M41 Assault Gun

[Old Wombat]

That's what I thought. Anything else would get shaken to pieces!

And put unnecessary torsional stresses on the gun, thereby negatively effecting its accuracy (not that the M2 is exactly a precision firearm).

Those were great videos!

Yup! Thanks for the info and vids, Guy 

Anything firearms related with Gun Jesus (Ian McCollum) in it is worth watching.

[Kerick]

I read a story once about some GIs in Vietnam put a scope on an M2 and practiced enough where they could fire off on round at a time. They used it as a long range sniper rifle. It worked too.

Everything on the Badger and Weasel is OD green now. It’s been a long evening.

[Kerick]

Painting tracks and road wheels. You know the story.
The OD green looks good and some of the black preshade is doing its job. Next is some OD plus yellow highlights.

[Kerick]

So how do you guys paint tank tracks? I already painted the track pads NATO black. Some iron grey/black? Rust? I’ll dry brush a little steel last.

[Frank3k]

Depends on the track material. You can cheat by painting it dust color with black track pads

[Buzzbomb]

What Frank said, basically.

My version is earth brown or variation of, base, then depending on metal cleats or rubber pads the treatment changes to suit.
Invariably I also drop on a wash of darker brown to get in all the recesses to give depth.

[Mig Eater]

I like to paint my tracks with a dark brown primer and then randomly mottle NATO black over it for colour variations. I then use an uneven dark brown wash over the tracks and then follow up with dust and/or mud depending on the weathering I use on the hull and running gear.   

[Kerick]

Thanks for the tips!

[Kerick]

Here's what they look like in green. It makes it look like something that could have been. The black preshade is showing up on the cupola.















Still painting tracks and getting ready to paint highlights.

[Old Wombat]

That's pulling them together! They're looking "real", now!

[Kerick]

The Weasel driver has to stand in his position.

[finsrin]

Such a neato concept and build combo 

[Frank3k]

Nice paint job! What paint are you using?

[Kerick]

On the vehicles it’s been Testors flay olive 1165 and flat black. On the tracks so far has been Vallejo chocolate brown and Tamiya NATO black. Oh, painting tracks is soooooo much fun!

BTW, I cut the Testors 50/50 with lacquer thinner.

[ChalkLine]

That's amazing

[Claymore]

Lookin’ great! 

[Kerick]

I’ve been working on the tracks to make them look rusted and well used. I’ve also tried applying some to the road wheels and a few other spots. I’m up to the light rust.

[Buzzbomb]

Liking it. Liking it a lot 

[ChalkLine]

Here's what they look like in green. It makes it look like something that could have been. The black preshade is showing up on the cupola.

I've always wondered how those vision blocks work. They look like they point up into the sky, there must be some sort of prism in them.

[Kerick]

I’m not sure myself but that was the best way I could drill them out. I’m going to paint the inside dark blue and fill it with UV resin.

[Old Wombat]

Images of the real thing;









Judging from the image below & the Sherman cupola below that, they're direct vision ports &, therefore, should be drilled out horizontally.






EDIT: This is probably why in Vietnam the M48 tank had the cupola raised & placed on a ring of more & larger direct vision blocks. You will, also, note that they got rid of the crappy M85 machine gun from the cupola & welded a mount for a proper M2 machine gun on the cupola.

[Kerick]

I’ve seen these on real tanks before. If you’re looking horizontally through it, it’s just a small slit of vision. Not very useful in my opinion. The tanks on display I’ve seen usually have paint or a cover over them so it’s impossible to see.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

<SNIP>
EDIT: This is probably why in Vietnam the M48 tank had the cupola raised & placed on a ring of more & larger direct vision blocks. You will, also, note that they got rid of the crappy M85 machine gun from the cupola & welded a mount for a proper M2 machine gun on the cupola.

 

@Guy/Old Wombat: The M2 Browning MG was on the M48 Patton not the M85 MG. 

[Kerick]

<SNIP>
EDIT: This is probably why in Vietnam the M48 tank had the cupola raised & placed on a ring of more & larger direct vision blocks. You will, also, note that they got rid of the crappy M85 machine gun from the cupola & welded a mount for a proper M2 machine gun on the cupola.

 

@Guy/Old Wombat: The M2 Browning MG was on the M48 Patton not the M85 MG.

The M85 was on the M60 IIRC.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

<SNIP>EDIT: This is probably why in Vietnam the M48 tank had the cupola raised & placed on a ring of more & larger direct vision blocks. You will, also, note that they got rid of the crappy M85 machine gun from the cupola & welded a mount for a proper M2 machine gun on the cupola.

 
@Guy/Old Wombat: The M2 Browning MG was on the M48 Patton not the M85 MG.

The M85 was on the M60 IIRC.

You are correct sir!