Bullbasket Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 I built this a couple of years ago, number three in my list of Cromwells and Centaurs. It's basically the Tamiya Centaur kit with a few modifications, most notable being the substitution of Tamiya Cromwell wheels for the Centaur perforated tyres. I rebuilt a lot of the rear of the tank. The rear of the air box had a first aid box moulded onto it, but I was fairly sure that this tanks didn't have one. I could have just cut it off and filled the resulting hole, but I like to do things the hard way. So I made a new rear for the air box from thick card and detailed it with bolt heads from Calibre 35. I also replaced the rear track guards with ones from Aber. Many Cromwells had parts if not all of the sand shields ripped away, so I replicated this using the kit parts but thinned down by scraping with a blade. I used the Normandy Cowl from the kit, but replaced the sides with ones made from thin card. The lids on the stowage bins were replaced with ones made from thin pewter sheet. Stowage was a combination of Accurate Armour and Black Dog and the etched brass was curtesy of Aber. The base colour was sprayed on using Tamiya paints for the SCC15 and the disruptive cammo pattern was brush painted on with Vallejo acrylics. The tank that I was depicting belonged to the Czech Independent Armoured Brigade and this unit spent most of it's time after D Day keeping the German garrison in Ostend penned in, and the 95mm howitzers of the Mk.Vl's were used to shell the port. The decals I used were the rub down variety from SKP. The 95mm shell boxes came from Accurate Armour and the empty cardboard shell tubes I made from plastic tube. The figures are Miniart with Hornet heads. The base was built up using balsa wood onto a photo frame from Wilkinsons. Thanks for looking. John. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Looking good John, like it's getting ready for another fire mission against the port. They didn't go much for sloped armor and it's a rolling rivet collection isn't it? Amazing how tanks have evolved over the last 60-70 years, and got lots bigger. Lloyd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 Thanks Lloyd. I think that they put so many rivets on them so that in future years modellers would be able to pick them out with washes! John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Never thought of that but it makes sense. Lloyd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cromwell Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Like your Wilkins is photo frame 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 You did a great job with the Tamiya kit and it turned out beautifully John. Once again you attention to detail shines through. Very well done. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackMax12 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 BTW there is a Brit armor group over here training at BATUS Suffield which is only 30kms west of Medicine Hat. It's a live firing exercise and you can hear the Challengers and artillery banging and booming away in the afternoon and early evenings. Then there are choppers and even some of our own F-18's buzzing back and forth and some of those passes are low and noisey. "The sound of freedom" and ain't it grand? Wish they would let us civies go watch, but that's another dream. I have managed to go when they have open houses but they aren't throwing live ammo around then, much as I'd like to see it. Lloyd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 Thanks everyone for the kind words. I suppose living where you do Lloyd is a mixed blessing. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris B Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 To be honest I hasn't got a clue that Cromwell's was painted with camo. Excellent job. Can you tell your mixture of Tamiya paints for SCC15? May re-spray my Sherman. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Very nice finished, i love stowage, very natural, , cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 13 hours ago, Kris B said: To be honest I hasn't got a clue that Cromwell's was painted with camo. Excellent job. Can you tell your mixture of Tamiya paints for SCC15? May re-spray my Sherman. Thanks Kris, Yes, Cromwells did receive camo patterns apart from all over green or brown. The Czechs used the colour/pattern that I've depicted and a few British units painted their Cromwells SCC15 with a black disruptive pattern. The mix that I use for SCC15 is one from Mike Starmer. It's 5 parts XF61, 2 parts XF62, 2 parts XF3 and 1 part Medium Grey for scale effect. I usually add a bit more XF3 to lighten it a bit so that when I put a gloss varnish on it, it doesn't become too dark. John. 1 hour ago, FrancisGL said: Very nice finished, i love stowage, very natural, , cheers John Thanks Francis. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris B Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Thank you John. I just have a look again on my Sherman, but I start to think I am gonna defo re-spry it as for base I only used 5 parts XF61, 2 parts XF62 mixture and it looks to dark for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
builder52 Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 goog work John, nice sheme, nice pictures, well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 1 hour ago, Kris B said: I only used 5 parts XF61, 2 parts XF62 mixture and it looks to dark for me. Yes, I think that mixture is way too dark. It needs the XF3 Yellow to lighten it. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 1 hour ago, builder52 said: goog work John, nice sheme, nice pictures, well done Thanks Jean-Yves. Yes it does make a nice change from just plain green. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Hi, great Cromwell, I really dig the camo ... you put a personal stamp on this one, great !! E 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 12 hours ago, Etienne said: Hi, great Cromwell, I really dig the camo ... you put a personal stamp on this one, great !! E Many thanks Etienne. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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