Moon Puppy's 75mm GMC M3 Halftrack

[panzerace007]

MOONIE,

She's shaping up. Oh,it's gettin good now. I like it !! Sorry I can't help ya on th particulars of the rear stowage. The braces came out lookin' good. You're almost ready to send her into th paint booth !!

ERIK

 

[randy_ditton]

Hi MP, Love the progress you've made Your pe work is super coooool!! I'm still dying to know what the thingy is.

Randy

 

[TREEMENDUS]

Maga detailing MP, well done this is looking very nice.

 

[Kreighshoer]

very cool bob, indeed very, very cool! is that gun shield the griffon one primed or the kit part?

and to quote chuk's credo: more details damnit! more!

 

[moon puppy]

It's the Griffon Gun Shield. I did it like last year for a review here.

Not sure why but it's seems to be kickedout to the left too far. Everything lines up on the mount itself but as you can see in the photos, the lhs is nearly scraping the sidewall of the halftrack. Maybe that fold on the top is not deep enough....(oh god it's starting again...)

 

[Iron Mike]

Never mind those voices, they don't know anything, keep going! B) you always make this stuff look so easy!

 

[moon puppy]

That's because I only post the pictures of stuff that works...should see the scrap pile!

 

[Iron Mike]

 

[jknaus]

Looks spectacular MP. Really like the shield supports. How did you make those?

 

[Model Maniac]

Wow! What a long project! 8 and one-half months and you haven't even started painting yet! I just can't wait to see it finished, so hurry up!

 

[Ken Abrams]

moon puppy wrote:

The Darby Rangers GMC has stowage box on the back. Since we don't have a shot down inside we can make some guesses.
1. First is, there's some stowage peaking over the top of the box so it must be opened on top.

2. There seems to be some home made bracing on the bottom, would one assume this is made from the stowage racks from other H/T or just whatever they found?

3. Is the box wood or perhaps scrap metal. There is clearly an outside framing that looks to be metal because it's a bit thin. I think it would be a far assumption that the box is metal.

4 what of this framework detail on the kit part, all that needs to come off, right?

5. The gun mount up front, is it attached to the running board or the hood?

1. I would say yes, open top. Most of these field mod racks were open top, sides, and even bottom (mesh/screen or similar to allow rain water to drain)

2. I think the whole thing is whatever they found. I have a great close up photo somewhere on my HD of a guy welding up some racks to the back of a HT, it was simply scrap steel strips, angles, etc.

3. Yeah, see above, I think it's all steel not wood.

4. If you are going to load it all up with stowage I think it would hide all that right? Bedrolls and blankets and boxes piled in front of that stuff should save you the trouble of trying to remove that.

5. It looks to me like it's a short stubby mount, placed directly on the hood.

 

[Ken Abrams]

Ken Abrams wrote:

I have a great close up photo somewhere on my HD of a guy welding up some racks to the back of a HT,

Scratch that, it's a full page photo in Allied-Axis Issue #19. It's definitely scrap stuff they just threw together.

I would assume Darby's HT was done pretty much the same.

 

[moon puppy]

jknaus wrote:

Looks spectacular MP. Really like the shield supports. How did you make those?

Those are .8mm Lion Roar pipes. I test fit to order, then crushed one end, rounded off the sharp edges with a file, drilled a .4 mm hole, threaded the simulated bolt into it, then threaded the mount point. Smashed the other end and angled it, put a fake nut on it and CA. If that top fold on the shield needs to be changed i'll have to rework all those mounts.

 

[moon puppy]

Model Maniac wrote:

Wow! What a long project! 8 and one-half months and you haven't even started painting yet! I just can't wait to see it finished, so hurry up!

Well no one is paying me!!!

I've had some issues during this time, and also I was building something else. Wait till you see how long i"ve been working on my Wildcat!

Really hope to have some paint in the next week, at least some primer.

 

[moon puppy]

Ken Abrams wrote:

5. It looks to me like it's a short stubby mount, placed directly on the hood.

Strange...wonder what the thinking was on this. Guess they were pulling a Starsky and Hutch and doing shot outs from behind doors and stuff.

Maybe it was within reach of the Commander where he could just stand up and have a go, No way to mount the gun ring.

 

[Ken Abrams]

moon puppy wrote:

Strange...wonder what the thinking was on this. Guess they were pulling a Starsky and Hutch and doing shot outs from behind doors and stuff.

Maybe it was within reach of the Commander where he could just stand up and have a go, No way to mount the gun ring.

Don't forget, the M3 GMC had no windshield, so with the armor folded down it was easy to reach from the commanders seat.

Definitely looks like it's on the hood.

Even the Marines in Bougainville had a similar idea.

 

[JSteinman]

Ya know, I really don't think you can call yourself a rookie anymore...

 

[moon puppy]

The term was rank amateur...but I do appreciate that John. Still more than enough time to do something stupid.

 

[rob ferreira]

Been lurking here and following along to get some more motivation to start a HT. Love all the work you put into this so far, especially the PE,wow.
Ken has suckered me into a HT rust bucket with some awesome pics.

Anxiously awaiting the painting of this HT.


Cheers
Rob
www.scratchmod.com

 

[moon puppy]

So am I Rob, funny what that Ken can get us to do with just the slightest of prodding. I was thinking today if the plastic stuff is OK for Ken, what am I burning my fingers for??

Thanks!