Tamiya/Italeri M107 Self Propelled Artillary.

Rui S
Hi Kezza,
It's great to see you tackling an oldie strait from the box. Great work as usual. I'm in. 👍
I Hope you get well and wish you a fast and full recover.
P.S.
Be careful with that seen line in the little cylindrical and square top piece on the left in the photo 18 😎
how those macro images... 😉

Kerry COX
Rui, you have eyes of an eagle mate. 🙂
So far, I have not really encountered any difficulty, and all the seam lines I have had to deal with have been really fiddely little things. :-/
The items/s you are referring to.
Are they the ones to the right of the left side seat position, on top of the mount frame rail. ?
Forward of the projectile pivot/loading arm. ?

Rui S
Yes Kezza, it's the focal point of photo 18 isn't it.

Kerry COX
Rui, I have just taken and uploaded some more images in MACRO of those bits and how I have removed the seam lines from there.👍

Rui S
Right Mate 👍 keep on the great work 🙂

Kerry COX
Thanks mate. Oh, ! BTW. I have just bought from Spain, a series of WWII US road signs used in Europe for the "Red Ball Highway. I am doing a dio of a convoy of trucks depicting the "Break out from Normandy" supply convoy. 🙂
fcmodeltrend.com/

Rui S
And where is the photo album, Mate?

Kerry COX
Of the Red Ball Highway. ?
Nothing on the ground yet, just ideas and buying trucks, cargo, stone walls, trees, grass, and plaster of Paris. 🙂 hehehehe

Rui S
Ahhh OK. I will be waiting for that one... 😎

Kerry COX
It will be a very 'active' dio mate, lots happening. Guys sleeping, WLA's being repaired and serviced, No chance for the eye to rest. heheh 🙂

Rui S
NIcee 👍😄

Kerry COX
👍 🙂

Ulf Petersen
Pssst! I am here, Kerry!😉

Kerry COX
Ulf. 🙂 Don't sneak up on me like that . !!!🙂 🙂 🙂
Good to see you mate. hehehe. This is a practice attempt for when I get the yet to be released Tamiya "Big Shot" 155 M40 SPA. 👍
Similar, but the M40 was on the Sherman easy eight chassi. 🙂

Rui S
Hi Kezza, that was a quick build.
I don't believe you are going to avoid tracks sagging? 😎

Bart Goesaert
good to see you post updates again here... nice work with the barrel and the rest of the details... it isn't always easy to make it round like that.

maybe this can help? Youtube Video

Kerry COX
Hi guys. And thank you for your comments and the video link, and it was just what I needed, and it also linked me to other similar vids of US artillery too.
Rui, on the M107, the 'track sag' is virtually non existent from what I have been able to see, but I do have a neat little trick for creating that 'sag', using sewing needles.👍
I will do a pictorial of how I do it and post for all to see. 🙂

Rui S
Kezza, no sag? I'm not a connoisseur of American self propelled guns, but I think the tracks would touch the upper part of the road wheels, no? 😉

Kerry COX
Yes, you are quite right Rui. There is just enough to have a 'long' sag, rather than dropping a bit in between each road wheel. 🙂
I will be able to create that look without too many problems, and when I do it, I will photograph each step, using the thin sewing needles. The type that has the 'eye' for taking the thread. 👍

Rui S
Nice. I will enjoy seeing that done by you, Mate 👍

Kerry COX
James. 🙂 G'day mate. 👍
The kit has relatively few parts. :-o
The surface detail is good, but the mould seams are quite well defined and really need full removal or heavy reduction .
I really don't know if the dies are made by Italari or Tamiya originally. :-/
When I first 'discovered' Mr Surfacer, I never thought of it as a primer material, but always thought it was for hiding scratches and imperfections.
And I have used it as such ever since. 🙂
It has always been exactly what I needed when I needed to match two uneven surfaces, and the gun barrel was a perfect example of it's flexibility. I used it through my airbrush once, and never again, as it took ages to totally remove all remnants of it Grrrrrr🙁

Ulf Petersen
Despite such problems the vehicle looks great so far, Kezza! Carry on! 👍

Kerry COX
Ulf. 🙂 Thank mate. 👍
I keep finding 'things to do' with it though, but that's ok, as I am patiently waiting for my three 6x6 2.5 T Trucks to arrive from Japan, but the problem is, that was on the 20/10/16 I bought them and here we are 30 days later and still no sign of them. Grrrrr
Usually I have only ever had to wait about 7 days.:-/
Oh well. 🙂

Derek Huggett
Not much of a "Red Ball Express" there then Kerry? 🙂 Patience my friend, and don't ambush the mail man/woman! 😉

Kerry COX
LOL. 🙂 Hi Derek. 🙂
This is just something to pass the time and COULD end up in a diorama of the Vietnam conflict, along with the soon to be released 1/35 Tamiya 'Big Shot' 155 M40 Self Propelled Gun, that strangely looks similar to the M107 but with Sherman running gear.:-/
The 'Red Ball' will be on quite a long plinth, as I really want to have the look of a 'convoy', so all I am doing at the moment is drawing out of a picture of what I want to do, then put it all together.
The post office here is renowned for getting stuff to you way past the date you were told, and I still wonder why I buy on line as much as I do. :-/

Derek Huggett
Kerry - All the best films have the bit that goes 'Damn it...it's the waiting, that's the worst bit. The uncertainty, the not knowing when.....'. 😉 I do it all the time too! (Gotta say, UK Royal Mail service is pretty good in my area. once it's actually in their system).
Yeah, strange how the pictures don't match the words with some models - that is one area of 'Scalemates' that I rely on the most - to find out what is actually in the box? (Thanks Tim 👍 and all other contributors, if you're reading this). Also, learning not to use Mr Surfacer through an airbrush (oops) - potentially useful info, once I have the guts to actually unpack and use my first 'paint blower' thingy!
And knowing your work, I expect that the drawing of the 'Red Ball' dio that you have in mind is a masterpiece in itself (long and narrow as it may be - the dio, not your mind!)! I know what you mean about giving something a 'look' or a 'feel' - that is part of our self-imposed discipline I suppose! 👍 🙂

Rui S
Hi, Kezza,
I hope that your 3 trucks arrive soon (@ Derek I see what you mean, hehehe) 1 month it's a long time to wait for them, but sometimes (not often) I also have to wait that much or even a bit more for things to arrive. So don't lose your hope, Mate. 😉
We are also enjoying the way you are "passing your time" and want to see this one done.
BTW, I'm thinking to open an MT4 photo album with some Info (colour plates or photos) for your "Red Ball Express", hum? 😎

Kerry COX
Derek. 👍 Thank you for the reassuring support and faith in my skills mate. 🙂
There are a 1001 projects all ways on the boil in my mind, and I get inspired by all the talent that lives here on the Mates forum, hoping it turns out half as good as the prize winners here.🙂 🙂
Rui, As always mate, your research abilities are renowned and I would appreciate ANY and all info on the RBE you can dig up. Mind you, I have dug and dug all kinds of archives to get as much as I can so that what I put on the ground has some history to it. :-/
And, as my women chasing days are few and far between, I have to have 'something' to pass the time, and now I have a bit of personal mending to do, I am grateful that I have this hobby and it's demands to help me along. 🙂 👍

Rui S
Hey Mate you convinced me, hehehe
I'm going to start the MT4
Ok.MT4 | Album by mig (1:35)

Kerry COX
Rui, just for you. Some pics of my 'Track sag' technique. 🙂

Rui S
Just For me? hummm, THX Mate
Better yet, would be (in case of this rubber covered tracks), instead off hiding the pin between track sections, hide it in a drilled hole in the rubber "shoe"... 😉

Kerry COX
Rui, That is too complicated, and besides, the 'dirt' road grime and possibly mud would cover that up any way. I keep things as easy as possible really, but I do understand you thinking mate. 👍

Rui S
"too complicated"? Are you kidding me, Kezza? 😠
There's no such thing for a Mate as skilled as you are. I've seen you doing things here, much more complicated than that. 👍
I'm sure you are just saying that because it's as you said before a "passing time" build, and you can always mud or grime it 😄

Kerry COX
Your really putting the pressure on me now mate. ! 🙂
LOL, I do get your drift though, and I will not let the fact that being a 'pass the time' build deserves less attention be the reason why I didn't do better. 🙂
I was also treating it as a 'test build' for when the new (Dec release) Tamiya 155 M40 is on my bench, getting my head ready for the 'Military' mode I am now getting into, as I usually only tackle aircraft. 🙂
But with my own personal reference material hunter here, I should not have to worry too much about getting it right. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Rui S
Hehehe I like to pressure the master 😎
If I can help I will 🙂
Nice to see you tackling AFVs

Kerry COX
Your a good man Rui, and I do appreciate your help and support, but your sense of humour is a bit dubious. LOL 🙂 🙂 👍

Rui S
Mate, I was meaning it, serious.
You are a Master Modeller, reconnected here by lot's of mates, and you are also my friend, so I fell free to pressure you, and always expect the very best from you. 👍
But I can understand what you mean about my humour, it's not the first time a Mate says that to me. I think my bad English have something to do with it 🙂

Marc A.
This is a stunning project, we all know what you're talking about.
I know if the technique is being used, but long not seen applying the system to keep the tracks like that. I remember when I started to attend the group modeling, back in my city more than fifteen years ago, modeling made sense finding that was much more than a hobby and the amazing things began to know. And after seeing your project you remind me moments which have a lot of meaning for me. (I'm not saying that you're old 🙂 hehehe, just that even those years the technique is so efficient that before. Good details so far, keep posting dude!

Kerry COX
With comments like these, it's no wonder I love posting my work here gents, as I can always depend on really positive support and feedback, and honesty from everyone 🙂
I feel really tempted to start posting some of the builds I had done that never looked all that great, but now, I think I will, with all their faults, so that the mistakes and stuff up's can be seen and hopefully avoided by those that look through the images. 👍.
Now look what you guys have done. !!! LOL 🙂 👍

Rui S
hehehe, Hey Kezza are you ready for some US colour photos? Not specificaly RBE but I think you will like them 😎

Kerry COX
Rui, the images you posted really are a "game changer", as the weathered tanks, the filthy crews in grey and kaki coverall's really has got me thinking totally the other way in what these vehicles SHOULD look like. Not something that has just rolled off the showroom floor.👍
Thank good buddy. 🙂

Rui S
Yah, I thought that you should see those guys. If they where new for you, maybe they would help see other "roads"... Just like that military police ketten 😎. If you get my drift...
Thx for your comments, Mate.

Kerry COX
Rui, my friend. 🙂 👍
Your searching has prompted me to put this in the Google images search bar.
"Colour images of US Army in WWII Europe". and BOOM, there were a lot of what you had already posted and some others too, and it really has given me a totally new perspective on what it all looked like, as black and white just is not enough. 🙁

Rui S
Hi Kezza, as said in the MT4, I only go for my archive or bibliotheca for this photos, not the internet, in hope that they are different from those images in Google. Did you find all the ones I've posted in Google?
As said in the beginning I was aiming more into art colour plates (I think they aren't so available in Google) rather than colour photos 😉

Kerry COX
I will pm you the link Rui. 🙂

Rui S
Nice ones Kezza Thank you for sharing 👍

Kerry COX
I am constantly being amazed as to what one can source on the internet. Just bloody incredible. :-o

Rui S
Endless information, Mate.

Derek Huggett
And some of it you can trust too!!! (From an old cynic!!!)

Kerry COX
LOL. So true, but sometimes the voyage is worth the penny spent. 👍

Derek Huggett
🙂 Thank you, Confucius! 👍

Kerry COX
🙂 👍

Rui S
Hi Kezza,
Thx for sharing that product 😉

Kerry COX
Rui S Cheers my friend. And, I wish you a very festive Christmas and a wonderful new year. Boom Boom. 🙂 👍

Donald Dickson II
Looking good sir! I dont know if you came up with something for the pivot bar on the loader or not. My thought would be to use wire wrapping wire. The soft stuff used for making necklaces and such. It is soft enough that you ought to be able to flatten it enough to look like the part.

And I use Easy Off to clean errant paint on canopies. It takes it off but does not fog the canopy.

Rui S
Thank you Mate and likewise 👍

Kerry COX
Donald D II. A great tip mate, as I was wracking my grey matter for what would look the part, and boom, you saved me . LOL 🙂 As I really like how intricate the workings of the loading system works and I hope I can duplicate it. As I will be doing it with the M40 when I build that too. 🙂 👍

Kerry COX
Christmas is important. Don't let the Muslems take it off us. Amen. ;-/

Fabian D.
Quote: "Christmas is important. Don't let the Muslems take it off us"
Could we please not do this here?
In that spirit: Merry Christmas and happy any-other-religious-festivity-between-now-and-January-you-may-celebrate.

Kerry COX
James. Thank you for the tip on the OD colour mate. Since I have removed the original Tamiya OD, it has turned out that it looks better with what was left. :-/
But I will get the Italeri paint and reading your tips, I should get the effect I am looking for. Then comes that famous Vietnamese red volcanic dirt covering. But being in a fire support base situation, most of that dirt will be from muddy boots on the rear gun deck. 👍
I have some fantastic colour photos from a mate in the US who served in Vietnam, copies from original colour negatives that speak volumes on what he did there.
Hard to put down really.:-o

Donald Dickson II
The Model Masters OD Green is a good one that I rather like.

Kerry COX
Donald D II Good to know Donald. 🙂 I do like Testors paints.
Cheers again. 👍