M3A3 Bradley by MENG

[warped72]

This is my build for the new age desert rats GB

[warped72]

More pics

[schweinhund227]

Looking forward to this... Most excellent model !

[warped72]

hey thanks Norm I'm big fan of your youtube channel. This should be great build , my 2nd attempt at afv, My main hobby is painting fantasy 28mm miniatures, by Darksword and Reaper. I order this model because I think the Bradley is awsome afv, and MENG makes great model

[schweinhund227]

hey thanks Norm I'm big fan of your youtube channel. This should be great build , my 2nd attempt at afv, My main hobby is painting fantasy 28mm miniatures, by Darksword and Reaper. I order this model because I think the Bradley is awsome afv, and MENG makes great model

That's very nice of you !

Good luck with the M3A3 should be a fun build... Mark O'Neill just finished his and it turned out Awesome.

You should have great luck with their Kits... Meng is pushing out some pretty awesome stuff...

Later.

[Nige201980]

Good luck with the build mate.

[warped72]

Thanks Nige for the encouraging remark. Well been working on the body had to do some cuts on both top hull and bottom hull you can see the cuts on the top hull in the pic I hope. It says to paint part of the shock silver, before I put it on the lower hull with the rest of the shock ,but not sure about that any help would be appreciated. Diffently going to prime the bottom hull exterior though. Should be on the interior once I get the suspension done.

[warped72]

You got to modify both the lower and upper hull, by making some cuts with a sharp blade. In the picture where the point of the pencil is will be the most difficult cut and sanding out of all the modifying cuts to the hull, watch yourself I almost cut the tip of my right index finger off...lol...just a little chunk of skin no blood. Just wanted you to be aware. Great build so far too.

[timtamtung]

Very nice! Is the interior sold separately? looks like a separate box

[warped72]

Yes the interior is sold separately, thanks for asking timtamtung.

[wookiee76]

Lol warped, almost looks like we have a buddy build going on here! Good luck and try to finish with the same amount of fingers you started with!

[warped72]

Yha need my fingers...lol...shouldn't have that problem anymore with this build but who knows. I'm having same problem with when I should prime and paint this and not that until all parts are in place and the decals too , so trying to figure that out. Still awsome build but a bit more complex than just the exterior build. Diffently like a buddy build. Thanks Whookiee.

[Coen]

So far from what I've seen these Bradley's are superior kits. Every one that I've watched go together was a total hit.
I expect that yours will be no different.
Are you planning to add any stowage or figures to yours?
These thing dress up really nice with that sorta thing.

[warped72]

Well the suspension was a challenge with my big hands, but got it done, next was the 12 wheels ,they were breeze ( don'T forget the poly caps that go in the middle ......lol caught it in time) . The drive sprockets on the other hand were a little tough and I cut off what I thought was sprue flash from a cut but it was not. Where the point of the pencil is what I cut off on the 1st sprocket an should have left that. The thin inner sprocket on the drive wheel got broke when I tried removing sprue flash I did that on both of them, thank the model gods for Tamiya extra thin cement. Next up the interior, what great build

[wookiee76]

I almost did the same thing but thought it looked too regular to be flash so i checked the back of the sprocket ring and spotted the locating hole, i also cut the sprocket rings with quite a chunk of sprue gate left on them to avoid snapping them.

[warped72]

Well back to work on this model, I'm also doing the M88A1 Recovery tank by AFV Club. Got the primer done did a mix of the black and white got a nice dark grey. This is where my knowledge of doing armor is lacking but I'm working through what to paint an then cement in an what to cement then paint.

[warped72]

So I match the interior color with the paints I own which is Reaper, I'm using a sample color from them I call Limey. Went down good having a bit of spitting coming from my airbrush but fix that by going a little higher PSI at 22.

I painted that back diamond plate silver then put on a chipping medium by mig, absolute chipping. Then painted it that light green. Let set for around 40 minutes, took a nice stiff new brush and made some wear on that diamond plate, the 2nd to last pic shows this, came out better than I thought. Please let me know what you think.

I'm now doing something I have not done since I was a teenage many moons ago decals. Wish me luck...lol.

[wookiee76]

Looking good so far, the decals were really good, went down with no problems but hey, cartograf so what do you expect.
It is a bit of a head scratcher figuring out what to paint or stick doing interiors in general, im just glad this one was so much bigger than the panzer 38t i did a couple of months ago.

[schweinhund227]

Top notch ! Keep up the good work !

[gaz45]

great work so far mate keep it up

[warped72]

Been while since I posted. But got alot of the primer put down on the engine,transmission an air intake system. Also got the bulk head wall primed. This model is nothing but fun.

[Coen]

It's a super fine kit, no argument. For its price and styrene tonnage it's certainly worthy of its title of kit of the year.

[warped72]

Well got it painted up using Reaper an Miniature paints . Went with Adamantium black on the engine through the airbrush, went down great an looks good. Then used Chrome silver from Miniature on the transmission an headers on the engine. Used a mix of solid blue and coalition blue from Reaper for the radiator hand painted that. Got the engine,transmission an air intake together for a dry fit went together great. will now gloss coat the parts for some washes to go down in the engine compartment also. The 1st photo also shows a figurine not a part of the build of course..lol... that's Lord Hurk Mildred doing an inspection. ........ that's what my main hobby is pewter figurines.....but enjoying AFV models alot. Thanks for all the great remarks more to come an along way to go, thanks

[warped72]

Also want to mention from the last pics an these pics That I painted some details with a brush. Like the driver seat with some Dune shadow from Reaper it looked like kaki brown the most, also added a little white to the pallet and did some highlights, then hand painted the bulk head door latches with Chrome silver and some Reaper Pure black, look like the pictures I have seen of the interior of the Bradley. Also done a few of the decals an for my 1st time in 20 years it went ok but I finished well , hope the pics show them. Got some of the interior in and more to come thanks

[schweinhund227]

Keep up the good work !

[Nige201980]

looking good mate

[warped72]

1st pic showing the wash I first used which was a combination of vallejo black an scale 75 chestnut ink. Worked great , look like a mix of oil an sand. Got the engine, transmission, an air intake all washed up as well, bit more chestnut in the wash, wanted to get that weathered used look. The 2nd pic shows the very small decals by the drivers shifter. That was fun.I use micro set an so to finish off the decals, the stuff works great, the set smells bad though, I just put it in the warm water. The 3rd pic shows the wash I did in the engine compartment, as always great fitting model, a lot of work but also pure fun. Thanks for the encouraging comments, an to Coen an wookie 76 thanks for the pics of your models they helped me put mine together.

[warped72]

The wheels are painted, did the tire part with Miniature Raven black an concrete slab 10/2 drops got nice tire black, airbrushed, then using the mask I use the color that most of the exterior will be painted, Reapers X-ma's color Ginger Cookie, looks pretty good to me. Still got a little brush painting on the small wheels. The second pic show a pair of tweezers at the point of them is the decal I had a bit trouble with, it ripped on me from the carry sheet but I managed to safe it an lined it back up, got lucky. 3rd pic shows got most of the lower hull interior done, just got to finish the TOW missiles, it fit together pretty good except had little trouble with the round bulk head for the turret, but got it in place an it looks great. Next up is the upper hull got all the pieces cut sanded an primed, an painted. Just got to paint the upper hull with my light green color Limey an then will start on the turret. Learning alot from this model. Please comment any advise or help would be greatly appreciated or sarcasm too...lol

[warped72]

Just wanted to show a few more pics of where I'm at on this build. All the sub assembly came together great had a couple of fit problems but got them worked out, it was a tight fit after paint but a little sanding where they fit, problem solved.

[Coen]

I had a few fit issues with mine as well, mostly with the upper and lower hull coming together.
I eventually had to glue them together permenantly as they wouldn't close up properly.
Armour planning on leaving them apart or will you glue the hull shut?

[warped72]

coen thanks for the great question, an your build was awsome, something I'm going to do in the future M1A2 Abrams, On your question I almost done with the interior, had a problem with the T.O.W. missiles that fit in the back. worked that out had to free hand the red stripe on the TOW, so after that did a dry fit no problem but I have yet to start the exterior except for the wheels an suspension. thanks for the heads up. but to answer your question I do plan on glueing it together but have all the doors open. Thanks coen. please keep the questions and advise coming every one an happy building

[gaz45]

Very nice work there mate

[warped72]

Got the main gun an 240 machine gun installed an moving when both half are together, had major problem here at 1st, but with a couple of adjustments like pinning the machine gun to the main gun with a pin vise an paperclip. Move great now an you can't see it ,sorry I was extremely frustrated with it not moving an fitting properly so no pics sorry, got the seating area an turret completely put together, little more paint an decals an the interior will be done. Did a dry fit an it still moves and all that interior work looks good through the hatch's that I plan on leaving in the open but still have the ablity to close them. Thanks for the great remarks , nothing but fun this build. Take care

[schweinhund227]

lots to see... awesome

[warped72]

Got some exterior armor and rear hatch complete ,primed ,front hatch ready for primer. Trying the new Stynylrez primer from Badger. Did the turret with the grey, works great, a hardy primer too. Hopefully my mask of tape works so I don't over spray the primer into the interior or the paint either. Had no real problems with these steps. Got a couple of meng plastic coolers, the 1 with the cup holders is for the Bradley , that MENG kit has 3 different coolers, I'll take a pic for next post of the kit, pretty good ad on. More to come, take care

[warped72]

So there the pic of the MENG modern U.S. Military vehicles equipment got rhe cooler from and the tape job I did for the masking of the interior so I don't over spray the work I've done in the interior . Never mentioned that to prime I use a Patriot 105 airbrush and to put down paint I use a KROME .20 needle both from Badger. I also been using there new primers. Like them alot. Take care