We have had our home for five years now. It doesn't seem that long though. We lived out of boxes and suit cases all our married lives because of my job. Now that we are retired and we can finely put our roots down firmly. Go a head and blame me for the rider no problem. It will pay for itself in a year. The cost of yard maintenance here in Florida I am sure is no where as expensive as there in Sunny Ca.

This...

Looks like a good place to keep Armorama's first International Barbeque....
Hehehehehe

Enjoy your new place!
(What about modeling ON the patio?!)

Yes - hmmm - it would make a great location for an International Armorama BBQ! I've got the room.

Yes - - I can model on the patio too. Glad you thought of that. Wife won't like me declaring Eminent Domain though...

Gunnie

Hey Gunnie, I haven't heard anything lately about you A2. How is it going? I'm nearing the end of mine, and if you need any questions just ask?

I do have one question for you though: When I attached my stowage boxes on the sides of the turret, my fit was such that I couldn't fit my tow cables to the tank. Did this happen to you too? And where else can I put them so they don't look out of place or missing. I'm going to leave the brackets that hold the cables in place on the turret, but I'm not sure how to lessen the obvious error on my model.

When I got back home from NYC last week, it took a couple of days to decompress and get back into modeling again. I resumed working on my 'A2 but didn't post anything here - yet. I figure since I'm not going to attend Tamiya Con this weekend (last-minute decision) - I'll be posting progress here...

Yeah, I encountered the same thing with my stowage boxes too. My Tow Cable ends were also snapped when I opened the kit - soooo - I had to make new cable lengths anyway and might have missed that the kit parts wouldn't fit. My approach is going to be to make new lengths of 'cable' out of nylon string to insert into the collets of the Italeri kit part ends. I'll then make the little clamps out of .010" lead strips as replacements. It's easy to make your own tow cable lengths - consider giving that a go...

Gunnie

OMG! I ams oooo stupid. What you filled in as ejector pin marks I thought were details on the tank!

Shhhhh - don't tell anyone!

Gunnie

Yeah, I'd already made my tow cables from thin-gauge (don't know the size, its hair thin) and then proceeded to twist two threads. I did three times, then twisted it together. The cable width kinda made it look out of proportion with the end pieces. Also, the "C" cover that on of the end pieces goes into, each of those end pieces broke off while sanding off to be replaced with the Eduards covers. I still don't know where I'm putting the cables. I saw one of the gallery photos that have at least one of the cables attached in the back in the tow eyes. I'll see if I can take some pictures of the finished product (whenever that will happen).

Gunny,
I am now on my third Italeri M1A2. Other than some issues with the railing on the turret I did not encounter the fit problems in the rear. Flash and pin marks are expected, but the warpage on your kit was extreme. Thanks for pointing the problem out for us.

Yep - I heard from a couple of modeling buddies that their kit(s) weren't real bad in the areas mine suffers. We compared some kits over a dinner table - mine musta fell off the truck on the way to the hobby shop. I guess we all get a Lemon sometimes...

No matter - I actually like the kit in a strange sort of way and am anxious to see how it comes out. Despite all the bug-a-boos I ran into - it does capture the look and feel of an Abrams for me and is worth it to straighten out the rough edges.

Gunnie

I agree with Gunnie, while mine didn't seem to fall off a truck (a first for me, as I seem to get the hard model unintentionally, a model with few references, or otherwise get the shaft), I like correcting the screwups. In some way I feel as if I'm a armor designer correcting problems or a factory worker making them, or a tanker/pilot/driver/etc adding on and personalizing the vehicle. It is one of the great things that adds interest to modeling. As much as we want the perfect model, accurate to the millimeter and in details, if it was perfect, what would the challenge be? The fun? And that is coming from a newbie (I've completed only 2 complete models - one 90% done and my Italeri M1A2 Abrams that is, oh, 65-70% done).

Last week's progress delayed until today - sorry...

Further delayed because I was watching the SHARKS do battle with the Colorado Avalanche. GO SHARKS!

Now the Italeri kit looks and feels like an Abrams. I vowed to get the basic model kit together before performing any modifications or conversions - so this is the last update on the OOB model.



Above and below, the Turret was pretty much the same experience in construction as any other Abrams model. The Turret Basket, not withstanding, was an exercise in patience. I literally hid my raw materials boxes outside my workshop to defeat the temptation to replace the plastic rails with something easier to work with. I wonder if any you who also built the Italeri kit noted that the uppermost rail does not reach all the way to the sides of the Turret? Mine didn't on either side (circled in photo further down in post).

I also got some nastier-than-expected gaps underneath the Turret. I filled these before taking photos - the horror might be too much for the younger members on Site. I filled the chasms with Squadron Green Putty, tamed and smoothed with "Pretty Nails Nail Polish Remover". Okay - it does pay to be married. My wife (happily) sacrificed her nail polish remover so that I could work the Squadron Putty. It sent her out shopping to replace it, and she bought other things along the way...

Smoothing out the Squadron Putty with the nail polish remover is an old aircraft modeler's technique - that with practice - you can easily fill seams and gaps without having to sand the model. I do it all the time, and this model kit just screams out for the technique. You can also rough-up a surface to mimic cast hull irregularities with this method.





Above - the hull front and seams resulting from the three-piece Italeri assembly are worked out with the Putty/Nail Polish Remover technique. This will form the foundation for weld beads later on - but do fill the out of place seams and provide fine welds at the base of the lugs just worked with a toothpick while the nail polish remover evaporated. You have to work in small sections and with some speed and confidence. The acetone in the nail polish remover cuts through the Putty like it was water...





I had some pretty misaligned parts at the rear of the upper hull - remember last update. I was able to fair them in by applying the Putty/Nail Polish Remover technique as well. It's kinda tricky to work the putty up 1mm in thickness and get it to smooth out and settle into place without shinkage - but you can do it using this technique. I was also able to fair in the misaligned rear hull plate areas too without much fuss. Hopefully I made this look really easy - that was the goal.



Italeri's basic kit (though mine must be an exception) is a decent build and comes out looking like a later production Abrams. I'm going to rework some areas (prinicipally the left rear corner of the Hull where the APU goes) and add some details missing from the kit and present on the late-production SEP variant. As Sabot points out, there are many changes and different details exhibited on the Abrams - which should make it a fun subject to model.

What I'll do here is to pick out the interesting tidbits for one particular M1A2 SEP that I do have photos of - and model those for my entry here. I'm going to try and stay true to common details on the late-production SEP variant.

Gunnie

It's very difficult to watch a hockey playoff game (SHARKS vs Avalanche Game 3 - GO SHARKS!) and concentrate on a model. I tried anyway...



I quickly shaved off the solid parts molded on the Italeri skirts and replaced them with 3/32nd scale brass rectangular stock - above photo. Below, Italeri gives you nice drive sprockets, with holes, but they're too big and not shaped correctly. However, if you found your modern spare parts a little lacking to dress up your Abrams model kit like I did - Legend Productions has a pretty useful set at a reasonable price. I decided to perform a quick bit of surgery to cut away the offending outer hubs of Italeri's drive sprockets and swap them with Legend's parts. Yes, the Legend parts are a little brittle and not cast straight and true, but you can carefully sand and correct these minor warpages and get very useful replacement parts.

I drilled out the backside of the Legend sprocket halves with successively greater diameter drill bits (with my fingers so as not to get too aggressive and destroy these parts) all the way up to match Italeri's 7/64th inch diameter mounts.



Now, if the heat out here in California abates a little tomorrow, I can concentrate more and post photos of the revised left rear hull section where the APU under armor goes...

Gunnie

Great to see another update, always cool to see works in progress develop, especially when you're building the model too!


You have a lot of willpower. The first thing I did was break out the rod and start cutting. Plus with Eduards PE set. I couldn't stand to look at it. Even with the PE set and my rod - edit that sounds wrong - scraps (thats better), that thing sucked!

EDIT -



My gaps were so bad on those angled sections on the bottom of the turret flanking the gun that I actually completely covered it in putty, essentially making a new panel. I was horrible.



I'm so lazy that I haven't gotten to attach the hull together. I'm handing painting virtually the whole thing so its hard to weather the tracks and hull if it was assembled, even for my - compared to many of you - small fingers. I basically have it in five sections: the tracks (then broken into 2-3 sections a side), the lower hull, upper hull, engine covers, and assembled turret. I mentioned in another post that I'll try to get pictures up soon, but I'm so busy with school, Prom this weekend, and graduation in exactly one month from today, work, and the fact that I'm just lazy (though it appears on from reading over that last sentence; so let me change that to unmotivated ), I don't know when that will happen.
Looking foward to more updates.
Later,
Jeff

EDIT - OK it happened. In fact, much sooner than I'd expected. For some reason, I just had this motivation to take the pictures, download them to my computer, photoshop them, and upload them to my gallery all in the same day! Thats motivation for me. As you can see from the pictures if you look hard enough, you may actually see the segment between the upper and lower hull. Also note that this is with the flash on my digital, so the color is off a little, but its much better than without the flash which in fact made it look like the color it had been molded in! Despite the motivation to take the pictures and all that other work, I wasn't motivated to take all the parts from my basement, rebuild it, and take the photos, and then take it back downstairs again. Oh well.

Oh, I also forgot to mention how great your extension on the main gun looks, so here it is: great job on the extension on the main gun!

Jeff

Tonight's efforts were centered on modeling the M1A2 SEP APU under-armor. I removed (really easily) the odd Italeri anti-skid engraving on the upper surface of the left rear engine deck and ground down the armored fuel cap with my Dremel tool. I modeled the new fittings and access doors as best as I could see them - and these photos are before the anti-skid surface is reapplied in this area. The details are made with .010" sheet styrene and .015" & .022" solder for hinges and handles.



I also modeled the APU drain and the armored cover for the exhaust on the rear panel adjacent to the left tail light housing. I'm not totally convinced of the shape of the armored exhaust cover and left this piece easily removable in case I come across a better photo of it. I suspect it might be more triangular in shape, without a flat top piece as I have it here. The drain is made from a simple length of .022" solder.



Gunnie

Very nice! The hinges and handles look very nice, but they sure do put the molded handles to shame! Your SEP conversion is certainly more professional than mine (I just "lazily" engraved the panel lines for the doors).
The exhaust port is triangular I believe. At least that's what I remember from the late FMJ site. I did put a tri. port on mine, but I could be wrong on that.

Gunnie,
super detail job on the APU. This is really going to be a jewel once you are done. Hoping you go to Phoenix and bring it!

Thanks guys! I am going to follow my second-mind and DMS' opinion and revise the shape of the APU armored exhaust housing. I think the more triangular shape to be closer to the actual item than the little "doghouse" I have now.

Bob - I'm planning on driving out to Phoenix this year. I planned on bringing 'Sopwith Camel' for sure and this new Abrams. It's been a long time (since I Co-Chaired the 1998 National Convention in Santa Clara) for me going to an IPMS/USA National. Maybe it's been long enough that they won't remember what I look like and I can slip past Aris Pappas and Art Gerber to not get "recruited" into Judging this time around.

Then I can hang out with Jim at the Armorama table and "recruit" modelers myself!

Gunnie

No...become a judge, and let yours win... Yeah I know judges can't judge there own. Good luck with getting around that. Remember, you see them, just duck and cover.

Thanks Mike for that photo you e-mailed me!

Before the hockey playoff game (SHARKS versus Avalanche - Game 4) comes on, I rushed home to revise that APU armored exhaust housing. I'm just a couple of bolts to either side shy of calling that one done. I also began replacing handles around the Hull too - DMS' comment was telling. After finishing the revised exhaust housing and looking at the APU under-armor area overall, the replacement handles sure don't match the cast detail on the Italeri kit. In fact, the more I looked at the other handles - the more "dainty" they began to appear. Dang it - nothing's "dainty" about the Mighty Abrams MBT - so...

Thankfully - there's not that many handles to replace...



Gunnie

Gunnie,
Look forward to see you in PHX. I am going to try my hand a nationals judging (since ATL has the big show in '05), so I hear ya.
One complaint...SAKIC? WHO THE HELL'S GOT SAKIC?!? (just a little sleep deprived ,that's all)

Heh heh - I'm glad the Avs got one in the series - they're too good to have gotten swept. Plus, San Jose has the chance to come home and close out the series with the Home Crowd in attendance.

Sakic? I think the Avs snuck an extra man on the ice at the right moment!

Gunnie

Brothers - I will not make the May 15th Campaign Deadline with my M1A2 SEP Conversion. I volunteered to help some friends move this weekend, and with other commission projects popping up, I know I won't be able to make it even if I took vacation off this week...

But, without the "pressure" of trying to meet the deadline now, less stress means faster modeling! I'm dang near complete with the changes I wanted to make to the lower hull. I haven't "chunked-up" the road wheels yet - but those final things will come in a day or two before painting. The model is becoming more fun now (for me) as I approach the painting and weathering steps. The Turret details come next - but aren't quite as much as I initially figured them to be...





The bulk of the details added to the Italeri kit came in working with solder. I love working in solder, it is easy to shape and bend, only requiring a steady hand, patience, and some forethought to apply it in the right places and situations. I got a hold of Eduard's (expensive) M1A2 photoetch set for the Italeri kit to help me speed up the detailing process. The fret was still warm when I cut into it! Like all Eduard sets, I only opted to use a few pieces here and there - but they came in handy. Less to fabricate. Another blessing was Italeri's soft plastic - the details I wanted to replace came off easily with a brand-new "D" shaped X-Acto blade. The "D" blade helps prevent you from gouging into the plastic when shaving away surface details - really important with a soft plastic kit like Italeri's. It took about an hour to replace the deck handles with solder. I also added a couple of Eduard's handles to the stowage boxes. At first I thought them a little dainty, but when added to the model, they look pretty good anyway. Much better than the molded-in "speed bumps".



Stickin' with this one until it's done - though the Campaign will pass me by!
Gunnie

Awesome details there Gunnie. I'm sorry to hear that you wont make the deadline but I really would like to see the finished build. Build on!