M-37

[Don Boose]

I'm working on a 1/48 model of a U.S. Army M-37 3/4-ton truck. It was one of a family of vehicles that began to replace the WWII vintage vehicles in 1952. The M-37 replaced the old Dodge Powerwagon 3/4-ton Weapons Carrier and looked very much like it.

When I was a rifle platoon leader in Korea (Company E, 2d Battle Group, 12th Cavalry (Infantry), 1st Cavalry Division) in 1962, our weapons platoon carried the 81mm mortars in one of these.

Jim G. put me on to it as a companion to my model of the L-20 Beaver.

The pictures below show some of the construction. My approach to the wheels was to cut out 0.5mm "doughnuts" about 2mm undersize so that the final lamination of the tires would have some dimensionality and would curve in at the outer edge. I also punched out hubcaps.

It took several tries to get the cab and hood to look right. There is still a little gap on each side, as I found that I could either have a smooth curve at the front edges of the hood, or I could have the hood match up with the radiator, but not both.

The grill that covers the radiator and headlights was supposed to be double thickness, but I found I couldn't cut out the tiny little rectangles between the grill bars (some of Kevin Stephens's little hand-made chisels would have come in handy), so I used only one thickness and colored the back.

I found that a Faber-Castell medium gray Pitt artist pen provided a reasonably close match for the light olive drab color.

The L-20 appears in the last photo.

I should have it completed by this weekend.

Don

[birder]

They make a good-looking set, Don!

[dansls1]

Looking good!

[bclemens]

Nice work, Don! Looking forward to seeing it done.

[Jimr]

Very nice work. It does make a good set. I particularly like the tires for the M37. The L 20 is very good also.
Jimr.

[Jimr]

Hi to all
Sorry you almost never hear from me. I retain an interest in paper modeling. It's just that I'm trying to finish some projects involving one of paper's parents, wood. I'll just have to let the chips fall where they may until I get out of the branch office and turn over a new leaf.:p

[Stev0]

My Uncle had one. That truck went EVERYWHERE... He pulled an Oil Delivery Truck, The Tow Truck sent to recover the Oil Delivery Truck and finally the Tractor sent to recover the Tow Truck that smashed up it's box pulling out the Oil Delivery Truck. Not all at the same time but you get the point.

I was considering building that piece with the hood logo "Jungle Beast" =)

[Johnny]

Nice Don!!

[Don Boose]

Thank you, Dan, Glen, Bruce, and Johnny. Praise from Caesar!

Steve0 -- Yes. The M37 was just an outstanding vehicle all the way around.

Jim -- I o-pine that it's a knotty problem, but we are in a-chord that it's oak-ay to work in the other medium -- it's all cellulose and we wooden want you to get tied in a knot, so ap-ply yourself to the project. Some of Phil's friends might be able to help: http://sitekreator.com/thewoodengrav...papertoys.html

Don

[willygoat]

That's hilarious! I'm glad to see you didn't leaf many out. :D