2012 Armor Models in Progress by the Duke.

[Duke Maddog]

Well, it's a new year and time to start showcasing all my work for the coming year. I'm hoping to get even more done this year than last; after all, I have to clear some room in my Hobby Room.

I'll start with a recap of what was still unfinished at the end of 2011.

This first armor model is the last armor model I'd hoped to have done by the new year, but couldn't finish in time. This is my Cpl Overby's Motor Pool/Dragon conversion of the Israeli M-50 Super Sherman. All that's left to do is to weather it:

Okay, that is what is carrying over from last year. Now to show the newest models I started the day after New Years. I took all these to my St. Crispin's Hobby Day Monday to work on.

This first one is the Planet Models A-Stoff trailer sent to me by a friend on the LEM.

I had a devil of a time with this model. At first it went together well, but when I'd installed the tank between the two side brace assemblies and added the 'feet' to it, I noticed too late that the tank angled down at the back. I tried to ignore it, but after awhile it really started to bug me. So, I took an X-acto knife and started to cut the tank free. I got most of it cut free until I ran into the last 'foot' which was particularly difficult. Finally, I managed to cut through it..... and the trailer.... into my thumb.

Here is the first pic after I'd cut the tank free. You can see the cut through the bottom of the trailer in this pic. You can also see the knife that bit me up in the upper left corner:

The X-acto blade bit more than a half inch deep into my thumb, causing blood to shoot out everywhere. This is how it looked after I got bandaged up; twenty minutes after I cut myself:

This final pic is after I'd gotten the whole tank free. You can see some of the damage done to the side framework that I don't know how I'm going to fix:

After all that drama, I figured I was ready for some easy models to assemble. So, I pulled out the nine Dragon 1/72 scale T-34/76 models that I'd brought along to start. I have three T-34/76 1940 tanks, two T-34/76 1941 versions (one with a cast turret, one with the welded one), two T-34/76 1942 versions (one with a cast turret, one with the welded one) and one T-34/76 1943 version. The final one is a Beute model with markings only for tanks used by the Wehrmacht.

I decided to go by years, starting with the 1940's ones. The first one, I drilled out the holes on the idler wheels and drive sprockets and installed them all together with the roadwheels. I also assembled most of the upper hulls on all three. The second two 1940 tanks I didn't add the idler wheels and drive sprockets because I had broken my drill bit and didn't want to drill them out with the X-acto knife, given what had happened earlier. So on the second two models I only installed the roadwheels. I also used the plastic engine covers for two of them; the third will have the photo-etch engine screens:

Here's the three hulls of the three T-34/76 1940 tanks. Yes, they are all different....

Next I built up the same assemblies on the T-34/76 1941's. because of the simplicity of the gun/mantlet assembly on the T-34/76 1941 with the cast turret, I decided to build that tank's turret as well. Her it is showing all I did on this one:

The other T-34/76 1941 only got as far as the rest of the tanks:

Finally, I'd managed to start one of the T-34/76 1942 versions, but because the wheels had the holes in them, I decided not to install them now since they still needed to be drilled out. I did get the back armor plate on the lower hull and then moved on to assemble the upper hull:

And that's as far as I got on all those T-34's, as it came time to close the Hobby Day. Today I have some time, hopefully I'll be able to get more done later today on the remainder of the T-34's.

For a recap on the aircraft models I am working on now in the new year, feel free to check out my thread on the Wesendorf Field Forums.

Meanwhile, thanks for looking in on the start of my 2012 armor production line. Comments are always welcome.

 

[Dave wahl]

Some good looking 1/72 pieces ya got there Duke. I have all the confidence that you will get everything done in due time. That IDF Sherman is looking especially good. I like the job you did on the cammo.

Dave W.

 

[Model Maniac]

Nice finished M-50 and nice WIP pieces there, Duke! My first build this year happens to be an unknown US Aircraft with two horizontal rotors. It's been in my stash for about 20 years with no box, no instruction and no decals, just plastic parts. I don't even know its scale but I managed to assemble it and will paint it with industrial paint spray can. Will show it in another Forum later today.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Thanks Dave! I do hope to get things done faster now in the new year. Stay tuned for more.

Model Maniac, the M-50 isn't finished yet. I still have some more weathering to do, and replace the bow machine gun so I'm not counting that finished yet. I'll be looking forward to seeing your mystery aircraft.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Well, it's been a busy month and so I haven't been able to get as much done as I'd have liked to. Hopefully February will give me more time and energy to get some of these projects done. Still, I'm way behind in posting what I have gotten done; these pics should have been up some time ago.

I have finished a couple of models, but haven't gotten the pics taken yet to post. I'll get that done soon enough.

Meanwhile, here's a few models I've been working on and a couple I've started awhile back.

This first one is my little ACE Kfz 13 armored car. She's been glosscoated to take decals. The next time you see her she'll be in the Finished Models Forums.:

This is one of my two T-34/76's I forgot to post in the last post. This is my T-34/76 1942 with the cast turret:

...and this is my T-34/76 1943:

All those T-34's are coming along slowly. For a distraction and to 'cleanse the pallet', so to speak, I started these other two models. This first one is my first ever MAC distributor's kit, the Mercedes 3000. I got the main cab and the flatbed done; next will be the chassis:

The top is not glued on; it is only dry-fit in place for this pic.

The other little beastie I started is another ACE kit; the Japanese Kurogane four-man transport car. I got it almost all assembled; I just need to paint details before going on:

That's about all there is for now. I'll keep you posted on further developments. Stay tuned for my pics of my latest completed models. Meanwhile, comments are welcome; thanks for looking in.

 

[jknaus]

That is a busy line up. Cool stuff
James

 

[Dusan]

Great Job Duke! Love that T-34/76 (both of them)

All the best!
Dusan.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Thanks guys! Glad you like them. I can't wait to get a few of these done.

And Dusan, I'm building eight T-34's, not just the two. Those were pics I forgot to load earlier. Stay tuned for more!

 

[kryptosdaddy]

Excellent as always Duke, always the overachiever.

 

[SA Dave]

I see you made an blood offering to the demons of modeling Duke :yipee

Good going

 

[Duke Maddog]

Thanks guys!

Dave, that was not my idea, trust me! That blade had bit me a couple times already before, and this one was deep. However, now that it is done, I hope the rest of the A-stoff turns out better and goes together easier. I can't afford any more 'offerings' like that one!

 

[Dave wahl]

Mark, those are some really interesting looking soft-skinned vehicles you got there. A lot of them I haven't even heard of. They are gonna look killer when you get them finished. What do you use to show off the finished models, since you have so manyof the same type and or nationality?? I have a small shadowbox style affair, but there isn't enough roomn for all that I have. I know my Skammell transporter will be on top of the shelf with its load, so we'll see.

Dave W.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Dave, thanks for the awesome post. I've taken to trying to find and build kits most people haven't heard much of since I've built so many of everything else. ACE is great for coming up with some awesome kits like that.

What I do to show them off is take them to any and all competitions/shows that I can. Then they sit on my shelves in my overburdened Hobby Room that is still filled with over 1100 finished models. I have each country's vehicles/ships/aircraft all sitting together on their own sections of the shelves, sorted by nation while the largest of the aircraft are hanging from the ceiling. I am also just about out of room.

I'll have to take and submit more pics of my updated Hobby Room, once I get it cleaned out enough to see everything in it.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Well it's a new week, and I've actually got something to post worth showing.


As I mentioned in my Thread in Wesendorf Field; I have managed to get my eight T-34's to the painting stage. I took these all to St. Crispin's Hobby Day on Monday and set to work on them.

I got all the roadwheels drilled out and installed on all the lower hulls. Then I added the P/E screens to the engine decks of all these tanks. While they were drying, I went box by box and added all the fiddly little detail bits that I'd bypassed before to all the upper hulls. Then when I was done with that, I went through and completed all the turrets for every one of these tanks. After about 7 hours of work, I finally have these tanks ready for their basecoat of paint.

Now for the parade of tanks:

T-34/76 1940:

T-34/76 1940:

T-34/76 1940:

T-34/76 1941:

T-34/76 1941 with Cast Turret:

T-34/76 1942:

T-34/76 1942 with Cast Turret:

T-34/76 1943:

Finally, a shot of all of them together:

Once I got done with that, I decided to work on one last model; my Mercedes 3000 from MAC Distributors. I had gotten the chassis assembled earlier, and now that everything was all dry, I went ahead and painted the grey basecoat on it:

Well, that's all I got done this past week. Hopefully in another week I'll have some more finished models to show, not to mention more progress. If you'd like, I also got some progress done on two cargo aircraft; you can see it all in my Thread in Wesendorf Field. Meanwhile, thanks all for looking in, comments are always welcome.

 

[Sherman 18]

So do you have a assembly line for T-34s?

They look cool all together like that.

 

[kryptosdaddy]

Duke, do you work with a microscope? That is some awesome and tiny work on those tanks!

 

[Duke Maddog]

Thanks Shermie. I have more or less set one up for all these models. I figured, since I have so many, I might as well get them all done at once.

KD, no, I just take off my glasses and I see fine. Thanks for the compliment.

I hope to shoot paint on these this week; stay tuned for more from Maddog Manufacturing.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Here is my short update for this week showing my armor.


I did all of this at my Monday Hobby Day.

First thing I did was to assemble my Russian Ural 432 Command truck. I had gotten the cab finished for the most part, as well as gotten the suspension mounted to the chassis:

Within an hour and a half, I had this thing fully assembled and ready for paint:

I had also painted my Japanese Kurogane personnel carrier but didn't get any pics of it yet. Batteries died on my camera before I could get pics. They are coming soon.

Finally, I did start a new armored train. This one is a Russian one containing an engine, a tender, and four turreted cars. I got the engine assembled and the top half of the tender. I also got one of the turreted cars assembled as well. I'll be slowing this one down a bit till I get some brass rod for the axles since the plastic ones in the kit break when you look at them. That's why I haven't gotten the lower part of the tender done.

Here is what I have done on this train right now:

There is a TON of photo etch included in this kit for this train! It's gonna be real interesting getting this thing built!

Okay that's it for now. Yeah, it's a short update, but hopefully I'll be able to post a longer one later once I get some paint shot. I also have some progress done on several aircraft which can be seen in the Wesendorf Field boards for those interested.

Meanwhile, thanks all for looking in, comments are welcome.

 

[Dave wahl]

Duke:

Have you gone LOCO!! You just finished that massive German military train and now you're doing another!!! Good luck and I'll remember to send you some med.s to the home when you go totally bonkers.The trucks and all look very cool. You are going to need a special shelf just for those wild looking trains you got there.

Dave W.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Dave, I know! As I was working on that train I was thinking, "Gee, I thought I was ready for this, now I'm not so sure..." But hey, at least it's only half as long as the German one, and much, much better molded. And now that it is started, it's time to bear down and git 'r done! Make sure those meds are the strong ones, I have a feeling I'm gonna need them! And yeah, I already have a space for a new Railroad only shelf.

Thanks for the great reply!