Etienne Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hello gents, 30 years ago, my last model kit was a Tamiya motorized Chieftain so for my come back in the world of modellers, I decided to build the very same kit (without the motor of course ) My first surprise was the very large choice of tools, aftermarket kits and so on available on the market whereas in the past you did with what you had in hands, not so much in my case ... so I decided to enhance the kit with the Eduard PE set, a very extensive kit for a rather old kit (from the 70s, if I remember correctly). Being on a british forum, I won't offend you describing the inaccuracy of the supposedly Mk5 Chieftain but after many hours trying to understand the differences between the different Marks ... so much informations on the net, in available books, wahou !! ... I then decided to build a Mk3, mainly because other Mks are available from Takom. Here are the first steps of the build ... the turret with PE added, not always very accurate but a great addition to the kit. I also tried to represent the mantlet with a piece of latex from an old tubular tyre, the GMPG and light cables and many other details. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Nice comeback etienne, looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 Then came the hull ... many things to do, and much PE here also > the lower hull :being initialy a motorized kit, the hull is very "open" so I tried to close the gaps with plasticard. The result is not to bad but I need to climb the learning curve a bit further.> and the upper hull ... I tried to make it clean and neat as everything's visible there. Not perfect, but correct.Some modifications and add-ons, to complete the PE : electric cables for the lights, the box behind the storage compartment on the right, the tow cables (made from shifting cable, from my bike's spares box), etc.> and the bazooka plates : all the handles were replaced with electric wire ... a long but rewarding process, looks better than the molded ones Next step, priming ... my first airbrush attempt, let's see 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Nice start looking forward to watching this come together Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 Here it is ... I used Stynylrez primer, so easy to use and the result is very nice in my opinion. I made some tests before airbrushing the kit, of course, I didn't want to ruin my work. Next steps very soon. Best regards, E 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeoman1942 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Nice work Etiene, your etch looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 It may not be accurate ... but it looks great, very good progress now ... , cheers Etienne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Good work so far! Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the hobby. The kit looks great in primer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 8, 2016 Author Share Posted August 8, 2016 Hello,thanks for your comments ... before applying the base color, I experimented pre-shading (sorry, no pics) and then applied a very nice green (Vallejo gunship green, I think I found the reference on this forum). The result is quite interesting, slightly more visible on the hull, more subtle on the turret ... the green is rather vibrant but in line with what I found on photos of early Chieftains, mainly Mk2. The base color will probably tone down with weathering anyway Next step ... black disruptive camouflage, I had to find some good illustrations of the camo scheme and inspiration to imagine what is not visible on photos E 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 8, 2016 Author Share Posted August 8, 2016 (edited) I read that the tank crews had by regulation to cover 33% of the surface with black paint to create a disruptive camo scheme ... let me tell you that I didn't even try to verify if I was right, as I had a hard time masking the beast without messing everything, the PE firstly !! Here is the result on the hull ... big patches of camo paint, often seen on early Chieftains, the camo scheme becoming a little more subtle with the years, on Mk5 then Mk10-11 tanks. E Edited August 8, 2016 by Etienne 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Lovely work! Could never tell that's the Tamiya kit - you've really lifted it with your efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 8, 2016 Author Share Posted August 8, 2016 (edited) Hello again, here is the last completed step of my build ... let's be clear, it took me 3 months to achieve what I displayed these days I'm not a fast guy, I take my time ... So, the base color and camo are completed, next step will be detail painting before decals and weathering. Took me days to find the right color for the thermal sleeve, and still not sure ... Regards, E Edited August 8, 2016 by Etienne 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Looks good to me - an outstanding Chieftain! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Nice going Etienne, its not about the speed of the build its about the enjoyment you have while building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlow Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Very nice... I have some Stynylrez, not used it yet. What did you thin it with... if indeed you needed to thin it? Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carius Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Excellent job with PE and paint. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Nice progress for now , cheers E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share Posted August 11, 2016 (edited) Hello, thanks for your comments ... in order to avoid ending up with a total mess after so much hard work, I decided to post-pone the weathering until I'll have some experience on a cheap model (a Zvezda BMP-1). So, next steps in a couple of weeks ... @Mattlow : Stynylrez doesn't need thinning, it flows easily through my Iwata 0,5 needle. Cheers' E Edited August 11, 2016 by Etienne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Looking very good to me matey! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TristanR Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Lovely job, I like that you went to the trouble of putting all the handles on the bazooka plates! I love the green/black paint scheme too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 14, 2016 Author Share Posted August 14, 2016 Lovely job, I like that you went to the trouble of putting all the handles on the bazooka plates! I love the green/black paint scheme too. Thanks, Tristan ! ... the bazooka plates handles were so poorely molded that I though I should do something ... E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 Hello gents, back to the bench with the Chieftain ... after learning weathering techniques on a Zvezda BMP-1, I made the leap and tried not to ruin all my efforts The drivetrain was upgraded with Friul tracks ... worth the effort !! Here is the result ... I tried not to overdo the pin washes and filters, I am pretty satisfied. Still have to work on the upper hull and the turret, with subtle dirt and dust weathering ... Cheers, E 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jusjay Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 Looks fantastic, I don't envy you doing a camo pattern on armour, I've yet to try that one!! Keep up that great work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 On 21/09/2016 at 8:39 PM, Jusjay said: Looks fantastic, I don't envy you doing a camo pattern on armour, I've yet to try that one!! Keep up that great work Thanks Jusjay, the camo pattern was not so difficult to achieve ... PE was far more tricky !! E 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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