Jasper dog

Brilliant, just brilliant! Just reading about these A13 and the A9s at the moment so quite inspired to have a pop at one and yours looks great. Paint work and weathering are excellent, particularly like the way you've finished the exhaust too. That said wouldn't have fancied my chances against a Panzer III never mind an 88mm! Great work Darryl

Thanks Roger, really appreciate your interest and encouragement. Hi John, I'd been thinking the same, the black, even though it was Rubber black was a bit tooo.....black! However I cheated, as mentioned earlier I'd initially toned it down with heavily thinned Tamiya buff. Then back to the old favourite of Ak rainmarks for NATO tanks, it's so useful and easy to use. (Used Ak wash for German dark yellow on the sand first then the same rain marks). Hi Simon, my take on dot and dab was, haven't used it for a good few years and then on aeroplanes, would be to cover the surface with a multitude of dots of oil or enamel paint in varying colours, white/yellow/red/blue etc. Then with a flat brush moistened with thinners draw it back in the direction of the airflow until only the slightest hint of the colour remains. That said I've recently bought a set of cheap oils to have a play with so could be another tool and apparently the oils are more versatile... Otherwise the effect achieved was done with Ak rainmarks and a flat brush moistened with white spirit. Still more to do yet but think it gives a good base to work with. Thanks Clive, good to have you along. Hi Rob, thanks. What do they say, great minds think alike...... I had a similar idea, the Scammel is in the pending pile, (thought one was enough on BM) and this way I can see how yours works out! Cheers, thanks for taking the time to comment, glad you like it. Thanks chaps, really appreciate the feedback. Darryl

Mmmmmmh, ditto John! Obviously demonstrates a good in depth knowledge of your subject and excellent reference material.

Just keeps getting better and better. What approach did you take for adjusting the steering angle, cut, drill and pin? Cheers Darryl

Someone's busy, another one on the go! It's a great kit, built one a few years go, unfortunately made a pig's ear of the paint job, imo, so it hides at the back. Be nice to see your take on it. Darryl

Hi Roger, that's brilliant, created a masterpiece out of what looked, to me at least, at pretty daunting project. These armoured recovery types are really impressive, just read the Haynes manual on the Chieftain version, now if they did a mainstream plastic one.... Great work, like the base too. Cheers and stay safe. Darryl

Coming along really well, looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Nice work! Cheers Darryl

Not a huge amount done since last update but... Basic weathering done and sealed prior to more detailed and specific tweaks and touches. Probably going to mount the suspension units prior to doing much more, which I guess means looking into the tracks and securing the side skirts, one thing leads to another in this game! Less of the waffle and to the pics. Thanks for looking and stay safe. Atb Darryl

Looking real good Simon, particularly like the wood effect on the bed, amongst other things. Herman has a bit of character too.

As of late I've only used acrylic for the very reason of low odour, fumes etc, when I got the ak real colour I hadn't even realised they might have lacquer based. I do recall years ago using humbrol and xtracolour enamel thinned with automotive cellulose thinners and they sprayed and dried so well......even enabled fine mottling on 1/48 luftwaffe types. Happy days!

Hi Wayne How for the love of God hadn't I noticed..... Just been to check and whilst neither the jar or label say as much a quick sniff confirms.... Cell'e thinners it is then, that'll be popular at home..... Thanks, (sorry Rob for briefly hijacking your thread!). Darryl

Coming along nicely, been wanting to get my Mk III AVRE, off the shelf for a while and your almost making it look do-able! Cheers Darryl

Hi Rob, looking good! I've the same caunter set so good to know they work ok. Call me a heathen but I quite miss the old fashioned idea of the caunter scheme with the bright blue... Even when spraying the orange top AK paints I'll still thin a little and as for the AK real colour jars, I tried adding some tamiya thinner and Vallejo flow Improver, dont! Spent two hours cleaning crud out of the airbrush, my hunch is the flow Improver didn't agree it but haven't checked yet. Nice work. Atb Darryl

Looks interesting, both the tiger and the base. Be good to see how the damage turns out, sure it'll add a bit of character and originality. Nice work. Atb Darryl

Hi John, still playing catch up with BM, your Super Sherman is looking really good, I've always liked the idea of painting on the markings and it really works judging by what you've done.. Looking forward to seeing your treatment of the hull regarding weathering etc. Atb Darryl

Making progress Nick, always good to get the interior together and buttoned up. One of those landmarks in a build before it starts to look like what it is. Nice work, btw! Cheers Darryl

That's brave! By the time I've gone over it, and cleaned the mess up its quicker to do it.....

Progress is delayed by managing to acquire the required masonry paint, wood stain and varnish for repainting the house. (Think it's called an own goal!) Bank holidays wouldn't be right without a little DIY..... Thanks chaps appreciate your input, as ever! Looking forward to cracking on with this, something dry, dusty and sun bleached is what springs to mind... or is that too obvious. Cheers Darryl

Looking good, as you've done it, how was the running gear to assemble with "those" springs? I'll enjoy watching this come together. Cheers Darryl

For ease of build can't beat Tamiya 1/35, whilst it doesn't have Zimmerit late war Kingtigers didn't have it either. Good luck.

Thanks, get another gloss coat on and off we go...... And I assumed I was the only one up at nearly 1am playing with this stuff! Thanks Stef, I'll give the AK real colour blue-black another go but without the flow Improver, don't always use it anyway. Just so infuriating when you've set a couple of hours aside to do some painting and its swallowed up stripping and cleaning. I've never seen something clog up so fast, or thoroughly. Thanks Roger, could just be me but the final stages always take far longer than anticipated. Obviously it's not a race and quite enjoyable but it always used to be, once the decals on the finish line was in sight. Probably right John, just irritating. Live and learn...... Thanks chaps, really appreciate having you along. Stay safe Darryl

Did I mention decals; 7th Armoured Div, 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars, Squadron C. 1942 Decals behaved faultlessly, if perhaps a little reluctant to fold to the shape of the front mudguards/fenders. A good application of microsol did the job. Once set a further application of clear will seal in prior to weathering etc. Cheers Darryl

Progress; Once the Halfords rattle can grey primer had dried and a splash of Vallejo warm sand had covered the corners it was time to look into getting some camouflage onto this thing. After deciding to do the classic (to me at least) sand and black scheme I mixed some AK Real Colour Blue-Black with some Tamiya acrylic thinner and a squirt of flow Improver... Then spent two hours stripping and cleaning my poor abused airbrush of crud and gunk... This is one of many lumps of yuck that I scrapped out of my poor airbrush without even spraying a jot. Has anyone else any experience of spraying this stuff?? In the end resorting to substituting the AK colour for Tamiyas Rubber Black, I decided that once it was on and weathered it wouldn't look too much out of place. The plan is to spray the black first then mask with a combination of tamiya masking tape and AK masking putty. Here it is with the black masked and a top coat of Vallejo warm sand. Even though its difficult to tell I lightened the sand with numerous drops of straight white. Once dry the masking putty removed: Doesn't look great so far, bit woolly around the camo edges but it'll fine.... (haste is not your friend in this game!). Once the soft edges had been tidied: and with the start of the unifying process......Tamiya buff massively thinned and sprayed onto the panel centres and then as a unifying filter. Once this had dried, perhaps a day a coat or two of Halfords clear seals everything in before the decaling stage..... Until next time. Stay safe, keep your distance and happy modelling Darryl

Hi Nick, thanks. Haven't had much chance, or for that matter motivation, for the last few weeks but getting back into the swing of it, slowly. I found just getting stuck into it has helped and of course the quality of takoms product. Thanks and take care Darryl

Hi Clive, if I'd a period photo of the one I'm doing showing the dust cover I'd have given it a shot but ho-hum..... However it's nice to know how to do it. Cheers. I think your comments re' the interior are probably the reason I've never been tempted by a full interior kit, call me lazy if you will but... I'll have to look up the miniart figures, I've some Dragon 8th army ones but not really what I want. John's suggestion regarding the heads is good. Thanks again Clive Atb Darryl