Global Scale Modeller

I am starting a new modeling journey, something I've never previously done. While working on my current 1/35 Churchill AVRE with SBG Bridge diorama I stated in a recent post that my next model kit would be "BIG!", well.... in this case, that is an understatement!

This past couple months I began working with our local city, Heath, Ohio, in restoring or at the least refinishing a decommissioned M1897 Field gun, which sits proudly in front of our city municipal building. So at first I was honored that they asked me to participate. Then reality hit and I began thinking about the scope of what needs to be done. Not only that, but since this is a loaned display piece from the U.S. Army, it may require specific tools, supplies, etc.

The Army states that as a custodian of a display piece, the City of Heath assumes the responsibility for keeping it maintained in a clean and safe condition, so its appearance reflects favorably on the military. With the Cities permission, I reached out to the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), ATTN: Army Donations Program, MS 419D, 6501 East 11 Mile Road, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan for guidance.

Immediately, you begin to take note of the scale of the task at hand as this is not some 1/35 plastic parts with a file and glue. Instead it is a mechanical full size beast of steel. One good thing is that it will not be restored to firing condition, as much of the components to do that have been removed, the barrel filled, and the breech welded shut. It will be a static decoration only. When I'm finished, I hope it will be a darn good looking display though.

I have found that the cost to restore or paint a decommissioned howitzer can vary significantly depending on several factors. A basic re-paint to cover existing paint and protect the surface would obviously be the most budget-friendly option. However, if the existing paint is in poor condition, or if significant surface preparation is necessary (rust, bubbling, grease / oil, bare metal), this will add to the expense. The size of the howitzer will also directly impact the the cost of labor and materials to clean, prime, and paint it. Care is also needed so as not to disfigure or degrade its appearance through grinding or other efforts.

The U.S. Army has very specific requirements outlined in manuals as to the care of all active military hardware. With this gun being decommissioned in 1945 and stored for 30 years, it was not considered a pristine piece when received.
To set the tone, this field gun was issued to the City of Heath in 1979 and has never been maintained since.

Here is a photo of the recoil mechanism. As you can see, it shows rust, paint bubbling, etc.


Before anyone points out the obvious, yes it's suppose to be Army OD Green. Here is a photo of the carriage data plate. The data plate is made of brass that has been painted over. It does not look very OD Green to me as it is worn down to and in some cases through the primer.


Once again, you can see here, near the breach of the cannon the paint is all but worn off and there is mold, metal calcification, and more going on here. Yes sir, this will be a task and a half to complete, what did I volunteer for?

So, off I go asking restorers in the U.S. and autobody shops about the "do's and don'ts" for the appearance update along with some of the methods and costs associated with this level of restoration. Of course they all stress that it comes down to the current condition of the field gun itself. I can tell you that as a "non-expert" it is better than some, but not a quick clean and re-paint either.



As I gather more details on the restoration, I'm also researching the history of this specific field gun with the Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; U.S. Army TACOM; numerous military history organizations; our National Archives; The West Point Military Academy Library; and the United States Field Artillery Association; and of course Wikipedia.

More to come regarding this 1:1 rework......

Ben

Quite the project. you'll learn a lot of all sorts of info as you delve deeper into the resto work and the history.

The small country town where Im from has a Leopard tank in its war memorial garden, parked under a pine tree, covered in needles. Slowly rusting to nothing.

Can't help , but wonder is it going to be taken to your home or do you have a place it can be worked on.
Looks like it needs a good sand blasting and start from scratch.
It's going to be a long project.
Look forward to updates.

What a fantastic project.

The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum specialises in restorations, both cosmetic and full mechanical, they could be a great resource for how best to go about it. For a taster, have a look at their Youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@ausarmour

COR, sounds like a sad state for the Leopard, but that would be 4 to 5 times the effort I'm doing with this field gun.

Digger, thanks for chiming in and I believe you are on point. It will not being making the journey to my home. Instead, we have several possibilities to store it and begin the restoring while there. It looks like a strong contender for some sort of media blast, then additional cleaning, a couple coats of metal etching primer, and then one or two coats of the military green. More on all of that and more during the next update.

Stokesy, thanks for the information, I will look into it...

The history of the type of gun and its development is quite interesting as well. I'm still waiting for more info. specific to this exact gun as several groups are looking into it. I will share what I have so far in one of the updates soon....

Ben

Probably teaching your grandma the art of extracting nutriment from small ovoid objects but.....
* Your first task should be to get it under cover, preferably inside a building, not a tent or gazebo else you'll be fighting the weather all the way.

* Make sure you have LOTS of penetrating oil available - and, worst case, access to an oxy acetylene torch to heat/free off rusted nuts and bolts.

* Don't underestimate the weight of the parts. It hurts when you do. A friend took a 17 Pdr A/T gun apart, estimated the weight of the barrel assembly and as the weight came onto the slings they parted dropping the barrel onto the floor - and one of his feet.

* If you can - either hire a spot blaster or get a man wth one in. It makes paint and rust removal effortless and relatively quick. Failing that send the parts to a reputable blast cleaning company.

*Once you have the metal cleaned use a good rust preventing primer such as Bondaprimer, Hammerite or whatever the US equivalent is. Won't be cheap but it will be many decades before this will need to be done again. It should be applied via a spray gun.

* Once primed do you want a "factory fresh" or "in service" look? For factory fresh the top coat should also be applied via spray gun. For in-service apply via paint brush.

* All brass work (usually the data plaques) should be polished to within an inch of its life then given a coat or two of clear laquer to protect it. Same goes for any unpainted steel parts like, possibly, the breech assembly.

It doesn't look too bad in the photo so shouldn't give you many problems - enjoy the work and the challenge. I'm envious!!

Time for an unfortunate update on the field gun.

It was finally determined that a full media blast needs done (as I thought). The city has a climate controlled inside location to work on it, but with this being an election year (November), and the cost to restore it to the level they desire exceeds the available funding, this project has been put on hold. The estimate for the total media blasting cost (machine, material, labor, and clean-up) will be around $3,500. We have identified a local shop who will be willing to spray the primer and top coats (cost unknown). There is also a local business who will donate the paints and products to finish it (free). But, all of this will most likely not get started until early next year. The concrete display pad will also be power washed and epoxy sealed. There is also talk of creating a brass plate or sign to identify it and a very brief history (cost TBD). It would be added as part of its re-dedication (after restoration).

In the meantime I did work with the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, and various other sites and agencies to gather a history on the field gun. The problem we have is that the specific documentation of it's unit assignments are all on paper and not digitized. Those documents are in deep storage,... somewhere. I thought I still had a good chance to obtain those details when I was referred to the museum's curator, only to find out that the Research Department and curator positions were a casualty of downsizing. They retired and there is currently no action to hire another. So this means it is doubtful that we will ever get the unit and deployment history of this specific piece of artillery.

Still, the information we dug up is quite interesting and I will share it with you on the next update (shortly).

Ben

Money and power the root of all the worlds problem manifested here with a budget problem.

No chance they would let you do your own research in the vaults??