Mk 1 Male Tank Washes

Even though it's hotter than the devil's arse here in the man cave I've managed to make a start on the weathering for the Mk1. I started out using a mixture of AK stuff but found it was far to grainy in appearance so switched to normal oils. First up was a very light coloured wash. I then followed up with a darked pin wash on all the deeper recesses. I could go and pin wash the hell out of this and do all the rivets but I think that would overwhelm the model, Especially in this small scale.

 
So the plan is just to add a couple more filters then add a little bit of oil fading and streaking.

Belgian M109 Even More Waffle!

The final bits have now been finished on the model. The Belgian specific drivers rear view mirrors where made up from a couple of spare leopard 1 mirrors then the mounts were made using plastic card and rod. Lastly the superb .50 cal was built up. The barrel's loose at the moment to aid painting hence the droopy look!

I've decided to use the kit tracks on this now basically as I'm in a lazy mood but also as a little celebration after finally getting a set of AFV club tracks to glue together. (possibly this decision with come back and boot me in the tender parts later on) So the models off for a wash and I can now sort out a couple of crew figures and stowage.

New Kit Reviews Page

I've just added a new page to the blog which you will find listed on the right hand side. I've also posted the first of the Castoff reviews there for you to read. I'm planning to put all future reviews on the dedicated page which will make it easier for me and hopefully for you to find all the reviews under one heading.
Edit, the second review for the Challenger 2 conversion has now been added enjoy!

Look What's Turned Up!!

My order from Castoff has now arrived, in fact it arrived just before I went on holiday and I've only just managed to have a good look at the contents. My initial thoughts are simply WOW! Terry at Castoff has done a superb job and the casting is crisp and clean and virtually no pin holes at all. The cast bar armour is particularly nice and finely done.

I will be doing a full review over the next couple of days and post it up with some pictures.

There's not much work being done at the bench at the moment mostly as I've run out of glue and the weather here in the UK is scorcio! (flipping hot) It's currently 29.3 c and 54% humidity in the man cave as I type this. Phew time for a cool one.

My Big Fat Greek Holiday

Just got back from a fabulous week on the lovely island of Lefkas or Lefkada in Greece. Too much food, beer and sun but I tried my best to get rid of all that mythos and alfa beer! I do enjoy going to Greece as the people are so friendly and welcoming and the scenery and colours are just stunning. The highlight of the holiday was a cruise aboard the M/S Christina and touring around the islands stopping at secluded bays for snorkelling and swimming. Then stopping off at a couple of islands to walk through sleepy villages.

The boat was kitted out with lounger type mattresses so no sitting on uncomfortable benches! A real treat that plus we had a superb lunch on board which was included in the price. I even managed a snooze after lunch it was that comfy!

Chieftain Mk9 Diorama "Winter Crossing"

The Chieftain and Land rover diorama is now complete. Very pleased with the final result and even though this has been a four month project I've enjoyed every minute of it. Especially re visiting the tamiya chieftain and applying all the knowledge and tricks I've learnt over the years. After all the last time I built this particular kit I was still in shorts!

Belgian M109 More Waffle!

I've now got the bones of the turret glued together now and boy was it tricky. The lower turret has a very thin slot for the turret base to fit into plus you have to handle it with that chuffing great lump of aluminium in place too. As the turret is cast very thin there was quite a bit of flex but I finally got it all lined up and glued down.

The barrel muzzle is also now in place and has been sanded smooth. A swipe of Mr surfacer on the inside surfaces will finish that off nicely. With the turret in place you can really appreciate the size of the thing especially with that great big barrel in place. As you can also see I've actually managed to get the tracks glued together! Something I have always struggled with on AFV club kits. Of course I have some Riich model tracks coming for this so that's bloody typical!

I think it's definitely a conspiracy by AFV club to make me buy more of their kits, maybe they are fans of the blog and have noticed how I loathe their tracks. He he!!

Tonight I'm finishing off the Chieftain diorama so will be posting up the final pictures tomorrow.