My scratch builds, something a bit different for me.

[chrisonord]

After geting annoyed by my Beriev Be-200 and making my modelling look like a 3 year olds I put it away in its box and had a look what I could do with my M-60 with the dozer blade. This got me thinking about what I could also do to other vehicles as part of the same theme, this theme being engineering and recovery vehicles.I started a conversion of a Hummer in to a fitters truck, making a rear box similar shape to the maxi ambulance, and putting tool racks, spot lamps and a spare wheel on the new rear doors. The M-60 will become an excavator, with a cab on the new turn table that can also drive the main tank chassis when needed. The driver will sit in a protective cage type cab, but it won't have glass fitted. To protect everything from the rain a waterproof cover can be rolled down with clear panels in. The M-60 and the Hummer will belong for my U.S Marine task force, I will also do a modified AMX-30 for the Honduras Army, this I think will have a crane fitted to it.
Here is some progress shots of what I have done so far, oh and the excavators rams are all movable, and all the parts move on it too.
















The excavator has some more work needed on it, I need to finish making the 2 main elevator rams for the boom, and make it some more attachments, like a ditching bucket, auger,breaker and maybe a winch. I have also made the Hydraulic pump and reservoir tank, and I am going to put hydraulic lines on the boom and connect them to the rams. The Hummer "fitters shop" is ready for paint.
Cheers,
Chris.

[philp]

Great stuff, now get them painted

[Ed S]

Looks good so far.  Although, I would think that if you are going to the trouble of mounting the excavator on an armored vehicle, you would also want to armor the operators cabin. FFIW.

Ed

[chrisonord]

Hya Ed,
The vehicle won't be used in a hostile environment as such, it will be used to set up base camps,perimeters and checkpoint fortifications etc.
Chris.

[Weaver]

Just so I'm understand you correctly, you've scratchbuilt that excavator arm? If so, WOW! 

[sotoolslinger]

WOW That's some really good scratchbuilding right there

[chrisonord]

Thanks for the comments guys, and yes I have built that arm from scratch, and mostly from memory too as I used to drive 360 tracked excavators for a while, and do a bit of the service work on them too. I was tempted to make it a proper excavator chassis too, but thought, nah, I will stick it on the M-60 chassis, so if need be it can move as quick as the rest of the vehicles.
Cheers,
Chris. 

[ChernayaAkula]

Absolutely awesome! No two ways about it! 

[rickshaw]

Bit overloaded there, lad, with the way those wheels are toeing in. 

[John Howling Mouse]

Incredible.  Color me impressed...and waiting for more!   

[chrisonord]

The fitters truck is in base paint and so is the M-60 hull, still constructing the 2 rams for the arm to lift. The hydraulic pump and reservoir are stuck on the plate ready for the hydraulic pipes to be fitted. I need to search out some suitable wire to make the smaller diameter hoses from, but I could probably get away with using tie wrap wire for that.I am taking my time with this one as I want to do it right, and also because I have 2 Rafales on the go, one nearly done, one half done.
Cheers,
Chris

[chrisonord]

At long last I have got my rear into gear and finished the excavator/M60, also I have built a trailer for it too, but the tractor unit is still some way off being done. I am tempted to build either a crane next on a tank chassis, or a recovery vehicle with a Hi HAB loader on it.












Cheers,
Chris. 

[Cliffy B]

A combat digger on a tank chassis...PURE AWESOME!!!! 

[sotoolslinger]

Yep

[deathjester]

Brilliant - utterly brilliant!!