Here you go mate: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibreglass-Abrasive-Cleaning-Pencil-Refills/dp/B003YSWJDG
Probably one of my most-used tools! Kind of like 1200 grit wet & dry paper but with a 4mm tip. Lovely piece of kit!
Hope this helps,
All the best,
Gary

Brilliant!! Thanks,
J

Be sure to keep them wet.... No need to be breathing little shards of glass!!!!

I believe I found mine at Autozone.. or some other auto parts store.....

worked on the tripod a bit. Here is a kit leg,off the sprue



Here they are all cleaned up and assembled. I removed the claws from the round pads at the bottom as these were pushed into the ground when set up. So I remade them pushed in and added the hinges on the leg bottoms as well. I also drilled out an anchor hole on each pad. You could drive a tent stake in these for extra stability. Also I added some teeny tiny Grandt Line bolts at the strut tops.



As a heads up to anyone building this,I had to carefully straighten out the pads as they were all canted inwards as if the thing was set up on top of a small mound.
J

Hi
you can all so find that fiberglass abrasive cleaning pencil on Ebay

I will keep that in mind for sure! Thanks,
J

Thanks again Sune,

Here is a bit more. Re-made the clamp that attaches the tripod to the pedestal and added the level check device. Now for the putty on todays' work and off to the pub,




I am told I need to show the scale reference more so.....



Tschuss!

A joy to watch this transformation.
Lovely work, Jerry.

Thanks Pat,
Coincidentally I drank a nice pint of Guinness tonight!!
J

Awesome work on the tripod! I'm really diggin' the attention to details.
I'm done for today, so now it's my turn to lift up a mug! Here's to you!

—mike

Thanks Mikey!! Back at ya,
J

My favourite - Unfortunately, I'm off it for Lent
Only 4 weeks to go

Aha!! It is that time isn't it. Now I feel like a pagan. LOL But the good Lord knows what's in my heart.

Here is a bit of work. Doesn't seem like much after those two hours but there is other stuff I didn't take a pic of.
Worked on the sites here and drilled out the holes in the triangular mount as well as made the locking arm. scribed out the two triangulation set knobs and covers,added a data plate and that do-hicky about it that I don't know what's for(non of us Tow guys did)



Started on the MGS box. I may have to take it apart again as it is not right I see. Not close to the real one so I added the wire handles and battery handle for naught. The spare box will be used to make the cover which is not included in this kit.
I will be showing the missile just fired and the crew getting ready to reload so I have to make an empty missile tube. Here is the beginning of that as well.

Holy Crap, Jerry!

That TOW Launcher is going to look great. I really like the detailed work you are doing to make the kit parts look better. If I didn't know any better I would think that you spent some time on TOWs

I know you did. You are doing a great job, Brother. Can't wait to see the completed project.

Cheers,
James

Thanks Jim,
I just looked at the wonderful box art by Ron again and he has all the details correct. I wonder why Dragon didn't follow his lead?
J

I noticed that alot of the older Dragon kits (DML) had excellent box art by Ron which caught my attention and then I remember being disappointed at the quality of some of those first figure kits. Too bad they couldn't just go back and redo them to today's standards. There are several kits that I would buy many of if they did that.

My thoughts exactly. DML doesn't lack the references (Concord's "Special Operations Journals," DML's 1/6th dolls, and modelers sending in their reference photos). I recall when these figures cost $4.95 USD and now they go for close to $15, so it's not as if people aren't buying them because it's the same kit at a higher price.

The last modern DML figure set dates from 2003. Imagine all the lost revenue and opportunities since then!

I have since moved on to resin, but I have to say that DML's modern figures introduced some of the best guns and gear in plastic. How ironic considering that many other Chinese model kit makers are making modern figures and AFVs and DML isn't.

Yeah, I was shocked the last time I saw one of the earlier kits at a hobby shop selling for around $15.00 just like the better more recent ones. I remember being able to buy several kits at a time when they were $4.00 to $5.00 per kit. I was glad they had the modern and Vietnam sets even though they weren't the greatest. They did have decent gear and good weapons. Many of the resin manufacturers use the Dragon weapons as part of their kits but cast them in resin instead. I wish they would GEN 2 some of the earlier subjects.

I don't know why they continue cranking out more WWII Germans but neglect the growing popularity of Vietnam and Modern subjects.

Because even though the other topics are growing in popularity it is still the German stuff that makes the most in sales and generates the most iterest.
J

Yeah, I understand that. I just think it was kind of lame when they released the SEAL TEAM 6 set right around the time they got Osama Bin Laden and it turned out to be just a reissue of older kits. They wanted to cash in on that, but didn't want to update the kits.

German stuff does have that appeal because they do have some cool looking stuff. My Grandson is all into WWII German this and that, both in plastic models and Legos.

Sorry about sidetracking the thread.

No worries Jim,
A bit of discussion on a side track is better than tumbleweeds blowing through the thread!

Here is my accurized MGS box as far as I can remember this is what they looked like. Could be wrong. I got the latches and hooks,slits in the side.etc etc. I made this new box out of the spare one I found and the other one I made before this I cut down and turned into a cover. The umbilical is lead wire.


Got the main poses down on the crew as well. Here you can also see I opened up the lug slots on the launch tube and added the lugs for the loaded round. The action is going to be,"round on target" from the gunner to the squad leader. The loader is starting to disengage the missile by pushing up on the locking handle. This will open the locking mech. at the same time cutting the guide wires for the missile.



When fired the missile tube is empty and very light The loader will remove it and await orders to re-load or go out of action.



So the basic stuff is together. I still have to make a battery box for the nightsight though. I will also detail a spare round or two and maybe a manpack PRC-77.
The hands look knarly as I making them with gloves. Anyway,I know this isn't as sexy as a Tiger tank but hey......it was my life for about 17 years.
J

Very nice. I like how the figures are all interacting together. Another winner.

Man, Jerry.

That is looking awesome! It really helps to model something that you did. It adds that life to the scene because you have the body positions and the details just right.

Cheers,
James

Tumbleweeds destroyed, Sir!

I agree ... great figure interaction! Thanks for the weekend update ... I really needed that! And thanks for explaining the firing procedure.

—mike

Hi Jerry,

Looking good as always! I really like your scratch work on sharpening the parts up - really clean and convincing work!!! Rather than posting, I've been building - so, just tumbling through like the tumbling tumble weeds!! Haha! Btw, the undercutting on the figures sure makes a difference - I'll keep note of that idea!

Have a good one - looking forward to your next post

Nick