ghodges Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) This is the 1/48 Wespe Models resin kit that I picked up at a Nats a couple of years ago. I'm building it OOTB (except for parts that are too warped or broken and need replaced). This is a new experience for me, and I'm probably a little bit out of my league, as the kit only comes with 2 "exploded view" drawings of the assembly, with no parts named (only numbered), and NO sequence even hinted at for building the bugger! Still, I have ben able to make progress...this represents about 2-3hrs of work: I've had to occasionally surf the web for M-16 pics to help me out. Some parts had "protrusions" and I needed to make sure it was a casting block that should be removed, and not a part of the part! Fit has been pretty good so far, though I did need to take a hair dryer to the chassis after getting it this far. A little heat took the slight twist out of the frame, allowing all of the tires and road wheels to sit level! The other oddity is the way the parts are packed.... They're glued to the paper, over a picture of the part, and as you can see, pretty clearly numbered. The problem so far is that the glue has hardened over the last couple of years (I guess). Some of the parts are really tough to remove, and with some of them being quite delicate, I expect to encounter more breakage. Still, the detailing on the castings is phenomenal! The last thing is that the tracks are cast in one long piece of resin. I believe I know how to get them to work: make a jig and then pin them in place and heat them to shape around the jig. At least that's the plan.... I've been enjoying the simplicity of cleaning up and gluing parts in place with no painting. It's a nice break from all of the pre-painting needed for airplanes! More pics when I get the assemblies completed! GIL Edited January 11, 2012 by ghodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRatzenberger Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 There's a couple M-16 kits out; you might be able to find their instructions online to clear up some part placement. For the quad-50 mount, you might also look for the instructions to the Dragon Quad Gun Trailer M55 kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thanks for the heads-up, I'll keep those in mind! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Very nice! I have also heard that by placing the track in hot (not boiling water allows them to soften enough to allow better placement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 OK, now you're scaring me. First it's a 1/48 jeep for an airfield diorama, then it's Tamiya 1/48 armor kits "for fun" and now a limited run resin kit!!! Careful, you're going to lose your airplane-makers approval rating from the airplane guys. Seriously, another tip on the tracks is a hair dryer. Soften them up in the warm water, then use a hair dryer with one of those narrowing attachments to direct heat where you need it. Even though much may flake off when you put them on, paint them before mounting them. It's easier to do any touch up than it is to paint them in place. Do any washes/drybrushing before hand as well, but you can pastel them once mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickC5 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Oh man, you guys are reminding me that I really don't like to mess with resin too much. I like resin stowage bits & pieces, and have even built an M31 ARV using the Legend conversion kit for an Academy M3, but that build convinced me that I will NEVER attempt a 100% resin kit. Now, don't get me started on PE--I really HATE PE and use it as little as possible. Give me a Dragon "Smart Kit" any time. Maybe my real issue is with super-glue, although I've come to accept that I can't always avoid using it. Ain't modelin' fun??? Yippee-ki-yay!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) The only reason I'm building a full resin kit is that there is NO 1/48 Halftrack of any kind injection molded! A fact that I'm sure Tamiya or Hobbyboss will correct just as soon as I finish this one! Ron, I never fear of losing my plastic masochist aviation license! The Aurora Triplane I'm concurrently building will be enough to renew THAT for the next few years! :gold-plane: And thanks for the painting tips! GIL Edited January 11, 2012 by ghodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGronovius Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Bandai did the M13 twin .50 halftrack and M3A1 regular halftrack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted January 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yep! Wish I'd bought them back in the 70's when they were available! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hey, what's the status of this project? Your airfield is defenseless without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) I have been working on it, but slowly due to some cold weather. I just hate to shiver in my garage when it's below 60 degrees.... Actually rebuilt the 4 machine guns, as the resin cast ones had severely bent barrels. Was surprised to note that the the quad 50's do NOT have air cooled barrels! Though there's a section just off of the receiver that has some cooling holes, the actual barrels just seem to be extended blast tubes. I used some resin receivers, some spare parts, and some hypo tubing to build them up. I also "pinned" them (along with their ammo cans) to test fit them to the gun mount, and check their alignment. Everything seems to be ready to go in that respect. I won't be able to post pics of the work for a while as I'm having computer problems (no internet access), and I'm having to visit the local library to keep caught up on my model sites! Sorry for the delays! GIL Edited February 14, 2012 by ghodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted March 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Still making progress, and taking some pics, but since I'm on my wife's laptop I can't post the pics yet. However, the green is on and I'm preparing to start weathering! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I finally found the USB cable for the camera! Here's the rest of the construction pics! Had to rebuild the guns and pin them and the ammo cans Painting stage! Note all of the differnet types of clamps.... Here's the simple jig I made to bend the track to shape. I heated the resin track with a hair dryer, bending it around the jig as it softened. I was actually amazed that this worked so easily! Here's one pic of the finished model. I'll post the rest in another thread. As always, questions and comments are welcome! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRatzenberger Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have been working on it, but slowly due to some cold weather. I just hate to shiver in my garage when it's below 60 degrees.... Actually rebuilt the 4 machine guns, as the resin cast ones had severely bent barrels. Was surprised to note that the the quad 50's do NOT have air cooled barrels! Though there's a section just off of the receiver that has some cooling holes, the actual barrels just seem to be extended blast tubes. I used some resin receivers, some spare parts, and some hypo tubing to build them up. I also "pinned" them (along with their ammo cans) to test fit them to the gun mount, and check their alignment. Everything seems to be ready to go in that respect. I won't be able to post pics of the work for a while as I'm having computer problems (no internet access), and I'm having to visit the local library to keep caught up on my model sites! Sorry for the delays! GIL Gil, It is air-cooled. What you called "blast tube" is the barrel; it was made very thick to facilitate cooling and reduce weight of the overall weapon from the earlier water-coooled version. That thing with cooling holes is really called the barrel support. This variant of the M2 .50cal machine gun is known as the M2HB for "heavy barrel" and has been the main ground version for 70-some years ! We're only now modifying it to eliminate the need for headspace & timing adjustment on barrel change. Your ammo drums should be square (perpendicular) to the guns and the axis of the guns. Not your fault, but the suspension is wrong -- the support roller is too high -- the track should be running pretty horizontal along the top and tight. Seems like every Nats I go over to the Wespe table and admire the variety of items, many unkitted by anyone, then just cannot get past the kit quality .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Such is the result when an airplane guy builds armor! Thanks for the info. I'm sure an experienced and knowledgeable builder could easily overcome the faults in the kit, and build a very nice M-16. Cheers! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Yours looks sharp to me! Very glad to hear you had no problems with the track! Love the homemade jig also! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGronovius Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Very well done. I like it. Incidentily, while digging through my stash to find kits to dump on eBay, I ran across my old Bandai M13 halftrack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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