@Klaus-Adler
I am sorry to hear that this past year has been challenging after the loss of your father. But I am glad that you are getting back into modeling. Too bad there isn’t much of a selection of ARVN figures.
In regards to the discussion about 1/35 UH1D and UH1H helicopter models, I really wish there were some better kits, and more of them since they were the workhorses of Vietnam.
I know I already completed my build for this campaign, but I am starting on a two diorama series honoring the Donut Dollies in Vietnam. One diorama will feature Emily Strange who was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and was known for bringing her guitar along with her and getting guys to sing to help get their minds off of the war.
The other diorama will depict another team of Donut Dollies facilitating a game program to a group of Grunts in the motor pool area belonging to 2-47 IN (Mech). I am still working on posing the figures and adjusting their placement in the diorama, so these photos are showing that process. The stuff on the pallet is just a place holder until I load it with the items that were actually on that pallet outside the conex.
I am using the Donut Dollies from H3 Models, but have changed the heads with faces that are happy and cheerful. The Donut Dolly that doesn’t have legs yet is from a Royal Models figure.
I’m moving to a new-to-me house - for the last month and a half we’ve been dealing with realtors, the sellers, bank, etc. We got the keys two weeks ago and are moving in slowly along with painting and getting additional electrical in the garage for my woodshop. So…no true bench time.
With that said, I have to call the Mule done (without dust and dirt).
Mike
Looks good Mike! Congrats on the new house.
Happy Modeling,
Zon
Looks good! I was looking forward to seeing the completed 1:15 mule. I’m a bit disappointed the kit didn’t include the metal grate under the footrest bracket. Did it provide the metal grate that acts as a brush guard for the motor?
Yes, it did for that area. I thought about putting something under the pedals but decided to keep it stock (other than the cargo).
Mike
some preliminary painting done on the ARVN figures
I’m using this copied image as a reference but i think even though i toned the tamiya olive green with some yellow green and deck tan, i think should’ve been heavier with the deck tan.
Hello!
Yeah, if you want to stick to your reference image, it would be good to lighten the uniforms further - you also have the “scale effect” at play here.
And I’ve been working on my two projects.
A small update on the tanker truck:
I’m also working on the Rome plow:
Mostly surface preparation for now.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day
Paweł
So while I was folding individual C-Ration meal cartons in 1:35 scale (not pictured), I was seriously questioning my choice of hobbies…
Some progress photos from my Christmas vacation activities. Posing isn’t necessarily indicative of the final layout. The two bloods in the back are propped against the mule because they won’t stand on their own right now.
On this note, I’d like to float the possibility of extending this campaign. It took me an hour to paint the cassette player. Selfishly, I think I may have bit off more than I can chew with the time allotted and I’d like more time rather than do this thing half-a**ed. Furthermore, we have some late breaking interest and I think they could use more time. Heck, perhaps James can even sneak in a third vignette by the time I am done with mine!
how did you get on with the guy holding the rifle at the front of the mule when it came to the seam line between his head and his body, how did you fill and smooth out the gap?
You must have dealt with the same figure! I glued the head on and once it cured I used a medium cyanoacrylate gap filler to fill and smooth out the seam. I tried to pull out the excess so there wasn’t a glue blob, but I wasn’t completely successful. I couldn’t sand that little space, so I believe used the tip of an X-Acto knife. Unfortunately, a small glue blob remained, but fortunately it was in the vicinity of his collar bone and once painted over it wasn’t noticeable.
I’m working on that figure at the moment.
i superglued it then used water based putty, filled the gap and primer coated lastnight. i inspected it with a magnifying glass and found the seam still there so i have repeated the above process again.
the damn tip of the gun barrel broke off when i was separating it from the sprue but i have fixed it with superglue and very gentle sanding.
I really dislike the way Bravo 6 mounts the M-16 molds! No matter how careful I am removing the supporting brackets on the rifle, the barrel and part of the front sight go flying off into the ether. I’ve largely given up on saving them. I have hundreds of DML M-16’s on sprus so I just use them to replace the missing piece.
After a few weeks of off and on bench time the last two days of intense building has me 99.9% complete with the Zippo . .
. . . still gotta add the driving lights, install the searchlight lens, add the nuts to the spare road wheel and study these pics for any clean up like the .50 calibers’ handles. I’ve been waiting for a couple weeks for a set of 20mm ammo cans but to be honest I’m not entirely sure how they mount on the basket, are they aluminum or steele? The M2 came from FC Model Trend along with the mount, the receiver looked okay but the barrel I replaced with one that wasn’t as chunky. I used a clear purple on the TC’s cupola vision blocks and added the little lift rings around it’s base.
Not thrilled with the fender damage appearance, they should be wracked in a more planar manner between each mounting arm, I’ll get the next one right. Hope y’all like what I did here, if you see something needs correcting give me a heads up.
Cajun 
Looks fantastic!!
Flame on, she looks great.
just a small update with the ARVN figures i have painted the flack jackets with the paint thinned even more which makes it easier but my first attempt didn’t go well with green paint but i might be able to claw it back with dome drybrushing.
Looks great! Whose searchlight is this and where did you find the bracket design? Wayne
Hi Wayne, the light fixture and a mounting frame came from RESIN2detail, I inquired the vendor about it’s attachment to an M48A2 but he had no idea so I literally spent hours studying anything I could find on the www., here are the links that helped. . .
http://afvdatabase.com/usa/pics/m48patton/m48patton.html#M48PHONE546
https://mcvthf.org/Photos/1st_Plt_C_3rd_RL.htm
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/US/flame-thrower-tank-m67-zippo
Unfortunately there aren’t any photos that clearly illustrate the attachment of the light’s frame to an -A2 (that I could find), one chap on the web with the same search intent stated that the Crouse Hinds light used the same ball and coupler used for the AN/VSS-12 Xenon light but is only true for the later M48 A2C with the later version of the gun mantlet on through the M48 A3, I used the early version of the gun mantlet and copied (as close as I could discern) the mounting arrangement used on the M46 tank. Hope this helps some.
Cajun
