M109A6 Paladin

2017 Self-Propelled Artillery Group Build. Campaign runs from 01/01/17 - to 30/06/17. Campaign medals awarded for models completed within those dates.
Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

Chris Smith wrote:Nice start Adam. It's going to be a busy looking model with all that stowage.

Chris
All the stowage is also solving one problem, it covers the area that would have had the most fiddly, tiny, little PE part to apply to it! :D
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Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

Slowly chipping away at the build. The turret has a bucket load of small details to attach so its a bit like eating an elephant, one bite at a time :D

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Its a big kit and makes an impressive vehicle. I have lost interest in the Voyager PE set :( for the turret they basically want you to shave off all the surface detail and replace it with PE. The AFV kit is of an excellent quality and really doesn't need it. I'm therefore going to be a bit selective ;)

I managed to finish the stowage bustles, the Voyager PE mesh is better then the kit supplied PE mesh but needs to be trimmed to fit.

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Hopefully I will get a bit more done tomorrow, back to work on Wed and things will slow down again!

Any tips on distressing the rubber track pads? I want it to be subtle, the M109s in pics are well cared for, not T55 beaters! I could spend a whole lot of time chipping them with a knife, but I have heard you can use a grinder in a Dremel and bounce it off the plastic. :?:
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Vincent Power
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Vincent Power »

It's as big as an elephant Adam. :) I didn't realise how big it is. As far as distressing the tracks go and whatever method you choose remember you only have to do the ones you can see, if it's going to be on a base.

Not much help was I? :roll:

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Steve Hutchinson
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Steve Hutchinson »

Hi Adam

Photo Etch is just as you say, just use what is an improvement, the rest goes in the spare bin for the next kit!

Eventually you don't need to buy much PE, you have all the spare bits to use up 8-)

Keep eating her, one bite at a time, looks good too ;)

Steve H
""I need to be creative, to feel ALIVE!""

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Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

BNA comes through again, as well as an order of pigments and other stuff I got this,

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I haven't built any MB figures but they look OK on the sprue. :D
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Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

Progress has been made today, there is a lot of stuff "stuck" to the turret which I am quietly cleaning up an applying.

Also spent a far amount of time today cleaning all the resin stowage off its gates. Made up one of the MRE cartons as well, planning to keep one open with some MRE packs spilling out of it.

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The periscope for the sight is all done, not sure about the colour of the armoured glass, different references show it being anything from clear to green to a smoke colour.

Just noticed looking at the photos that the stowage on the front of the hull obscures one of the drivers three periscopes. Pretty sure they wouldn't have that there "on the march" so we'll just pretend that at this stop they have been fiddling with it and will bestow it before moving out :D

Image

Stowage is just mocked up at present, thinking of making a cargo net out of Tamiya tape to go over the top of it all.

I suspect that painting all of the extras is going to be a bigger headache than the vehicle paint and weather :(

Back to work tomorrow so progress might slow. My master plan is to try and shoot primer by the end of next week but that may not happen. Still waiting for my Academy Hetzer (Late) to arrive from HobbyEasy. This is going to be an OOB "sanity" build to run alongside this one.
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Justin Wooding
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Justin Wooding »

Hi Adam!

Just catching up with your beast 8-) Definitely a kit every artillery modeler must have!

Nice modeling so far. Liking the photo etch additions. I find the same problem, some pieces on the photo etch frets are just not needed. Some are ridiculously small, or the kit part doesn't really need it. As the guys said, plenty for the spares bin. Scrap brass always comes in handy.

The stowage will add interest and some life to the model. So will the figures, very nice choice with those!

As to the wheels, i guess the tool you use depends on what type and how much damage you want to portray. A rotary tool can be pretty aggressive and harder to control. I imagine it being good for some serious amount of 'rubber' removal.

If your looking for damage like cuts and nicks, i would opt for the knife. It's more precise and controlled. You can still inflict some serious road wheel damage with a knife though.

With the wheels on my Type 1 i sanded the seam out with about a 180 grit sanding stick which gives quite a rough surface. Then i attacked the rest with No.10 and No.11 blades. A brush with some Tamiya Extra Thin will clean them up. They probably have more damage than you want to portray.

Image
Woody...

Trying hard to do some modeling!

Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

Damage on the road wheels looks good Woody :D

The road wheels on the Paladins in my reference pics don't have a lot of wear but the track pads have knicks and dings. With 76 odd track pads to damage per side, 50 odd per side if you ignore the bottom ones, it's going to be a lot of work. :o

Thinking that my Paladin may be newly arrived from the States and hasn't had a chance to get too knocked around!

Going to have a crack at figures this time, built the first MB crew member this evening (standing, helmet under arm). They are nice kits and go together well so far. The plastic is soft so easy to scribe. The devil is going to be in the painting :lol:
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Adam Durrant
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Adam Durrant »

Got home late tonight and decided to de-stress by gluing some plastic (family had gone to movies without me :cry: ).

Turns out it goes the other way and now more annoyed than anything :x . The howitzer is attached to the turret ring by two slim mounts in a grove on the floor. This is no way strong enough to support the weight of the metal barrel and just broke off after the glue set :?

Thinking I might have to drill up through the floor and insert some brass rod "dowels" to reinforce the bond. Anyone else got any suggestions?
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Justin Wooding
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Re: M109A6 Paladin

Post by Justin Wooding »

Hi Adam,

Sounds like a bit of model engineering is called for. Got any photos?
Woody...

Trying hard to do some modeling!

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