M151 MUTT w TOW

I would think that all MUTTS have TOEs.... 😏  OK Thats a Paul punn.

This is the simple Tamiya kit that everyone has or had. Great fit of course.  There are so many versions of the JEEP used for various strategic functions.

This version mounted a single TOW launcher instead of an M60 machine gun.

The kit came with 2 versions of decals and options to fit.  Last time I built the regular ARMY version, but this time I wanted to include the snorkel equipment for the Marine Corps.

I did some minor detailing adding the wires and cables for the TOW controller and radio.

Vince B.  5-1-20

MENG MAGACH 6B 8th PART

MAGACH 6B BUILD

PART 8

So, it's done. I have completed the track assembly, painting and weathering. The base color is the Vallejo IDF Sinai Grey. I painted the front tow cables Tamiya Gunmetal before I mounted them to the hull. Once they were painted, I was able to mount them with the pins provided in the kit. Each tow cable set was a separate piece and perfectly molded in platic. The tracks were spray painted Testors Flat Black and then over sprayed with Tamiya Gun Metal. The hull was given a gloss coat, a pin wash with Tamiya Black Panel Liner. The dull coat was done with Vallejo Matt Varnish. Just a note here. Typically I use the Testors Lusterless Flat from a rattle can, but I notice it has a tendency to make anything it covers, darker then it normally would be. I decided to try the Vallejo Matt Varnish on my last model and was quite pleased that it didn't change the tone of the underlying base coat. Based on this experience I was happy to utilize it again on this model.

After the dull coat was applied, I began weathering the machine guns and some of the other edges on the turret with Uschi metalizer powder. The model was dusted primarily with Vallejo Desert Sand Pigment Powder. I also added Vallejo Natural Sienna in selected areas. The tracks were gone over with the Vallejo Desert sand and the Vallejo Natural Sienna in two different layers, based on photos of the real vehicle these colors were a very good match. After the layers of dust were applied, I went back and did some of the panel lines with Tamiya Brown Panel Liner over the dust layer I have applied. I also did this on the wheels which also had the dust layers applied. This gives a really nice affect as it (I think) it gives a more natural look.

The antennas were painted with Vallejo Ivory and tied back with EZ-line (which is a great product). I used the Tamiya Soot weathering product on the exhaust diffusers, and also on the main gun muzzle cap.

Currently, I am still awaiting the arrival of the crew and I have to work out a base for it, but I am pleased at how she came out.

To sum it all up, this is a nice kit. It has some small issues but nothing that could ever be considered a show stopper. This is a very interesting piece and is visually appealing from any angle. If you are a fan if IDF armor this would be a great addition to your collection.

Cheers.

WL

View from the front

Turret close up

View from the left side

View from the right

View from the top

From the rear

Romfell Armored Car

The Romfell was an armored car developed by two Austrian army officers in 1915. Only one was built and it saw little action. Originally built on a Mercedes passenger car chassis, it was later rebuilt on a captured Fiat truck chassis.

The kit is by Copper State Models in Latvia, their second armored car kit. Detail and fit of the parts is good (any errors you see in the photos are my fault) except for the fender sides in front on the rear wheels. They are too thick and I had to sand them down to properly fit in place. Paint is Vellejo & Tamiya acrylics with oil wash and some dust added around the bottom using Tamiya Weathering Master powder.

M4A3E8 Sherman

I started this  first of this year. Its the standard Hobby Lobby Tamiya shelf kit. This didn't fit as well as other Tamiya kits, but was OK.

I wanted to do a Loaded Sherman for some time and had the Legend Stowage set for this. I found photos of these tanks with field welded channel and angle iron baskets on the sides and turrets which were filled mostly with sandbags.  

These baskets were unpainted as they were quick add ons, crudely welded to the hulls. The Legend resin sections were not properly fitted.  I believe that the large sections had warped from the resin pull from the molds or from the initial casting. I had to backfill all of these with tissue paper to conform to the model.

Since I already had the model built and painted prior to fitting the Resin, I had to cut away much of the details such as the light and guards, machine gun, fenders etc. Then I had to re-prime and paint the resin after mounting onto the tank. So with all of the stowage on, ropes added, I had to hand paint each of the items. 

I used the washes to help blend all together. Dry brushing brought out all the details on the stowage and sandbags. I did some rubbing and chipping on what was left exposed on the hulls and used pigments with plaster in track areas. Its not too bad overall.

Vince B.  4-22-20

Well I finally finished something this year. this is the Trumpeter Challenger II with dozer blade. It is what I now consider a middle generation Trumpeter kit. fit is only fair and detail is somewhat crude. I've started on another Trumpeter kit, the Chinese Type 85-II that is solidly from Trumpeter's first generation kits. It's not much better than a toy but I thought it would make into something unique for the Drone recognition build down at Ellington field. I started the Challenger build at the clubs last couple of build-ins but finally finished it last week.

Cromwell Mk. IV

This is Tamiya's 1/35th scale Cromwell Ml. IV (British Cruiser Tank, Mk. VIII/A27M.  It will be my entry for out group buld, "Tanks Named after Generals" for the Nationals later this summer.

It is painted with Tamiya XF-61, dark green, another new shade of green for me.  (see my M-47 Patton in this blog about different shades of green!).

The instructions have a fun reading history on this actual tank and its division order of battle.  It was part of the 7th Armored Division, 22nd Armored Brg. (which landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944) 5th Royal Tank Regt., C Squadron.   This tank participated in Operation Goodwood, and Operation Bluecoat, the breakout from Normandy.  Usually a British Squadron of Cromwells would have 4 Cromwells, two with 90 mm guns and 2 with 75mm guns.  I chose the 90 mm version.

The box art, the paint and the Cromwell finished.

Here is Cromwell after painting XF-61, and ready for the finishing steps.

playing with filters in this photo, the green is, well, more GREEN!

More filter changes give the tank look a more earthy tone.  I am learning as I go here.

Coming at ya, pall!

MENG MAGACH 6B 7th Part

MAGACH 6B BUILD

PART 7

We pick up with completing the turret. I ordered a covered turret basket add on kit so I wouldn't have to wrestle with stowage. I wanted the Legends Production version but no one seems to have it stock, so I resorted to using the one Meng produces. So, completing the turret included building the commanders cupola, the loaders hatch, assembling the barrel, attaching the machine guns, attaching antennas, and finally the construction and installation of the covered turret basket.

The barrel was three pieces consisting of two halves and a muzzle cap. Given the thermal jacket details on the barrel I understand why this barrel could not have been slide molded, and therefore I was left with a seam on the barrel. The good news is that the seam was quite slight which made correcting the seam with putty very easy. To help me fill this seam I used Vallejo's plastic putty. I LOVE THIS STUFF! Why? Because the putty comes out of the bottle in a liquid state which made it very easy to apply. I use this putty whenever I can as it is the easiest applied putty product I have come across.

Meng include a .50cal machine gun belt that was long enough to use for all three machine guns. To use it one the 7.62mm machine guns, I just trimmed both ends of the bullets so thye would fit into the slots molded into the guns. The other neat thing, was that Meng had actually molded holes in the machine gun barrels, all except one. There were also three barrels to choose from the .50 cal. Based on my research of this vehicle, each barrel choice was accurately portrayed.

A word about the .50cal. The IDF has chose to mount a .50cal machine gun on the main gun mantlet for additional firepower. The kit came with all of the parts for this system except for the solenoids that trigger the weapon. I therefore had to improvise and I use two leftover smoke discharges from a another kit to duplicate these solenoids as best I could.

The hatches on the turret are workable so I am displaying them open since I will be inserting figures.

The covered turret basket isn't worth the price, but it is a nice add on feature. The holes for the grab irons did not quite match the extensions on the grab irons so you get them to line up as close as possible and keep it moving.

The next step was to prime the vehicle and apply some pre-shading.

Now that priming of the turret, hull and wheels are complete, the next step is painting the base color. For that color I will be using Vallejo IDF Sinai Grey. I am going to paint the wheels with Tamiya Rubber and then mask them with a circle template to apply the base color, this way I won't have to hand paint the rubber.

I have assembled the Fruilmodel tracks and they have been primed flat black from a Testor's rattle can. tomorrow I will paint the gun metal along with the tow cables (that will be mounted after the base color has been applied).

Getting close now and I am eager to complete this project.

Be safe out there.

Cheers,

WL

COVID #2 - In Progress

This is my 2nd endeavor during this COVID shut-in to complete kits on my
Shelf of Doom (SoD).  This is the 1/35 Takom Krupp 21 cm Morser 10/16.  I got it Christmas 2018 and of course started it right away.  Once built it went on the SoD and there it sat.  Last week I decided to take a shot a completing it, and as you can see I'm not quite there yet.  Here is what I've done so far ....

I have primed the kit with Tamiya grey rattle can primer and then painted it an overall yellow grey (Ammo by Mig acrylic).  I then used Ticy Tack putty (the stuff that holds up posters) to mask off the squiggly line camo pattern.   After the masking with the putty I painted the overall model in Forrest Green.  Once dry for a few hrs I removed the putty.  This method works really well for me, but leaves sharp color demarcation lines.  To soften these sharp lines I did two coats of a green gray enamel filter and some umber oil washes.  That's were she sits today.  I think I'll do one more wash with a little darker umber oil wash.

I have started a cheap base and filled it with some foam board to give it some height.  Next step here is to apply Celluclay for the ground work and fit in a resin fence and sandbag wall.

Things to keep in mind, that I usually forget.
1. If using enamel filters (like the ones from Mig) wait at least 48 hrs before applying.  I did it at 24 hrs and the coatings got all sticky.
2. On a similar subject, if applying an oil wash, make sure the enamel filters have thoroughly dried.  As simple as this seems, I usually mess this step up because I'm impatient.
3. When your wife says "go do whatever you want" doesn't mean go in your room and model all day.  Apparently after 33 years of marriage I still can't recognize sarcasm.

Takom M-47 E/M Patton

This is Takom's kit #2072 in 1/35 scale.  The kit gives you several choices of actual vehicles, Iranian and Spanish.  I built it straight out of the box.   I chose the Spanish version, M-47 E, because it was painted in a shade of green I did not have--Spanish Green Khaki.  I used MIG 031 as called for in the instructions, then lightened some of the larger panels with Desert Yellow from Vallejo. 

The instructions have a picture of the actual tank from "Armored Light Cavalry, Regiment RCLAC (Santoago) n 1, from 1985.

Here we go, just finished  construction.  On to painting.  Used MIG 031, Spanish Green Khaki, my first paint job with MIG!  Gonn be using them quite often from now on!!

͒͒

My favorite view!

The unit's insignia, a shield with crossed flags.

Link and length tracks are easy to assemble.

Not certain the photo truly captures the true shade of spanish green- khaki?

COVID SHELF QUEEN #1

1 down, 9 to go. This is the 1/48 scale Tamiya Marder III kit.  I started it about a year go and now am going to call it done.  I've been going through a 1/48 phase lately and as always the box art drew me to this kit.  These little kits are getting a bit pricey for me, but they are beauties.  The build was typical Tamiya, no issues at all on fit or assembly.   I think it only took me a Saturday night and a Sunday to fully assemble and have ready for paint.

After assembly I primed the model with Tamiya's rattle can grey primer.  I let that dry for about 3 hrs (with help from a hair dryer) and then I painted the entire model Tamiya's German Grey (XF-63).  I then left it all to dry for 48 hrs.

I decided to have a go at Ammo by Mig's Washable White.  After the German Grey was set (48hrs) I sprayed the entire model with Mig's Washable White (A.MIG-024).  I let that set for 3 to 4 hrs and then I used a water moistened coarse brush to scrub off the white in certain areas.  At first I was not happy with it, so the project was exiled to the Shelf of Doom and sat there until last week.

Going stir crazy, I picked this up and decided it was salvageable.  I gave it a filter of brown for white (A.MIG-1500) and then started some oil washes (overall with umber and 2nd pin wash with black).  I then did some chipping and rust applications with various acrylic paints. Last was the application of various dirty looking pigments.  It was all sealed with a coat for Testor's acrylic clear flat.

I constructed a small base and added a piece of fence I built from cut down coffee stir sticks. and weathered it with a wash of Tamiya enamel brown.  The little schrub is from SuperTrees that I flocked with some static grass.

All in all it turned out OK.  I can see many warts in the photos, but for being ignored for a year+ she came out satisfactory for me.  I've got 9 more Shelf of Doom queens remaining to be tackled.  Based on the current situation I think I'll have time to hit a few more.

Thanks for looking, George