M29 Weasel family 1/72 (scratch) by Backer Finished

[Baker]

A long time ago I bought a resin model of an M29 Weasel at an IPMS exhibition.
The idea was to use this model as an example and to make a series of Weasels.
The construction stopped for reasons I no longer remember. The unfinished models went in a box in the closet and the magazines that served as information were later also lost (sold).

 

Recently, the Weasels unexpectedly reappeared while searching for parts for the Centurion. 

And after searching the internet I found enough info to restart this build.

http://www.lzmodels.com/135-American-M29-weasel.html

https://lzmodels.wbs.cz/35501/m29_instructions.pdf

 

http://www.lzmodels.com/135-American-M29C-Weasel.html

https://lzmodels.wbs.cz/35503/m29c_instructions.pdf

 

This build will be slow, making a series of models is very time consuming. So, this build will only be continued if other models require the glue or paint to dry.

But with time, patience and plastic this build will be finished. And now I have a good reason to finish this project, MSW members are watching 🧐

 

General info of the Weasel family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M29_Weasel

 

Current state of the models and my new source of info. 

The scratch chassis were then made of plastic sheet. 
For the time being, there is even no idea how the tracks will be made.

 

To be continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Backer

[Egilman]

Yep I'll be watching...

 

My Father said they were deathtraps without the fore and aft sponsons, and they would barely throw a wake.... But, once you got them ashore, they would drive over almost anything....

 

He much preferred DUKW's.....

[Canute]

Interesting subject, Patrick. be a good one to follow along.

[popeye the sailor]

this should be real neat to watch    

[Baker]

Update,

 

Progress , with a Staghound Mk.2 under construction. 

 

The first step is backwards. Everything that was not good has been removed.

Building the hole in front of the vehicle. The radiator of the engine will be placed in this later.

These 4 will all become c models.
A standard, a ambulance, a 75 mm recoiles and a Wasp flametrower.

 

Thanks for following

[Baker]

Building the rear "floating tank"

This seemed to be the simplest of the 2 to build, so I started with this.

 

Top

sides

"bottom"

 

rear plate

Ready for sanding an cutting

 

rough shape ready

Next to do, the front floating tank.

Thanks for following

[Old Collingwood]

Not just about the size  - but you have Four on the go at the same time.......😲

 

OC.

[Baker]

10 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Not just about the size  - but you have Four on the go at the same time.......😲

 

OC.

I imagine I'm Henry Ford
I invented a "assembly line" for plastic models.  haha 😂

[lmagna]

You are the exact opposite of Popeye, (Denis) here on the forum. You are using an assembly line for mutable builds, he has little factories all over the house, each one with one project under construction and jumps from one to the other as the mood strikes! I think he has more than four at present as well.

 

I am really watching your work as when I was a child I built the Monogram kit. I can't remember if I tried to float it and if so if it was successful but I have always liked the design for some reason. I'm not normally an armor guy. Your work is impressive. 

Edited February 17, 2021 by lmagna

[Baker]

Smal update

 

Since I only continue on this build occasionally, progress is slow.
As expected, the front float tank is not an easy thing to make.
So there is a lot of fitting and measuring to do. And for now, nothing has been done wrong that needs to be removed again 😉

Meanwhile : wheels, wheels, wheels for a russian tank trailer.

The ChMZAP-5208 under construction and a heavy truck from the shelf

Thanks for following, comments and likes.

[Landlubber Mike]

Very cool - that's a lot of wheels!

[Baker]

Indeed, this was something with a lot of wheels 😉.

 

The basic shape of the front floating tank is ready

Lost my patience and switched to filler for this 🤣

The basic shape of the weasels is ready

On the epoxy model they used T34 tracks... 

If I have to make 4 sets of tracks for the 29c. then I can also make 1 extra set for the epoxy model.

 

Thanks for following, likes and comments

[Baker]

Started adding details.
Spade, ax, bolts etc.

Thanks for following

 

[lmagna]

Nice watching these little guys come together Patrick. I have always liked the design ever since childhood when I built the Monogram kit. Didn't know much about them but liked the looks. Didn't know that in reality they were just a box with treads!

Edited March 19, 2021 by lmagna

[Baker]

More smaller parts have been added.

 

Instrument panels in the driver compartiment. And a radiator en some other small parts in the front opening.

Some copper around this opening

Removing parts from the resin model ( interior, exhaust)

And. the wheels and tracks.

 

current status

The Weasel family is now temporarily in summer sleep.
In spring and summer I will continue to build the Pelican (and gardening, cycling, walking...)
This build will continue in October, November this year.

 

Thanks for comments, following and likes

[Old Collingwood]

Lovely work.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

awesome progress.........your unit is coming along  

[mtaylor]

This popped up in my reads on the Warfare History Network.    You might find it interesting...

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/m29-weasel-wwii-track-vehicle-was-never-used-intended-182722?page=0%2C1

[Baker]

Thanks,

 

This is roughly the same explanation as on wikipedia and other websites.

The Weasel :  Designed to drive through the snow during operations in Norway. But ended up on all fronts except, in Norway

[Baker]

5 Weasels are slowly becoming active again

 

First to do is making the wheels and tracks. On the original resin model this was quite primitive.
The aim is to make an idler, sprocket and 4 bogies to determine the positions of the wheel assembly.
Work in (slow) progress

a primitive test bogie 

Thanks for following

[popeye the sailor]

nice to see them back on the table.........  

[Baker]

Bogie time 😉

I have to make 40 of them  😱  

The wheel press tool

Dry test fit on the orignal resin model

The 4 weasels with the extra float tanks will have side skirts. The running gear will therefore be little visible later on.
So I do these 4 first to practice.

1 side done (will probably need some extra details)

A cannon, almost finished 

Thanks for following

[Baker]

short update.

wheel assembly, about half way 

[mtaylor]

A regular assembly line you have going on there.   

[Baker]

On 11/28/2021 at 9:38 PM, mtaylor said:

A regular assembly line you have going on there.   

Indeed, 

But a little slow. In 1982, my first job was at General Motors, assembling Opel cars.

Production was faster  (but then there were more people on the Opel assembly line than now at my Weasel assembly line 😉).

There were once 2 Opel factories, one is now a cinema and the other has been completely demolished. 👎

 

Well, the Weasels have wheels. One also has the sprocket and idler wheels.

Now i make the tracks.
Never made them myself. So it will be trail and error until it works out...

i need 10 tracks

 

 

[Baker]

Tracks.

As mentioned before i never made them myself. So, unknown territory for me.

I also found the origin of the resin model (giesbers) https://henk.fox3000.com/giesbers.htm

Base for the tracks is plastic sheet. With carved lines on both sides

This is glued around the wheels 

extra detail on the visible part of the track.

The holes for the sprocket teeth need still some extra work. But the tracks are already much better than the original T34 tracks.

Next to do.

The M29C's will have "side skirts" . So the suspension will remain little visible.

thanks for following.

[lmagna]

You can just say that you have "scaled down the assembly crew" along with the scale of the weasels. Is 1/72 of a full crew equal to one?

Your progress and detail is fantastic Patrick. It is nice to see these little known vehicles get some attention. I have always had a secret affection for the ugly little things. 

[Baker]

Thanks 

Indeed they are not, as we say "moeders mooiste"

translated to English "a mother's most beautiful child" 😉 

 

Haha, I am a single person assembly crew 🤣

 

[Baker]

Buiding side skirts

 

The first one is the "prototype"

8 ready

And in place

And the tracks are ready

Not bad, once painted

Thanks for following

 

[Baker]

Hello,

 

Add further details, started on the front.

And to everyone,

a merry Christmas from Felix and co.

Thanks for following