M-113 APC Upgrade With New Molds

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:26 pm

Hey Guys I worked on the APC turret all day and I have a question for you guys who may want one. I have the turret roughed in and it looks good. But there is a problem with the pintal area. When 21st made the pintal it looks like they put an additional angle or strip of plastic next to it for support. The bottom of the turret goes over and around the vision ports. Next to the pintal if I do this it will come to a point. This looks crappy. I feathered out the area and it is not enough.So I put an additional piece of plastic on these tongues and it looks OK. But not to scale and it throws off my turret angles off a wee bit.

The easiest thing to do is make mine right and let the guy who buys the kit fix this problem on his own. But I want the modeler to just be able to fit the turret without modify the APC. Here are some pics. But they did not turn out to well.

Here is the area . At the base of the triangle pintal area

The bottom tongue far right

In this pic the far left bottom tongue. I built it out a little and you can see the additional piece of plastic I put on it to build it out. It is throwing off the curve of the turret. But the alternative is to have this front tongue area comes down to a point. That looks bad if I do it that way.

The rough areas front and back will be cut way out to accept the M-2 and the hatch cover. I think I got the shape right but that pintal area is a head scratcher. Do it this way or let the modeler cut his tank to accept it ?Suggestions ?

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:38 pm

I think it looks good that way. Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't the pieces that is sticking out be sanded down?

Either way you've done a great job on catching the shape and likeness of the turret.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:41 pm

Yes I can but by doing that it will make that area look misshapen. By putting that little piece on it looks like a little panel or something. What you see is about 11 hrs of work. It is smaller than a tangerine.

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:29 pm

I think you should let the buyer do the cutting. Just provide a good set of instructions and what tools they'll need to complete it.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:40 pm

Birddog wrote:I think you should let the buyer do the cutting. Just provide a good set of instructions and what tools they'll need to complete it.

This may be the way I will go. What I have done looks kind of distorted. It was right when I started. Now it looks ........

1958Zelda · Post by **1958Zelda** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:26 pm

I think it looks Great! I agree with Birddog,let the buyer do the fine tuning,and put me down for two sets.

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:49 pm

Works for me, and I want at least one set. Now do you have anything to plug those darned holes on the sides?! (where the plastic stowage was pegged in)

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:08 pm

Tinman wrote:Works for me, and I want at least one set. Now do you have anything to plug those darned holes on the sides?! (where the plastic stowage was pegged in)

moldering putty of your choice, dry for a day, and paint.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:53 pm

Whatever your end result, I'd be interested in one of these turret covers. I have a VN-era M-113 that looks sort of naked without it. You should also consider making the shield to go on the .50 cal gun

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:09 pm

tmanthegreat wrote:Whatever your end result, I'd be interested in one of these turret covers. I have a VN-era M-113 that looks sort of naked without it. You should also consider making the shield to go on the .50 cal gun

I am . I also am making the double M-60 shields in back. The turret , M-2 shield and M-60 shields will make up the armor upgrade kit.

Hopefully I will be done with all the masters on Friday. I will do my best to post them. Then I will be ready to take orders. I have about 4 pre-orders already . It looks like this may be a popular upgrade kit. They came out in the Vietnam conflict and they are using them now in the Gulf War. They pulled them out of mothballs. In the recent pictures that I have seen the armor upgrades are all OD green sitting on top of a desert tan M-113.

BTW I am also making copies of the identafication louvers . These can be placed on the M-113 , Bradley, Humvee and Abrams.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:47 pm

Here are a bunch of pics showing detail and mock up on the M-113. Just a little sanding and it will be done. I was in a hurry to get pics posted. Next step RTV molding. I am not sure if I will do the molds this weekend or start next week.
]I think that the shields came out nice. Maybe 21st will re-issue some more M-113s to go with these

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:55 pm

VMF115 wrote:
Tinman wrote:Works for me, and I want at least one set. Now do you have anything to plug those darned holes on the sides?! (where the plastic stowage was pegged in)
moldering putty of your choice, dry for a day, and paint.

Thanks, VMF - maybe I'll give it a whirl!

Rogue 01 · Post by **Rogue 01** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:00 pm

Amazing what you can do I will think about it if you sell them to customize mine nice piece of work

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:12 pm

Rogue 01 wrote:Amazing what you can do I will think about it if you sell them to customize mine nice piece of work

They will be for sale. $50 for the set. The turret , .50 cal shield and 2 m-60 shields.

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:38 pm

Looking sweet!!!!

Fantastic job Pickel!!!

flyboy_fx · Post by **flyboy_fx** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:26 pm

LOOKS NICE makes mine look like sh1t

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 12:04 pm

For you guys who are interested.

I have been checking all of the photos that I can get my hands on. There seems to be 3 different type of bell type turrets. Smooth joint were the top half and the bottom half join. The top half is bigger than the bottom half causing a lip. The third a constant bead almost a strip of metal going around the turret joint. I did mine like the first sample , smooth. Should I keep it the way it is or change it to one of the other two ?

Any input will be considered. I am trying to put the best product out there that I can and with input from other modelers this can be achieved.

Hopefully.

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 2:44 pm

* "Matt" ,.. I'd be interested in the smooth turreted one unless you've worked out all the bugs yet.

* However , it'd be a good idea to post a few pics of what the other two turret types look like.
That way everybody interested will get to see what they really want.

........ my 2-¢ents !

v MG

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:28 pm

MG-42 wrote:* "Matt" ,.. I'd be interested in the smooth turreted one unless you've worked out all the bugs yet.

* However , it'd be a good idea to post a few pics of what the other two turret types look like.
That way everybody interested will get to see what they really want.

........ my 2-¢ents !

v MG

The smooth version is what Tamiya used on there kit and 21st has it on there 1/32 scale job.

Here is a pic of the beade turret. Looks kind of like a weld bead.
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/cesar_ ... _of_37.jpg

Here is a pic with the top half overhanging the bottom
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/carl_d ... _of_88.jpg

Here is a better detail of the m-60 shield.I will put this detail in mine. I will not put the bird turds on it though

http://data4.primeportal.net/apc/jeff_d ... _of_96.jpg
Here is a pic of the .50 cal shield. I pretty much nailed it.
http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/dan_ha ... of_132.jpg

MK · Post by MK » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:43 pm

The difference is not only in the overhang, but the top hatch has a bigger space to open. My preference would not to have the overhang.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:46 pm

A couple of guys think that I should throw in a casting of a .50 cal and a couple of m-60s with the kit. I may just do this , they also think that I need to make muzzel flash supressure for the .50 cal. I may do this as well. Here is a pic of the surpressure.
Thanks Mitch.

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... s32d04.jpg

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:48 pm

MK wrote:The difference is not only in the overhang, but the top hatch has a bigger space to open. My preference would not to have the overhang.

So I guess i should leave it as is. Works for me

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:48 pm

pickelhaube wrote:
MK wrote:The difference is not only in the overhang, but the top hatch has a bigger space to open. My preference would not to have the overhang.
So I guess i should leave it as is. Works for me

Yeo, I agree. Leave it as it is.

cranedriver · Post by **cranedriver** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:23 pm

pickelhaube wrote:A couple of guys think that I should throw in a casting of a .50 cal and a couple of m-60s with the kit. I may just do this , they also think that I need to make muzzel flash supressure for the .50 cal. I may do this as well. Here is a pic of the surpressure.
Thanks Mitch.

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... s32d04.jpg

I think that would be ok but not a deal breaker.

The best .50 cal at retail right know is the one that comes with the newer BBI figures. Much better detail than any 21st century offerings. The .50 on my M113 was one of the first things I replaced.

As far as the M-60 goes I would prefer a version that had the bipod legs folded up next to the gun and if by some miracle you could make us a M-60 with the same firing mechanism ( double handles ) like on the .50 cal then I would be needing way more than two. Basically it would be the M-60 you see on PBR's and Huey's.

As far as the shield kits go I am in for a set so put me on the list.

Looks excellent as always

.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:52 pm

cranedriver wrote:
pickelhaube wrote:A couple of guys think that I should throw in a casting of a .50 cal and a couple of m-60s with the kit. I may just do this , they also think that I need to make muzzel flash supressure for the .50 cal. I may do this as well. Here is a pic of the surpressure.
Thanks Mitch.

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... s32d04.jpg

I think that would be ok but not a deal breaker.

The best .50 cal at retail right know is the one that comes with the newer BBI figures. Much better detail than any 21st century offerings. The .50 on my M113 was one of the first things I replaced.

As far as the M-60 goes I would prefer a version that had the bipod legs folded up next to the gun and if by some miracle you could make us a M-60 with the same firing mechanism ( double handles ) like on the .50 cal then I would be needing way more than two. Basically it would be the M-60 you see on PBR's and Huey's.

As far as the shield kits go I am in for a set so put me on the list.

Looks excellent as always .

Thanks for the compliment.

Do you have one of those M-60s or a pic your are talking about ? Or can I just use the handels from the 50 cal that 21st uses? At this point I am not sure of the gun copies because the guns will have to be made in 3 parts . The main gun the "D" handels and the amo can. It would be cool to make them in a single casting but it can not be done that way.

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