Greeting all,

I have a question and a request.

I'm building the LCM 3 at the moment and I was wondering about ships steel plate. If I do an armoured vehicle I often use some glue to roughen up the steel work if it looks a little smooth.

I was thinking that the inside planels of the LCM look very smooth and was going to try the same technique. However, the area on armoured vehicles is small and broken with angles and things. Do you think it might be too much of a surface area to attempt this method on? Any advice?

The next is a request. Has anyone built the LCM 3 and not used the name tag that comes with the decals? I'm making a British version and as far as I can see they use the letters LCM followed by a serial number. I have lots of numbers and thought I could use the LCM part of the name tag followed by a suitable serial No, but obviously I would need two and only one comes with the kit. So 1: Do you think this would look OK and 2: can anyone help with an unused name tag?

FInally I see Italeri have their latest kits listed. I must not buy one, I must not buy one, I must not ............!!!!! (ha ha)

Thanks in advance as always.

Al

Hi Alan

About the steel plate "texture", I doubt that in this particular case there would be any...
But, as my policy, if you feel you should do it, go for it!
Try using Tamiya Extra Thin liquid cement and an old brush to texturize it - try it on a hidden plate first

About the decals, sorry but I can't help you on this one!
But hasn't Italeri a service center where you can ask for parts / decals?

Skipper

Hi Skipper,

once again thanks for the advice.

Al

Hi, Alan!

I, too, am working on this kit and have a similar quandary... I'm doing a Normandy scenario, and one method of numbering the American boats seems to be to include the letters of the parent ship. (For example, as I understand it, suppose the parent LCT was APA-xxx, then the LCM might be PA-32). But mine was one of a large number towed across the Channel by non-US vessels. Perhaps the often-photographed US-81 was one of these. The operations order I am basing this on refers to it as "LCM 25." Does that mean the bow number is "US-25?"

Somehow, I doubt it would be that simple. Nothing else about this project is!

Anyway, if you are still in need, I would be happy to send you my decals. I will be painting my bow numbers....

John A.

Hi John,

Thanks that would be great. Check you PM's.

Re: numbering, sounds right to me but I didn't research the US craft only the British. Send Skipper a PM, he will most probably be able to help or try a fresh post.

See also the USS Rankin site which has a lot of stuff re USN LC's and that might help.

http://www.ussrankin.org/id41.htm

thanks again

Al