hi , just wondering what jems people are coming up with and are there any new trends , so to start the ball rolling , i am scracthbuilding a russian zil 5 fire engine used in ww2 by army bases or airfields , can also be civilian , basic kit is Zil 5 Fuel tanker 1/35 , rest is all my own work . cheers ian

I'm currently combining the turret of an M247 Sgt York DIVAD with the hull of an M1 to create a "what if" M247A1 Sgt Major York. It's about 75-80% complete.

Relatively easy conversion that uses a Sgt York turret that someone gave me for free with an old Tamiya M1 that I bought on Ebay for around $10 (it was started and the seller didn't know if it was complete, which it was).

Other items added were a set of Trumpeter length&link tracks that Dave (Dixon66) gave me, a pair of Barrel Depot 40mm Bofors barrels, some parts from the Eduard PE set for the Academy M1A1, Eduard's M1A fittings for the Tamiya kit, an M-60 machine gun from the Tamiya M151A2 MUTT, and various fittings and accessories from the Tamiya Modern US Accessory set.

I'm working on a boom truck. The basic kit is an Italeri WW II 2 1/2 ton cargo truck. I've been collecting references for as few months and am about ready to start cutting plastic.
Ian, will you be posting pics?
Chuck

Secretly and behind the screens...

I'm wrapping up work on my M4 LaCrosse Guided Missile System...

Gunnie

I will be scratch building some Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks as used by most of the Commonwealth nations during WW2.

I have just finished some GMC cargo truck conversions.

:-)

I have built wreckers form WW2 to present day. I used the chassis of the Italeri water truck and built a twin boom wrecker body using Evergreen plastic stock. I also built a recovery truck with the resin casted M-54 cab to make a five ton wrecker for the Vietnam era. I also converted the Tamiya M-113 APC to make an M-577 command vehicle. I made it when I could not get the kit. Most of my projects are either kitbashed or total scratch built. I like to build things that are not available on the market yet.

I have been scratchbuilding an interior for an M1A1 Abrams for about three or four months now. I had a few references and did some work, but then I got access to an 1:1 scale and ripped all I had done out to get it right. The restart was about a month and a half ago, but I haven't done a thing in three weeks because we bought a house and moved in and unpacked. I am just barely getting to the point where I can re-restart on it. By the way if anyone needs Abrams pics, I am up to 1800 now.

Rob

im still trying to get those little gun straps down

I'm building a 1/32 SBD-5 Dauntless that is requiring many scratchbuilt items including a completley new scratchbuilt cockpit and gunner area.

Nothing major on the kit side - I routinely replace as much detail as possible - straps grab handles, tubing, wiring etc.
On the diorama side - Everything! Ground up! Urban or Rural.

I am about to start updating the M2A2 Brad. to GW2 standard, so far i've bought the kit and am amassing references. I'm also going to start work on LAVs again to GW2 level. Half of it has been trawling the net looking for sources. I'm also thinking of building the AS90 to GW2 level although that is going to involve a large inversion in the Accurate Armour transformation kit... Jim


¨SO MUCH PLASTIC, SO LITTLE TIME¨

I was building a DML Pz111 Ausf E and had a ton of left over neat parts. What to do with the parts? Hey, there's an old Tamiya Pz111 M/N thats been sitting on a shelf for 25 years in the basement, how many of these left over parts can I use?

Turns out that almost all of them, plus more DML spares I bummed from a buddy. The project took on a life of it's own. I was just going to add parts to the upper hull, but now the lower hull is getting the treatment. Drive housings, sprockets, bump stops, idler assembly, etc. Every time I pick the darn thing up I find something else to change!

hi , i am trying to get my mate to show me how to use a digital camera and as the model is being built in stages , to ease the paint job , chassis is black gloss, wheel centres red , tank red , cab red, mid section seats in wood effect and rear pump alluminium , and ladders wood effect . hoses black matt with brass endes . i am hoping it will prove to be a good article when finished to post here cheers ian

I'm in the middle of scratchbuilding a lookout tower for a dio. I built it out of icelolly sticks, with the ladder made out of bits of balsa with matchstick rungs. I was going to leave it outside to weather naturally but with the windy weather we get it would probably end up miles away.

I'm going to be starting a Hmmwv Contact Maint. Truck as soon as I get all the Info.

At present I'm building a B1 Centauro for the "cold War Cook-off" campaign (you can see more details in the Campaings folder). Theoretically I bought a kit of it but if I want to complete it in a decent way the work needed is even more than an average conversion. As soon as I'm finished with that I'll start the conversion of a French AMX13 into an Italian AMX 12. In the spare time from the Centauro I'm converting an Italeri M901 into an M106 converted to VTT use, a Tamiya M113 into an Italian VCC1 and a german Leopard 1A1 into an Italian (built under license by Oto Melara) Leopard 1A2 complete with interiors.
Ciao

I'm currently amassing the info to convert a hemtt into a pls with trailer..and various cargo moduels...still have 4 113's on the bench..and collecting more info on m925 conversions..a lot of plastic collected..just need to channel..energy now to building

I have a couple Sherman variants I'm detailing and correcting. Both are based on the Tamiya M4 kit.

First is a "straight" M4 with a Tank Workshop radial engine kit. I'm scratching most of the details for the inside of the turret -- basket is done, just need to add all the fiddly bits, including a load of Tamiya brass 75mm ammo and a Rubio barrel. I also replaced the bogies with leftover Academy parts, new track skids, etc. I'm trying to limit lower hull interior details to stuff you can see through the hatches and sides of the turret basket.

The other project is a corrected M32 tank recovery vehicle. Using the Tamiya M4 upper and lower hull, lots of parts from the Italeri M32 kit for exterior details. The interior features an Academy driver/codriver position, scratch winch, scratch rear bulkhead, new floor and storage racks ... lots to do on this one as I just started puttering with it a few weeks ago.

I'm looking to scratchbuild a V2 rocket in 1/48 scale. I downloaded a paper model that I hope to use a template. I was able to get a huge supply of thin sheet styrene that I can use as my stock.

Currently iam scratchbuilding a conversion for a M35A1 supply truck, into a Guntruck named "The Mafia" Its my first scratchbuilding of any kind and its going pretty well I think. After this one I plan on doing "Assassins" both from the 541st. Co.

Also doing a conversion of the Hobby Fan guntruck, dono if that would count in the post. But that too is going well, If I could just get my airbrush to work I'll be able to paint it. I'll be doing a fictional GT for that on named "Bad Boys" well thats what It is for now.

Mike

:-) I have a Matchbox 1/32 Westland Lysander that I want to super detail but I don't have a clue where to start well thats not strictly true as I have collected reference material. Maybe building the engine will get me going? :-)
Mal

At the moment I am looking for some closer images of a hard shell signalshell that I saw in the gllery referanc section modern us Hummwv. I have several italierHumvee kit s that will be good cut um up kits.

I just finished scratchbuilding a nice brick wall. I made a silicone mold, so now I can make as many plaster castings as I like.
Currently, there's no scratchbuilding of vehicles going on. I'm working on the Splash dio.

Scratch conversion of tamaya bushmaster HMMWV into AFSP up armored &armed convoy escort.
Right now I am sanding the raised feature of the roof so that it's leval.Also doing some resruting of rear end of shell. On this rig there is a vent on the left rear & the right is flush with the tail gate. There is no rear windows but a single fold up door like a camper shell.
Once that is fixed I will start work on the weapons station.It somewhat resembles the TCs postion on the late models of the M551 sheidian.
But best of all it isn't DESERT SAND.Thank goodness. I find it hard to like. #:-)

I'm attempting to scratchbuild the interior for my Stuart "Honey". Fixing the things Academy overlooked.

Jason