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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
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M60A3
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
KitMaker: 1,281 posts
Armorama: 1,222 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 - 04:41 AM UTC
Taking a stab at the AFV Club offering. Doing the A1 concurrently. Really nice kits. The PE stowage baskets are a pig and need work to anchor down. Both will probably be in MERDC and depict vehicles from 1/252 AR.



BruceJ8365
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Kansas, United States
Joined: December 25, 2012
KitMaker: 441 posts
Armorama: 441 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 - 05:17 AM UTC
Very cool! Cant wait to see them both... hope you have some in progress photos.

I know people have complained about the casting texture on the turret. I'm wondering if hitting the parts with some light sand paper might tone it down. I also suspect that once painted in MERDC camo and weathered lightly if the texture will be less pronounced.

MERDC - are you going to do Winter - verdant, Summer or Tropics?

I like Red or Grey desert - but I know in use, these were usually in USMC or at NTC.
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
KitMaker: 1,281 posts
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Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 - 07:32 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Very cool! Cant wait to see them both... hope you have some in progress photos.

I know people have complained about the casting texture on the turret. I'm wondering if hitting the parts with some light sand paper might tone it down. I also suspect that once painted in MERDC camo and weathered lightly if the texture will be less pronounced.

MERDC - are you going to do Winter - verdant, Summer or Tropics?

I like Red or Grey desert - but I know in use, these were usually in USMC or at

NTC.



They will be Winter Verdant. That was the Bde-wide color in the late 80' until the switch to 3 color carc.


SWATdoc
#503
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2006
KitMaker: 147 posts
Armorama: 138 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 - 07:50 AM UTC
Hello Bruce,

I still like those MERDC patterns as well. I think I like the winter verdant the best with the Gray desert a real close second. That desert pattern always made the vehicles look pretty classy to me when it was applied properly.

Allen
SWATdoc
#503
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2006
KitMaker: 147 posts
Armorama: 138 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 - 07:53 AM UTC
Hello Chris,

I have an A1 waiting to get started. That cast effect do look ugly from here...lol
I will be paying attention to your build in order to learn what I can from your experiences.

Respectfully,
Allen
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, April 02, 2017 - 02:09 AM UTC
Got around to doing a bit more work on the turret. Checking with a buddy who was with the 252 to see if they ever used the Hoffman device before I add it. I never saw any of them with the search light so I'm leaving it off.



27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 07:45 AM UTC
Soldiering on.



GTDeath13
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Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: June 12, 2015
KitMaker: 921 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 04:13 PM UTC
The turret looks awesome. Did you have any problems with the build so far?

27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 05:37 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The turret looks awesome. Did you have any problems with the build so far?




Absolutely none. Details are great and everything fits.
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 06:33 PM UTC
Coming along very nicely and it's great that you're building it as the mount of a former tanker.

If this is a M60A3 (Passive) as it looks to be from the gunner's sight there should be a plug on the searchlight power coupling. But I realize you might not have have placed it yet pending fitting the searchlight.

Often searchlights weren't always carried on every tank. Depending on SOP it was every other tank. Your wing-man illuminated the target. But by the time of the M60A3 (passive) the searchlight was good for one thing; highlighting your own position because following the beam was so easy.

And I see the weld marks for the loader's hatch handle. Without the handle they wouldn't be there. But supposedly the fitting was standard on M60A3?

barron
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Virginia, United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 666 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 06:47 PM UTC
Looking good. My favorite tank spent a lot of time on those.
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 08:38 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Coming along very nicely and it's great that you're building it as the mount of a former tanker.

If this is a M60A3 (Passive) as it looks to be from the gunner's sight there should be a plug on the searchlight power coupling. But I realize you might not have have placed it yet pending fitting the searchlight.

Often searchlights weren't always carried on every tank. Depending on SOP it was every other tank. Your wing-man illuminated the target. But by the time of the M60A3 (passive) the searchlight was good for one thing; highlighting your own position because following the beam was so easy.

And I see the weld marks for the loader's hatch handle. Without the handle they wouldn't be there. But supposedly the fitting was standard on M60A3?




The kit has a plug for the power coupling just haven't glued it in place yet.

I did stints as FSO for the 252 AR and 119 Inf and during that time I never saw any search lights mounted - could of missed it I guess.
hugohuertas
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
Joined: January 26, 2007
KitMaker: 1,024 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 - 11:24 PM UTC
Great build!

I know this will sound like a heresy for some people here, but that casting texture on the hull front is killing me.
denstore
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Skåne, Sweden
Joined: January 05, 2009
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 69 posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2017 - 06:54 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Great build!

I know this will sound like a heresy for some people here, but that casting texture on the hull front is killing me.



You are not alone. The casting texture looks horrible. Even the old ESCI M60 looks better.
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
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Posted: Friday, April 07, 2017 - 08:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Great build!

I know this will sound like a heresy for some people here, but that casting texture on the hull front is killing me.



You are not alone. The casting texture looks horrible. Even the old ESCI M60 looks better.



I will grant you that it is a bit overdone and I will knock back the texture on the turret and front plate of my A1 build. We will just have to wait and see how this one looks under paint.
Removed by original poster on 04/08/17 - 15:23:06 (GMT).
panamadan
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 1,513 posts
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Posted: Friday, April 07, 2017 - 08:23 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Great build!

I know this will sound like a heresy for some people here, but that casting texture on the hull front is killing me.


same here
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
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Posted: Friday, April 07, 2017 - 10:47 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Great build!

I know this will sound like a heresy for some people here, but that casting texture on the hull front is killing me.



You are not alone. The casting texture looks horrible. Even the old ESCI M60 looks better.



Killing me too. Actually making me glad I have mostly invested in Academy variants. It's freaking creepy except maybe if you were doing later M60A3TTS with the anti-skid on them.
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2017 - 09:23 AM UTC
Laying down some basic colors. Of course managed to break part of the turret basket.



Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
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Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2017 - 06:36 PM UTC
Looking good. You captured the look of MERDC.

Must say the the camouflage really tones down the texture.
Belt_Fed
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: February 02, 2008
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Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2017 - 06:42 PM UTC
Can you share the colors you used for the MERDC?
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
KitMaker: 1,281 posts
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Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2017 - 07:36 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Can you share the colors you used for the MERDC?



I used Vallejo Air MERDC Colors for the Field Drab and Forest Green, and then brush painted the painted the black (50% black-gray 50% black)and Iraqi Sand.

I used AK Interactive MERDC on my last build and airbrush cleanup was a nightmare. No issues with Vallejo.
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