HALF-TRACK PROJECT - UPDATE 9/7/2018
Here's the back end of one of the half-tracks, the first one to get side storage racks and back stowage racks. All made from Strip styrene of course. The backup lamps are cast from a 21st Dodge Command Car and the hitches are from the Hasbro half-track
These two shots show one of Gray Ghost's vehicles, this particular one did not have a roller for the bumper, so it got a new later style bumper with a wench. You can also see how the stock 21st Century Toys door-window flaps had to be modified to work with the rear compartment. Also visible is one of the gas can holders, made from sheet styrene.
Below, this is my half-track. I didn't want to use the stock doors and this particular Scout Car was missing them, as well as a windshield frame. Everything had to be scratchbuilt. The windshield frame turned out pretty good. Once it was painted it looked pretty close to the original stock piece.
Here are Gray Ghost's two half-tracks side by side. and a picture of one of them with the seats mounted in the rear compartment. Gray Ghost spent a lot of time casting seat cushions and gas cans. The gas can that we cast from was a 21st Century version. We basically cut it in half and made two sides. The handles were them made from Styrene rod.
The storage racks on the back were not all done the same way, Each vehicle has unique positions on the racks compared to the other two.
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My half-track is a radio equipped vehicle, but I didn't have a radio. I managed to make a one-off casting of an old piece that I picked up. Casting in clay doesn't always work out, but this was a fair impression and I was able to get a decent casting off of it.
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My headlamp guards were also pretty messed up. They leaned back at about a 30% angle and I couldn't straighten them out. I finally just cut them off and made new ones out of brass and styrene rod. I think they actually look a little nicer than the stock ones.
Here are all three half-tracks side by side prior to painting, it gives you a pretty good idea what is required.
All three half-tracks also have one (1) working storage bin. The bin on the opposite side is fake.
This is the result of an entire day spent masking off stars and other markings on pre-painted white area with vinyl lettering and then painting with U.S. Army dark green paint. The masking took me from 6:00 am til 1:00 pm. The painting took about two hours and used a heck of a lot of paint.
I mentioned before that we only had one of the 21st Toys machine gun mounts. The machine guns we used were manufactured by DID. So not even the one mount that we had actually worked with the weapons. It had to be modified to fit. This mount in the pictures below however is one of the ones that I cast off of the original mount, using clay as a temporary mold. There are four parts to each casting, which required a tremendous amount of clean up and the ammo box tray is made of styrene.
This is my finished radio, mounted in place and "wired for sound" (actually just looks). I plan to add a lot of soft detail to this area to finish it out.
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The ax was a one-off casting as were my shovel and pick on the driver's side. The machine gun tripod, shovel and pick are all tied down to working tie downs with leather straps.
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Below are all three half-tracks with machine guns finally mounted. At this point, all that is left is adding detailing and weathering. As you can see, I am starting to look for items to do just that to my radio equipped half-track. I actually have a lot more stuff than what you see in this picture and am looking for more. The GI is my radio man.
Hope you enjoyed our Half-track project. It was a lot of fun packed into three labor intensive weeks. Not the way I usually handle a project, but the end result was pretty satisfying.