M6 Gun Motor Carriage WC-55 2025-06

[BarleyBop]

... a couple of passes through the chop shop:

Closer to the sights, and commander now has field glasses...

Talk about your plastic surgery!
Now to pretty him up along with his buddies.

 

[Jakko]

Much better, this makes them look a lot more in action.

 

[BarleyBop]

The open shell storage bin now has a bit more relief, shells punched out of copper foil. I tried with brass foil, but more difficult to punch...
So I'll have to paint these.

 

[BarleyBop]

Started assemblig stowage and kit.
Figures need cleaning up after putty filling.

 

[BarleyBop]

So going by the photo, looks like I may need up to three shovels! They are different than the one in the kit, but I still need two more...
What is it they say? "Cheapness is the mother of invention" ... well, scratch building certainly is!
The prototype:

Brass foil, Evergreen, lead wire.
Let's see if I can do it again!

 

[Jakko]

Very nice work — only thing I would add is that the handle on the real American shovel had a curve to it

 

[Bodeen]

Thanks a bunch!
Once I knew what to look for, among other refs, I found this vid clearly showing how the box (two types) were attached to the pintle.
"We be in business Mr. B!"

Great info.

 

[Bodeen]

This is a fantastic build so far. I built this kit many years ago, and not with the results you're getting. The figures, scratch-built detailsand added stowage add so much. Looking forward to the finished product.

 

[BarleyBop]

so far

Thanks Bo'!
Lots more to do... I guess it's a blessing that it takes me so long, helping me forget all the effort gone into each step along the way: otherwise I'd be too scared to mess it up!

 

[BarleyBop]

curve

... yup, talk about throwing a "curve ball".
My first intention was to fabricate a reasonable replica of the kit provided shovel.
The issue with the curve is that it is the sleeve of the blade that is a compound curve!
So see two options: one is to fabricate new blades with longer integral sleeves that I try to compound bend; or, fake it by replacing the styrene shaft with a brass rod that is easy to bend.
I'm going with the latter.

A spade from my garden shed:

I also shortened the shaft to be more like the proportions in the Tunisia photo.
Here is the upgrade beside the previous version.

I wondered why they had the spades and pick axe mounted on the sides and behind the front fender...

Then I found this image, showing a rack for the gun cleaning pole sections on the tailgate, instead of the pioneer tool rack as is often depicted (and in the kit).

It also shows the tailgate chains and latches, which are not in the kit, as well as confirmation that the two blobs on the kit box rear are hooks!

"Look, and ye shall find... yet more details to scratch!"

 

[BarleyBop]

... it occurred to me that winch cable might be approximated, at least to the second to last layer on the drum, with ribbed bandage tape...

 

[BarleyBop]

...enough for tonight! PE spares, repurposed buckles, Evergreen...

 

[Jakko]

... it occurred to me that winch cable might be approximated, at least to the second to last layer on the drum, with ribbed bandage tape...

What I usually do for a winch is to cut some plastic tube of slightly smaller diameter than the wound-up cable will have, glue that around the drum and then wrap just one layer of cable around that.

 

[BarleyBop]

...so, five and a half hours later, shades of Topolino brass madness, I manage to fabricate rear gate latches and chain.
I don't know why, as the gate is going to be down and loaded up with stuff!
For the record, here it is, up, latched ready to go.

Time for a break from this guy, and to get into the Dive Bomber GB!

 

[kevin]

I admire your attention to detail.

 

[Jakko]

Working safety hooks — that's what we like to see

 

[BarleyBop]

so... How the heck are these rolls staying on there? I see rope, but attached to what?

nor can I find it in period picts

or restorations...

...just welded on hooks in the field?

 

[Jakko]

That's a very good question … I'd almost say, "Verlinden was accurate after all"

There's some kind of hook at the top corner of the vehicle with the stowage, perhaps the crew did weld some on. And perhaps some loops on the front of the shield too?

 

[BarleyBop]

Another figure check before painting faces...

Working with figures feels more like stage direction than modeling!

 

[BarleyBop]

So my reference image doesn't seem to have bucket on the fender, however, like a few other photos I've uncovered, the mount may actually be there... sans bucket.
So the one piece bucket/mount in the kit being somewhat underwhelming, I decided to do a little 'rearranging'
You can see where I liberated the bucket from the mounting ring.

My next step was to thin the ring, and remove the little tabs that are the attachment points to the fender.
Then, into the spares and PE bin for better straps and attachment tabs.

...again, I find that 'scratch' doesn't necessarily mean engineered accuracy, but providing just enough detail to make it plausible.

Painted up, should be pretty sweet!

 

[John Waller]

So my reference image doesn't seem to have bucket on the fender, however, like a few other photos I've uncovered, the mount may actually be there... sans bucket.
So the one piece bucket/mount in the kit being somewhat underwhelming, I decided to do a little 'rearranging'
You can see where I liberated the bucket from the mounting ring.
.......
...again, I find that 'scratch' doesn't necessarily mean engineered accuracy, but providing just enough detail to make it plausible.

Great scratch job Seems strange it would be on the curved part of the fender so the mouth of the bucket would not be flush though???

 

[BarleyBop]

curved part

Ya, debated that myself: several photos seemed to show the bucket at an angle... my thought is that the holder was lighter metal construction, and the attachment points probably longer straps than I did, so could sit on the raised section.
I made it worse by slightly bending the plastic ring, when I should have just scooped it a bit to conform.
I may have to revisit...

 

[Jakko]

It's proving somewhat difficult to find a good photo of this feature. There are some with Panzerserra's build of this vehicle that show the bracket without a bucket in it, but no close-ups.

 

[BarleyBop]

good photo

Yup. I had some difficulty as well.

 

[Pantherman]

so... How the heck are these rolls staying on there? I see rope, but attached to what?

View attachment 176688 View attachment 176689
View attachment 176690

nor can I find it in period picts

View attachment 176691

or restorations...

View attachment 176692

...just welded on hooks in the field?

Magic........? Pantherman

 

[BarleyBop]

Some ref material: these are typical of the images I might collect, before and during a build. Sometimes it requires some inventive search prompts, and often ends in dead ends... sometimes you get lucky.

the first two show relative position... clearly not on the level section

these offer some detail, the period photos appear to be depicting a similar configuration (I call it the leg trap).
the second one shows the shovel straps over the real wheel quite clearly!

this one looks functional, but perhaps with restoration liberties?

in any case, I will attempt a rebuild of the hoop, and possibly add a second set of straps, though it may be one set wrapped twice...

 

[BarleyBop]

Redid the hoop in brass (hid the joint under a strap), and scratched the tongues fixed to the fender... they are longer, and accommodate the curve of the fender.

I'll have to clean up excess CA before painting.

Used this handy tool to shape the hoop in the right diameter:

 

[kevin]

There's nothing like the right tool for the job.

 

[BarleyBop]

So I've brush painted a base coat on most upper surfaces... using AK faded OD.
Compared to my first WC in the background, it looks very olive and light... less so with the latest Chevy cargo truck.
I will need to go back in with some shadows and blends for depth and dimensionality.

 

[BarleyBop]

So in photo above it is brush painted with AK RC024.

I tried stepping with AB to RC023, but that was barely perceptible.

So I moved to RCO26. Better.