Oh the humanity!!!!!

When I was finishing the M4A3 I used Vallejo Model Air Flat, and noticed a slight frosting to the finish that is common to many flat coaits. So when it was time to flat coat the Cromwell I decided I would use my trusty Polly Scale Flat. It's never failed me, and always gave me a dead flat finish. The only trouble was I couldn't find my trusty bottle of flat coat. So it was off to the hobby shop to pick up a fresh bottle! Well I sprayed on a light coat mixed with distilled water, and bam! The worst fogged milky white finish I had ever had!!! I tried all the tricks I could think of let it dry...maybe it would clear...nope...try various thinners....nope....try a light coat of gloss it will clear it up....nope. I ended up putting in my ultra sonic clear with some soapy water, and still nothing helped....I had finally had had enough of the Cromwell....in it's current condition.

I wasn't happy with the way the model had turned out

• The front number on the kit decals was too small.
• The unit markings, while correct stood out too far from the surface of the kit because of the number of layers
• a fellow missing-lynxer pointed out that the left front fender was missing on the actual tank

I didn't know I had a picture of the actual tank in my reference till well into the finishing stages. The picture would make a great little diorama, but I had missed way too much detail (for a really anal modeler like me that is). Hatches are open all over the tank, there are small headlights on the fenders, the side toolboxes are missing some subtle details. All small things tat I could have easily included into the kit. Then it hit me this could be a message from the big model guy is the sky. I've got a spare set of markings from a second kit (don't tell the wife I have multiples of almost everything).

So it was back to the ultrasonic cleaner, this time in a bath of 409. Boy did that do the trick, I was back down to the Tamiya Fine Grey Primer in 10 minutes! I've started carving the left fender, plan to open the driver and co-driver hatches, along with the other turret hatch. Then there are the fender headlights, wiring for the searchlight, detailing the toolboxes, helmets on the lift hooks. There looks to be a Bren Gun on the turret roof, anyone know where I can get a Bren Gun? Most can all be done with Evergreen plastic. More to come soon....

Corrected Cromwell markings

A friend on the missing-lynx braille scale discussion group informed me that the marking in the kit were wrong, and the unit markings square should be green over blue with white numbers, not red. So I breathed life into my old Alps printer, and managed to print up a the new markings. However, I wasn't very happy with how they looked, so I wipped out the old paint brush and Vallejo Game colors and hand painted the markings. It's far from perfect, but should work fine one the weathering and chipping is done.

Cromwell Progress

The Revell Cromwell has been sitting on the shelf waiting for me to finish it. I seem to have gotten some modelling mojo back with the Panzer IV group build, and M4A3 finished, so on Monday I pulled it off the shelf, painted the wheels and tracks, and shot a coat of Future on it. Yesterday I decalled it, and I shot another coat of Future tonight. I used the kit decals, and am reasonably happy with how they turned out. I used my trusty Waldron Punch set on the top turret star, punching out the center ring that fits over the turret intake. It took a heck of a lot of Mr Mark Softer to get it to lay down right. I finished off the star by touching up the arms with Vallejo Game Color Bone White. I did have one small mishap while decaling. I nicked the front glacis paint right by the "Black Bull" decal, but I just lightly sanded it out shot a coat of Future over it, put a few drops of lightened OD in the airbrush and touched it up.

Next up a flat coat and let the weathering begin!

Sherman Finished!

Well I finally finished another one! This is shaping up to be my most prolific year yet! It might be a lame total by other modelers standards, but 2009 is shaping up to be quite the modelling year for me. At this rate I mite complete my stash....that is if I live to be several hundred years old, and stop buying more kits. Both are very unlikely variables.

Oh well, here's the completed M4A3 Sherman. The figure are by AB Miniatures, painted with Vallejo Model Color. I made the stowage/tarp and id flag using Apoxie Sculpt. The tank was painted with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, and weathered with Mig Pigments and oil washes.

BSMC Panzer IV build done!

.....well sort of. ;) I still need to do some figures, but for the BSMC monthy group build ther're done!  I had hoped to get four kits done, but it was obvious a couple of weeks ago that I didn't have a prayer to finish all four.  So I decided to set the Panzer IV Ausf. J and Nashorn to the side, and concentrate on the Jagdpazer and Stug.

Missing-Lynx Panzer IV contest

It's the home stretch of the missing-lynx Panzer IV contest. I was trying to build four kits for the contest, but it looks like I'll only finish two in time. I can't say I'm particularly pleased with how they turned out so far, but I haven't started the weathering yet, so they might turn out better once they're done.  I decided to do a hard edge camouflage on both kits, as it's more interesting then just plain panzer yellow, and easier to apply than soft edge.  I used "blu-tack" [technically yellow blu-tack] as the masking medium.





It's the first time I've tried using blu-tack. It's a little tedious, but over all it turned out fairly well. The Jagdpanzer was the first one I tried it on, I learned a little bit after the first model, and am happier with the second [the stug].

Jagdpanzer & Stug's

I managed to out get a little time in the paint booth the last few days. The Stug III is in the finishing stages, and the Stug IV and Jagdpanzer IV are in the early painting stages.

Jagdpanzer IV L/70

I'm also working on Dragon's Jagdpanzer IV L/70 for the group build.  Like the Stug IV, it's very nicely molded, as a matter of fact it's a little nicer than the Stug IV.  This is probably because it's a later release, and Dragon has been gradually improving their kits to the point now they have reached the pinacle of 72 scale armor (in my opinion), with their recetly released Panzer IV ausf. F (more on that in a later post).   Anyway, I do't have much in the way of reference material on the Jagdpanzer IV.  So I've been relying on what google searches pull up to add any extra detail to the kit (not much).  Hopefully it will warm up a bit, and I can get the Jagdpanzer and Stug IV to the paint booth soon.

Dragons Stug IV Late

I've got a couple of kits I'm working on for the Panzer IV group build on Missing Lynx Braille Scale group. The group build is being done in conjunction with Braille Scale Monthly Competition. The group build runs from February to May. Rather than competing, I'm using the group build as inspiration to build several Panzer IV class kits that have been shamefully accumulating in my "stash" (my wife would probably call it my own private hobby shop). Anyway, I'm trying to build the kits out of the box as much as possible. Only adding after market goodies if I already have them handy.

So without further ado, here's a couple of shots of my nearly ready to paint Stug IV late, by Dragon.

I can't comment very much on the accuracy of the kit, as German armor isn't really my thing, atleast not the Stug IV (why was it in my stash then....because I'm sick!!!).  I don't have very much if any reference material on the Stug IV.  Fortunately there is the internet, and a google search eventually set me on the trail of a Stug IV recently pulled out of a river in Poland.  The museum restoring the Stug has a great website, sturmgeschutziv.pl, that is documenting the restoration process, and was a veritable treasure trove of information while building the model. The only modification to the kit was a slight modification to the spare roadwheel box, replacing the molded on lift rings with ones made out of stretched sprue, and hollowing out telascopinc sights and machine guns.

Back To Hurricane

It's been too long since I posted anything, but the usual Holiday, family, and work excuses are the reason. I haven't been able to to do as much modelling as I would like, and continue to expand the stash wel beyond my life expectancy, especially at my current build rate! That being said, I have managed to putter around on Hurricane a little.

First up is a picture of Hurricane with the modified Calibre 48 wadding stacks.



Since the resin parts were solid cast, I scratch built the upper portion of the stacks using the Calibre 48 part as a pattern with some Evergreen sheet styrene.



Next up is the Commander figure. The kit doesn't come with any figures, but Tamiya offers a coupe of US Army figure sets. This figure is a Tank Commander from the "WWII US Army Infantry GI Set." The sculpting was pretty poor, so I carved it all off, and plan to sculpt a tanker coveralls suit. The helmit is a part I made using the driver figure in the set as a master.



The last three pictures are of the modified driver figure. Again this figure was poorly sculpted, with sof detail. I scribed and carved the figure to enhance the detail, paying particular attention to the Rawlings Tanker Helmet. I like the way it turned out so much I made an RTV casting, which is how I got the helmet for the commander. I have yet to get a buble free copy of the figure that I'm happy with, but atleast I got a good helmet for the commander!