AFV M109A2 Doher Or how to Overcomplicate a Model!

[iambrb]

So I got this last Christmas, and thought I’d give it a go:

AFV M109A2 Doher, with aftermarket tracks and Legend Resin kit

Every time I build in AFV kit, I am reminded to never buy another AFV kit!

The detail is really there, but WOW does it comes at a price! The bathtub type lower hull & suspension were simple, but the Upper portion of the lower hull? Different story. it was in FIVE different pieces, with only one reference line to line everything up! Really very unnecessarily difficult. All the bits and bobs you see, like hinges, covers, and handles are individual pieces, each smaller than a grain of rice.

Note this handle, of which there are 5 or 6. As an example this one is beside a brand new sharpie and with a standard staple, and finally on the model.

So what you see there, jut for the part I'm whining about represents nearly 8 hours time, and the fun has just started

 

[errains]

Good start there BRB!!! You do have to wounder was the kit makers are thinking sometimes.

 

[JamesOLeary]

You have a lot more patience than I do. All of those small parts are insane. With the way I have been dropping things lately while working on figures, I would probably drop some of those really small pieces and they would never be found again. My hat is off to you for undertaking this project.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Check out this thread for tweezers and how to use them to hold those tiny parts. If you have the tweezers set up right, it will make it much easier to handle those tiny parts.
Here is the link:
TOOL TIME Tweezers

 

[moon puppy]

Just remember, you asked for it.

 

[centaur567]

Full up with crazy. Good luck. Remove all carpet. Gary S.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Full up with crazy. Good luck. Remove all carpet. Gary S.

Actually, add a 'carpet' like an office chair mat with tape as 'lips' to contain dropped pieces

but those from tweezer launch are still history!

For those, a vacuum cleaner with old hosiery over the tube can be used to try to get a lost item from the carpet monster's throat.

 

[centaur567]

Great idea. I use a plastic carpet protector in my room. I use my airbrush in the garage. Gary S.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

No carpet in my house. The hobby "SHOP" is porcelain tile, and I have an old drafting brush that was for sweeping off eraser stubble. It is about a foot long and works quite well at sweeping crap into a pile on the floor. I also don't have a lot of "stuff" sitting on the floor and that helps a lot as well.

 

[iambrb]

Just remember, you asked for it.

Yes I sadly did.

 

[iambrb]

No carpet in my house. The hobby "SHOP" is porcelain tile, and I have an old drafting brush that was for sweeping off eraser stubble. It is about a foot long and works quite well at sweeping crap into a pile on the floor. I also don't have a lot of "stuff" sitting on the floor and that helps a lot as well.

Almost all work you see is from my kitchen table. There is a small amount of work at Moon Pups place, but he only takes me is small batches

All airbrush work done s from the porch

 

[iambrb]

Well this is where it currently sits. The Barrel Cradle and the rear spades are complete yet separate till I paint. The white on some of the wheels is Tamiya putty, as the tire part of the road wheels are two
Pieces!

Also worth mentioning are the tracks. Those are the kit bands. The separate links I bought hold via friction ONLY. Four per link, 80 links per side, that’s 320 bits per track side that you are supposed to build, fit, then adhesive glue in place…….Yeah Right! I had an honest 4 hours in and more than 3 unsuccessful attempts to fit when I decided to go with the bands. I had both fitted and glued as you see in less than 45
Minutes!

 

[moon puppy]

 

[Barney]

This is why I do not build tracked vehicles

 

[Robertp]

I do think over engineered kits are worth the trouble. I am just not up to that. On the bench is a Tamiya tank from the motorized days and an Italeri Opel Blitz. This thread has made me an expert in tweezers.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I do think over engineered kits are worth the trouble. I am just not up to that. On the bench is a Tamiya tank from the motorized days and an Italeri Opel Blitz. This thread has made me an expert in tweezers.

If you really want to know about tweezers, check out this thread.
TOOL TIME Tweezers

 

[iambrb]

So a littl e side info about me. In my previous career of procurement I always think in blocks of time. To that end, does this look like (roughly) 24 hours time?

 

[iambrb]

The detail in this kit is ‘Off Da Chain’, if that’s your thing. To that end here’s a great example. You can see a series of pics showing the hinges on the turret side doors. One pic shows the hatch with only one hinge installed, then the hinge part along with a grain of rice, followed by how
It looks totally installed. Detail is great but WOW do ever pay the price for it!

 

[iambrb]

So now for an AFV rant. This kit has multiple sprues with the same Letter-Number!!!
There are THREE separate letter series with this issue so wow do you ever spend a crap ton of time shifting thru sprues!

 

[iambrb]

OK one last bit regarding detail. If you’ve built an AFV kit you know that the plastic is fairly brittle, especially when you consider the small size of the parts shown. Again there is a grain of rice as comparison and the final installed part. The detail is fantastic but as stated it comes as a price

So here we are. More to come!