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SimonL

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Everything posted by SimonL

  1. SimonL
    That looks great. The cast texture comes across really well. Hope you sort the track issue out.
  2. SimonL
    Fantastic! Love the presentation as well.
  3. SimonL
    Fantastic work! It looks great - love the dusty look. Your desert tanks are an inspiration. I have the Border Crusader Mk III sitting in my to do pile.
  4. SimonL
    Thanks for all the positive feedback. Very happy with how this turned out. Ah, noted. Will sort out next time I get the black paint out!
  5. SimonL
    Thanks! And yes, it is as detailed (even more so in places I suspect). Hope you enjoy the ride šŸ˜€ Thanks Keith. Iā€™m looking forward to it. Thanks - and yes thatā€™s very helpful! Made a start today with the hull. A few injection ā€œplugsā€ to be removed from the end pieces, but otherwise really straight forward. Everything went together well, and the plastic seems to work well with my usual Tamiya Extra Thin. Iā€™m leaving the running gear (wheels and bogies) off at this stage, as I intend to paint and weather separately. First bit of photoetch. It is a long skinny bit that fits quite tightly into a groove, so far than use superglue, I just softened the plastic with Tamiya Extra Thin and then pushed it down into place. Once the plastic has hardened, I will seal it in place with a thin coat of Tamiya Gloss Clear. Much neater than my usual mess with photoetch. The top of the hull fits nicely into place. Thatā€™s it for today. The detail really is exquisite.
  6. SimonL
    Oh no @Nenad Ilijic - not sure what the problem is. Is anyone else having issues seeing them?
  7. SimonL
    Thanks Roger - much appreciated. Hope you like the new project.
  8. SimonL
    For my next project, a change of pace from 1:35 scale light tanks - Vespids 1/72 Australian Centurion in Vietnam War markings. Itā€™s a relatively small box, but stuffed with plastic. Last but not least, the turret, hull ā€œtubā€, a rather nice digitally printed mantle, aluminium gun barrel, etch and a small, but colourful decal sheet. The paint scheme is the same for all of them - lustreless olive drab - just different markings. Not sure which one I will make. I found this useful resource on the web: https://mikesresearch.com/2023/02/26/centurion-tanks-in-vietnam/ Itā€™s clear there were some differences between the early arrivals in Vietnam in 1968 and the same tanks after a couple of years ā€œin-countryā€. It looks like the kit does provide for the main differences. Iā€™m likely to make a later one - so that will involve stowing the searchlight and leaving off smoke grenade launchers at the very least. To help me with my build I also found this useful log of the AFV Club 1:35 version.
  9. SimonL
    Oops - hadnā€™t noticed the prop had fallen off the Taifun šŸ¤£
  10. SimonL
    Here is my attempt at the immensely fiddly, but rather charming, Vulcan Models Vickers Light Tank VIB. It is completely out of the box as ā€œAngleseyā€ serving with 1 RTR in North Africa in November 1940. The early Caunter Scheme is the to the same pattern as the ā€œnormalā€ scheme, but has green in place of silver-grey and a dark grey, almost black instead of the usual slate. Brush painted with Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics. I added some stowage and a tea-drinker modified from one of the crew that comes with the Tamiya Matilda. Build thread can be found here: Thanks for looking! And one in black and white to finish.
  11. SimonL
    Thanks everyone! This one is finished. While I enjoyed it (on the whole), @Nenad Ilijic is right - itā€™s one for the masochist. Final bits added were the spotlight lens and front ā€œcapā€, which I opened up a little. The spotlight reflector was done with a chrome pen, and I added the clear plastic lens wth some Tamiya clear gloss as a gentle adhesive. I also added a wire for the searchlight, which was very fiddly. Taking what @edjbartos said to heart, all Iā€™ve done is add a coats Vallejo Model Wash Desert Dust. More photos in an RFI shortly. Thanks for following!
  12. SimonL
    Thanks Roger. Consequences of a week off after Easter! Today was spent weathering. First some washes (of various dilutions) of MIG Ammo Afrika Korps Acrylic Wash, followed by some light chipping of Tamiya Dark Iron acrylic applied with bit of torn off sponge (mostly on the running gear), a coat of Greenstuff World Maxxx Matt. Finished with a light dry brush with Tamiya Medium Grey acrylic. A few minor touchups needed, and I need to finish the front spotlight and add a few easily broken bits before some dust washes. I have a tendency to over weather my desert vehicles, tried to be a little more restrained this time. So close to finishing.
  13. SimonL
    Thanks - it looks striking certainly. Thanks Ed. Thanks John - and I am sure it was šŸ˜ƒ Welcome! And thanks. Thanks Keith - it was a bit of challenge. thanks Andrew, i assume you mean the tank šŸ¤£ After the gloss coat the decals went on really easily (all on nice flat surfaces), and thatā€™s the main construction and paint job done. Weathering is next. Almost done.
  14. SimonL
    Just catching up with this. I built the Vespid Comet 1B last year - a delightful kit! Sadly i made a hash of the birdcage sight and ended up using some stretched sprue to complete it. Build thread is here: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235128304-comet-1b-vespid-172-finished/
  15. SimonL
    Thanks Ed and John. I think the end is in sight! I had forgotten some etch - two supports for the petrol can cage. They needed tiny rivets added as well, which I did before bending them to shape. The bottom one in this photo has had the rivets added. And the two supports in place. Turret with couple of coats of Vallejo Model Air Portland Stone. Started the painting disruptive colours, and some rusty washes on the exhaust and muffler. Stowage added at the back, with a strap made from masking tape and a buckle from some copper wire. Added the painted pioneer tools and fire extinguisher. Turret painted. Searchlight sorted. Painted the inside Tamiya Chrome Silver. The lens is just a push fit. Added a handle on the back from a spare on the sprue. Iā€™ll get a gloss coat on tonight and the it will be time for decals. oops almost forgot tea drinking man.
  16. SimonL
    Thanks John. More etch today - almost the last of it. Shortly after this photo the two tiny clamps launched themselves onto the carpet monster. Miraculously I found one, which can be seen in place here. Looks nicer painted. petrol can rack and rear light ā€œclusterā€ in place. Exhaust painted with Vallejo Oily Steel - will make it look rusty in the next step. Added some control wires for the smoke grenade launchers and the front spot light on the turret using some thin copper wire. On some of the pictures of these tanks the smoke launchers are roughly wrapped by what looks like some canvas, so thought I would have a go with some thin tissue paper from a shirt bought at Christmas, with some thinned white glue. Next up - paint for the turret.
  17. SimonL
    Just caught up with this - looking great Milan.
  18. SimonL
    Excellent work - but I think youā€™ve just convinced me to go with Tamiya šŸ¤£
  19. SimonL
    Kind of you to say so Ed, itā€™s rather pushing me beyond my usual comfort zone. Thanks Milan. Not much done today worthy of photographing. More piddly bits of etch. Otherwise I amused myself by starting the paint of tea drinking man.
  20. SimonL
    Nice work. Inspiring as always!
  21. SimonL
    Nice work. Following with interest, thinking about doing a captured one serving with RAF armoured car company. Was thinking the Tamiya kit, but this one looks nice.
  22. SimonL
    Thanks @Stef N., my next bit of etch was to be the petrol can holder for the back, but it was a bit of a disaster. So out came the plastic strip instead. Itā€™s a bit rough, but once in place and painted it shouldnā€™t look too bad. Also in shot, some attempts with Milliput to make some stowage. Most of the last few days has been tedious masking and painting. Some touch ups needed, but itā€™s mostly done. It does look rather strange compared to the ā€œusualā€ Caunter colours. Much more contrast. I decided to go with Vallejo Model Air NATO Black as the Anthracite Grey really wasnā€™t dark enough. Sorted the exhaust muffler. The detail on this was rather soft, so I after sanding , I added some straps from plastic strip. I also drilled out the exhaust to be a little larger. More fiddly photoetch tomorrow to finish off the turret.
  23. SimonL
    Thanks Roger - yes I think so! Thank you, we are our own worst critics as to my eye there are issues, but no doubt itā€™s better than the plastic alternative. Thanks! Back to photoetch. I thought I wasnā€™t going to do this, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. For each of the photoetch handles, there are places to add tiny rivet heads. I almost went cross-eyed but with some careful use of toothpicks I managed it. Once that was all sorted, on went a coat of Vallejo Primer. Then a couple of coats of Vallejo Model Air Portland Stone. As outlined by @Nenad Ilijic with his model, while these tanks had the regular Caunter Pattern, they used rather different colours in place of the silver grey and slate. Instead they used green and a dark grey-almost black. Looking through my collection I have some Tamiya Olive Green and Vallejo Model Air Anthracite Grey which I think will do.
  24. SimonL
    With the wheels and tracks on, its time to finish major construction on the hull. First needed to remove some bolt-heads to allow flush fitting of a large part on the right hand side of the tank. Didnā€™t need to be particularly tidy as it would be hidden. The fenders, sand shields and other parts went on easily. There was some photoetch brass to do - some of which I squibbed on as it was just too small for me to handle. There were a few glue stains on the photoetch storage boxes, but some acetone on a cotton bud quickly dealt with them. The instructions donā€™t mention the pioneer tools, but a quick look on line, and at @Nenad Ilijicā€™s excellent example and I soon worked out where they are meant to be. Next up will be blocking in the Caunter scheme on the hull before I add anything else, itā€™s going to be hard enough without any more sticky out bits.
  25. SimonL
    Lovely job. These Vespid kits are great. Built the Comet last year and have a. Australian Centurion in the stash.
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