"Cheapest source for 1/72 AAVP-7s" Topic

My 20mn Elhiem US Marines need a ride to the beach. I assume they need 1/72, not 1/76 scale tracks.

Cheapest with shipping to Australia I have found so far are Butler's Printed Models:

link

12.65GBP before shipping each

a) is this the cheapest track going for 20mm life takers and heart breakers?

b) would the 3D print lines be something I couldn't sand/file out? They're still visible in BPM's finished and painted pics..

Can't you get the Amercom/Eaglemoss/Del Prado diecasts?

auction

I would find someone with a very good 3D printer in Australia and pay them to print it for you.

The print lines can be sanded but that's damn tedious work. I've heard you can apply a layer of liquid to do the job – PVA maybe? Worth investigating.

I've tripped over quite a few cheap AAVP-7's stalking ebay looking for other stuff – I guess they are less popular than proper tanks…. But postage is likely to still be the killer for many of them.

Awww man thanks guys. Gaz, that auction takes a bit of finding on AU Ebay, but it's there, man great price and shipping on the Eaglemoss and plenty in stock.

Just ordered the 3 I need, grand total with shipping and taxes AUD$52, so 17 bucks each, real happy with that! While I don't think they'll have the phenonenal finish of my Hobby Master M60A1 ERA I recently picked up, I think they will be more than acceptable. 3 x BPM would have cost me closer to AUD$70 before shipping.

They just need to be resprayed MERDC tropical by the crews and they'll be ready to invade Cuba in the '80s..

I've got the Dragon AAV-7 MICLIC kit so the MICLIC assembly from that will be stuck on the back and used to convert one of the tracks to an engineering vehicle in some scenarios, or I can just run 3 standard, enough to carry in a platoon plus some supports to the enemy beach. I thought about going all Dragon but those kits are hard to find and expensive, plus probably less durable. I don't want to have a mix of makes on the table for the same vehicle type as well.

Thanks for the tips Extra Crispy. Yeah I have some quite old 3D printed turrets for some T55s, they had very bad and deep print lines on them and I didn't even try to sand them out between the details, I filled the worst with epoxy and covered over some with some branches and leaves the crew had wired onto the turret.. which looks…okay..I was hoping someone might have direct experience with BPM, in that maybe the plastic used is more workable, or the print lines aren't as bad..? yeah I can see it will still probably be tedious. Shame, there are a lot of support vehicles I would love to get on that site..

Happy you got some!
I have got a few BPM vehicles and once undercoated and painted the layers tend to disappear……but this can vary greatly by vehicle type……more rounded/sloped armour can be 'notchy' whilst squared types are fine…..

Thanks again Gaz!!..okay I might do a test BPM order and get some trucks in your namesake! My Marines need some s*hi*t to blow up when they storm that Cuban airfield!

Sounds like a good reason!
The BPM assorted Soviet AA weapons are pretty good too for beginning trucks and filling emplacements……

Uparmored

PSB for my Airfix/BPM Grant combi.

link

I didn't clean the turret properly as I was just messing about, but it should give you an idea. Have a lot of BPM stuff and happy with it.

Thanks Gaz and Jeffers.

However I totally forgot about S&S. I was real impressed with their S-model conversion kit for the MUTT TOW I did last year.

I might go S&S for my needs as they are fully cast, none of this new age 3D print potentially dubious business (although Jeffers, I have to agree, your turret looks excellent)

I have an S&S turret too! Known Shaun for years; nice chap, good stuff, excellent service.

Can't go wrong with either company. 👍