Got the main colours sprayed on today. I first sprayed the lower hull black then sprayed the yellow. I didn't spend much effort here as the lower hull will be weathered within an inch of it's life later on. The colours are very bold at the moment but will tone down considerably later on with weathering.
I also received a small package of items from Poland today. I wasn't expecting them until after xmas so it was a nice surprise. All the items are destined for the IBG Rosomak that's in the stash. I bought them from here, MARTOLA Very good prices and service and as you would expect lots of Polish specific stuff.
Well I said it wouldn't take much more to finish the build phase and I was right! A bit of fine chain was added to the smoke dischargers and a bit more Mr surfacer was stippled onto the turret sides. I also made up a bulb for the search light using some clear sprue and a candle. The light was then painted silver inside and the build added before fitting the lens. While I suspect not very accurate it will do for me and if I don't end up fitting it to the turret roof it cost nothing to have a go at. The model is now ready for a very careful wash before primer.
The turret is progressing well & I've only added a couple of enhancements so far. The antenna mounts were improved using 0.4 & 0.5mm brass tube as the kit plastic was crap. A couple of stretched sprue weld beads finished them off. The top smoke discharger needed a small shim of plastic card added to the bottom which lifted it away and off of the antenna base. Some etched chain will be added to the dischargers in due course. There are lots of handles to add to the turret too and here I cleaned up the inner faces of each one then glued them on. Once cured it's a much simpler task to clean the outer faces than trying to do it on the sprues or in your hand. Mr surfacer has also been used on the front of the turret for a bit of texture. There's not really much more to add & I think I will add the searchlight mounted on the turret roof instead of in the stored position. A bulb will need to be made for the inner face as the kit part is devoid of detail. A five minute job I predict with a lighter and clear plastic rod.
Well somehow I managed to get the stug in a coat of primer last night so back on track. Almost settled on a colour scheme but need to have a think about it still!
My plan to prime the stug this weekend got slightly sidetracked as I've been having so much fun building the AMX. To that effect the hull is now finished off bar adding the lights later after painting. There are some quite fiddly assemblies to build up and these are not helped by the hefty attachment points on the sprues. However with care they go together well even with the sometimes vague instructions. The light assemblies are a case in point being made up of two plastic and two etched parts. Holding these in a clamp helps assembly and once built they are actually quite sturdy. I replaced the kit spare track with some spare fruils and a bit of plastic card. The turret went together with no problems and to glue the vinyl cover in place I used tamiya quick setting cement. This stuff grabs and sets very quickly and doesn't melt the plastic too much so you can get a nice solid bond.
The tracks are now all sorted and they fit perfectly around the sprockets of the kit. They didn't take long to build up and clean up on each link was minimal. An added bonus is that they look great and sag naturally due to their weight.
This weekend a little more work will be done on this build but my main focus will be getting a primer coat on the stug.
I've just received news from Paul at Red Zebra Models of some interesting and useful new releases and future items in 1/35th to his expanding range of resin accessories. So I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on them. The first few items are available now on his web site and the first new set is a pair of wheelie bins. One cast closed and the other cast with rubbish spilling out of the lid, you also get a couple of castings depicting rubbish to place around the bins. They look excellent and would make a great addition to any modern scene be it here in the UK or abroad, both in a domestic and military setting. priced at only £9.00 per set they are also very good value for money.
The next set is called scrap yard debris and consists of fuel drums and various engine blocks and engine junk. again they look really well cast and the detail looks crisp and neat. Another useful set which again is priced at £9.00.
The last of the newly available releases are two different types of handcart which are typically seen in the middle east and Africa but could also be used for Asian dioramas or scenes. Both are different in design and the first one offers a bare top so you can display whatever wares you wish. The second comes with a selection of fruit and veg cast on the top. Both are very well cast with very good wood texture in the resin and a nice handmade look to the construction of each cart, just like the real thing. Perfect for any Afghan or Iraqi diorama or street scene they are priced at £12.00 per cart.
Lastly Paul has sent me some advance images of two 1/35th middle eastern figures which will be available soon. Both are civilian and would make a great accompaniment to the hand carts or any other scene you may have in mind. I like the facial features in particular as well as the nice poses.
I'm hoping Paul will release more figures in 1/35th in the future especially if they are sculpted to this standard. Paul is also working on something seen a lot recently in the middle east, a home made gas canister mortar and rounds. As yet I have no images of the resin masters but here's a picture of the real thing.
Again a very innovative and useful accessory which would look good on it's own or with any of the technical trucks from Meng. He is also working on a few other items but I'm sworn to secrecy! So again Red Zebra has released some really unique and handy items for the modeller which are extremely well cast yet affordable and made in the UK. With the inclusion of new figures in 1/35th the ever expanding range of items just gets better and better. Red Zebra Models can be found here, RED ZEBRA MODELS
It's Christmas again, where did the time go? It seems that this year has really flown by. I'm really not into it again this year but then that's just me, a miserable old sod! This year has certainly been all about peaks and troughs with some great events and some downright awful ones but that's life I suppose. I did manage to squeeze three holidays in again this year though as well as plenty of model shows. Also I had several model articles published which helped the stash fund quite a bit! The blog has been growing in visitor numbers also this year with the visits going through the roof which is something I'm very pleased about. I only managed seven builds this year (eight if you count two AS-90's) but I think the quality of the builds is the best I've done so far. The rate of new releases also this year has been hard to keep up with at times but there really has been some stunning announcements and releases this year. I'm thinking Rhino G6, Polish Rosomak and the pending Takom 432, stuff I never thought would make it to plastic. I've also been experimenting with 1/48th armour which has proved to be a refreshing change and definitely something I will continue to build. Stonehenge modellers has also had a great year and it's been great fun talking to loads of followers of the blog at the shows. Next year is hopefully more of the same with the years campaign kicking off at On Track in February. So all that's left is to say thanks to all of you for reading my drivel this year and have a great Christmas and happy new year!
Here's the progress after only a couple of hours, just a slight bit of warping on the hull to deal with but nothing some careful positioning and gluing won't sort out. The road wheels & idlers have very large sprue attachment points which are buggers to remove & you need to be careful not to damage the parts. They all have nice detail though as do the sprockets. Already you can see the relatively small size of this tank as well. On the rear hull I removed the molded tie downs and replaced them with fine wire items, a five minute job and one that helps enhance an already fine kit.
Continuing my policy of building at least two models at a time, (and my vain attempt to reduce the stash), here's the next victim on the smudgeworxs bench. Takom's AMX 13/90 with the added bonus of a set of fruil metal tracks. I'm planning on doing a Venezuelan version as I like the colour scheme. Work has already started and so far it's building very well.
The kitchen project is now almost at an end and I've finished off the tiling and the new floor has been fitted. Just some grouting and sealant to do and we have a nice new kitchen. I'm very pleased with the result and the missus is delighted!
