ausf

After the current conversation and in light of the newer guys and questions regarding building and mods, I decided to snap some photos of mods I have done or are doing now. Mostly Tamiya, except the Eduard and Trumpeter conversions.

I hope this give you guys some ideas or at least starts a conversation.

Ask any questions or add photos of mods you have done, this thread can go anywhere it wants.

First up, the Initial Tiger. The earliest few Tigers had no fenders, tow cable mounts or air cleaners, limited tool stowage, steps sights for the driver and no escape hatch. I added the pistol port and couldn't resist the snow plow. The plow is fully functional, pivots in the tow attachment holes just like the real one, Ijust haven't weathered it.

ausf

Second, JS-2 lighting, texture and details.

I couldn't let the brake light function on the MFU, so I added LEDs to the nav markers. I'm not sure if the rear ones were red, but what the heck...Also added the turret seams, footholds, tarps clips, etc. I made the decals of the Pravda School from Girls Und Panzer to fight along side my son with the T-34.

ausf

Third is the Pz IV.
Convoy light, zimmerit and Thoma Schurzen:

ausf

Next is the Ersatz M-10.
The German disguised Panthers as M-10 for the Bulge, they built a frame and dressed it with sheet metal. Needs some more detail work, then paint.

ausf

Last is full conversion from static kits.
Trumpeter T-34 with Tamiya electronics, servo recoil and a aking MG gun with Turnigy delay. Hands down my best battler.
Eduard Schwimmwagen and Tamiya Kubelwagen, both 4WD and working Notek and convoy lights, the Schwim, swims using a small helicopter motor built into the prop housing. Moves pretty fast, I just need to time test since the prop runs on a 1c, I don't won't to get LVC 100 yards off shore...Both will have animated crew, the Schwim's steering wheel pivots with the wheels, so the driver's arms will be articulated like the Kettenkrad.

sollie

Lot's of great stuff going on here , keep sharing man

YHR

Thanks for the update Aus. Nice to see you have been busy..

Pah co chu puk

Nice work.

I like the idea of a thread where we can all post a picture or two… or twenty seven, of what we are doing to our tanks, a sort of mini-build thread we all share.

I currently don’t have a build in progress, but a tank is on it’s way to me right now, that Dan (YHR) has set up for me. I plan to mod some parts for it myself, and buy some aftermarket parts for it as well.
I have 10 tanks, two quad copters, a rock crawler and a snow cat. Everyone of them has had some sort of mod done to improve performance or looks.
I don’t post much anymore because when RCU changed system, the new default seemed to be to automatically subscribe me to every thread I post to. The extra step involved in un-subscribing after every post has slowed my responses from a conservational speed to just posting now and then. I still read the build threads a lot but I don’t comment as much as before.

I build all sorts of tank related things… I think I possess the only 1/16 scale WW2 Zeltbahns in the world. I built them myself from scratch as props for tank pictures.

Then there is the bridge...

I can add other pictures later, it's someone else's turn now.

tankme

That bridge is really nice...

YHR

When I was active on a Railroad forum we used to have a weekly thread called Sunday Night Photo Fun. I tried it here years ago but it never took off. The whole Idea was to have membership post a weekly picture of their latest project or upgrade. You still have the individual build threads, but this was just quick and easy for the submitter as it usually only included a couple of pictures and gave weekly eye candy to the membership. On the train forum this weekly post would usually end up 3 or 4 pages of pictures by the end of Sunday night. Of course you have a lot of model railroaders vs tankers, so maybe we just don;t have the critical mass of builds to make this work.

Sort of just what Aus did here A few pictures and some text giving us an update and some details. Then other people just pile on with their projects. It ends up becoming the one thread you don't want to miss.

ausf

Same thing in static modeling, usually a sticky titled 'What's on the bench today'.

I'd love something like that and this place has the numbers to do it, but people just seem quiet in this hobby.

I deal with figure and static forums with sculpting and they'll post about 20:1 over RC tankers. Maybe it's the fighting over which brand is best of late, but the tone has shifted. I'd like to see it get moving again, it seems to be growing as a hobby and I think this place is welcoming for the most part.

edoubleaz

My Feedback: (1)

Now we got the right mojo rolling. Had some time this evening while paint was drying and finally added some obvious details to my Hellcat. The cheek stowage bins on the turret front. Originally intended for the foul weather hoods for the driver, they often ended up filed to the brim with everything else! Time for more Value Gear stowage.

Untitled by Ethan Dunsford, on Flickr
Untitled by Ethan Dunsford, on Flickr

Remember, this is another inherited project that I just keep picking away at details. In ten or twenty years it may actually be complete. Next step is the Commander's .50 cal.

ksoc

ausf,

Great models. Any details/picts you can share about the kubel or schwim would be appreciated.

Pah co,

Love the bridge. Satisfies my architectural detail requirement - doesn't have to be perfect, but enough detail that it could be real

Patchcon

Show off.

ausf

Nice, are you going to add weld beads?

ausf

Love the wire detail.

ausf

Here's a thread on the Kubel:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-t...ect-kubel.html

Pah co chu puk

Well the bridge seems to have generated some interest.
Here are a few details:

I scratch built it several years ago.
It is all wood except the steel wire tension rods, the brass tacks used as rivets, and the cardboard used for the “steel” gussets.
All the lumber is to scale in width and thickness.
I only used 8 pieces of wood that run the full length.
It is 4 feet long, a 64 foot span in 1/16 scale.
It is a Howe truss design, a pony truss without top bracing.
Only wood glue “Elmers”, was used to hold the bridge together, the 360 rivets are decorative.
I have load tested it to 70 lbs in the center with no measurable deflection.
It weighs less than a single 2x4 the same length.
The design is intended to look like a bridge from 1900 to now.
I built it as a prize to capture or hold in tank battles.
It was a very fun build.

edoubleaz

My Feedback: (1)

I guess I have to now.... boy. This is a 5 footer at best.

TheBennyB

Gotta say I absolutely love being part of this hobby. Yes we are a small niche group but damn all those that say workmanship is dead.
Great job fella's and fantastic work. Shapeways is an awesome tool but we can't forget to "shape ways" on our own.

YHR

Good stuff guys. Nice to see people have been busy building. This is the kind of stuff that inspires me to get back at it.

Weld Beads. I now mix up auto spot putty filler and put it in a veterinary needle. It makes weld beads pretty easy.

Airbrushler

Wow always amazing

Pah co chu puk

This weekend I put this together. It's a 50. cal mount for the extra .50 that some Abrams have mounted on the mantle. I just got an Abrams fixed up by Dan at Battle Armor and the IR emitter is mounted in the mantel just above the gun tube. I wanted something a bit more cool looking than that so I scratch built this machine gun mount to cover the LED plug and show a bit more pzazz. I cut all the parts to eye just looking at photographs of real ones. I put the IR LED in the place where the spotlight is on the real tanks. Just like the real ones, the .50 cal can ride in the mount, or not, but the IR LED is always ready to shoot. It was a fun build.

This is not ready to install yet, I have other mods to do before I glue on all the add-on's and paint the tank.

ausf

Very cool.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Your work is fantastic, Ausf...always just fantastic.