M132 Flame Track - COMPLETED

[JamesOLeary]

M132 Flame Track

Thanks Dave and Duke.

Duke, I don't think the dry brushing part makes the streaking effect as much as me using a lighter shade of olive drab, in this case Vallejo US Olive Drab, as a base coat. Then I apply the Reaper Black Green to the model using a flat brush making sure my brush strokes go from up to down which makes the streaking effect. The dry brushing just makes it pop out a bit more. To lessen the amount of streaking just apply another coat of black green for a newer vehicle.

Here are a few photos of the track with the periscopes painted (still need to use some gloss varnish to them), the weapons painted (need to touch up the .30 a bit), the canvas weapon mantlet covers painted, and the head lights painted.

Over the next couple of days I will finish painting the road wheels, put the trim vane on, and get the tracks ready. Somewhere in these I will do some minor weathering since this model depicts this vehicle when it was first issued the unit at Camp Bearcat.

Cheers,
James

 

[Sherman 18]

M132 Flame Track

Looking good.

 

[SA Dave]

M132 Flame Track

That square flame nozzle makes the model look almost like something from warcraft

 

[Frank]

M132 Flame Track

Nice work
Frank

 

[JamesOLeary]

M132 Flame Track

Got some more done on this model. I got the road wheels painted and sprayed with a coat of dullcote. I painted the tail lights, made the bottom of the vehicle dusty, attached the road wheels, and dusted those with pigments. Since this model represents a vehicle that was issued to the 15th Engineers in January or February of 1967 at Camp Bearcat, only a light dusting is needed in terms of weathering since it was a new vehicle and it would have gotten a little dusty making it's way from 708th Maintenance BN to the 15th Engineer BN Motor Pool.

Now I need to work on the tracks and then the base.

Cheers,
James

 

[Duke Maddog]

M132 Flame Track

Wow! Outstanding work! I'm taking notes....

 

[JamesOLeary]

M132 Flame Track

Thanks, Duke.

I am going to take a few days off from this build since I am waiting for a set of tracks to arrive. I was planning on just trying to use the rubber band tracks that come with the kit, or those of other kits, but none of them worked out very well. I just ordered some of the new AFV Club tracks and they should be here NLT Saturday. I would then still have several days to get the model completed for the show in Arlington, TX on the 9th of September.

Cheers,
James

 

[SA Dave]

M132 Flame Track

Dust looks great

 

[JamesOLeary]

Dust looks great

Thanks, Dave. Unfortunately the dust washed away when I hit the model with another coat of Dullcote. :facepalm

I received the new AFV Club tracks that I had ordered and started building those, but in the meantime, I found the vinyl tracks that came with the Academy kit, so I decided to use those instead so this model could be entered into the Out of the Box category in the show I am attending on Saturday. Here are some pictures of my attempt at creating the proper track tension for the tracks. They did not turn out as well as they would have if the tracks were individual links, but it isn't that bad.

The first road wheel is a bit off due to it not fitting very well. I think this will be the last time I use the poly caps that the instructions call for and will mount the road wheels without the poly caps installed in them for future M113 builds. When I was putting these wheels on, I was afraid of breaking something on the model they were so hard to get on.

Once the tracks were dry, I put the model on a patch of groundwork on a base. Here are a couple of pictures of it pretty much complete. I did add the spare track links to the front once on the base as well as a few tufts of grass on the base. The battery to my camera went out after I took the last picture, so I will have to wait until my camera recharges to take more pictures.

Cheers,
James

 

[SA Dave]

Looks great mate

 

[moon puppy]

You sure are filling out your display case.

 

[JamesOLeary]

You sure are filling out your display case.

I wish I had a display case. Right now my models and dioramas are in clear plastic tubs for transport to shows and storage. Perhaps once we get our room addition completed, I might be able to get a display case of some sort. It would be nice to have once.

Cheers,
James

 

[JamesOLeary]

Here are some final pictures of the model with it's final touches - antenna and spare tracks mounted and grass on the base.

Cheers,
James

 

[iambrb]

That is just incredible work, big-man!

 

[SA Dave]

Display just makes it POP

 

[Sherman 18]

Came out GREAT!

 

[Duke Maddog]

Another outstanding build man! Everything looks perfection!

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks, Guys.

I might end up doing more out-of-the-box kits since they don't take a year or more to complete like those that I built with a bunch of scratch built and after market stuff on them.

Cheers,
James