M1 Abrams Reforger 83

It even covers the survival vest!image
I wore the damn thing but never knew it was actually in the book!

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Is that a chopper visor mounted on your CVC helmet? I’ve seen photos of Vulcan crews with these.

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Yea. At that point I was the driver. I wore glasses, so the standard goggles didn’t fit very well. I wore the visor instead, it worked pretty well to keep the dust out of my eyes. Later I got moved up to gunner, so I removed the visor, it interfered with the sights.
Ken.

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Well, what had to be a relatively simple operation turned first into a problem and then into a nightmare, the decals. At the end I had to fall back on an old Verlinden dry transfer set, the result is not perfect but will be partially covered by dust and mud, I miss the numbering on the opposite side but I see that not even in this graphic draw found on the web is present, maybe covered with mud or something else


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Cool, a very unique look !

Ok, I started the weathering on the hull, do not pay attention to the photos, the phone makes them really disgusting, it seems made with the wide angle, however till now I have finished the rear engine deck, for the oil and fuel stains I have copied a photo seen in an older Verlinden magazine, while for the front upper hull I am doubtful, I was planning to put some snow or frost in addition to the mud, don’t know :roll_eyes:

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Ok, this is my attempt to reproduce the dirty look of the hull front like seen in the picture, let me know what do you think about it.

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First impressions look good… As does the overall look you’ve given it in the other pics :+1:

Spot on ! I’ve just been reminded that a post must be at least 10 characters long , so can you tell us how you achieved what look to be salt staining effects ?

Yes of course, texturising the liquid pigment on the sligtly wet surface.
Now I have to decide if reproducing the white spot on the front upper hull with snow or dry mud, but watching the picture to me seems to be snow, look above the arrows, those slightly shadows outline that seems to be around at small amount of snow, what do you think?

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This pattern could be done fairly easily with masking tape and liquid mask.

That looks friggin awesome! Tell us how you did that.
Ken.

well, also the side skirt to me are essentially done, the photo of the real one shows a relatively clean side skirt, so I didn’t insist further on its

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Ok, front upper hull theorically is ready for the snow on the clean place, still in time to change idea and add on other mud, but to me that on the hull in the real one is snow :roll_eyes:

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Great work, looks very realistic! :heart_eyes:

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Ok, turret roof question, watching the pics the front turret roof is quite full of dust or dry mud, but seems to be also in front of doghouse, is this a common place of walking for the crew or usually the crew mount and dismount on the right side (viewving from the front) of the turret? …loader side i mean, I ask because I wouldn’t want to be fooled by my eyes

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“A Brigade of US Army 2nd Armored Division was assigned to work with the Marine ground element. I do not recall where the other active 2nd AD brigade went.”
The forward-deployed brigade of 2AD aka 2AD(Fwd) from Garlstedt, Germany was attached to 1ID.

ok, I had few time available in these two weeks, we were left with the analysis of the turret top, the photo shows that it is very dirty, obviously seen in perspective it will look more like it than maybe it was in reality, so I started to dirty it without exaggerating, then once dried I will analyze the result and see whether to continue or stop, it must be said that on the back its back there will be the load of the crew so most of it will not be visible

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It looks great as-is to me. I would go with what you have.

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looks very good from above, nice representation of water/mud/dust and frost stains :+1:

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