it...
Pawel "Vodnik" Krupowicz
Professional Certified Rivet Counter.
Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
KitMaker: 1,277 posts
Armorama: 1,254 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 04:21 PM UTC
With all the plastic stock you had to use, it's a wonder you're not the CEO of Evergreen Plastics!
How much you wanna bet that someone from Dragon has seen this rebuild? Or someone has plopped this article on a desk at Dragon HQ?
In this day and age of the instant message and information flow, you know Dragon is aware of a truly engineering flawed kit such as the 103! They are not that ignorant of the fact and can't hide from it. My mom use to say..."The embarrassment is sewn in their fabric of silence"!
IPMS number 506
AMPS number 711
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
KitMaker: 9,465 posts
Armorama: 8,695 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 05:49 PM UTC
Yes, but what you're suggesting means pitching out a $500K+ investment and starting all over. A company can stand a lot of embarrassment for a half million dollars.
Not defending them - just saying . . .
Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
KitMaker: 1,277 posts
Armorama: 1,254 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 05:57 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Yes, but what you're suggesting means pitching out a $500K+ investment and starting all over. A company can stand a lot of embarrassment for a half million dollars.
Not defending them - just saying . . .
Nah...I wasn't suggesting they manufacture a re-do...that's a bell that can't be un-rung on the 103. I would hope Dragon would see the errors of the 103 as a 'lesson learned' when they have their next conference room table-top discussion. Or maybe not! They might even go the way of ignoring the conversation or subject matter!
IPMS number 506
AMPS number 711
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2015 - 02:39 AM UTC
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Georgia, United States
Joined: May 09, 2014
KitMaker: 273 posts
Armorama: 270 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2015 - 02:57 AM UTC
This beast is looking amazing!
Washington, United States
Joined: March 17, 2005
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 156 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 - 10:50 PM UTC
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
Washington, United States
Joined: March 05, 2015
KitMaker: 9 posts
Armorama: 9 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 - 11:34 PM UTC
Hi Brian,
This looks incredible. Are you bringing it to the meeting Saturday? Can't wait to see it in person.
George
